How To Get Rid Of Constipation In A Newborn

How Can You Tell If Your Baby Is Constipated

If you suspect your baby may be constipated, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is she more fussy than usual?

• Is she spitting up more often?

• Is she having significantly fewer bowel movements than at other times?

• Are her stools harder than usual, and/or are they bloody?

• Does she strain for longer than 10 minutes when she needs to poop but still not pass anything?

If you answered âyesâ to any of these, your little one may be constipated.

Symptoms That Your Baby Is Constipated

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A Change Of Supplements

If your supplements are causing constipation, your doctor may recommend a different type depending on your pregnancy needs and history. Remember not to halt your supplements intake as they are beneficial to your growing baby.

Constipation during pregnancy

If you are prone to constipation, sorry to inform you but it does get worse with pregnancy. Take note and start eating right, early in the pregnancy. Constipation in pregnancy need not be an ongoing despair.

Pregnancy and its little discomforts may seem to be taking forever, but nine months fly by pretty fast. Do not miss the magic of it by being miserable but try to do everything you can to enjoy the season.

After you deliver your bundle of joy, keep up the healthy lifestyle. If you think pregnancy constipation is terrible, you dont want to experience constipation immediately after delivery.

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When To Contact A Medical Professional

• An infant goes 3 days without a stool and is vomiting or irritable

Also call your childâs provider if:

• An infant younger than 2 months is constipated
• Non-breastfeeding infants go 3 days without having a bowel movement
• A child is holding back bowel movements to resist toilet training
• There is blood in the stools

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Treatment For Infant Constipation

Though constipation is uncommon in babies who are breastfed exclusively, it is common once solid foods are introduced into their diet. At that time, even bowel movements that occur as frequently as every other day could be considered constipation if a child strains or otherwise signals that passing their bowels is uncomfortable.

In addition, children who have painful bowel movements may begin to hold their stool causing further discomfort.

The vast majority of the time, this type of constipation is normal. There are a few medical conditions that can lead to constipation in infants, such as cystic fibrosis, but these are usually accompanied by other associated symptoms your pediatrician will be monitoring, such as poor weight gain.

Dont hesitate to if you think your child is constipated or is having other issues with their bowel movements.

Normal constipation in infants is a common reason for visits to the pediatrician. Most of the time, dietary changes can resolve constipation. Infant massage can also aid in digestion, which may relieve constipation.

If your child has begun to hold their stools , a mild laxative may be needed. Always consult your childs pediatrician before giving your child a new medication, including over-the-counter products.

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When Should You Seek Medical Help For Your Babys Constipation

Most times, trying one or more of the home remedies above helps relieve infant constipation. However, additional signs that should prompt you to make a trip to your childs doctor include:

• Your infant did not have a bowel movement in the past three days and is vomiting, weak or irritable.
• Your two-month-old infant is constipated.
• You see blood in your babys stools.
• Your baby is crying incessantly with every bowel movement.
• There is no improvement in your babys constipation even after trying all the home remedies.

Constipation In Formula Fed Babies

Constipation tends to be more common in formula fed babies. If youve recently started giving your baby formula milk and you notice a change in their bowel movements, its likely that their tummy is simply adapting to the change.

If you find yourself dealing with formula fed baby constipation, make sure that youre preparing feeds according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Its never advisable to reduce or increase the amount of powder you use, as too little wont provide the nourishment they need, and too much can cause constipation5 or make your baby ill. You could also try giving your baby cooled, boiled water in between their normal feeds6.

If symptoms persist and you need further advice, dont hesitate to speak to your health visitor, pharmacist or GP about other nutritional solutions available to help manage your babys constipation.

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Medical Treatment For Constipation

Medicine

If over-the-counter treatments donât do the job, your doctor may prescribe a different kind of medication.

• Prescription laxatives such as linaclotide, lubiprostone, and plecanatide work by increasing the amount of water in your intestines and speeding up the movement of stool. Note that Amitiza is approved for use only in women.

• Serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 4 receptors. Prucalopride is a powerful stimulant thatâs used for chronic constipation without a known cause.

• PAMORAs. This is a shorter way of saying âperipherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonists.â These work on constipation thatâs caused by opioid pain medicines. These drugs include methylnaltrexone and naloxegol

Surgery for constipation treatment

Sometimes constipation is caused by a structural problem in your colon or rectum. Your colon may be blocked or unusually narrow, or you may have a partial collapse or a bulge in the wall of your rectum. In that case, surgery can correct the problem.

Surgery may also be a last resort if your colon just works too slowly and treatments havenât helped. You may need to have a section of your colon removed.

Medical Remedies For Constipation

If the DIY home remedies are not working as fast as youd desire and youre still suffering from constipation, talk to your doctor for medical assistance.

Mention your history of constipation and any other medical conditions you may have if your doctor was not aware of.

Do not take any over-the-counter medication while pregnant. Even if a particular medication worked for you previously, get clearance from your doctor before taking any drugs.

There are some natural medical remedies for constipation that your doctor may recommend.

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How Much Should A Newborn Eat

For the first few months of a baby, there is no specific amount recommended to nourish your newborn baby. However, the ideal infant diet will be dependent on your infants appetite, weight and age. Also, it might be based on whether your baby is formula feeding or breastfeeding.

You may consult your doctor or pediatrician if you are not able to decide how often you should feed your baby. However, you may consider these guidelines to feed your baby in the first few months.

