Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Yep, he should see the doc...

not just to make sure things like celiac or Hirschsprung's disease are ruled out, but also so you can get better info on how to manage the constipation. What you don't want is for your little boy to get really bad associations of pain/discomfort with his bowel movements at such a young age, because that will just spiral into an ever more vicious cycle of fear and worsening constipation.

Ask the GI doc about a soluble fiber supplement, and adding as much insoluble fiber as possible through easy to digest means (blended fruit smoothies, pureed veggie soups and bean dips, etc.). I'd make sure he's not eating any red meat or dairy - he doesn't need it, and it will only exacerbate the constipation. Also ask the GI doc about the youngest age for using peppermint oil caps - they've done clinical studies on their use in children with IBS (check the research library under herbs).

If the problem persists, when he's a year or two older he might be a good candidate for gut-directed hypnosis. I'm not sure what the youngest age can be for that (it wouldn't hurt anything if he's too young, I'm just not sure he'd understand the program enough for it to be effective). You might post about that on the hypnosis forum as I'd bet ShawnEric will know.

Best of luck, and please keep us posted.

- H

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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!

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