In this episode, we cover the real drivers of childhood constipation, why osmotic laxatives don’t teach the bowel to work on their own, and how food, hydration, magnesium, and targeted probiotics can be layered in alongside conventional treatment.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- The most common causes of constipation in kids, and how it differs from adults
- What fecal impaction actually is, and why it can look like diarrhoea
- How withholding behaviour develops, and how to support kids through daycare or school toileting anxiety
- My food-first approach by age group, from stewed apples to resistant starch
- Why partially hydrolysed guar gum (PHGG) works well for fussy or sensory-sensitive kids
- When to reach for lactulose vs. Macrogol, and how to avoid long-term dependence
- The specific probiotic strains I use clinically, and why
- The red flags that mean it’s time to refer to a GP for further investigation
- Whether there’s a “critical window” for shaping a child’s long-term gut health