Check out these natural stool softeners for kids to help prevent or treat constipation.

Lots of kids are constipated. In fact, it’s reported that about 3-5% of pediatrician office visits are for constipation and about a third of the visits to the gastroenterologist are for complaints related to being constipated.

So, many kids suffer from chronic constipation. As a result, many parents are looking for natural remedies. An over-the-counter stool softener can help, but often, foods that help kids stay regular are overlooked. As a pediatric dietitian, I know there are foods that can help.

In this article, you’ll learn why kids get constipated, the role of fiber in a child’s diet, how common stool softeners like Miralax, work, and some of the best foods you can add to your child’s diet to help them go poo regularly.

Why Do Kids Get Constipated?

Kids get constipated for many reasons. From my perspective, a low-fiber diet (or not getting enough grams of fiber in the diet), not getting enough water, getting too many dairy products, and a lack of physical activity each play a large role in this scenario.

But there are other reasons for constipation, such as Hirschprung’s disease, a condition where the nerve cells at the end of the bowel are missing, causing blockage because the stool doesn’t pass normally.

Irritable bowel syndrome, constipation type (IBS-C), is another medical condition whereby certain foods –some of which could be high fiber foods – cause constipation.

[Listen to Kate Scarlata discuss IBS with me on the podcast and read this article I wrote for U.S. News & World Report on constipation.]

Last, abdominal pain and the fear of pooping cause constipation for some kids. Toddlers may not want to defecate because they’ve experienced hard stools as painful, or they have a fear of pain. Older children may not feel comfortable going number #2 at school. Not having regular bowel movements contributes to a greater risk of constipation.

Miralax: A Common Children’s Stool Softener

I’ve seen many kids with constipation using Miralax to help them move their bowels regularly. Miralax, or polyethylene glycol 3350, is a stimulant laxative. It brings more water into the intestines, triggering a bowel movement.

Many parents I meet with, however, are anxious to use a more natural approach to constipation management and avoid or eliminate over-the-counter medications like Miralax.

While I am not opposed to the use of laxatives or other medications to relieve constipation, I believe we should make an attempt to improve children’s diets with enough fiber and water intake, and adding other beneficial lifestyle changes first.  This is where high-fiber foods can help.

But before we dive into these, you need to understand a few things about how laxatives work.

How Do Over-the-Counter Stool Softeners Work?

Generally, these work by pulling liquids into the digestive system, which is absorbed into the stool, making it wetter and easier to pass.

Stool softeners are emollient laxatives. An example is Colace. It’s important to note that a stool softener is just one type of laxative. There are several different types of laxatives that may offer quick relief for constipation.

Understanding Laxatives

Some laxatives work on the gut and some work on the stool itself. 

Let’s take a quick review.

Bulk-forming Laxatives 

These form a gel-like substance in the GI tract, which will hold more water in the stool. The stool gets larger, which stimulates the gut to contract and pass the stool.

Bulk Forming Laxative Examples: Metamucil, Citrucel, Benefiber

Lubricant Laxatives 

These coat the stool with an oil (ie, mineral oil), preventing water loss. It also helps the stool pass through the gut easier.

Example: Mineral oil

Hyper-osmotic Laxatives 

These also draw more water into the gut and allow stool to pass more readily.

Hyper-osmotic Laxative Examples: Colace, Miralax

Saline Laxatives 

Similar to the functioning of other laxatives described above, saline laxatives pull water into the gut and soften the stool. This type of laxative can cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.

Saline Laxative Examples: Fleet, Milk of Magnesia

Stimulant Laxatives 

This stimulates contractions and movement in the gut. These are fast-acting, but like saline laxatives, they can cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.

Stimulant Laxative Examples: Ex-Lax, Senokot, Dulcolax

Is Miralax Safe for Kids?

Miralax has been studied and is considered safe for children under 17 years of age. However, a comprehensive study is underway to determine side effects of chronic Miralax use, particularly with regard to neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, anger, and paranoia.

Outcomes of this study are pending.

**Never use a laxative or over-the-counter medication without consulting your doctor first.**

Can Foods Be a Natural Laxative for Kids and Toddlers?

Yes! Foods and the overall diet can help soften the stool and stimulate a bowel movement. The trick is to get on a regular meal pattern that incorporates more fiber-rich, stool softener foods and fluids. 

Foods with fiber help increase stool frequency, reducing symptoms of constipation. Striving for a high-fiber diet is critical to breaking the constipation cycle and painful stools, and helping your child normalize his bowel movements.

Types of Fiber: Insoluble versus Soluble Fiber

When it comes to foods that prevent constipation, you’ll want to focus on foods with insoluble fiber. Insoluble fibers cannot dissolve in water and they stay intact as they move through your child’s intestine. An example of this are chia seeds. They stay undigested because our body can’t break down insoluble fiber. It sits in the intestinal tract and absorbs fluids, making large stools easier to pass. 

