Constipation in Infants

Glycerin suppositories usually work after about 15 minutes. If your child does not empty their bowels (do a poo), do not insert another suppository. Contact your doctor for advice, in case this is because of a problem other than constipation.

Glycerin (glycerol) suppositories for constipation

This leaflet is for parents and carers about how to use this medicine in children. Our information may differ from that provided by the manufacturers, because their information usually relates to adults. Read this leaflet carefully. Keep it somewhere safe so that you can read it again.

Contents of this leaflet

• Name of medicine
• Why is it important for my child to take Glycerin suppositories?
• When should I give Glycerin suppositories
• How much should I give?
• How should I give Glycerin suppositories?
• When should the medicine start working
• What if my child is sick (vomits)?
• What if I give too much?
• Are there any possible side effects?
• Can other medicines be given at the same time as Glycerin suppositories?
• Is there anything else I need to know about this medicine?
• General advice about medicines
• Where should I keep this medicine?
• Who to contact for more information?

Name of medicine

Glycerin (glycerol) suppositories for constipation

Why is it important for my child to take Glycerin suppositories?

When a child is constipated, their stools (poo) are hard and painful to pass. Sometimes a child may try to hold the stool in because of previous pain when going to the toilet. Constipation can also make a child feel quite poorly.

Glycerin suppositories are used to stimulate emptying of the bowels and provide rapid relief from constipation.

When should I give Glycerin suppositories

Your doctor will tell you when to use the Glycerin suppositories.

How much should I give?

Glycerin suppositories are available in 1 g, 2g and 4 g sizes.

It is important that you follow your doctor’s instructions about how much to give.

How should I give Glycerin suppositories?

Suppositories

• Wash your hands with soap and hot water.
• Your child should lie on their side or front with, if possible, their knees drawn up towards their chest.
• Hold one buttock gently to one side so that you can see the back passage.
• Unwrap the suppository and hold it with the rounded end close to the back passage.
• Use one finger to push the suppository gently into the back passage. It needs to go in by about 2 cm.
• Wash your hands again with soap and hot water.
• To help make insertion more comfortable you can put a small amount of lubricant (such as K-Y jelly) on the rounded end of the suppository, or moisten it with a little water.
• Lower their legs to a comfortable position to help hold the suppository in place. Your child should stay lying on their side for about 15 minutes to allow the suppository to spread further inside the bowel and to make sure it doesn’t come out.
• If your child feels that the suppository must come out immediately, it may not have been inserted far enough.

Suppositories are administered through the anus (back passage) into the rectum. They must not be taken by mouth.

When should the medicine start working?

Glycerin suppositories usually work after about 15 minutes. If your child does not empty their bowels (do a poo), do not insert another suppository. Contact your doctor for advice, in case this is because of a problem other than constipation.

What if my child is sick (vomits)?

You do not need to worry if your child is sick, as the medicine will still work.

What if I give too much?

If you think you may have given your child too much Glycerin suppositories, contact your doctor or local NHS services (details at end of leaflet). Have the medicine or packaging with you if you telephone for advice.

Are there any possible side effects?

Glycerin suppositories may cause:

• stomach cramps
• irritation around the back passage.

There may sometimes be other side effects that are not listed above. If you notice anything unusual and are concerned, contact your doctor. You can report any suspected side effects to a UK safety scheme at mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard

Can other medicines be given at the same time as Glycerin suppositories?

• You can give your child medicines that contain paracetamol or ibuprofen, unless your doctor has told you not to.

• Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have used, or are using, any other medicines to treat your child’s constipation.

Is there anything else I need to know about this medicine?

• Glycerin suppositories are known as stimulant laxatives. They should only be used to provide rapid relief from temporary constipation. They should not be used to treat chronic (long-term) constipation (unless recommended by your doctor).
• Before giving glycerin suppositories, always increase the amount of high-fibre foods that your child eats and encourage them to drink plenty of water, or use an ‘osmotic laxative’. This is another type of laxative that works by softening the stools.
• You can help your child’s constipation by giving them high-fibre foods such as fruit, vegetables, bran and high-fibre cereals. Also encourage them to drink plenty of water, which will help to soften the stools. Encourage your child to be active as this will also help their constipation. Your pharmacist, doctor or health visitor will be able to give you advice and support.
• If you think someone else may have used the glycerin suppositories by accident, particularly if they have other health problems, contact your doctor for advice, although they are unlikely to be harmed.

General advice about medicines

• Only give this medicine to your child. Never give it to anyone else, even if their condition appears to be the same, as this could do harm.

• Make sure that you always have enough medicine. Order a new prescription at least 2 weeks before you will run out.

• Make sure that the medicines you have at home have not reached the ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date on the packaging. Give old medicines to your pharmacist to dispose of.

