Constipation in newborns is a common occurrence, caused by various reasons. Parents should identify what triggered the problem and help the baby cope with it. If necessary, you need to contact your pediatrician.
Baby crying
Signs of constipation in a newborn
The baby goes to the toilet every day, usually more than once. The intestines of a month-old baby are emptied after each meal, up to 9 times a day. As you grow older, the process occurs less often. Stool up to 4 times a day is considered normal for up to three months. Then the number of bowel movements is reduced. If the child has no stool for two days, he is restless and whiny, we can talk about constipation. Although now there is an opinion that breastfeeding is permissible without defecation for up to 10 days. This is an exceptional case and it is unlikely that the indicator is normal.
The baby's intestines are not yet perfect, there may be problems with digesting food, so constipation or constipation may appear. This is a common phenomenon, almost all parents have faced similar problems. The baby's stool is normally of a mushy consistency. If it is dense, resembles a sausage, then the baby is suffering from constipation. When a child does not go to the toilet for two days, but his behavior does not change, do not worry. If the baby cries, worries while eating, tightens its legs, the stomach feels hard, you need to help him. Also, the child can push, but there will be no result, even in the form of gas discharge.
Mom feels the baby's belly
Long-term presence of feces in the body can lead to intoxication. Harmful substances will be absorbed through the intestinal walls and cause severe poisoning, the baby will become lethargic, sleepy, the temperature may rise, and a rash may appear on the skin. This condition requires referral to a specialist.
Constipation in artificial
In bottle-fed children, the frequency of bowel movements is different. Almost from birth, they have a normal stool once a day. Such babies need to be supplemented with water. There are no breastfed babies, because breast milk is 80 percent water.
The main causes of constipation
In case of constipation in infants with artificial feeding, only a doctor can determine what to do. Several reasons affect malfunctions in the intestines, only a specialist can accurately determine the problem. With a lack of fluid in the body, constipation can occur.
Constipation from the mixture in a newborn occurs quite often, what to do in such a situation, the following information will help to understand. Perhaps the selected mixture is not suitable for the baby, or they are constantly changing. This also negatively affects the digestion process. If the baby reacts in this way to the mixture, it means that it contains a component that causes him an allergy. In this case, other symptoms are observed: rashes appear on the skin, for example, dermatitis or hives. If spots appear on the child's skin, you need to call your doctor.
Also, if formula feeding began very abruptly, problems begin in the baby's body. In addition to constipation, regurgitation, flatulence appear. The rearrangement from breast milk did not have time to occur, and a small organism can react in this way to sudden innovations. With frequent change of mixtures or feeding with different ones during the day, the intestine does not have time to rebuild and assimilate the substances contained in them. After all, all mixtures have a different composition: some contain more proteins, the other contains more iron.
Additional Information. At an older age, constipation can occur with improper or premature introduction of complementary foods, when the gastrointestinal tract receives too much stress and cannot cope with new products, their amount. In addition, a recumbent lifestyle can adversely affect the work of the infant's intestines, as well as excessive pressure on the digestive tract, which occurs when swaddling tightly, wearing clothes that are not matched to size.
Abnormalities in organ development can affect the nature of the stool. So, for example, a baby may have a disturbed intestinal tone, develop dysbiosis or lactase deficiency. The work of the intestines can be disrupted due to a lack of calcium in the body or, conversely, its excess, problems in the thyroid gland. There are many reasons; a pediatrician should examine the correct baby. After examining the child and talking with his mother, he will explain what causes constipation.
How to avoid constipation from the mixture
When feeding with a mixture, there are recommendations indicating the amount of product and the time interval after which the baby uses it. Usually age norms are indicated on the package of the mixture.
Important! If the baby refuses to drink a portion to the end, you do not need to force him and drink forcibly. You should try to withstand 3 hours between meals. The formula takes longer and harder to digest than breast milk. Therefore, if you feed frequently, the load on the digestive tract will increase, and constipation may begin.
Baby drinks from a bottle
Prevention of constipation in infants
Prevention of constipation includes a set of measures. This is an increase in fluid in the baby's diet, abdominal massage, adherence to the daily regimen. It is necessary to maintain a certain time between feedings, it is enough to be in the fresh air, at least 2 hours a day, to go to bed at the same time. Compliance with the daily routine is a prerequisite for maintaining the physical and emotional health of the baby.
In addition, special formulas have been developed for children prone to constipation. If the baby is breastfed, the mother needs to adhere to the diet: do not abuse fatty, fried foods, reduce the amount of flour and sweets in the diet.
In order for the gases to escape and there are no problems with digestion, you need to lay the baby on his stomach, do a massage. You do not need a professional massage for this, it is enough to stroke the abdomen clockwise. You can offer your baby dill water, it has a positive effect on the intestines, reduces colic and bloating.
In addition to stroking the tummy in a clockwise direction, it is recommended to easily carry it along the oblique muscles of the abdomen, press with the pads with your fingers in the area around the navel. All movements should be soft and fluid. Massage is best done at approximately the same time, start and end with stroking movements. If the baby already has constipation, you can repeat the procedure up to five times a day.
Baby tummy massage
First aid for constipation
Constipation in a baby worries not only him, but also his mother. The main thing is not to panic and do everything possible to alleviate the baby's condition. Often constipation occurs in a newborn with artificial feeding, what to do in such cases depends on the cause of the problem. First aid for babies who use breast milk and for artificial people does not differ.
Folk remedies for babies
Important! It is very dangerous to deal with constipation in newborns with folk remedies. Do not use soap, it can burn the mucous membrane, cause pain. It is dangerous to use cotton swabs and other objects, they can cause injury. All procedures that stimulate intestinal activity are very harmful, they disrupt the natural process of emptying and only provoke constipation.
You can do an enema with boiled water, inject no more than 2 milliliters of liquid. Why can't such procedures be carried out constantly? The baby's intestines will get used to this easy emptying, and the baby will stop going to the toilet on their own. Enemas cannot be done every day - except for the removal of feces, they contribute to the leaching of nutrients from the body. If absolutely necessary, you can take a third of the glycerin candle. There is no need to enter it completely.
Infant and enema
Treatment of constipation with medicines
When the diagnosis is made - dysbiosis, drugs are prescribed that help normalize the microflora of the body. Medicines and dosage are selected by the doctor, depending on the age and body weight of the baby. If all of the above methods do not help, the baby's condition does not improve, it is possible to use laxatives on the recommendation of a doctor. It can be suppositories, syrups, enemas.
Microclysters have been developed especially for children; their use is allowed from birth. They have a safe tip that cannot harm the baby. They act very quickly, the effect occurs within 10-15 minutes after drug administration. The components of the drug are not absorbed into the blood, as a result of which they do not affect the functioning of the body. Lactulose-based syrups are used. Its main purpose is to enhance intestinal peristalsis. Suppositories, syrups and enemas should only be used as a last resort. Frequent use should be discussed with a doctor, as should their dosage.
Note! These remedies will not cure constipation, only relieve the symptom. The reason must be identified and eliminated, then the baby's intestines will not cause him discomfort.
When to call a doctor
When a baby's painful condition is detected at the very beginning, at an early stage, you can cope with it at home. With the correct use of the recommendations received, the baby's stool will normalize and will not cause trouble for him and his mother.
If a child cannot go to the toilet for several days, suffers, cries, the stomach is hard, gases do not go away, you need to seek help from a specialist. It is also necessary to call a doctor if the stool is hard, and there are impurities of mucus, blood. If blood is found, an urgent appeal to a pediatrician is necessary, even in the absence of other symptoms. Veins of blood and mucus are not only associated with constipation, there are many other diseases that explain similar symptoms. Therefore, the child must be examined and examined in order to prevent complications. If the baby has a fever, he is weak and sleepy, besides he is tormented by constipation, you need to call an ambulance. Poisoning of the body may have begun.
Constipation in a child is a frequent occurrence, both in artificial people and in babies who are breastfed. To avoid it and the negative consequences, it is necessary to closely monitor the health of the baby and not to self-medicate, seek the advice of specialists.
