Has anyone else heard that brown sugar added to water can help with constipation? Someone told me this today and I was wondering if anyone had ever tried it? And if so, how much sugar to water do you add??

1 tsp to 1 ounce of cooled boiled water. I had a friend swear by it. Truthfully, I never used it.:oops:

You totally read my mind Sarah. When I was reading about maggie and Noah I thought the same thing. I have tried it with both my boys and it works. Parker would go up to 8 days without a BM so about day 4 or 5 I would give hime 125ml warm water with one or two tsp of sugar (it can be any sugar).

My mom told me to do, then the ped told me to as well and said its an old wives tale but it work.

A friend of mines son had constipation real bad and I suggested it about 6 times and the next week I saw her she said that Marcus isn't constipated anymore because of the water- it just took her a while to believe it could be that simple.
Rachel

Hmmm, thta is v ery interesting. I was told that it **had** to be brwon sugar and you don't have to give it every day, just once or twice a week. I shall rememebr that for future reference....

Our first (horrible, in my opinion) ped wanted us to add sugar to D's bottles to help with his constipation. It didn't work.

The reason its supposed to work (along with Karo syrup ) is that sugar helps the stool to retain water, making it softer and easier to pass. Just giving water alone doesnt help because the stool wont absorb it without the sugar.

I agree with Amy. Doing research after being told to increase Curran's water intake to help soften his stools (which did not work despite drinking 6 to 8 cups of water a day) has proven to me that it does NOT work. The stomach rapid absorbs so much of it and then the intestines leech it out too so that very little is actually increased to where you need it. I have heard of the sugar helping to pass it along and that is also why karo works and according to my idiot GI why lactulose by the vat will work for Curran (along with the ph changes lactulose provides to the intestines.)

Sarah,
I too only gave it once or twice a week, the key was to give it before the constipation became really bad- but I am sure it depends on why the baby is constipated in the first place as to whether it works or not.
Rachel