Constipation In Infants

Constipation in infants: Treating Your Baby’s Constipation At Home

It would be alarming for a nursing mom to find out that her newborn is constipated. A constipated infant will initially show difficulty in passing out stool through delayed or irregular defecation. Even more so, this can be very apparent in the stool of the infant- it is a bit hard and dry compared to the usual appearance of an infant’s stool.

Reasons Why Constipation in infants Occur?

The most common reason why constipation in infants occurs is the change of their food intake. You will notice that this will happen when your child shifts from ingesting breast milk in its purest form into formula milk. This will also happen when your child initially starts to eat soft foods as a stepping stone to eating table foods.

Also, the intestinal motility of the infant is not yet fully developed that’s why there may be episodes of less frequent defecation but this is just normal and should be corrected as your child grows.

Simple Ways To Relieve Constipation in infants

Belly Massage. Gently massaging the pads of your fingers over your baby’s belly will help relieve constipation. This will promote your kid’s intestines to move and digest the ingested foods. Similarly, moving your infant’s leg in a bicycle motion will also help. Doing this will not only relieve constipation but will also ease gas.

Be Careful With Solid Foods and Formula. Most cases of constipation in infants happen to those who are formula fed. If you notice that this happens frequently, try switching formula milk and see if this will work for your kid.

Also, ingesting the first types of foods is crucial. You have to take note of your child’s stool as you feed him or her with some solid foods and notice which foods cause constipation. In this regard, feed your child solid foods one at a time to determine which one should be avoided. Oatmeal cereals help cure constipation.

Hydration. Most often than not, infants suffering from constipation need to be fed with distilled water apart from pure formula or breast milk. Doing this would keep the stool moist and easy to be passed out. This is also true even in toddlers and adults.

Use Laxatives or Suppositories. These are the interventions which you might need to consult to your baby’s pediatrician as he or she is the most knowledgeable about this issue.

Constipation in infants is rarely due to some morbid conditions but if you notice that constipation becomes a persistent problem and is also accompanied with other bothersome signs and symptoms, consult your pediatrician to have things checked completely. Remember never to take risks with your young childs health, a qualified physician is always the safest way to achieve relief for your infant. Constipation if not treated can get worse so there’s not time to waste when treating constipation in infants.