Your breastfeeding baby may get hungry every 2 to 3 hours in the first 6 weeks. Which means you should feed them 12 times per day. Your babys weight also matters if youre formula feeding. You may provide 2.5 ounces of formula as per the pound of the weight of your baby.

A randomized trial on this issue has been talked about here.

Constipation In Toddlers And Children

Frequency of bowel movements for children will vary based on the individual. Some kids have a bowel movement twice per day, while others go once every two or three days. Constipation is characterized by hard or dry stools that are difficult to pass. If your child is struggling to use the bathroom, the first thing to look at is their eating habits.

Incorporating more high-fiber foods and encouraging plenty of liquids will help your child produce regular bowel movements. Some beneficial foods to add to your childâs menu include:

• Beans
• Vegetables
• Whole wheat breads and cereals

Children should get about 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories they eat. If your child is not used to eating high-fiber foods, increase their intake gradually to minimize discomfort from gas or bloating.

Other choices that are good for kids with constipation include vegetable soups and popcorn. Extra bran can also be helpful, including bran cereals, bran muffins, shredded wheat, graham crackers, and whole-wheat bread.

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How To Get Rid Of Baby Acne On Face

Breast milk, coconut oil, avoid scrubbing, do not squeeze the bumps, cornstarch, dont use rough fabric, baby powder, apple cider vinegar, aloe vera gel, neem oil and sandalwood are some of the ways to get rid of baby acne on face.

Baby acne also known as neonatal acne is a skin condition where tiny red or white pustules or bumps develop on a babys face or body in the first few weeks after birth. It is a very common skin condition which occurs in about 20% of newborns and will go away on its own without needing treatment. In most of the cases baby acne clears by the time the infant reaches six months old.

Though baby acne is temporary and common, it might sometimes last up to months which can be irritating for the babys skin. If you notice that the acne is spreading from face to the other parts of the body, then you should start taking precautions, and in severe conditions consult a doctor.

Baby acne mostly appears on parts of face such as cheeks, forehead and in rare cases nose and chin. The exact cause for this problem has not yet been discovered but some researchers say that exposure to maternal hormones in the womb, certain medications, and pro-biotic imbalance may be the reason behind baby acne.

Just give it some time and the acne should clear itself out naturally, unless you find it discomforting on your babys face you may try taking the following precautions which might help reduce the acne as soon as possible.

When Should I Call My Childs Healthcare Provider

• Is constipated for more than 2 weeks

• Cant do normal activities because of constipation

• Cant get a stool out with normal pushing

• Has liquid or soft stool leaking out of the anus

• Has small, painful tears in the skin around the anus

• Has red, swollen veins in the rectum

• Has belly pain, fever, or vomiting

• Has changes in urination, weakness in the legs, or back pain

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Other Causes Of Constipation In Babies

If your baby is dehydrated, their stools will be even drier and harder. They will have more difficulty passing stools because their body reacts to dehydration by absorbing more liquid, both from the foods and liquids they consume as from whats already processed in their intestines.

Also, there are medical conditions that can cause constipation, such as hypothyroidism, botulism, certain metabolic disorders, and food allergies.

Hirschsprungs disease or congenital megacolon is the least common disease. Its diagnosed in the first few weeks of life and prevents the proper functioning of the intestine.

If there are no clear reasons for hard and difficult to pass stools, you should consult with your doctor to rule out any disease.

Should You See A Doctor About Constipation In Children

You should take your child to the GP if your child:

• needs a laxative more than a few times a year
• has constipation that doesnt get better after you give them a laxative
• hasnt done a poo for seven days
• poos in their pants without meaning to
• has constipation and also fever, vomiting, blood in their poo or weight loss
• has painful cracks in the skin around their anus
• has constipation and youre worried they arent eating or drinking enough.

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Flex Your Gut Muscles

First, find a flat surface. A yoga mat or a bed will work.

Lie down, face up, and hug your knees like this.

Hold it for a few seconds, and then let go.

Repeat 2-3 times to free your legs.

Now, repeat one more time but this time, hug your knees as tight as you can.

Breathe out, and raise your head to your knees.

Try to hold for 5 counts.

If you can do 5, push for 10.

If you can do 10, push for 15.

Relax, breathe in again.

Here is a guided video for you.

If you want to try something a little more advanced, try this variation instead.

Breastfed Babies And Constipation

Breastfed babies rarely get constipated because breast milk contains a natural laxative. They tend to have yellow-coloured seedy poos that are often quite soft.

Newborn breastfed babies may poo after every feed. Older breastfed babies may go up to a week without pooing. This is not constipation if the poo is soft.

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Constipation In Breastfeeding Babies

If your baby is exclusively breastfeeding then its normal that he may not have a bowel movement every day. On the other hand, formula-fed babies have 3 to 4 times bowel movements in a day.

As per pediatric, Its very normal if your breastfed baby goes up to 7 days without any bowel movement.

So, dont consider your child constipated if he is exclusively on breastmilk. Constipation in babies and toddlers start when they are introduced to solid foods only.

Here are some reasons of why your baby is constipated when breastfeeding

So, you must keep your body hydrated, have sufficient water intake if you are a breastfeeding mom. You must breastfeed your baby more often to keep baby hydrated.

Four Ps play an important role in treating constipation in babies.

Recipe Of Making Isabgol Solution

Preferred Age

This remedy is helpful for 2 years older kids.

Never take psyllium husk for a longer period of time. Its a supplement with precautionary use. You can consult the doctor for dosage prescription.

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