What is the difference between sand and grit?
Gail Demerow, The Chicken Encyclopedia, writes:
" grit\ Small pieces of a hard substance eaten by a chicken to aid digestion."
She also writes -
"Chickens that have access to scratching in dirt generally pick up all the natural grit they need"
Also -
"Chickens that eat only processed feeds - such as chick starter or layer pellets - don't need grit because saliva alone is sufficient to dissolve these feeds."
The question is did the sand cause the chick's constipation? Who knows? Their digestive tract is designed to work with tiny stones. People that respond here feel for you and want to help you, with varying opinions and advice.
In the end you will know what is best for them.
Continue to educate yourself, read Gail Demerow's books, she is an authority on chicken rearing.