It's not uncommon to have constipation in kids with autism. It's seen in around 70% cases.
It is hypothesised to be due to lack of sensing the gut distention for evacuation and child starts reatining motions /stools inside.
In most kids it's not per se constipation to hard stools. But if the child has 5o strain, it's better to call it constipation and manage as early as possible.
A child refusingt I sit for potty or doingw eird gestures at potty time or making legs curved or not sitting properly or had pain or discomfort is likely to have indigestion which eventually causes constipation.
The gut is 18 feet long and if the child passes less than 4 inches motion block at a time, it's likely 5o be constipation.
It's again constipation if the child passes very smal pellet like stool balls or smelly or gassy stools mean the child is retaining a lot and most potty is getting fermented and smelly.
Why do we need to know about constipation in autism kids?
It's mainly because it adds to restless irritability crankiness indigestion reduced appetite poor weight gain and reduced water intake. Remember crankiness of constipated Amitabh Bacchan in movie Piku.
Eating less and drinking less is not a reason for constipation but it happens due to constipation.
Commonest constipation diet is hard food like high protein diet, dry fruits, milk, hard daals and pomegranate .
Soft foods like rice and potato being easy to digest cannot cause constipation.
Constipation is also possible due to some nutrients like fish omega or calcium or phosphate containing tablets.
Best way to treat constipation is not by giving extra water or adding fibre or dry fruits or fruits vegetables .
Best way to treat constipation is by using stool softeners, non absorbable sugar syrups and avoiding constipationg 4d diet as mentioned above. Google for *4d minus diet* for same.
It's common to have indigestion or not passing motions or reduced intake or crankyness with constipation.
There are some probiotic and enzyme supplements that help in constipation.
Constipation with blood ina tools and constipation with daily vomiting will need tests to rule out medical serious emergencies like intussusception, intestinal obstruction or pseudoobstruction or tuberculosis
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Standard sampleof advice given by a dr in a case of hard stools:in a 2 year old kid
In such situations
Syr gutclear / dofotil 10 ml 3 times a day for 3 days
If no relief double the dose for next 3 days
If no relief
Maintain 10ml 3 times a day and
Add rectal suppository hallens glycerine 2gmsuppository or dulcolax suppository or babie less than 2 year age u can use neotonic enema.
Above medicines donot get absorbed in blood but just pull the potty out of body, meaning usually simple extra dose is harmless.
If loose motions, stop all of them.
Aristozyme drops 1 ml daily for 1 month, can be increased.
Can be continued long term. It doesn't cause habit.
Dofotil/gutclear/duphalac/laxolite/peg clear/evaq /move out etc all are same and dose is no limit when it's blocked gut.
For vomiting give domstal baby drops 1ml 3 times a day as needed
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For constipation/indigestion:
Stop milk,dry fruits, toor daals , daanewale fruits like pomegranate and guava.
Add syr laxolite or gutclear or dofotil 10 ml 2 times a day till stools are not regular. Can givetill next consultation or meeting
1. Some medicines like fish oil and tablets can at times cause constipation when water intake is not enough to wash it off. Stopping them is not a solution because it will halt development.
2. No constipation medicines are habit forming or addictive and most of them donot get into blood or body and stay in pipe and are extremely safe even in over doses. Doses need to change as per needs and can be easily doubled, they rarely cause loose motions and if they do u can just skip them for one day or reduce to 1ml
3. Syrups like laxolite, laxopeg, peg clear in doses 10 ml 1 to 3 times a day is preferred. Powder forms need more water which kids don't drink easily.
4. Other levels of syrups that work are, syr dofotil, gutclear, lax or duphalac etc again dose needs to be doubled for results.
5. Not treating it fully makes the kid cranky irritable and crying. So much so that commonest cause of crying in autism kid is indigestion.
6. In autism kids, rarely a kid may need syr albendazole 400 mg single dose for deworming or antifungal like tab flucon 50 mg single dose
7. Adding digestive enzymes like tummysoft, aristozyme drops , pro CN drops in doses 1ml to 3ml daily helps like breaking the hard stools motions in gut.
8. A child going to washroom many times doesn't mean he has loose motions. It can be constipation.
9. Read more about constipation at https://kondekar.weebly.com/constipation-in-children.html
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