Soluble fibers are the opposite of insoluble fibers, in that they DO dissolve in water easily, changing  into a gel-like substance in the colon. This gel substance can block fat absorption, lower cholesterol, keep blood sugar stable, and feed healthy gut bacteria.

Both insoluble and soluble sources of fiber are important to a healthy gut and normal bowel movements and are a good idea to include in your child’s eating pattern.

Soluble vs Insoluble Fiber Foods for Kids Chart

11 Natural Stool Softeners for Kids

Here are 11 foods to soften stool that you can begin to work into your child’s diet. Aim for two to three of these foods per day. And remember to provide plenty of water or other fluids.

[Read: Natural Constipation Relief for more information about constipation.]

1. Sweet potato with the skin

Many families don’t offer sweet potatoes, but I find kids like them because they are naturally sweet.

Bake them in the oven or microwave. And don’t worry if your child won’t eat the skin.

They’re still a good dietary source of fiber on the inside!

2. Raw pear or Asian pear

Pears are a good source of fiber. Have you tried an Asian pear? It’s crispy like an apple.

In fact, I often suggest trying an Asian pear with my extremely picky eaters who like apples because the texture is similar.

Asian pears are seasonal, so keep your eyes out for them. Slice them into thin slivers for ease of eating.

3. Green peas

I know, I know. You’re going to say that your child doesn’t like peas! Well, I say mix them into soups, pasta dishes, or toss them on salads.

The trick I use is to not cook them. I throw them into foods straight out of the freezer.

Whether it’s mixed into a pasta dish, tossed into soup, or thrown on top of a salad, I toss a handful in here and there to boost fiber. That’s exactly how I add them to my very popular Slow Cooker Shredded Beef meal.

4. Whole Wheat English muffin or bread

If you haven’t made the switch to whole grains or whole wheat breads, English muffins and rolls, it’s time to start making the move. This is one of the easiest ways to boost fiber in your child’s diet.

With the availability of white whole wheat bread products, it’s easier than ever to make this change and ensure your child gets plenty of fiber.

5. Fresh raspberries

Have you ever looked at a fresh raspberry up close? There are tons of little seeds.

The seeds in berries are what makes them such a great source of fiber and natural stool softeners. You can bet on strawberries and blackberries being good fiber sources, too.

6. Baked potato with the peel

Similar to the sweet potato, a regular baker with the skin left on is a good source of fiber for your child.

If you can’t get your kiddo to eat a baked potato, try to roast cubed potatoes with the skin, or cut potatoes into house-cut fries (with the skin).

7. Prunes

Not just for older folks! Prunes are an effective stool softener food for kids, too.

If your child wants nothing to do with them, try the fruit juice version mixed into a smoothie. When one of my kids were transitioning to solid food, I put an ounce of prune juice into milk and it worked like a charm.

8. Dried figs or dates

Dried fruit in general is a good source of fiber and can help to soften the stool, making it easier to pass.

Use dried figs or dates as part of a snack or include it in a homemade granola. Beware of fluid intake. Dried fruit doesn’t have much water, so you’ll want to make sure you offer something to drink alongside.

If your child doesn’t drink enough fluids, he or she can become dehydrated, which contributes to a child’s constipation.

9. Apple with the skin

An apple a day…keeps constipation at bay. (Couldn’t help myself!) Lots of kids don’t want to eat the skin from the apple.

Here’s a little tip: Slice the apple with the skin on into very, very thin slices. It’s easier for young kids to chew and eat.

10. Whole wheat spaghetti

Today, it’s easy to find whole wheat pasta products. You can even find bean and vegetable-based pastas.

All of these will help increase the dietary fiber load in your child’s diet and help with regulating bowel movements. If you don’t think your child will go for straight-up whole wheat pasta, mix it 50:50 with regular pasta. In other words, ease into it.

11. Raw banana or orange

Fresh fruit has obvious fiber. If you look closely at an orange or clementine, you’ll see fibrous particles. This is the fiber that will help prevent your child from being constipated.

You can see fiber in a banana, too. Help your child peel an orange if needed, to make it more accessible and easier to eat. Aim for five servings of fruits and vegetables each day to ensure adequate fiber in the diet.

Include these 11 stool softener foods into your child’s diet. Not only will you help to prevent constipation, you’ll also improve nutrient intake and overall nutrition.. 

Resources

• Considering a probiotic? I’ve reviewed 5 probiotics for kids.
• And Probiotic Foods for Kids

This post was originally published in November 2019 | Updated in December 2024.