Q. My 2-year-old grandson has problems with constipation, and his pediatrician has recommended MiraLAX to be taken daily. He has now been taking it for about two months.
I am concerned that his pediatrician took no time to make dietary suggestions for a child his age. I can’t say anything or I’d put my daughter-in-law on the defensive, but I think the junk foods he consumes keep him from eating foods that could combat constipation.
I don’t want to be an interfering mother-in-law. That’s why I have kept quiet about this up till now, but can no longer look the other way.
He struggles to keep from having bowel movements, then cries from pain while having them. Is it safe for him to continue taking this laxative indefinitely?
A. A controversy has erupted over MiraLAX (polyethylene glycol 3350 or PEG 3350) in recent weeks. That’s because the FDA has commissioned a study to determine whether some children absorb this laxative into their bodies.
Normally, it is supposed to stay in the digestive tract and attract water to soften stool and make it easier to pass. But to date there are no studies to confirm that young children do not absorb it.
Holding Stool
It sounds as though your grandson is holding his stool because it is hard and painful to pass. MiraLAX can indeed help with this problem by reducing the pain, but this laxative has not been approved for long-term use, especially in children.
The medical term for stool holding is “encopresis.” Pediatrician Alan Greene has suggestions for managing this problem, including changes in diet or short-term use of MiraLAX. Mineral oil may sometimes help, but not in such a young child who might accidentally inhale a bit and develop lipoid pneumonia.
