Constipation Treatment For Children

Key points about constipation treatment in children

• many tamariki with constipation get better with things you can do at home
• drinking water, eating lots of fruit and veges and regular activity all help
• regularly sitting on the toilet in the morning is also helpful
• some tamariki need laxatives for several months to help their constipation

To learn more about symptoms and causes of constipation, see the constipation page. 

Constipation In Children 

Treating constipation

Things you can do at home

• encourage your child to drink plenty of water
• encourage your child to eat lots of fruit and veges
• encourage your child to keep active
• encourage your child to sit on the toilet for several minutes in the morning - even if they don't do a poo, still encourage this
• you could try giving your child prunes or KiwiCrush (a kiwi fruit drink) daily

KiwiCrush and some medicines for constipation are high in sugar. Make sure your child brushes their teeth afterwards.

Fruit and veges

Fruit and veges are high in fibre. Fibre makes poo softer and easier to pass. 

To add more fibre to your child's diet, you can:

Give your child at least 5 servings of fruit and veges each day.

Other foods that are high in fibre include: 

• some cereals such as Weet-Bix and bran cereals
• porridge
• wholemeal bread
• beans and peas

Give your child plenty of water when increasing fibre in their diet.

Sitting on the toilet regularly

When to get medical help for constipation

Call Healthline on 0800 611 116 or see a health professional if:

• your child has tummy pain
• the constipation is getting worse
• your child finds toileting very upsetting
• your child is having poo accidents

You may need to see your health professional again if the constipation doesn’t get better.

Your health professional may give your child medicine to help their constipation. These are called laxatives. 

What are laxatives?

Laxatives are medicines that make it easier to pass poo. They are important for treating long-lasting constipation and poo accidents (soiling). 

See the laxatives page to learn more. 

Laxatives