How To Relieve Constipation In Newborns

What Are Some Home Remedies For Baby Constipation

If your baby becomes constipated once heâs started on solid foods, check in with your healthcare provider, who may recommend any of the following changes or additions to his diet to help relieve constipation:

• Water. If your baby is over 6 months old , offer him a little water in a sippy cup with his meals. This shouldnât replace breast milk or formula, however.

• Fruit juice. A few ounces of 100 percent fruit juice such as apple, pear, or prune juice can also help your baby. These juices contain sorbitol, which works like a natural laxative.

• Certain fruits and vegetables. Once your baby is eating solid foods, give him pureed foods such as prunes, pears, peaches, and peas. These can help with constipation since they contain more fiber than other fruits and vegetables.

• Infant cereals. Try feeding him whole-wheat, barley, or multigrain infant cereal once he is eating solid foods. These three types contain more fiber than rice cereal and may help get things moving.

If the above dietary changes havenât given your baby relief, contact his healthcare provider again for guidance.

Give Your Baby Probiotics

Probiotics are good bacteria that balance the good and bad bacteria in the gut. They help with digesting food and keeping the digestive system healthy.

Basically, probiotics help the gut function well. If the gut is healthy there is less chance for a baby to be constipated.

First, speak to your doctor about giving your baby probiotics as they will assess your little ones constipation. It has been reported that probiotics might not be suitable to help ease chronic constipation.

You can give your baby probiotics in the form of supplements or give foods that are high in probiotics.

Examples are yogurt, soft cheeses, and buttermilk.

What Are The Signs Of A Constipated Baby

From their funny little faces as they try to do a number two, to the remarkable colours and smells within their nappy, one of the wonders of early parenthood is the amount of time youll spend discussing your little ones bowel movements.

If you notice your little one is struggling to do a poo, it doesnt necessarily mean your baby is constipated. There is no normal number of or schedule for baby poos, and your little ones bowel movements can vary from day to day. If youre concerned that your baby may be constipated, though, look out for these signs:

• If your baby goes less than two times a week.

• If your babys poos are hard and pellet-like. This is a clear indication they are constipated, as baby poo tends to be soft.

• Particularly smelly wind and poo indicates they are not as regular as they should be.

• A straining poo-face. As time goes by you will become all too familiar with your little ones facial expressions as they do a poo. If they are constipated, this strained look will seem more intense and might be accompanied by some louder sounds as they try to go.

• Crying or becoming irritable before or while trying to poo. This is normally a sign that it is uncomfortable for your little one to go.

• A hard belly. If your babys tummy feels hard to touch , then this can be a sign of constipation.

• Lack of energy. This could be due to a number of factors, but it is also a possible sign of constipation in babies.

If you are still in doubt, consult your healthcare professional.

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Constipation In Babies: Signs Causes And Cures

If your newborn is having difficulty pooping, she could be constipated. Find out what to look for and how to help.

As new parents, you will always be looking for your baby’s next smile, laugh, and coolittle reassurances that your baby is happy and healthy and that everything is okay. Poop, although not nearly as pleasant, is another thing parents should monitor.

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When your baby is pooping regularly, it’s likely a sign that she’s taking in enough food and disposing of the rest, says Jennifer Shu, M.D., an Atlanta-based pediatrician and coauthor of Food Fights: Winning The Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insight, Humor, and A Bottle of Ketchup. So it’s understandable that the absence of poop can be a cause for concern. When you think it might be constipation, consider the following.

Q How Do I Know If My Baby Is Constipated

If your baby is very uncomfortable or clearly in real pain, and his poos are small and hard, then he has some degree of constipation. This is very rare in babies who are solely breastfed, but not uncommon in babies who have formula, or who have solid foods.

Ask your health visitor or the chemist for advice on treatment. Make sure you are making up the formula powder with the correct amount of water. Some formulas are specially targeted at babies who have minor constipation your health visitor can discuss your options.

Persistent constipation needs to be checked out by the doctor.

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When To Call The Doctor

• Your baby is irritable and seems to be having abdominal pain.
• You see blood in your baby’s stool.
• Your baby’s constipation does not improve with current treatment.

If you have any questions or concerns, call your baby’s doctor at ___________________.

HH-I-14 7/84, Revised 3/14 Copyright 1984, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

How Often Does A Puppy Go Poo Poo

Puppies usually go poo-poo 2 to 3 times a day, a short while after eating. Constipation refers to infrequent or no bowel movements, or the puppy is straining and having difficulty pooping. Constipation in puppies is not particularly common but, when it happens, the constipated puppy will feel bloated and uncomfortable.

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What Can You Give Your Baby For Constipation

If changes in your babyâs diet havenât given him relief from constipation, your babyâs healthcare provider might recommend an infant glycerin suppository, which is placed in your babyâs rectum. These types of suppositories are meant to be used only occasionally, and shouldnât be overused. Do not use mineral oil, enemas, constipation medicine, or any stimulating laxatives to treat your babyâs constipation. Always follow your healthcare providerâs advice.

Causes Of Constipation In Children

Constipation happens for several reasons.

It can happen when children hold poos in. They might hold poo in because they:

• are too busy playing
• have pain when they do a poo and theyre afraid to go to the toilet
• dont want to use the toilets at preschool or school.

Constipation might also happen because children:

• arent eating enough fibre
• have been sick and have been eating and drinking less.

These situations can all lead to a build-up of poo in the bowel. When this happens, the poo gets too big or hard to push out easily.

There are some underlying medical conditions that might cause constipation in children, but these arent common.

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How To Treat It

A change in formula or in Mom’s diet could help combat constipation in formula and breastfed babies, respectively. Solid foods, which are often the cause of constipation, can also be the cure, Dr. Shu says. Several kinds of fruits and veggies, such as pears and broccoli, can get things back on track, along with fruit juice and water.

