My newborn is straining to poop
Dyschezia: Types, Causes & Treatment
Overview
What is dyschezia?
Dyschezia literally means difficulty pooping. Another name for dyschezia is disordered defecation. Healthcare providers use the term “dyschezia” differently when talking about infants or adults, which can be confusing.
- Dyschezia in adults is more of a description than a condition. It means that you can’t poop without having some type of difficulty, straining or pain. This could be for a lot of reasons. Constipation often relates to dyschezia in adults, either as the cause of your difficulties or as a side effect.
- Infant dyschezia is a specific condition. Another name for infant dyschezia is grunting baby syndrome. Infants with dyschezia appear to have difficulty pooping, but they have no signs of constipation. They might strain, grunt or cry for 10 to 30 minutes before they poop, but when the poop comes out, it's normal.
Infant dyschezia is a muscle coordination problem. It means that your baby is having trouble coordinating the different muscle groups necessary to poop. This is a learned reflex, and some babies struggle a bit more than others to learn it. They usually figure it out within a week or two.
It’s upsetting for parents to watch their babies struggle, but infants with dyschezia aren’t sick or suffering. Pediatricians believe these infants cry to produce the necessary abdominal pressure to poop, not because they’re in pain. No treatment is necessary or recommended.
Symptoms and Causes
What symptoms are associated with adult dyschezia?
Your healthcare provider might use the term “dyschezia” to describe your condition if you experience:
- Obstructed defecation.
- Straining to poop.
- Pain with pooping.
What symptoms are associated with infant dyschezia?
Infants with dyschezia may show symptoms such as:
- Struggling to poop for at least 10 minutes.
- Grunting, crying or screaming while they try to poop.
- Turning red in the face with effort.
- Squirming or kicking their feet.
- Not succeeding in pooping every time.
- Poop that looks “normal” — soft or pasty — when it comes out.
How can I tell if my baby has dyschezia vs. constipation?
Parents of babies with infant dyschezia often mistake it for constipation at first. They see their baby straining to poop, and they assume that’s because the poop is too hard to pass. This is, after all, usually the reason why adults strain to poop. Adults don’t remember that they once had to learn how to do it.
Straining to poop looks the same, whether they’re straining against hard poop or against their own muscles. But you can tell which kind of struggle it is from the poop that comes out. If the poop is hard or bloody, that’s a sign of constipation. If the poop looks normal, the poop itself isn’t the problem.
How can I tell if my baby has infant dyschezia vs. colic?
Colic is another condition that causes babies to cry inconsolably for no discernible reason.
Babies with colic often appear to be in gastrointestinal distress. They might arch their backs, clench their fists or pull their legs up to their tummies while crying, and sometimes they turn red in the face.
Parents and doctors alike once assumed digestive system issues such as gas, reflux, indigestion or difficulty pooping might relate to colic. But evidence of this is scarce, and parents have observed that colic episodes don’t necessarily correspond with feeding cycles.
Colic is still a mystery, but some now believe that it may be, like infant dyschezia, a developmental phase — one that you just have to wait out. This doesn’t stop either colic or infant dyschezia from causing parents a lot of distress. We want to know what’s going on and how to fix it.
In general, doctors diagnose colic when they can’t find any other explanation for your baby’s fussiness. Infant dyschezia is one possibility they might try to exclude first. If you notice that your baby is fussy before pooping in particular, and that it ends when they poop, they might have infant dyschezia.
What causes dyschezia in adults?
Several conditions can cause dyschezia in adults, including:
- Anismus: This condition can cause adults to struggle with their pooping muscles, similar to the way babies with infant dyschezia do. Another name for anismus is dyssynergic defecation.
- Endometriosis: People with endometriosis may have difficulty, pain or rectal bleeding during pooping if their endometriosis spreads to their lower bowel, near their rectum.
- Constipation: Hard, impacted poop can be difficult and painful to pass. Prolonged constipation can also damage the muscles and nerves that control pooping, causing further problems.
- Inflammatory bowel disease: Chronic conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease can cause chronic inflammation and bleeding in your lower large bowel (your rectum and anus).
- Anorectal lesions: Temporary wounds or growths can cause pain or obstruction while pooping, including hemorrhoids, anal fissures, anal abscesses, colon polyps and tumors.
What causes infant dyschezia?
Infants and children are constantly developing, and they take their time with different skills. Pooping, believe it or not, is one of those skills. It takes a lot of coordination between the brain, nerves and different muscle groups to synchronize the act of pooping, especially without gravity on their side.
Normally, poop entering your rectum triggers your anus muscles to release and let it through. Since infants can’t sit up yet, the pressure in their rectum might be weaker, and it may take more abdominal pressure to push it through. They also have to figure out how to push and release at the same time.
