Natural Home Remedies For Immediate Constipation Relief For Your Child
Natural Home Remedies for Immediate Constipation Relief for Your Child
There are natural remedies can be very effective for immediate constipation relief for your child. My son was diagnosed with Celiac at 18 months after being hospitalized with Salmonella and on IV antibiotics for 5 days and oral antibiotics after he came home. His blood work after his hospitalization showed IgA deficiency, indicating Celiac. At 4, he was diagnosed with Megacolon and his Pediatric Gastroenterologist told me that he would need to be on Miralax for life to go regularly. His pediatric Gastroenterologist told me that it was as safe as water but my son developed tics, OCD, anxiety, hallucinations, and slurred speech while taking Miralax.
My husband also has IBD/Crohn’s Disease and we now have worked to heal his gut and it is in remission. He still struggles with issues from multiple surgeries over 20 years, the last of which almost killed him and was a huge reason that led me down the path of finding alternatives to help him and my son.
If you have questions on Miralax safety, please read my article Is Miralax Safe to Give to My Child?
Chemical laxatives can cause side effects in children and many, including Miralax, are not approved for use in children under 17. Magnesium, Senna, Vitamin C, salt, and oil can all be used for safe, effective and immediate constipation relief in children. These natural home remedies work in different ways. What is causing your child’s constipation and how constipated they are, will determine which of these home remedies is the best for your child to bring them immediate relief from their constipation.
Magnesium for immediate constipation relief for your child
Magnesium works as an osmotic. It pulls water into the colon softening the stool. When you get too much magnesium, the stool is very soft or liquid and you expel the stool and the extra magnesium. No matter what type of magnesium you use, it can cause dehydration, so please make sure to drink lots of fluids.
There are many types of magnesium. Magnesium in supplements are generally bound to another ion. What the magnesium is bound to, impacts how much your child’s body will absorb.
What type of magnesium you should use depends on your goal. With a constipated child, we have two goals. Our first goal is to use magnesium to produce regular bowel movements. Our second goal is to increase our magnesium stores in our child’s body so our child is no longer magnesium deficient.
Milk of Magnesia for immediate constipation relief
Milk of Magnesia is magnesium hydroxide. It works as an antacid in addition to being a form of magnesium. Using anything that acts as an antacid isn’t something I really think is a good idea for regular use. Many of our children are dealing with having low stomach acid, reflux, GERD etc, so reducing stomach acid, even more, is going to cause worsening symptoms. We need acid to digest our food and kill off harmful bacteria and pathogens. If you are using Milk of Magnesia, make sure it only has magnesium hydroxide and water as the ingredients Good Sense Milk of Magnesia . (Amazon Affiliate Link) Many have mineral oil which is a petroleum product, saccharin or even a bleaching agent like sodium hypochlorite. None of which are ingredients you want in your child.
If you are having success with Milk of Magnesia, make sure to work on other ways to increase stomach acids like Apple Cider Vinegar or lemon water and make sure your child drinks a lot of water. For ideas on how to get your child to drink more water and ideas on how to incorporate lemon or limes in your child’s drinks, please read my article Constipation in Children can be caused by Dehydration
Epsom Salt for constipation relief
Magnesium Sulfate or Epsom Salt can be used internally, by mouth for the laxative effect or used in a bath, where it is absorbed through the skin. This is a great option because we need sulfur too and magnesium sulfate is a great way to get magnesium and sulfur. It can be harder to get kids to take it by mouth due to its taste but some parents have had success mixing a small amount in juice or with honey for children over 12 months.
Epsom salt baths are one of my favorite things to do for a constipated child. The skin absorbs the magnesium sulfate and the child is often relaxed by the warm water and the magnesium and will often have to jump out of the tub to have a bowel movement or *warning!* have a bowel movement in the tub. You want an Epsom salt that is listed with directions for laxative use. If it has directions for laxative use you know it is safe to take by mouth or use in the tub. Not all Epsom salts are safe to be taken by mouth, either because they are not pure Epsom salt or because they have additives like scents. I personally use Organic Epsom Salt by Sky Organics.
