Constipation and dairy free diet

[purplehaze]

Hi All

My son has had a chronic constipation problem since last november. It all started when he got a bad bug then from then on he just could'nt poo. We went through all the normal things that the doctors tell you so we then went to see a Paediatrtion and he put him on Movicol which he has now been on since last January, the problem is that it has helped alot but he still cant poo properly so we wne t back yesterday to speak to him and he said that he had been to a meeting at great ormond St and they had suggested that all children with chronic constipation to be out on a dairy free diet as results in america had proven that dairy could cause constipation.

So could anyone who may be a bit of an expert on this give me a few tips???? We've switched to Soya milk and got goats cheese and diary free butter. Just wonderred what other things are out there.

Many thanks sorry to go and on.

xxxxx

[HenniPenni]

HI purplehaze, DD3 is on a dairy free diet although for different reasons to your DS. Look out for soya custard, desserts, yoghurts as well as the milk etc. Most supermarkets have a "free from" range which includes free from dairy items, you also need to look for hidden milk in things like cereals, biscuits, cakes eytc(it's basically just checking the labels on all items.
Good luck with the cheese- DD wouln't touch it!

HTH.

[weimaranerlover]

all food sensitivities can cause constipation, especially diary and wheat. Start off with giving your child a good probiotic from the health food shop (not any commercial drinks - too sugary). this should improve his bowel flora and solve the problem. You have to watch his diet and increase the soluble fibre content (vegetables) as well as watch his water intake. Should the problem continue I would give him teaspoon of psyllium husk mixed in a 200ml glass of water every day. This is assuming he is over 5 years old. Let me know if younger.

[purplehaze]

He's 3. I will try the probiotic drink sounds like a good idea.

Many thanks
xxxxx

[geogteach]

2 of my kids had constipation as soon as they were weaned from the breast which was linked to dairy intolerence. Both grew out of it by the age of about 2. One was also intolerent to soya too though so be aware that you may need to avoid that too.

[MumRum]

I agree with everythin HenniPenni said... including the cheese!... my ds had some today and hated it... yuck..

[TooTickyTheAppleBobber]

Alpro and Redwood are bothgood companies.

[Spidermama]

Hi purplehaze,

I think the best way in the long run will be to try to experiment with foods that don't require dairy or dairy substitutes.

Meanhile as well as soya milk there's rice milk, oat milk, hemp milk. They're all very different from cow milk and need a bit of adjustment.

My kids like a bit of goat milk but the homeopath has told me that eventually an intolerance is likely to build up, just as it did with cow milk so I use it sparingly.

There are lots of dairy free cookbooks. Also tofu is a great source of protien and you can do all sorts with it. You can also bu tofutti ice cream at health food shops.

You could browse the vegan society website for dairy free recipe ideas.

Good luck.

[purplehaze]

Thank you all so much for your replies. It's great that you can go on these talk boards as I get so much great advise.

I might be back soon with more questions!!!!!

xxxx

[tatt]

after a bad bug temporary lactose intolerance is common because the balance of the bacteria in the intestine is upset.Unfortunately "temporary" can be quite a long time. Taking probiotics restores the balance.

The other thing that can help is adding lactase to the diet because that is the enzyme that digests lactose. You can buy lactase tablets in larger braches of Holland & Barrett but for young children its probably better to get liquid lactase via the internet as you'd have to crush the tablets.

I'd probably try lactase + probiotic before going milk free. Kids need calcium and if you're going dairy free you need a calcium supplement. Soya can cause problems too and it would be better to avoid goats milk cheese (which is still dairy, although easier to digest than cows dairy ) at first if you're going dairy free. But you'll probably feel you have to follow your gps advice - so ask them when you can try reintroducing dairy and try the lactase + goats cheese then.