Specialist for baby constipation?

[Cato9lives]

Hi there! I'm tearing my hair out with 9 month olds constipation. She is and always has been bottle fed. She always pooed once every 2 or 3 days. At around 5 months old she got bad constipation. I gave her a little lactulose and changed her onto goat milk formula. After a couple of weeks on the new formula she was pooping better than ever (at least once a day). But, after a couple of months the constipation came back! I have tried everything; tummy massage, extra water, fruit juice, prune pure (til it comes out her ears!), peach, shredded wheat, etc.. noting seems to be working. At the moment I am having to give her lactulose every day otherwise the constipation comes back. I really don't want to be giving my baby laxatives on a regular basis.
My question is, has anyone had a similar situation? And if so did you find anything that helped? I have been thinking about paying for her to see a specialist or getting an allergy test. Any help / advice??? The GP seems pretty clueless and just prescribes laxatives and tells me to do everything I've already been doing for the past 3 months!

I don’t have any solutions but my 16 month old DD has suffered with constipation on and off since birth. I also have no idea why; doctor just prescribes laxatives (lactulose gave her belly ache so use movicol now).

Can’t help, but you’re not alone!

I had the exact same problem with both my kids. Both were FF but are past that stage now with no apparent change. They are otherwise healthy, no allergies etc. Just always constipated despite having a good diet and plenty water. GP and dietitian have just kind of shrugged and left us to it.

Both take movicol daily which keeps them regular and happy. I have just accepted it's the way they are!

Lactulose is rubbish and just gives them wind imo. I also don't think it is recommended for long term use if that's what is needed. Ask for movicol.

Thanks so much for your responses, Vicky and Runrigdan. It seems to me that there is more to it than a lot of medical professionals realise.

Runrigdan, what did the dietitian do exactly? Did they run tests at all?

The thing about fibre is that there are two v distinct types.
Soluble absorbs water and hence makes stools more bulky.
Insoluble does the opposite.
Prescribing a high fibre diet for tummy problems is pointless unless one type of fibre is specified. It never fails to surprise me how many medical professionals do not know this. Your daughter needs insoluble sources of fibre and no additional soluble fibre (no need to actively avoid it).

My daughter was like this. 25 years ago so advice may have changed, but thought I'd share anyway.
We ended up at the hospital to see a consultant because she was straining and making herself miserable.
A scan (I think, not an x ray) showed she had a faecal blockage quite high up.
We were prescribed lactulose and baby senna, to soften the stool and to galvanise the bowel into action.
I think my dd was a year old but not yet walking (but cruising)
The medication did work, and as she became more active, and also started taking less milk and more proper food, the problem went away. The consultant explained to me that while sennacot is not recommended long term, it's useful when a small child starts holding it in because it's hard and painful to pass. As the stool is held in, the body tries to reabsorb water from it, and it gets increasingly problematic.

So as a short term measure it's helpful to use the 2 medications in tandem. Also suggested to sit her on potty after breakfast, as most of us tend to open our bowels out of habit, if healthy.
I think it took a couple of months to sort out, with no problems since.
Best of luck, it's horrible for them

Sorry, what I'm really saying is that I think it's worth seeing a specialist if you can, and that this is what mine said.
Not that I'm recommending senna without professional advice A pharmacist will know if it's still recommended for little ones.

Thanks all so much for your input. I don't think there is a blockage as she is pooing but only with the help of Lactulose, and when she does poo it has a firm play-doh consistency. When I stop the lactulose her poo becomes like very hard pebbles and she struggles to pass it. Apologies for the graphic detail! I just don't want to have her on laxatives long term, but unfortunately that is increasingly looking like the only option as I have tried more liquid, more fibre, more fruit etc..
If anyone has anything more to add please do so! Thank you

You're not alone. My son is 3.5 and has had problems since before he was 12 months old. He used to get really constipated despite drinking plenty, being BF, a prune pouch per day and it was really distressing for him. He was first prescribed lactulose, but his paediatrician moved him onto movicol then laxido. Absolute game changer. He is now on a maintenance dose of 1 sachet per day. Was hoping to get him off it around now, but he went through a phase of withholding recently in a potty training regression, so a bit longer for us.
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