Magnesium Citrate
Magnesium Citrate has a long history of being used for constipation and is usually well tolerated by children. Magnesium Citrate is what was used for colonoscopy preparation or Clean Outs before Polyethylene Glycol (Miralax, PEG 3350 or Golightly) was invented. Magnesium Citrate isn’t well absorbed so it isn’t the best way to correct a magnesium deficiency but it is a great way to induce a bowel movement. It usually works in 1-3 hours but can take overnight or if your child is severely constipated it can take multiple doses over days to break up the hard stool in your child’s intestines. Magnesium Citrate can be used for Clean Outs and to get your child going daily to shrink the bowels while you are looking for the root cause of their constipation. For information on how to do a clean out, please read my article How to do a Clean Out for Your Constipated Child
Many of the bottles of liquid magnesium citrate have PEG (Polyethylene Glycol) or saccharine in them. They are flavored and are kind of like soda so some kids will drink them easier than other options. I try to avoid Saccharine because it is a neurotoxin and a carcinogen. I would avoid those if at all possible but they are still a better option than many over the counter laxatives. Using them occasionally for a cleanout is probably not going to cause long term issues but I wouldn’t use them regularly.
Natural Calm Magnesium
Natural Calm Magnesium is a good brand of Magnesium Citrate that also comes in child-friendly flavors like lemon or raspberry lemon. They taste like lemonade or pink lemonade. You need to add hot water to the Calm powder to activate it and then once the fizzing stops, add water, ice, juice, lemonade etc. It has Stevia for a sweetener which can take some getting used to. You can add honey or sugar as well if your child doesn’t like the taste. You can dilute the Calm in a large drink as long as your child will drink that much or you can just add a small amount of water and put it in your child’s mouth with a syringe if they really don’t like the taste.
I used Natural Calm and have had good success getting my Super-taster son to take it. I add in cut up lemons or limes and put in lots of ice after activating it with hot to boiling water. Some of my readers have had good luck freezing it after they mix it up in popsicle molds. Natural Calm is now selling a Gummie which kids really seem to like and the gummies can be a great way to get magnesium in your child if they won’t drink anything flavored or take pills. You can also make a slushy with Calm after you mix it up adding ice, lemonade or limeade and blend it up. Some kids will drink it that way that won’t drink it straight up. For more information on how to use Natural Calm for constipation relief, please read my article Natural Calm Magnesium for Immediate Constipation Relief in Children.
Magnesium Oxide
Magnesium Oxide isn’t absorbed well so it doesn’t work for magnesium deficiency but does work to produce bowel movements short term. Magnesium Oxide also works as an antacid like Magnesium Hydroxide. We need acid to digest our food, so while it works short term as a laxative, long-term it can prevent you from properly digesting your food. Low stomach acid can contribute to constipation so I wouldn’t recommend it for long-term use. I generally don’t recommend using Magnesium Oxide for more than a couple of days to produce a bowel movement. Many of my readers have used Mag 07 with great success.
Omniblue Ocean Minerals – Elemental Magnesium
Omniblue Ocean Minerals (Omniblue’s website) contains elemental magnesium along with other minerals that your body needs including potassium, sulfate, and sodium. It has a strong salty taste that can be tricky to camouflage but it is a really well-rounded supplement that won’t cause an electrolyte imbalance. This is a great option if your child is willing to take it. It is especially good for maintenance and to correct mineral deficiencies but can also be used for immediate constipation relief and for a clean out.
Dosing suggestions from the Omniblue website:
For Nursing Mothers and Babies
Add one or two drops to infant’s formula or pumped milk for each feeding, the minerals will absorb perfectly into the formula and milk and at these levels will induce a natural rhythmic release of the bowels. Monitor the number of drops per feeding for your baby for the point where they regulate the bowels and then maintain that level.
Infants and Toddlers Ages 1–4
The full-spectrum, pure-balanced OmniBlue magnesium and related trace elements are safe for infants to take for inducing regular bowel movements, unlike magnesium citrate which is not recommended for children under 4.
Start with 2–3 drops each feeding of soft infant foods, purees, SOUPS and drinks regularly throughout the day until the point a bowel movement is induced, take note of the dosage and maintain the dosage.
Children Ages 5-8
¼ teaspoon distributed throughout their daily meals. The minerals at smaller regular doses will mix in with food flavors perfectly and you can also cook with these minerals! Add to salad dressings, soups, and any sauces, very low sodium.
Children 9-13
½ teaspoon distributed throughout their daily meals taking note where the dose stimulates their natural bowel movement. This may vary more or less from 1/2 teaspoon depending on body weight and metabolism.
Teens 14–18
Between ½ and 1 teaspoon daily distributed with foods and drinks.
Magnesium Chloride
Magnesium Chloride can be taken orally, or used in the bathtub (Ancient Minerals Magnesium Chloride Flakes) or as a Magnesium Oil which is applied topically.
