What is the ideal Miralax dosage should you give to your child?

Updated on June 25, 2008
K.C. asks from Indiana, PA
26 answers

This is in addition to a previous request....
I went to the store to get Miralax for my son who has pooping issues. One the bottle it says not for anyone under 17 years old. Is there a children Miralax that I did not see or do you just adjust the dosage for your child? My son is almost 4 and 37 pounds.
Thanks!!

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Summary

Miralax child dosage may varies based on the child age. A 4yr old and 33lbs is on it per the Doctor and he gets 3/4 tablespoon twice a day for constipation. Another mom gave a 19 month/26 pound daughter 1/2 the adult dosage which is 1/2 the cap. Some takes mineral oil mixed with the Miralax as per doctors order. We think the safest way is to consult your child's pediatrician.

So What Happened?

On Monday evening I gave him 1/2 teaspoon of the Miralax in his milk. Yesterday (Tuesday) he "went" FIVE times!!! Poor little guy! And each time it was quite a bit. I think I am going to stick with the same dosage every few days and see how it goes. Thanks everyone for your advice! It really has helped!!

Featured Answers

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S.T.

answers from Philadelphia on

My daughter has been on Miralax for a long time. she is two and a half now, but started on it when she was a small baby. She also takes mineral oil mixed with the miralax as per doctors order. We have had better success since starting the mineral oil and it is much cheaper. www.livegreeneasy.com

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J.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

Just the one kind of Miralax. My pediatrician told me to give my 19 month/26 pound daughter 1/2 the adult dosage which is 1/2 the cap.

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E.M.

answers from Allentown on

My son is three and also had pooping issues. The Dr. had me get regular old miralax and give him half a capful once a day. That did the trick. She also said only give as needed because you can become dependent on it. Hope that helps.
Lisa

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R.N.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Hi K.,

you can just adjust the dosage. I have had to put my daughter on that from time to time. Our Pediatrician recomeded it for her. It's a little trial and error 'til you figure out the right ammount for his needs but it works fine. Good Luck. R.

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E.S.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I'm a pharmacist, and I would recommend asking your pediatrician how much to use. It is a very good laxative, but can cause problems if too much is used. We had friends whose son had pooping issues a few years ago when after he was potty trained and they had to give him some every night for a while. He would refuse to take it, so they ended up mixing it in pop and called it "magic pop". Good luck.

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L.S.

answers from Lancaster on

17 grams is what my daughter was on for 3 years. from Age 3 to age 6. It is a capful. It is not harmful.

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B.A.

answers from Philadelphia on

My daughter was on Miralax before it was over the counter. A pediatric GI prescribed it to us but I do not remember the dosage. It is very mild and we did not experience any problems and she eventually didn't need it anymore. It was great and I was advised by a GI specialist not to use suppositories because of the risk of dependence.

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N.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

Hi K.,

My now 5 year old has been on Miralax off and on since he was 1 year old. We adjust the dosage depending on how he is pooping, but the GI specialist who put us on it told me to use 1 tsp. per day, and adjust down if her is doing well.
Good luck.

N.

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L.B.

answers from Philadelphia on

Better check with your pediatrician. My daughter who is 9 used it and it worked great, but 4 is young. I didn't see a children's version. The nurse at your dr.'s office should be able to give you the amount over the phone.

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M.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

My son just started on Miralax 2 weeks ago. The dr told me to give him 14 grams/once a day. He is 6 yrs and 46 lbs. I would talk to his dr to get the right dosage. It is based on their weight.

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B.S.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I have read that the best all natural method is prune juice. Pears also work. You can put a pair in the blender and a pealed and cored apple with some ice and it is like a smootie that helps you to go. I tried it and it works
Try to increase fiber by eating more fruits and vegetables.
Also have him drink more water.
B.

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L.F.

answers from Philadelphia on

We have given it to our son-1/2 a cap in juice works well. (he is 3)(if its the small white bottle withthe purple cap)

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C.H.

answers from Philadelphia on

My Daughter was recently put on Miralax by her doctor. I was told to give her 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp once a day of the adult brand. She is 6 and 45 lbs. they told me to watch her bowel movements and if they get to loose to give it to her every other day and to regulate the dosage to how her body is reacting to it. Good Luck, C.

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A.F.

answers from Scranton on

My daughter will be five this week, and has been on Miralax since just after she turned three. We started out with a full dose (17 ml) mixed in juice once a day. That "cleaned her out", so be prepared for a mess if your son has been holding it for a long time. Liberty had been pooping about every two weeks up to that point - she had a lot to clean out. We've adjusted her dose many times over the last two years, and are currently working on weaning her off of it. She gets about 1 tsp of Miralax and 1 T of Benefiber mixed into juice every day now, at 34 pounds and five years old.

