Ways to Prevent Infant Constipation

Infant constipation includes the absence of bowel movement as well as the passage of hard, dry bowel movements. It is a common issue when babies begin to transition from breast milk to formula or begin eating solid foods. Often constipation in infants can be remedied with a few simple dietary changes.

Tips for Preventing Infant Constipation

1. Breastfeeding is properly the most effective way to prevent constipation in infants. Breast milk is easy for babies to digest and is specially designed for their immature intestinal systems. While formula may provide the needed nutrition, it is often more difficult for little ones sensitive digestive tracts.

2. Infants often become constipated when transitioning between foods. Remember, always add new foods to your baby's diet slowly. This includes changing formula brands, offering solid food, or switching from breast milk to formula.

3. Massage your infant's abdomen. Infant massage can ease constipation as well as the pain it can cause. Massage your child's abdomen and pump his/her legs after eating and when they seem constipated. This can reduce tension in the tummy and help keep things moving along.

4. If your infant become constipated frequently, goes more than three days without a soiled diaper, is a newborn, or seems to be in substantial pain, it is time to see the doctor. Make note of any changes in the frequency of bowel movements. Monitor your child's level of pain and discomfort. Remember, as a parent, asking for advice from your pediatrician or other health care professional is never the wrong move.

5. Be wary of giving any herbal supplements to ease constipation in your infant. Discuss any medications or remedies with your doctor before administering them to an infant.

Tips for Relieving Constipation

Water. Offering your child water daily is sometimes enough to get the bowels moving once again. This should be given in addition to any regular feedings you would typically provide. Start out slowly, offering 2 to 4 ounces and then moving to more or less as you gauge your child's response.

Fruit Juice. If water does not seem to work, beginning offering your child apple, prune, or pear juice. Again, start slowly with only 2 to 4 ounces until you have a good feel for what your child needs. Adjust the amount accordingly.

Baby Food. Providing a different choice of baby food is sometimes enough to relieve constipation. Try pureed pears or prunes. Offer your child barley cereals instead of rice.

Others Tips for Relieving Infant Constipation

The passage of hard stool can sometimes be made easier by applying a small amount of water-based lubricant to the infant's anus. Babies should never be treated with mineral oil, laxatives, or enemas. However, if your child is having considerable trouble, you may want to try an infant glycerin suppository. These are available without a prescription and are only meant for occasional use.

For constipation that does not seem to have a cause and that is not relieved by any of the above, requires the attention of an medical professional. Infants can sometime suffer from underlying conditions that have resulted in constipation.

How to Cure Toddler Constipation

Toddler constipation is something you can work towards preventing, and doing so will save you heaps of worry. Holding a screaming child while she tries to eliminate is not something I thought would be a part of parenthood. However, this scenario plays out roughly once every two days. In addition, my toddler clings to me, contorts her face in agony and tightens nearly every muscle in her body.

My heart breaks in two when this happens. When I searched the internet to find a cure, I discovered that one site would say to avoid bananas while another said to eat them and so on.

Needless to say, I was confused, so I decided to write about what actually worked for us. We got advice from a pediatrician and then took steps to change our toddler's diet.

1. Remove Bananas from the Diet: 

This food, which had a binding effect on the body, should not be eaten by children with constipation troubles. You may already know that bananas form part of the BRAT (bananas - rice - applesauce - toast) diet that is recommended for diarrhea. You certainly want to encourage foods that will NOT bind.

2. Remove Wheat from the Diet: 

This is a hard one to do. However, a wheat free diet (http://wheatfreediet.wordpress.com) is completely possible. You can substitute rice or millet bread for wheat bread. Since more people have discovered their wheat allergies, there are a number of delicious products to replace the desire or need for wheat. You can get wheat-free soy sauce, wheat-free cookies, and plenty of wheat-free flours.

3. Encourage Pears and Watermelon: 

We had a great deal of success by encouraging watermelon. The high water content and fiber helped the toddler constipation situation. The doctor recommended peaches, and that works well, too.

4. Encourage Water Drinking: 
Water is not a food favorite of my toddler. I'd add some into her milk, but the doctor suggested we get her to drink it straight. To encourage the process, I'm using bendy straws only for increasing water consumption - anything to make drinking water fun and enjoyable.

5. Reduce Yogurt and Eliminate Cheese: 
Cheese (like bananas) is binding and slows down the digestive process, so cheese is completely out. About 4 ounces per day of yogurt can be eaten according to our pediatrician.

6. Get Moving!: 
The process of walking and movement helps digestion. It probably won't be hard to encourage your toddler to move around - they are always moving! - yet be sure you take some walks or run around after meals.

7. Read a Book: 
After feeling pain with elimination, your toddler may start to withold it to avoid the pain. This could cause problems later. An excellent book to read with your toddler is: "It Hurts When I Poop" about a boy named Ryan who hurts when he poops and overcomes it.

With time, and by following these guidelines, your toddler constipation woes should come to an end. It will take dedication and patience to heal the situation completely.

Hopefully, these guidelines help you improve your toddler's constipation, so she will feel healthy and comfortable - and so she won't be scared to use bathroom.

Treat constipation in newborn babies

Babies and Constipation

As a mother of a 2-year old, I have dealt with constipation in babies many times and have treated it at home quite succesfully. During the process of treating my son's constipation, I have learnt a lot about constipation, its causes and treatments, regulating bowel movements by reading a lot, researching online and talking to doctors. Many newborn babies usually have their first bowel movement within 24 hours after they are born. Newborn babies will pass a thick greenish black like stool called meconium in the first 24 to 36 hours after they are born. After the first few days, the poop will be yellowish-orange in color and grainy in composition. If the baby does not have a bowel movement in like 3 or more days, or if there is any blood in the stool, the baby may be constipated. Consult your doctor right away to treat constipation in your infant baby.

As the baby grows older, you know the pattern of their bowel movements and can detect any future constipation. If you notice the stool to be very dry and hard like pebble during a bowel movement, your baby may be constipated. If your baby has infrequent bowel movements like once in 2 or 3 days or if the baby grunts or strains a lot during bowel movement, it does not necessarily mean they are constipated. The grunting and struggling would go away after the baby stretches and loosens the anus muscles and has had many bowel movements. The consistency and number of stools varies from baby to baby. Some may have 3 or 5 stools a day or one bowel movement after every feeding. Some may have stools once every two days.

How to detect baby constipation

1. For newborn babies, stools less than once a day with straining and difficulty to pass can be a sign of constipation.

2. Babies who pass dry, hard pebble like stools and pain during a bowel movement.

3. Some babies pull their legs up on abdomen when passing stool, even do grunting and it will turn babies face into red.

4. Abdominal discomfort along with hard and infrequent stools.

How to treat constipation in newborn babies

1. You can try giving one ounce of diluted prune juice once daily to treat your baby's constipation. Always consult with your pediatrician first.

2. You can give foods that are high in fiber such as prunes, apricots, pears, peaches, peas and plums.

3. Sometimes juices like apple and prune juice is helpful to relieve constipation in your infant.

4. Tummy baby massage: You can massage your baby's stomach by placing your hands at babys belly button and massage in a circular motion. You should continue if the baby enjoys the massage and is comfortable and relaxed. This will help the baby have a happy bowel movement.

5. Warm bath: Sometimes a warm bath can make the baby relaxed and help the stool to pass more easily. After you bath the baby, apply some baby oil or cream like vaseline around the outside of the baby's anus. Always ask your baby's doctor first before applying.

6. Bicycle excercise: You can place your baby on its back and hold the legs and turn them in a quick cycling motion.

7. Do not forget to give a couple of ounces of warm water to your baby. Always consult with your pediatrician as some may disagree with this method.

Possible causes of constipation in babies

1. Introduction of solid foods: Babies may get constipated when they start eating solid foods. This is because their diet is majorly composed of rice cereal, which is low in fiber.

2. Diets low in fiber.

3. Foods such as banana, applesauce, potato and cereals may cause constipation.

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