Castor oil

[vittoria]

Has anyone ever heard of castor oil being used in cases of severe constipation in children (having tried other prescription remedies)?

[pathfinder]

Castor oil is too extreme. If children are constantly constipated, the reason is usually dietary. My daughter was terribly constipated as a baby and I was in despair trying to sort it out. Finally I saw a locum doctor who'd had the same problem with her child. She advised me to stop feeding my daughter apples, bananas and dairy products. I did and the effect was immediate. She also had her first night of breathing through an unblocked nose, and the spots around her mouth disappeared. Five years later she still doesn't eat dairy, apples are OK in moderation, but even half a banana causes the problem to return.

[incitatus]

I agree that castor oil is very harsh....a high fibre diet, and plenty of water is often enough. Dehydration is a very common cause of infantile and senile constipation...the body will absorb moisture from the stools, making them harder to pass. An extra glass of water a day can work magic....

[vittoria]

I just want to clarify that I had no intention of giving castor oil to anyone. It is true that a friend's child has severe constipation, but its parents are dealing with it and I was not necessarily intending to pass on any advice, as I am aware that unsolicited advice is not always helpful. I was only asking out of personal curiosity. There is an historical background: I heard that before the Second World War in Italy, there were fascist 'squads' roaming the countryside and forcing people who were known dissidents (anti-fascist) to drink castor oil as 'punishment'. I wondered whether castor oil was recognised as a medical treatment or not, but that's all.