HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

Can Livoluk Be Safely Taken For A Long Time By A Toddler?

Posted on Tue, 22 Mar 2016

Question: My son 3 years 3 months has constipation for the last 3 months. The paediatrician prescribed Livoluk (lactulose) syrup 15ml to 30 ml and advised to give orally once a day if he had not pooped for more than 24 hour. He pooped only when we gave him the syrup. We have consulted the same paediatrician twice. He would sometime cry while he pooped complaining stomach pain. We do not give him the syrup daily. Is it advisable for a long term use of the syrup? can it be some other medical condition? Is he just afraid to poop? He has not yet used latrine. He used to poop in his diapers.

Answered by Dr. Diptanshu Das (22 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
You need to increase the intake of dietary fibers

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.

I have gone very carefully through your query. Although long term use of lactulose is safe and not a cause of concern, you need to include plenty of dietary fibers in the diets of your child. Without a one to one evaluation of the child it is hard to comment on whether there could be any underlying pathology or whether he is simply afraid to poop. But the problem can perhaps be solved by including more of dietary fibers.

Dietary fiber is found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, and grains.

Some of the best fiber sources are:
whole-grain breads and cereals
apples
oranges
bananas
berries
prunes
pears
green peas
legumes (dried beans, split peas, lentils, etc.)
artichokes
almonds
A high-fiber food has 5 grams or more of fiber per serving; a good source of fiber is one that provides 2.5 to 4.9 grams per serving. Here's how some fiber-friendly foods stack up:

½ cup (118 milliliters) of cooked beans (kidney, white, black, pinto, lima) (6.2-9.6 grams of fiber)
1 medium baked sweet potato with peel (3.8 grams)
1 whole-wheat English muffin (4.4 grams)
½ cup (118 milliliters) of cooked green peas (4.4 grams)
1 medium pear with skin (5.5 grams)
½ cup (118 milliliters) of raspberries (4 grams)
1 medium baked potato with skin (3 grams)
1/3 cup (79 milliliters) of XXXXXXX cereal (9.1 grams)
1 ounce (28 grams) of almonds (3.5 grams)
1 small apple with skin (3.6 grams)
¼ cup (59 milliliters) of dried figs (3.7 grams)
½ cup (118 milliliters) of edamame (3.8 grams)
1 medium orange (3.1 grams)
1 medium banana (3.1 grams)
½ cup (118 milliliters) canned sauerkraut (3.4 grams)

Your child should get 19 grams of fiber each day.

Hope that helps.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Diptanshu Das (12 hours later)

He used to cry and complain pain in the abdomen when he has the urge to poop. Sometime this last for an hour until he could poop. Can it be due to the syrup? Twice or thrice, when he was able to poop without the need of the syrup, he did not complain any pain.

Answered by Dr. Diptanshu Das (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Fiber intake has to be increased

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back. The mentioned problem is not due to the syrup but due to the problem (constipation) that this syrup in trying to resolve. Increased fiber intake will help in resolving the problem without the use of the syrup.

I understand that at times he did not complain of pain when he had not taken the syrup but that does not mean that the syrup is behind the problem.

Regards

Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar