When babies have problems with their poop, parents get very nervous. The baby is constipated, appetite is not good, especially when you see the baby’s painful appearance when the poop, parents really look at the pain in the heart. Most of the causes of constipation in babies are related to improper daily care. We hope that you can find the best way to deal with your baby’s constipation from the following.
Q: How can I tell if my baby is constipated?
A: The frequency of each baby’s bowel movement varies, some babies have bowel movements several times a day, while some may have bowel movements once every few days. As long as the nature and amount of stool are basically normal, and there are no abnormalities in the baby’s feeding, general condition and weight gain, there is no need to deal with it. Especially for breastfed babies, the shape of stool and the regularity of defecation can be very different, regardless of the length of time between defecations, as long as the process of defecation is not very laborious and the shape of the stool is not dry, it is normal, do not take the length of time between defecations as the diagnostic condition of constipation.
If your baby has the following conditions, consider constipation
The total amount of stool is small and dry;
Difficult bowel movements, even anal fissures;
Loss of appetite ;
Abdominal fullness and abdominal pain ;
Q: What are the main causes of constipation in babies?
A: There are many causes of constipation in babies, which can be divided into two main categories, one is the intestinal and anal organic lesions, intestinal dysfunction caused by constipation, which usually requires surgical correction; one is food, habitual constipation, the majority of infants and young children constipation are caused by the latter.
Possible causes of constipation in babies are.
1, intestinal and anal organic lesions: anorectal malformation (atresia or stenosis); anal fissure; intestinal obstruction, intussusception, etc.;
2, intestinal dysfunction: congenital megacolon; various chronic diseases caused by low living capacity; muscle nerve disease; spinal cord lesions, etc.;
3, food: inadequate food intake; unbalanced food structure, more protein in the food of mothers and babies, insufficient fiber and water;
4, habitual: irregular bowel habits not developed; environmental changes lead to sudden changes in habits; long-term suppression of bowel movements; long-term abuse of laxatives or enemas;
Q：Exclusively breastfed baby constipation, what needs attention?
A：Exclusively breastfed baby, in the case of adequate breast milk and baby milk volume, mothers need to pay attention to a balanced diet, appropriate increase fruits and vegetables and roughage and soup, reduce fatty and high-protein food; baby fever and sweating a lot of cases, if the relative lack of breast milk, you can moderate the amount of water; regular life training regular bowel movements; increase exercise, small babies can be held and walked; to small babies for massage: four fingers together In the baby’s belly button clockwise massage 3 circles and then counterclockwise massage 3 circles (small babies need to prevent intussusception must turn back) repeatedly; if necessary, you can take probiotics.
Q：What do I need to pay attention to when my formula-drinking baby is constipated?
A: formula baby, formula brewing should not be too thick, some mothers are afraid that the baby does not eat enough, unauthorized formula brewed very thick, resulting in increased protein intake, causing dry stool, serious will affect the liver and kidney function; add formula or supplemental food baby need to add water; regular life training regular bowel movements; increase exercise, small babies can be held to walk; to small babies to massage: four fingers together in the baby’s belly button on the baby’s navel clockwise massage 3 circles and then counterclockwise massage 3 circles (small babies need to prevent intussusception must turn back) repeatedly. If necessary, you can take probiotics.
Q：What do I need to pay attention to when my baby is constipated with complementary foods?
A：For babies with complementary foods, ensure a balanced diet, increase fiber intake appropriately, encourage babies to drink more water; increase the amount of foods that promote defecation, such as kiwi, dragon fruit, sweet potatoes, pears, fungus, etc.; have a regular life and develop the habit of regular defecation; guide your baby to exercise more; give your baby a massage: massage your baby’s belly button 3 times clockwise with four fingers together and then 3 times counterclockwise ( Small babies need to prevent intussusception must turn back) repeatedly; if necessary, you can take probiotics
Q：How can parents help their babies to establish good bowel habits?
A: You need to understand that babies usually go through a “stool possessive” period from 1.5 to 2.5 years old. This period is commonly characterized by reluctance to defecate, avoiding defecation, having to defecate in pants, playing with their own stool …… These manifestations usually occur because: around 1.5 years old babies will be disturbed to see the stool being flushed out (disappear); around 2 years old babies begin to increasingly desire to do things their own way, in the bathroom or Toilet seat to relieve stool, in their eyes that is the intention of adults, they do not want to submit to the will of adults, so they try their best to hold …… hold ……, until they stand up from the potty chair to slip away … …In fact, the child himself does not want that, at this time, if parents scold and humiliate the child, it will make him feel that his self-esteem has been hurt. Parents’ attitude is tough, the child can only hold the intention of poop, the result is often the more warned the more poop on the pants or avoid pulling, a long time not only poop is not well trained may also lead to constipation.
Q: How can parents deal with their baby’s regressive bowel habits?
A: In the process of training your baby to defecate, there are various reasons for temporary regression of defecation habits. If your baby’s bowel habits suddenly regress, you should consider whether there is a change in the living environment or emotional and physical discomfort, or it may be another temporary increase in stool possession. At this time, parents should not force threaten to humiliate the baby, but should calmly induce and encourage, understand that occasional regressions may occur during the process of bowel training, and gently talk to your child, call mom or go to the potty by yourself when you want to poop.
Q: How do I choose the right medication for my baby’s constipation?
A：Laxative medication is used to treat constipation by promoting bowel emission or facilitating bowel movement. The following types of laxative drugs are commonly used for constipation in children.
Lubricating laxatives: such as cork, lubricating and stimulating the intestinal wall to soften the stool. Drug action is mild, but easy to produce dependence, so it is not suitable for long-term use, only for emergency use.
Osmotic laxatives: sugar osmotic laxative is mainly lactulose, almost not absorbed by the small intestine, in the colon by the intestinal flora decomposition, does not affect the growth, more suitable for the treatment of chronic constipation.
Pro-gastric motility drugs: such as domperidone (morpholine), by increasing gastrointestinal motility, promote intestinal peristalsis.
Stimulant laxatives: such as phenolphthalein (fruit guide), etc. The drug itself or its metabolites stimulate the intestinal wall to promote defecation by increasing intestinal peristalsis. Some patients will have abdominal pain, and the abdominal pain will be relieved by itself after defecation, which is less often used because of the strong effect and the irritating nature of the drug itself.
Volumetric laxatives: such as wheat bran, konjac, agar, etc., are mainly cellulose-containing substances. Because of the weaker effect, there is little difference with diet adjustment, so it has been used less clinically.
Microecological medicine: regulate intestinal flora, with a two-way effect of treating diarrhea and constipation.
To solve the problem of constipation in babies, prevention should be the main focus, and medication can only temporarily relieve the problem of constipation in children, regardless of which laxative drugs are used, it is important to consult a doctor.
Tips
Do not give honey laxatives to babies under 1 year old.
If your baby has blood in the stool and you find that he or she has an anal fissure, seek help from the pediatric surgery department.
The vast majority of newborns will pass meconium within 24 to 36 hours after birth, and at the latest within 48 hours. If the meconium is not passed for more than 48 hours, or if there is a small amount of meconium at birth and then less and less, the baby should be checked for intestinal obstruction, including anal atresia and its stricture.