Liberty sees a pediatric gastroenerologist in Danville at the Geisinger Hospital there - Liberty calls her the "poopy doctor". She's helped immensely. Our insurance covers the prescription off-brand version of Miralax - and it's expensive if you have to buy it over the counter!

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W.H.

answers from York on

Hi K., Miralax was new just last year and they do not have a children's miralax- yet. So,the dosage has to be adjusted. However, there are new products out on the market that are specically for children with "pooping issues'. They are new, and the first of their kind...Pedia-lax made by Fleet. Miralax is very strong,I know from personal experience.If you use it, be very careful with the dose. You might even want to call your pediatrician regarding the exact dosage.But the Pedia-lax may be the best way to go, especailly if you need to use the product somewhat regularly.Just a couple ideas to consider, hope they help.W.

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B.N.

answers from Philadelphia on

I am a nurse and looked up Miralax in my drug reference books. They say to use it only very cautiously in children, because it's safety has not been proven. Because of that, it would be difficult to guess on a dose...is it something your pediatrician recommended? If so, I would call the office for dose suggestions. If not, maybe call them for an alterative type of laxative (maybe one that adds bulk instead of an osmotic diuretic).

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V.D.

answers from Philadelphia on

I would call your pediatrician. I had to give it to my son when he was 3 yrs old and I forget the combination. I remember it is a capful of Miralax but I forget how my liquid you combine it to, maybe 4oz. or 6 oz of milk. I would check with your dr. The stuff worked great for my son, he was on it for almost a year. Good luck. V.

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L.K.

answers from York on

As far as I know there is not a childrens Miralax, but I will tell you this our son who is 3 1/2 has been taking Miralax fro a month now and he is going potty just fine. Prior to him taking it he was holding his poop (because it hurt and he was constripated) holding it makes it even worse. Good luck wit5h everything.

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J.R.

answers from Philadelphia on

I am a pediatric nurse and give the stuff almost every day at work! It is safe and works really well for most kids. The dose is the same (a "capful" is 17gms.). Mix it with 4-8oz. of juice or water and they have to drink the whole thing. I find the best way to mix it is to shake it up in a bottle for awhile, it seems to dissolve better that way, giving you a better chance of getting it all in. Good luck!

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L.R.

answers from Pittsburgh on

We have used miralax with my daughter who has issues with her system from being born 10 weeks early. The dose is the same as the adult dose. I questioned this myself also.
My husband is also a pharmacist so I also asked his opinion. We have switched over to dried fruit like apricots and plums with drinking seltzer water. giant Eagle has some flavors and they have no sugar or calories. This seems to keep everything working pretty well most of the time. We only use the miralax now if we have a problem. Hope this helps.
L. R

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J.J.

answers from Altoona on

Hi K.~ our pediatrician prescribed this for our 3 yr old son (he weighs 30lbs), to take 17 grams (which is equal to 1 Tbsp) I dissolve it in about 1/4 c of water 1st, then fill the rest of his sippy cup with juice. I dont give it to him every day, though. Just when I see that he has a hard time pooping. Call your Dr, get their opinion. I started out with a smaller dose, not knowing what the "out come" would be like! Rather be safe (& clean) than sorry!!
Hope this helps you & your little guy! :)

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M.S.

answers from Lancaster on

I give it to my 6 year old and I have a friend who has given it to her 5 year old for a few years. I also work at a children's hospital and we use it there on our patients. I would give him no more than 1/2 a dose, less if it does the trick. Before you do though, I would run it by your son's pediatrician. Good luck!

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M.D.

answers from Philadelphia on

My 4yr old and 33lbs is on it too per the Doctor and he gets 3/4 tablespoon twice a day for constipation. He does great b/c it doesn't change the taste of what he is drinking it in and he actually asks for it now b/c he knows it helps! Good luck.

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S.S.

answers from Philadelphia on

Did you try Karo Dark Corn Syrup? I have a 3 month old daughter and the doctor recommended 1 tbsp to 4 oz of water or formula (or milk in your case). It workes wonders! I give her about 2 bottles of that when ever she's having a little problem and she goes within a few hours of the second bottle.

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J.K.

answers from Philadelphia on

Hi K. -

I use Miralax for my 19 month old twins. You just adjust the adult dosage. We started (at around 1 year old) to give about 1/4 of a capful. Now we use about 1/3 of a capful. Your pediatrician should have let you know how much to use. Maybe call and ask. The Miralax works like a charm, but it took about 4 days after the initial dose to really see results. Good luck!

J.

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R.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

I know when my little girl had constipation issues we used Babylax- Liquid Glycerin suppositories. It is made by Fleet. Within 5 minutes of using-the problem was solved! They work great and the dosage is already pre-measured.
Hope this helps- good luck!

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