Infants who are breastfed or formula-fed are not uncommon for bowel problems. Since the stomach and the entire digestive system are immature after birth, the baby can suffer from colic, gas and other unpleasant ailments up to 3-5 months. You will not surprise an experienced mother with a delay in bowel movements in a baby, and she knows that massage for constipation in a baby can be done even at home. Knowing the correct scheme for its implementation, you can significantly alleviate the condition of the baby.
Constipation in a baby
Causes of constipation in infants
As soon as a stool retention occurs, it can be quickly eliminated - it is enough to determine the reason why this happened.
Why babies are constipated:
- Not having enough fluid in the diet. This problem is especially popular with artificial feeding, in summer or winter, when the air in the premises is dry from heating devices.
Important! Evgeny Komarovsky is a well-known Russian pediatrician who recommends supplementing even breastfed children.
- Incorrect diet of a nursing mother. Foods that stimulate the intestines (pumpkin, beets, prunes) should be added.
- Incorrectly selected adapted mixture. The composition should not contain iron.
- When taking medications by a baby or a nursing mother. These can be antidepressants, antibiotics.
- Lack of breast milk. The intestines simply have nothing to process.
- Introduction of complementary foods. If the acquaintance with new food was too early, or the gastrointestinal tract is not yet ready for such products, it may be difficult to defecate.
Introduction of complementary foods in infants
- The food has changed dramatically. This usually happens if the crumbs were transferred to the mixture from the gv, or the mother's milk suddenly disappeared. Once the body adapts, all problems will disappear.
- Psychological constipation when the baby is in an uncomfortable and stressful situation.
Note! In some cases, the child manipulates the parents with psychological constipation, because they immediately begin to worry, worry, regret and console their child. The kid understands this and deliberately seeks to delay bowel movements.
- Cold or infection.
If constipation is a consequence of pathology, then you should urgently consult a doctor.
Signs
The first and most important thing to pay attention to when stool retention is the condition of the child and the consistency of feces.
Constipation symptoms:
- The baby is naughty and cries a lot.
- He often pushes, worries, but no result follows, on the baby's face there is a grimace of pain.
- The feces are hard: either it is "peas", or first - a cork, and then - a mushy substance.
- The intestines are not emptied completely.
- The stool is delayed regularly for 1-2 days.
- The baby does not sleep well.
- Refusal to eat.
- Bloating the tummy and pulling the legs up to the tummy.
Bloating of a baby's tummy
- Vomiting may open.
Effect of massage on the intestinal system
Tummy massage for constipation in a newborn is a set of measures that will also help with colic and increased gas production. This is a therapeutic and prophylactic procedure, which is distinguished by its simplicity and clear technique.
What are the benefits of massage:
- improves blood circulation in the abdominal cavity;
- peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract begins to work actively;
- intestinal gases are released, which can cause not only pain, but also constipation;
- problems with bowel movements are resolved.
How to do massage correctly
To massage the tummy, a newborn with constipation does not need to prepare for a long time. It quickly relieves the discomfort, pain, the baby stops crying and, as a rule, falls asleep soundly. The session should be carried out no more than 10 minutes, a maximum of 2-3 times a day.
There are two types of massage:
- Calming. It is carried out to relax the abdominal cavity. Pediatricians recommend combining it with the well-known exercise "Bicycle". No jerky, vibrating movements, stroking last 3-4 minutes.
- Stimulating. It is carried out with a sluggish, atonic intestine to improve its motility and activate the movement of feces.
Conditions
To massage the abdomen with constipation, the following conditions should be created:
- The place of the procedure is chosen on a changing table, bed or sofa. The surface should be flat and not too soft.
- The room temperature should be comfortable - 25-27 degrees. The kid should not be cold.
Training
What to do before massage for constipation in newborns:
- The baby should be calm, relaxed, not hungry. First, you should feed him, hold him with a column so that he does not burp, and excess air comes out.
- A pre-warmed diaper (you can iron it or put it on a battery) is placed on the baby's tummy to relax.
- Wash your hands, spread them with baby cream or oil.
- If desired, turn on calm music.
Technics
How to properly massage a newborn child with constipation:
- The naked child is laid on the back.
- First there are stroking, then kneading.
- The base of the hand rests on the bottom of the belly of the crumbs, and along the belly is carried out clockwise with four fingers, excluding the big one. In the course of the bowel movement, do this 10 times.
- Massage more intensively with movements in the form of a spiral around the navel.
- Where the colon is located, it is necessary to press with the edge of the hand. Imagine the letter "P" and walk along its borders, pressing a little harder.
- Move with vibrating point movements along the gastrointestinal tract peristalsis.
- At the end - calmly stroke the tummy.
Massage
Additional Information. After the completion of the massage, the baby is turned over onto its tummy, and allowed to lie down for a while. At this time, the back is gently stroked from the coccyx to the neck. It will also help relieve colic.
Contraindications
It is impossible to carry out the massage procedure in the following situations:
- The baby is not one month old;
- Body temperature is high;
- There are skin rashes, lesions, or irritations;
Infectious dermatitis on the skin of an infant
- Diseases of the child's blood;
- Umbilical hernia, which is prone to pinching;
- If the tummy is very swollen and at the slightest, even light stroking, the baby cries, feeling severe pain;
- The abdomen is very hard, stony, asymmetrical;
- Feces contain blood impurities.
In the process of carrying out the procedure, movements must be skillful and confident. You should know exactly what degree of pressure on the tummy will be effective and painless for the baby. If the baby suddenly screamed, cried and began to worry, all manipulations immediately stop.