You can use magnesium oil by rubbing it on the skin or rubbing it into the soles of the feet. It can sting when you apply it to the skin so mixing it with coconut oil or another carrier oil can help it to not sting as much.
Magnesium Chloride taken internally can help boost stomach acid so it a good option if your child has reflux, GERD or low stomach acid. It is hard to hide it in foods or drinks as it has a strong taste but is well absorbed through the skin. Because it is well absorbed it is less likely to work well for constipation relief or a clean out.
For information on how to make your own magnesium oil and how to use it for massage to help your child have a bowel movement please read my article Magnesium Cream and Tummy Massage for Constipation.
Senna for immediate constipation relief
Senna is an herbal laxative made from the leaves and fruit of the Senna plant. If your child has motility issues and struggles to push out their stool then Senna can be helpful in the initial stages of getting your child to have 1-3 bowel movements a day. The main ingredient in Ex-lax chocolates is Senna. Senna causes muscle contractions and can cause cramping. It works by irritating the lining of the bowel. This can be uncomfortable for many children but for children with motility issues, it can help them to push out their stool.
Usually, you take Senna before bed, it works overnight and it works to produce a bowel movement the next morning. Avoid Ex-lax pills as they have polyethylene glycol, the only ingredient in Miralax. Over 25,000 reports of adverse events have been made to the FDA for Polyethylene Glycol including pediatric deaths. I do not ever recommend using Miralax or any products that contain PEG/Polyethylene Glycol. Miralax is also not approved for use in children under 17. For more information on Miralax safety, please read my article Is Miralax Safe to Give to My Child?
Smooth Move Tea is also Senna and is also an excellent option for a stimulant laxative in children. Senna is not for long-term use because it causes dependency and if you use it with your child for too long your child will not be able to go without it.
Vitamin C for immediate constipation relief
When you get too much Vitamin C your body expels the excess through a bowel movement similar to how it does with Magnesium. You can mix a Buffered Vitamin C with water if your child will take it that way or mix it with a little bit of water and then mix that in with your child’s favorite juice. You could make a slushee with this as well. And using a fun straw, or a fancy cup is always a good way to encourage your child to drink.
C-Salts are a form of Vitamin C that is buffered so stomach friendly. C-Salts also have some magnesium and potassium which are helpful for constipation. This is a powder so you can mix it in water or juice. It is effervescent so if your child likes soda or other fizzy drinks, this might be a good choice. Some kids don’t like anything with fizz so this wouldn’t work for them. It is non-GMO with no fillers. In some kids, taking Vitamin C for constipation works really well, but for some, it causes very acidic stool which leads to burning when the child has a bowel movement and rashes from the acidic stool touching your child’s skin.
With children ages, 1-3 start slowly with 30 mg of Vitamin C and work up to 400mg a day. For ages 4-8 years you start at 40 mg and can go up to 650mg and for 9 and up, 1200mg is the upper limit deemed safe by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine.
I would break up the Vitamin C into small doses and dose every hour until you get loose stools. After you figure out what dose causes loose stools, give your child slightly less than that in the future to keep them going daily.
Salt for immediate constipation relief
We have been taught to be scared of salt but the first thing that happens when you go to the hospital is they put you on a saline (salt water) drip. We need salt. Salt is necessary for many of the chemical reactions that support enzyme function, hormone production, and protein transport. But we need high-quality salt with trace minerals. Not table salt that has aluminum and is bleached.
New research is showing that low sodium diets are not good for people. Not even people with high blood pressure. You can use a high-quality salt like Celtic Sea Salt (my personal choice) or Himalayan for constipation relief.
Do not use table salt which may be bleached and have aluminum in it. Celtic Sea Salt has over 80 trace minerals in addition to the sodium. It is non-GMO, Kosher, Gluten Free and doesn’t have any caking agents. We used Himalayan salt for a while but found the Celtic Sea Salt to work much better for our health and it tastes amazing. Mixing salt into a glass of water and drinking until you get loose stools is one way but a tastier way to ingest salt is with my electrolyte drink.
Oil for Constipation Relief
Ingesting oil is a great way to lubricate the stool and help poop to pass easily, especially if you have old, hard stool in the intestines.
Castor Oil
Castor oil has been used medically for thousands of years. There is evidence of it being used by Ancient Egyptians. Generations of mothers have used Castor oil for constipation relief for their families. When something has been used for thousands of years, it generally shows that it is safe and effective. Castor oil is also considered “Generally regarded as safe” by the FDA.
