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Pediatric Bowel Cleansing

Bowel cleansing is a process in which the digestive track is cleared. This is often necessary in children in whom constipation is common. Any child is prone to constipation at some point, in part because it is difficult to regulate children's eating habits. Moreover, present day phenomena like sedentary lifestyles, lack of exercise and consumption of junk food can be major contributing factors. Bowel or colon cleansing is a process of clearing all the food particles stuck in the digestive track.

  1. Natural Remedies

    • When there is no free movement of food into the bowel, a child suffers constipation. While it can be bad for the system to keep undigested food inside, constipation can also cause other problems like pain, embarrassment and eventually disease. There are some procedures such as enema wash and bowel irrigation that clear the bowel totally, but are often too harsh to be performed on children. In most cases, bowels can be cleansed through the use of natural remedies.

      Prune juice, its pungent taste and smell notwithstanding, is a great natural remedy to help children to clear blocked stools. Just 6 oz. of it is enough to clear hard, blocked stools.

      Another remedy is a mixture of natural ingredients. 2 oz. of orange juice with the pulp included should be mixed with 2 tsp. of arrowroot powder. Children can then drink the mixture.

      1/4 tsp. of bone meal powder and 1/2 tsp. of vitamin C crystal powder can also be administered after dinner, at bedtime. This can help clear hard stools by the next morning. This mixture is especially useful if complemented by massaging the stomach and making the child walk for a few minutes before breakfast.

    Diet

    • Eating fruits and vegetables is another highly effective method of cleaning the bowel. Bananas are a great natural laxative, as are cauliflower, green beans and broccoli.

    Tumeric and Other Remedies

    • Another theory is that bacteria in the intestine can obstruct free flow of fecal matter. A dose of turmeric may be very helpful in clearing up these bacteria. Fennel is also a very effective bactericide. Fennel needs to be consumed in small quantities over a few days.

      In addition to all these remedies, drinking ample quantities of water and doing at least moderate exercise are a must. A child who needs to have her bowels flushed should consume a minimum of eight glasses of water a day.

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