Constipation & fussy eating — helpful ideas

If your child is constipated, they may be reluctant to eat, eat less than usual and not be hungry at mealtimes. Wow doesn’t that sound like picky eating!

In this article I’ll discuss strategies for helping constipation in fussy eaters, but it is also just as useful for preventing it.

Constipation and fussy eating can be very chicken and egg. If you are constipated, it’s uncomfortable and the last thing you may feel like doing is stuffing more food into an already overfull space. But if you have a child who is eating a limited diet then constipation is often the result.

I have seen what an impact constipation has had in our family and I know it affects many of the children in the families I work with. Given my first hand experience, I have spent time figuring out what is happening when a child gets constipated and what parents can do if their child suffers from it. I want to share some of my findings with the focus on children who also struggle to eat variety.

Please do not use this in the place of medical advice. If you do have a child who is constipated please do get them checked out by your medical provider. If I’d known earlier what I know now, I’d have hit the help button way sooner!

What is constipation particularly in relation to fussy eating?

Constipation is generally defined as fewer than three bowel movements per week. Stools are hard and difficult to pass and can…