Infants who are trying to push poop out against a clenched anus will struggle and possibly cry with frustration until they learn to relax it. Infants may also cry because they sense that crying helps them contract their abdominal muscles. It may be part of their process of figuring out how to push poop out.
Diagnosis and Tests
How is dyschezia diagnosed in adults?
Dyschezia in adults is a symptom, and your symptoms are what you say they are.
If you tell a healthcare provider that you have difficulty pooping, they’ll write it down and ask you more about it. It may relate to a condition you already know that you have, or it may lead you to discover an underlying condition.
How is infant dyschezia diagnosed?
Your pediatrician will ask you about your baby’s symptoms and what their poop is like. They may ask for a poop sample. They’ll also give your baby a basic physical exam. If their anatomy looks normal, their poop looks normal and their symptoms only involve the act of pooping, they’ll diagnose infant dyschezia.
Management and Treatment
How do you relieve dyschezia in adults?
Dyschezia in adults can mean different things, and it can have many different causes. Your healthcare provider will need to isolate the cause in order to recommend the right treatment. Possible treatments for pooping difficulties include medications, physical therapy, biofeedback and sometimes surgery.
How can I help my baby with dyschezia?
There’s no treatment for infant dyschezia, and pediatricians don’t advise interfering.
This is hard to hear for parents who want to relieve their babies’ struggles. It may be tempting to try to help by stimulating their rectum. But this delays their own learning process and may make them dependent on stimulation.
There’s some research to suggest that infant massage can help stimulate your baby’s nervous system and their physical development. While not a direct treatment for dyschezia, regular massage may improve the brain-body coordination they need to develop in order to learn how to poop.
Outlook / Prognosis
What is the outlook for adults with dyschezia?
Some pooping problems are relatively easy to treat, and others can be more elusive, especially when they involve your brain and nervous system. In these cases, healthcare providers often take a holistic approach that combines diet and lifestyle changes with various therapies. This approach takes time.
If you have a chronic disease or a physical lesion that causes pain and difficulty pooping, surgery might have a place in your treatment plan.
Surgery is usually the last resort for people with severe symptoms that don’t respond to other treatments or complementary medicine. But it’s often successful.
When do babies grow out of infant dyschezia?
The good news is that infant dyschezia is usually a brief problem, lasting a few days to weeks. Even this can feel like forever when you witness your baby’s daily struggles. But you can rest assured that they’ll overcome it. Most have outgrown dyschezia by the time they’re two to three months old.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Pooping difficulties will make you miserable, whether you’re an infant, child or adult. Fortunately, infant dyschezia is short-lived and resolves on its own. Adult dyschezia can be more complicated and can take longer to resolve. If you have dyschezia, don’t delay seeing a qualified healthcare provider about it.
Dyschezia: Types, Causes & Treatment
Overview
What is dyschezia?
Dyschezia literally means difficulty pooping.
Another name for dyschezia is disordered defecation. Healthcare providers use the term “dyschezia” differently when talking about infants or adults, which can be confusing.
- Dyschezia in adults is more of a description than a condition. It means that you can’t poop without having some type of difficulty, straining or pain. This could be for a lot of reasons. Constipation often relates to dyschezia in adults, either as the cause of your difficulties or as a side effect.
- Infant dyschezia is a specific condition. Another name for infant dyschezia is grunting baby syndrome. Infants with dyschezia appear to have difficulty pooping, but they have no signs of constipation. They might strain, grunt or cry for 10 to 30 minutes before they poop, but when the poop comes out, it's normal.
Infant dyschezia is a muscle coordination problem. It means that your baby is having trouble coordinating the different muscle groups necessary to poop.
This is a learned reflex, and some babies struggle a bit more than others to learn it. They usually figure it out within a week or two.
It’s upsetting for parents to watch their babies struggle, but infants with dyschezia aren’t sick or suffering. Pediatricians believe these infants cry to produce the necessary abdominal pressure to poop, not because they’re in pain. No treatment is necessary or recommended.
Symptoms and Causes
What symptoms are associated with adult dyschezia?
Your healthcare provider might use the term “dyschezia” to describe your condition if you experience:
- Obstructed defecation.
- Straining to poop.
- Pain with pooping.
What symptoms are associated with infant dyschezia?
Infants with dyschezia may show symptoms such as:
- Struggling to poop for at least 10 minutes.
- Grunting, crying or screaming while they try to poop.
- Turning red in the face with effort.
- Squirming or kicking their feet.
- Not succeeding in pooping every time.
- Poop that looks “normal” — soft or pasty — when it comes out.
How can I tell if my baby has dyschezia vs. constipation?
