Enemas for Kids FAQs

A division of the National Institutes of Health defines a condition of constipation when someone has a bowel movement fewer than three times a week.

Stools are usually hard, dry, small, and difficult to eliminate. People with constipation usually either have very large hard stools or hard pellet-like stools. Bowel movements are infrequent and often painful.

Constipation can be the result of many things. Common causes include not getting enough fiber, not enough fluids, or insufficient exercise. 

Constipation can also result from a medical condition. If constipation persists for a long time or is constantly recurring, seek medical advice.

Enemas are safe for children if:

1) You limit an enema to one per day and once daily and

2) Your child does not have kidney disease, other chronic diseases, or congenital abnormalities.

Use an enema to relieve occasional constipation. When treating constipation, use milder products whenever possible.

Enema products are for rectal use only. Products will have instructions and follow all directions on the product package. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

An enema is a delivery method that introduces a volume of liquid into the rectum. Enemas can act as a laxative and can be used to relieve constipation. Enemas can be used before a medical procedure when prescribed by your doctor. 

Administer rectally, never orally.

Hold the enema solution until the urge to evacuate is strong. If no urge is felt after 5 minutes, an effort should be made to empty the bowel.

An enema may result in a bowel movement after 1 to 5 minutes. 

After applying the enema, have your child drink plenty of water. Doing so will help prevent side effects such as kidney problems or dehydration. Talk with your doctor about the types of liquids you can drink before you use an enema to help your child with a bowel movement.

Cleansing Enemas

As the term suggests, a cleansing enema cleans out the bowels. Some solutions act as stimulants and irritate the colon, leading to a bowel movement. Other solutions pull water into the stool, which softens the stool and causes your rectum to swell and bloat. The body responds by contracting muscles in the rectum and causing a bowel movement.

These types of solutions include:

• Saline water
• Phosphate solution
• Glycerin
• Castile soap
• Sodium citrate
• Docusate sodium

Retention Enema

These types of enemas are when you insert a fluid or medication into the rectum and keep it in for an extended period, usually overnight. They can help treat colon problems or clean out the bowels by softening and bulking up the stool.

Retention enema solutions include:

•  Medications such as prednisolone
• Mineral oil

Suppose your child has a bowel disease that causes symptoms of urgency. In that case, they might only hold a retention enema for a short time.

Your child should pass stool within an hour of receiving the enema liquid. If your child does not, then talk to your doctor. Complications can happen, especially after using a phosphate solution.

If your child has any of the following symptoms, see a doctor right away:

• Severe dizziness or passing out
• Throwing up
• Severe diarrhea
• Extreme tiredness or weakness
• Severe stomach pain
• Blood in the stool

An enema may result in a bowel movement after 1 to 5 minutes. 

After applying the enema, have your child drink plenty of water. Doing so will help prevent side effects such as kidney problems or dehydration. Talk with your doctor about the types of liquids you can drink before you use an enema to help your child with a bowel movement.

The length of the large bowel increased from a mean of 52cm in children aged <2 years to 73cm at 4-6 years and 95cm at 9-11 years. 

In all age groups, the transverse colon was the longest segment, contributing approximately 30% of the total length of the large bowel.

The experts at the International Center for Colorectal and Urogenital Care may recommend daily enemas for your child at home for a short amount of time to clear impacted stool from the bowel or for the daily treatment of fecal incontinence.

After you eat, it takes about six to eight hours for food to pass through your stomach and small intestine. Food then enters your large intestine (colon) for further digestion, absorption of water, and, finally, elimination of undigested food.

It takes about 36 hours for food to move through the entire digestive system.

Rectal laxatives provide immediate relief and are an excellent alternative for someone who cannot take oral medication. Some enemas can work in 5 minutes or less, while suppositories often work within an hour.

A fecal impaction is a large, hard mass of stool that gets stuck so badly in your colon or rectum that you can’t push it out. 

Fecal impaction can sometimes develop if you’re constipated. This means you have the urge to make a bowel movement but can’t follow through. If this condition continues, you need to seek treatment.

The most common treatment for fecal impaction is an enema, a special fluid that is inserted into the rectum to soften your stool. 

An enema often makes you have bowel movements, so you may be able to push out the mass of stool on your own once it’s been softened by the enema.

The best way to start off treatment of a constipated child is to evacuate the old stool from the rectum and colon.

This can be achieved by giving rectal enemas followed by oral intake of high doses of osmotic (water retaining) and stimulant laxatives.

An enema is a device that people use to clear the lower half of the large bowel. It contains fluid that goes into the colon and expels feces, after a short period of retention.

There are different purposes for enemas, ranging from preparation for a medical examination to regular detoxification.

Enemas are safe for children as long as

1) You limit them to once daily.

2) Your child does not have kidney disease or certain other chronic diseases or congenital abnormalities.

A suppository is a bullet or cone-shaped, firm medication and an enema is usually a small bottle of liquid medication.

Both are given rectally to help someone have a bowel movement.

You’ll also need a disposable absorbent pad, some water-based jelly lubricant, and some disposable gloves for you to wear.

Oatmeal is good for your entire digestive system, including your colon, because it is high in fiber. Oatmeal can be especially helpful if you have ulcerative colitis, which affects the colon directly, or Crohn’s disease, which may attack any part of your lower digestive tract.

A warm mineral oil enema is often used to soften and lubricate the stool. However, enemas alone are not enough to remove a large, hardened impaction in most cases. The mass may have to be broken up by hand.