Children Bowel Movements
As with adults, the frequency of children's bowel movements varies from child to child. New-born babies can pass loose, runny stools a couple of times a day or only once a week. Breastfed babies usually have frequent stools and may even have a stool with every feeding. As babies grow older, the number of daily bowel movements usually decreases, and the size of the stools increases.
Children Bowel Movements – Problems
Diarrhea is very common in children and is often caused by relatively harmless conditions such as food allergy or lactose intolerance. Other causes can be viral, bacterial or parasitic infections.
Constipation is also a very common ailment in children, usually caused by insufficient fiber, dehydration or diet. Sometimes it can be worsened by the fact that being constipated makes passing a stool painful and so a child will hold it in to avoid the pain.
Easing Children Bowel Movements
Constipation in children can be treated with high-fiber foods, strained apricots, prunes, or plums. Parents should not give their child a laxative, suppository, or enema without first consulting a doctor.
The main treatment for diarrhea is to give plenty of fluids.
Remember if either problem continues for longer than a few days then you should consult a medical practitioner as the causes could be more serious.