Where should I keep this medicine?

• Keep the medicine in a cupboard, away from heat and direct sunlight.

• It does not need to be kept in the fridge.

• Make sure that children cannot see or reach the medicine.

• Keep the medicine in the container it came in.

Who to contact for more information?

Your child’s doctor, pharmacist or nurse will be able to give you more information about Glycerin suppositories and about other ways to treat constipation.

England: NHS 111

Scotland: NHS 24

Northern Ireland: NI Direct

Wales: NHS 111 Wales

ERIC: The Children’s Bowel and Bladder Charity

NHS: Guide to constipation in young children

NICE – Information for parents and carers about constipation

Copyright disclaimer

Version [2]. © NPPG, RCPCH and WellChild, all rights reserved. Review by February 2023.

The primary source for the information in this leaflet is the British National Formulary for Children. For details on any other sources used for this leaflet, please contact us through our website, www.medicinesforchildren.org.uk.

We take great care to make sure that the information in this leaflet is correct and up-to-date. However, medicines can be used in different ways for different patients. It is important that you ask the advice of your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure about something. This leaflet is about the use of these medicines in the UK, and may not apply to other countries. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), the Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Group (NPPG), WellChild and the contributors and editors cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of information, omissions of information, or any actions that may be taken as a consequence of reading this leaflet.

Written by healthcare professionals, checked by parents and carers

Contact and NHS helplines

• Contact Medicines for Children
• England: NHS 111 Tel: 111 www.nhs.uk
• Scotland: NHS 24 Tel: 111 www.nhs24.scot
• Wales: NHS 111 Wales Tel: 111 111.wales.nhs.uk
• Northern Ireland: NI Direct www.nidirect.gov.uk

If your child is seriously ill, telephone 999 (UK only) or 112 for emergency help.

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Constipation in Infants

Constipation (con-sta-PA-shun) in infants can worry parents. Most of the time, your baby is not really constipated. They may not have developed a routine for pooping yet. Some babies do not develop a bowel movement (BM) pattern for a while.

An infant’s BM pattern can change if their diet changes, like switching from breastmilk to formula, starting solid foods, or drinking less formula than usual. If your baby’s stool (poop) is not soft or easily passed, then they may be constipated.

In rare cases, constipation may be caused by a lack of nerves going to the intestines or by a problem with the way the intestine formed at birth. Your baby can be tested for these conditions if your health care provider feels it is needed.

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What Are Symptoms of Constipation in Infants?

• less stools than their usual pattern
• straining more than normal to have a bowel movement
• a change in how the stool looks from soft and mushy to:
  • small, hard pebbles, or like a large, round golf ball
  • loose and watery

  How Is Constipation Treated in Infants?

  • If your baby is not eating baby food yet, you may give 1 to 2 ounces of 100% fruit juice (pear, prune, cherry, or apple) once a day. Stop the juice if their stools become too loose.
  • If they are old enough to eat baby foods, feed them pureed pears, peaches, or prunes instead of giving them juice.
  • If your baby eats cereal, it may help to give oatmeal, wheat, or barley cereal. Rice cereal can cause constipation in some children.
  • Sometimes giving your baby a warm bath to relax them or exercising their legs, like riding a bicycle, will help stimulate the bowels to move.
  • If it has been a few days since your baby has pooped and the juice or pureed food has not worked, then you can try a glycerin suppository. Place your baby on their back. Gently push the suppository into their anus (bottom). Suppositories are meant for occasional use.
  • Contact your baby’s health care provider before giving them laxatives, baby mineral oil, or enemas to treat constipation.

  Medical Therapy

  Your child’s health care provider may order the following treatments:

  • Give your child medication.
  • Check your child’s temperature using a digital, rectal thermometer. Put a small amount of petroleum jelly (Vaseline®) on its tip before inserting into the rectum. Taking a rectal temperature may stimulate the baby to pass stool.

  When to Call the Health Care Provider

  Call the health care provider if any of the following occurs:

  • Your baby is irritable and seems to be having stomach pain. Infants will pull their legs up to their stomach and cry when they are in pain.
  • Your baby has constipation and develops vomiting, and their belly looks like it is bloated or filled with gas.
  • You see blood in their stool.
  • Their constipation does not get better with treatment.

  If you have any questions or concerns, call your baby’s health care provider.

  Helping Hands Patient Education Materials

  Written and illustrated by medical, nursing and allied health professionals at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Helping Hand instructions are intended as a supplement to verbal instructions provided by a medical professional. The information is periodically reviewed and revised to reflect our current practice. However, Nationwide Children’s Hospital is not responsible for any consequences resulting from the use or misuse of the information in the Helping Hands.

  HH-I-14 | ©1984, revised 2022, Nationwide Children’s Hospital