Miralax and Other Go-To Child Remedies May Not Be Safe

Miralax & Other Go-To Remedies May Not Be Safe

One of my children (I’m not naming names to avoid teenage embarrassment when they’re older!) sometimes has a problem going to the bathroom, and so we’ve used Miralax in the past to help get things, achem, going. It’s become a bit of a go-to solution in our household and many parents I know have turned to the same purple-capped bottle to ease their own children’s constipation. Which is why I was a bit shocked and worried by a recent article in the New York Times, saying that researchers are concerned that long term use of Miralax and other similar medications could cause psychiatric problems in children.

My kiddos are all doing okay and don’t seem to be showing any negative effects from taking the medication, but it got me thinking about any remedy that becomes almost routine in our homes. Whether you’re treating what you think is allergies on an almost daily basis with an antihistamine or bringing out the laxatives, we should be better about heading to the doctor to see if there’s a better long-term solution to our little one’s afflictions.

Even if an over-the-counter solution helps take care of whatever problem your child is having, it could just be masking the biggest symptoms and allowing a bigger problem to go undetected. Plus, over-the-counter medications are usually meant to be taken as once-in-a-while fixes, not as part of your child’s daily routine. At any rate, it’s best to check with your pediatrician and make sure that you are treating what’s ailing your sweetie with the right medications, and for the right amount of time!