Bowel Blues – What to do When Constipation in Infant Hits?
Just like adults, tots also have to wrestle with the occasional attack of toilet trouble. Not every delay in bowel movement signals constipation though. Read on to find out when it’s the real thing and how you can ease baby’s discomfort.
How can a parent determine if her child is constipated?
Grunting and straining are normal for babies, although these are often mistaken for constipation. A child is constipated if he is passing hard stool and experiencing pain or discomfort. Blood can sometimes be found in or on the stool. There may be soiling between movements. A change in a child’s movement pattern and in the consistency of the poo may also be an indicator of constipation. Older babies may complain of stomachache.
How often should a child move his bowels?
Every person has a pattern that is usual for him. Many babies and children don’t do it every day. If your child moves every other day or even just twice a week, that is not constipation unless the stool is hard.
What constipates a child?
There are several possible reasons:
- Insufficient liquid intake.
- Wrong dilution of milk formula in water.
- A change of milk formula, like when shifting to follow-on formula or cow’s milk after the child turns one.
- Introduction to solid foods.
- Lack of dietary fiber.
- Psychological reasons may also be in play. A child may try to hold on longer because of a previous experience with pain while passing stool.
How do you treat constipation?
- Keep stools soft by offering baby drinks of water in between – and not in place of – milk feedings.
- For bottle-fed babies, make sure you have the right milk-to-water ratio.
- Give prune juice to babies four months and older. You may also mix a little bit of pureed prunes in your baby’s cereal. Serve fruits and vegetables to increase fiber intake. Cut down on constipation foods like bananas, carrots, squash, and rice.
- Add one teaspoon pancake syrup to your child’s water or milk formula once or twice a day.
- With gentle but firm pressure, massage baby’s tummy, below her navel.
- Increase the child’s activity. Move baby’s legs in a circular forward motion, as though he were pedaling a bike.
- Talk to your pediatrician before using laxatives or suppositories. Regular use of these may develop your child’s reliance on them. Ideally, you resort to these treatments once; then you immediately correct the factors that cause constipation.
