does my daughter have crohns

by niamh
(england)

My husband has crohns disease, we have a little girl age 2 and she seems to have trouble passing stools, it seems her stools are to big to pass through her anus,
could this be early tell signs that she may also have crohns? she gets very upset when she has a bowl movement and crys for us to help her, i feel so helpless.

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Crohn's and constipation NEW
by: Annette Young

Hello there,

Thank you for your post. I can understand your concerns, especially because your husband already has Crohn's disease. It must be very worrying when you see her struggling like this. Obviously if you have real concerns then it is worth taking your daughter to see the doctor just in case, although personally this does not sound like Crohn's disease to me.

Having said that, peace of mind is a wonderful thing and it is better to be safe than sorry. Constipation does seem to be quite common in children like this and it could simply be that she is not getting enough water for example or that she is getting insufficient exercise.I know children of that age seem to have an never-ending amount of energy but just keep a check on how much she is doing.

It is definitely a good idea to ensure that she does not start drinking any carbonated drinks such as cola. Do also make sure she has a diet that includes lots of fruit and vegetables. If you can keep on a simple but nutritious diet, and to avoid processed foods, you may find that her health returns to normal.

There is a lot of information available on this topic at the following website and I hope that this gives some indication to your daughter’s constipation and discomfort.

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/constipation-in-children-leaflet

Fingers crossed for you.

Has anyone else worried that their child might be suffering from crohn’s? Do let us know the outcome.

Best wishes,
Annette Young
crohns NEW
by: niamh

Thank you for the replys i will pay careful attention to her diet and hopefully this will help her.
does my daughter have crohns NEW
by: Lydia D.


I agree with the previous poster. Constipation is very common in small children.

It is usually a result of an incompletely developed gut (improves with age), lack of physical activity, not drinking enough water and not enough roughage in the diet. When my friend's niece stays with her, she makes a point of sitting down in between meals and eating some fruit (sliced apple, etc.) and drinking something with her. This is in addition to ensuring that she has an action-packed physical exercise plan (tricycle, running around, etc.) and nutritionally balanced meals and snacks.

Make sure you take her for lots of walks/runabouts each day. Do not give children sodas and colas, etc., as these dehydrate. http://www.empowher.com/healthy-eating/content/7-reasons-eliminate-soda-your-diet Dilute fruit juice with lots of water to make it more thirst quenching and healthier. Make water taste better by placing a slice of lemon in it.

Make sure that she eats at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day: mashed carrots, broccoli flowers, squash, apples, pears, strawberries, etc. Chose finely ground, wholewheat flour products rather than refined white flour products.

Bananas, white rice/pasta/noodles, crisp snacks, fast food, oven chips, pizza, white bread, etc., are all constipating.
Try This NEW
by: Terri

My sister's litle girl had the same problem and her Dr. put her on that new powdered laxative called Miralax. Only half a tsp. at night and it worked for her. I donot think it is crohn's. That is a very common problem in young children. My daughter was always constipated when she was little too. Also, you could try prune juice or apple sauce too. I hope this helps.

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