Respected Doctor, please help me.my child is suffering from acute constipation.doctor prescribed him duphalac syrup 10ml twice but still the problem is not solved .he does not want to go washroom until i force him.what should i do i am taking a lot of care in his diet plan . can u please help me????.can u suggest a diet plan and better medicine for him.i am very very worried.   Dear Zeba. This is about Shahzaibs problem with constipation I understand your worries as a mother but can you please tell me the child’s food habits - what food , how much of each item in the day and also his routine. Meanwhile to help the situation kindly ensure you do the following: 1. Begin the day with warm water or warm low fat or soy milk and ensure the child has a lot of fluids/water throughout the day 2. Ensure the child has a lot of vegetables and fruits (not fruit juice)- some raw some just cooked depending on the item. 3. Fruits like papaya, pomegranate, figs and guava are also considered very good to prevent constipation. 4. Flax seeds help. You can go up to 2 tsp. Take fresh flax seeds and powder it and add it to the child’s food over the day 5. Apart from laxative many children benefit a lot from stool softeners. (For example In the US they use a stool softener called Miralax,which has no taste or odor and so well tolerated by kids) ask your doctor for the equivalent of that product. 6. You can also give Shahzaib `isabgol' (physlium husk). 1-2 tsp on a daily basis for some time –it can be mixed with whole wheat flour-atta, 7. Avoid giving the child fried foods and refined foods to eat. More the fiber in the meal lesser chances of constipation persisting. 8. Ensure the child is active throughout the day –Exercises or any physical activity. 9. Do not force the child too much. Straining can lead to anal fissures, hemorrhoids or hernia. Try and have a small time table so there is a kind of routine and with stool softeners and a high fibre diet, in time everything will settle down. 10. For anything else you can call me on my mobile number - +91-9341480430 Thank you for trusting NutritionVista for your health problems. Sincerely, Vijayalakshmi Iyengar, Sr Dietitian The NutritionVista Team www.NutritionVista.com