Castor oil works as a stimulant laxative when taken internally. Castor oil is 90% ricinoleic acid. The ricinoleic acid causes smooth muscle contractions in your intestines pushing the stool through your intestines and helping you to have a bowel movement.
Taking Castor oil internally repeatedly can cause potassium deficiency so if your child has heart issues then I would not use it or if your child develops a rash, then discontinue use.
Side effects of using Castor oil internally can include cramping and digestive upset. Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding.
When you take Castor oil by mouth it works fairly quickly, usually within 2-6 hours so do not give too closely to bedtime as it will interrupt your child’s sleep with them needing to use the bathroom multiple times. It causes very strong contractions and the urge to go. It can be difficult to make it to the restroom when you take it internally.
You can also use Castor Oil in a Castor Oil pack on your child’s abdomen. For more information on Castor Oil, please read my article Should I use Castor Oil or Mineral Oil for Constipation Relief?
Mineral Oil
Mineral Oil works by lubricating the stool to help it pass through your intestines and it also coats the stool and increases the fluid in the stool making it easier to pass. But, Mineral Oil is a petroleum product. It is a by-product of the distillation of petroleum to become gasoline. There is concern that mineral oil contains contaminants that could affect our health and may even contribute to cancer. Personally, I avoid any products that are petroleum based.
There is also a risk of aspiration when taking mineral oil by mouth. This is especially concerning in young children and anyone who is bedridden. If you do decide to use Mineral oil, look for one with directions for laxative use on the package. Mineral oil can also cause anal leakage or uncontrollable diarrhea.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is my favorite oil for constipation in children. It is more palatable for children than many ofter oil options and can be added to their diet in many child-friendly ways.
Coconut oil is rich in Medium Chain Fatty Acids. MCFA’s boost your metabolism which makes the stool pass through your intestines faster, the oil coats and lubricates hard, old stool and it softens the newly formed stool making it easier to pass.
There are many ways to use coconut oil. Instead of using other oils in your cooking or baking, you can use coconut oil. You can use it instead of butter on toast or veggies. Some kids just eat it directly off the spoon. It has a mild, almost sweet flavor.
But, it can be tricky to get enough coconut oil into children who are struggling with constipation just by subbing it for other cooking oils. Especially in children with sensory issues or autism or ones who just don’t like the taste of coconut oil. One of the easiest ways I have found to get children to eat enough coconut oil to relieve constipation is with my Chocolate Coconut Oil Poop Candy.
I love using Coconut oil “poop candy” for constipation relief for kids. It tastes so good and most kids will love eating it, instead of it being a struggle to get them to take a supplement. My recipes for Chocolate Coconut Oil Poop Candy or Peanut Butter Cup Coconut Oil Poop Candy are great options.
While all of these home remedies will help your child short term with their constipation, if their constipation is chronic, these remedies are just a short term solution. Long term you need to work on Finding the Root Cause of Constipation.
My article How Do I Solve My Child’s Chronic Constipation? will help you through the process of solving your child’s constipation permanently.
When your child is chronically or functionally constipated, it is frustrating and exhausting for both you and your child. It can also be very hard to figure out what interventions are helping to overcome their constipation and what regiment needs to be followed to help them go 1-3 times a day.
It is very helpful to track what you are giving your child and how it is working. It seems like you will remember how much magnesium or how many Chocolate Coconut Oil Poop Candies your child had last Tuesday when they had 2 great BMs, but the reality is that it is very hard to remember everything when you are stressed about your child’s constipation.
To make it easier for you to track the interventions you are using and what impact this regiment has, I want to offer you a free bowel movement tracker chart that you can download and then print off for each week. It will help keep you organized and will give you insight into what works to help you overcome your child’s constipation.
Click on this link and sign up to receive a Free Bowel Movement Tracker Chart to help you find a plan to manage your child’s constipation.
I would like to invite you to join my Facebook groups People Against Miralax or Natural Constipation Solutions for more information on how to treat constipation and for support on your journey.
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*DISCLAIMER, I AM NOT A DOCTOR OR MEDICAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. ALL IDEAS DISCUSSED AND DESCRIBED IN THIS POST ARE MY OWN AND ARE NOT MEANT TO TREAT OR DIAGNOSE. IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION PLEASE SPEAK WITH YOUR DOCTOR.