When a change in diet isn’t doing the trick, talk to your pediatrician before employing other methods. The doctor might suggest rectal stimulation with the use of a cotton swab or rectal thermometer. This usually produces a bowel movement within several minutes of stimulation, Dr. Shu says. Another possible is a glycerin suppository. If it works, it could take about an hour to produce a poop, Dr. Shu says. Other suggestions may include Miralax, a tasteless powder you can mix into a drink senna, a natural vegetable laxative and lactulose, a synthetic sugar used for treating constipation.

How To Treat Newborn Constipation

Fortunately, there are many ways to help relieve the discomfort and get things moving again. Here are a few home remedies that are proven to help:

Sometimes a baby might have severe constipation that doesnt clear up with any home remedies in that case, the doctor might need to intervene to help your child pass stools. This might include medications or other remedies that you cant try at home.

The following video has even more information on how to treat newborn constipation:

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When To Call A Doctor

In most cases, constipation in newborns will clear up on its own, or with the use of the treatments listed above. However, consult your doctor if baby constipation is accompanied by vomiting or fever, or if it lasts longer than two weeks despite dietary changes.

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Natural Remedies For Constipation In Infants

1. Stomach Massage

Gently massage the stomach of your baby, in a clockwise direction with the help of your fingertips. Massage around the naval as well, in an outward, spherical motion. It will eradicate the tension out of your babys tummy and give him/her relief from the symptoms of constipation.

2. Exercise

• Keep your infant on his/her back. Hold his/her legs in a ½ bent position. Gently move babys legs in such a way, as if s/he paddling a bicycle. Do it at a steady pace. Leg bicycling is a great fun for your child and loosens up the intestines.
• Carry your newborn baby around in a squat position. Elevate his/her little legs in a way that s/he is squatting on your forearm like a bunny or frog. It will exert a little pressure on the kids rectum and help him/her to defecate.

3. Sugar Solution

Mix ½ teaspoon of sugar in an ounce of water. Give this solution to your baby three times a day before feeding him/her formula food. Instead of white sugar, it is recommended to use brown sugar for preparing this solution.

Note- Utilize cooled boiled water for this remedy.

4. Prune Juice

Add diluted prune juice to newborns bottle of formula. It will help him/her get rid of constipation.

• If your child is older than 4 months, mix 4 oz of breast or formula milk with 1 oz of prune juice. Give it twice a day.
• If your little one is less than 4 months, just a tablespoon of prune juice in 4 oz of breast or formula milk, two times a day is enough to regulate the bowel movement.

Note:

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Taking A Rectal Temperature

When a baby is constipated, taking the babys rectal temperature with a clean, lubricated thermometer may help them pass stool.

It is important not to use this method very often, as it can make constipation worse. The baby may start not wanting to pass a bowel movement without help, or they may begin to associate having a bowel movement with discomfort, leading them to fuss or cry more during the process.

Anyone who feels as though they often need to use this method to help the baby have a bowel movement should talk to the babys doctor.

As infants may go for extended periods without a bowel movement, it can be hard to tell if they are constipated. Signs that indicate constipation in a baby include:

• infrequent stools that are not soft in consistency
• clay-like stool consistency
• long periods of straining or crying while trying to have a bowel movement
• streaks of red blood in the stool
• lack of appetite
• a hard belly

Signs of constipation in babies vary depending on their age and diet. A normal bowel movement before a baby begins eating solid food should be very soft, almost like the consistency of peanut butter or even looser.

Hard baby stool prior to solid food is the most obvious indication of constipation in babies.

At first, breastfed babies may pass stool often since breast milk is easy to digest. However, once a baby is between 3 and 6 weeks old, they may only pass a large, soft stool once a week and sometimes even less.

• laxatives

What Is Baby Constipation

If your little one is pooing less than three times a week, and has poos that are either large, hard and difficult to push out, or small, hard and pellet-like, they may be constipated1. Around 15% of babies experience constipation by their first birthday2, although babies that are exclusively breast-fed are less likely to experience constipation.

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Baby Constipation Remedies And Relief:

• Change formula. Starting a new formula may resolve constipation. Some infants have softer stools when they drink formula from concentrate versus powder-based . Ask your babys doctor for guidance.
• Slightly dilute the mix. Your babys poops may improve when you add a tablespoon of organic adult prune juice or one ounce of water into the formula, once or twice a day .
• Give a bottle of water. If the weather is very hot and your baby is showing signs of dehydration, depending on your baby’s age, you can give a few extra ounces of waterjust be sure to check in with your doctor before offering water.
• Open the door. Babies trying to poop often have a hard time squeezing the stomach muscles and relaxing the rectumat the same time. They accidentally tighten the anuswhen they should be easing itand consequently, they strain to push the poop out the door! To relax your babys anus, bicycle her legs and gently press her knees down to her stomach, a few times. If this fails, you might insert a Vaseline-greased thermometer or cotton swabjust one-half to one inchinto the anus. Babies usually respond by bearing down to push the object outoften pushing the poop out at the same time.
• Change up solid foods. White foods bind a baby up. But, certain fruits and veggies like broccoli, plums, prunes, prune juice or fresh aloe juice can help get pooping back on a regular schedule.

Note: Never give honey or corn syrup as a laxative, before the first birthday.

Why Do Babies Get Constipated

To understand the reasons of constipation in babies, you have to understand that disturbed bowel movements depend upon many factors like

• Type of milk you are feeding to your baby
• The introduction of solid foods.
• Is any specific food you have introduced to your baby recently.
• Low water level: If your baby is suffering from cold, cough, throat infection, teething like problems then the water level in the body reduces drastically which can cause constipation.
• If your baby is under medication then intake of few medicines can cause constipation.

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