Infant Constipation

Infant constipation occurs when stool has backed up more than it should in your baby’s intestines. When this happens, it’s more difficult for them to pass stools because their stools have a tendency to grow dry and hard.

Ideally, your infant’s stool should be no firmer than peanut butter. If it’s a lot firmer than that, that’s a sign that your baby most likely is suffering from constipation.

If your baby’s stools are firm, dry and pebbly, then they are definitely constipated. Some other possible signs that your infant is constipated are crying while producing a bowel movement, bleeding from the anus and/or a reduced appetite.

Are you wondering whether or not your infant’s constipation problem is serious enough to warrant a trip to your doctor’s office? You may be concerned that if you bring your baby in to see your doctor that he or she may view you as being an overly paranoid parent.

Please do not be concerned about this. When it comes to your baby’s health, it’s always better to be safe than sorry, and I’m sure your doctor would agree with that.

You can try some various home treatments first. If none of those work successfully, then it’s probably time to call your doctor’s office and set up an appointment to bring your infant in to be seen as soon as possible. Your doctor can then advise you on what to do, and it’s possible that he may prescribe a laxative for your baby.

However, you should be aware that certain symptoms merit an immediate trip to the doctor’s office. For example, if your infant has nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, bloody diarrhea, fever or significant abdominal pain, they need to be seen by their doctor right away. The reason for this is that while these symptoms may be related directly to infant constipation, they also might indicate that a more serious medical condition is going on.

One important thing to note is that infants who are formula fed tend to get constipated a lot easier than babies who are breast fed. Therefore, if you are able to breastfeed your baby rather than giving it formula, this can go a long ways in helping to relieve their constipation. Breast milk works almost as a natural laxative to help relieve infant constipation symptoms. Also, breastfeeding tends to be more convenient for moms when compared to having to prepare formula.

My mom nursed me and my three siblings for at least six months. She declares matter-of-factly: " You kids didn't have constipation."

Increasing your infant’s water intake can also be an effective way to combat infant constipation symptoms. This is because inadequate fluid intake can in some cases be a major contributing factor in constipation.

However, infants in hot countries only need to be given more water than infants living in countries with colder climates if they’re formula fed. Breast fed babies generally don’t need much extra water even when living in very hot climates. Once your baby starts eating solids, you will want to increase their water intake as it will help them to be able to digest their food more easily.

There are certain foods that have a tendency to cause constipation in infants. Just a few examples of these foods are rice, bananas and applesauce.

RICE?? Some of my fondest childhood memories involved going to the mill during weekends with my parents. Dad would bring along a small bag of new rice, which later became rice flour. I would eagerly sniff the delicious aroma of rice cereal grandma cooked over a slow fire for my baby brother. Of course, I got my share as well. Homemade rice cereal has always been part of our family's menu to wean babies.

:-(

Because rice tends to be constipating, rice cereal is also not usually a good choice for a constipated infant.Therefore, if your infant is suffering from constipation, you should eliminate or at least cut way back on those particular foods until they’re feeling all better.

Some foods that can help relieve infant constipation symptoms are ones that are high in fiber such as strained prunes, plums or peaches.

The foods a nursing mom chooses to eat can at times negatively affect her baby. Although this is generally not a huge concern, if your baby seems to be more gassy than usual, you may want to try to cut down on certain foods such as cabbage, beans and broccoli.

A friend of mine was not producing enough milk to nurse her firstborn. One remedy that helped her to lactate is beer. However, this caused her baby to have mild diarrhea. So I couldn't help but conclude if a mother's diet can cause diarrhea, logically it can also cause constipation.

Among the common remedies for infant constipation is corn syrup. If you decide to give this treatment method a try, the recommend dose is generally two teaspoons in every formula bottle.

Exercise can also be an effective way to treat constipation. In an infant, you can “exercise” them by laying them on their back and then gently moving their legs back and forth in a pedaling motion, just as if they were riding a bicycle. Also, warm baths can help to provide relief too. If all else fails, you may want to try inserting a glycerine suppository into your infant’s anus. You’ll want to be sure to insert it slow and gently in order to minimize any discomfort that it may cause them.

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