Parents of babies with infant dyschezia often mistake it for constipation at first. They see their baby straining to poop, and they assume that’s because the poop is too hard to pass. This is, after all, usually the reason why adults strain to poop. Adults don’t remember that they once had to learn how to do it.
Straining to poop looks the same, whether they’re straining against hard poop or against their own muscles. But you can tell which kind of struggle it is from the poop that comes out. If the poop is hard or bloody, that’s a sign of constipation. If the poop looks normal, the poop itself isn’t the problem.
How can I tell if my baby has infant dyschezia vs. colic?
Colic is another condition that causes babies to cry inconsolably for no discernible reason. Babies with colic often appear to be in gastrointestinal distress.
They might arch their backs, clench their fists or pull their legs up to their tummies while crying, and sometimes they turn red in the face.
Parents and doctors alike once assumed digestive system issues such as gas, reflux, indigestion or difficulty pooping might relate to colic. But evidence of this is scarce, and parents have observed that colic episodes don’t necessarily correspond with feeding cycles.
Colic is still a mystery, but some now believe that it may be, like infant dyschezia, a developmental phase — one that you just have to wait out. This doesn’t stop either colic or infant dyschezia from causing parents a lot of distress. We want to know what’s going on and how to fix it.
In general, doctors diagnose colic when they can’t find any other explanation for your baby’s fussiness. Infant dyschezia is one possibility they might try to exclude first. If you notice that your baby is fussy before pooping in particular, and that it ends when they poop, they might have infant dyschezia.
What causes dyschezia in adults?
Several conditions can cause dyschezia in adults, including:
- Anismus: This condition can cause adults to struggle with their pooping muscles, similar to the way babies with infant dyschezia do. Another name for anismus is dyssynergic defecation.
- Endometriosis: People with endometriosis may have difficulty, pain or rectal bleeding during pooping if their endometriosis spreads to their lower bowel, near their rectum.
- Constipation: Hard, impacted poop can be difficult and painful to pass. Prolonged constipation can also damage the muscles and nerves that control pooping, causing further problems.
- Inflammatory bowel disease: Chronic conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease can cause chronic inflammation and bleeding in your lower large bowel (your rectum and anus).
- Anorectal lesions: Temporary wounds or growths can cause pain or obstruction while pooping, including hemorrhoids, anal fissures, anal abscesses, colon polyps and tumors.
What causes infant dyschezia?
Infants and children are constantly developing, and they take their time with different skills. Pooping, believe it or not, is one of those skills. It takes a lot of coordination between the brain, nerves and different muscle groups to synchronize the act of pooping, especially without gravity on their side.
Normally, poop entering your rectum triggers your anus muscles to release and let it through. Since infants can’t sit up yet, the pressure in their rectum might be weaker, and it may take more abdominal pressure to push it through. They also have to figure out how to push and release at the same time.
Infants who are trying to push poop out against a clenched anus will struggle and possibly cry with frustration until they learn to relax it. Infants may also cry because they sense that crying helps them contract their abdominal muscles. It may be part of their process of figuring out how to push poop out.
Diagnosis and Tests
How is dyschezia diagnosed in adults?
Dyschezia in adults is a symptom, and your symptoms are what you say they are.
If you tell a healthcare provider that you have difficulty pooping, they’ll write it down and ask you more about it. It may relate to a condition you already know that you have, or it may lead you to discover an underlying condition.
How is infant dyschezia diagnosed?
Your pediatrician will ask you about your baby’s symptoms and what their poop is like. They may ask for a poop sample. They’ll also give your baby a basic physical exam. If their anatomy looks normal, their poop looks normal and their symptoms only involve the act of pooping, they’ll diagnose infant dyschezia.
Management and Treatment
How do you relieve dyschezia in adults?
Dyschezia in adults can mean different things, and it can have many different causes. Your healthcare provider will need to isolate the cause in order to recommend the right treatment. Possible treatments for pooping difficulties include medications, physical therapy, biofeedback and sometimes surgery.
How can I help my baby with dyschezia?
There’s no treatment for infant dyschezia, and pediatricians don’t advise interfering.
This is hard to hear for parents who want to relieve their babies’ struggles. It may be tempting to try to help by stimulating their rectum. But this delays their own learning process and may make them dependent on stimulation.
There’s some research to suggest that infant massage can help stimulate your baby’s nervous system and their physical development. While not a direct treatment for dyschezia, regular massage may improve the brain-body coordination they need to develop in order to learn how to poop.
Outlook / Prognosis
What is the outlook for adults with dyschezia?
Some pooping problems are relatively easy to treat, and others can be more elusive, especially when they involve your brain and nervous system. In these cases, healthcare providers often take a holistic approach that combines diet and lifestyle changes with various therapies. This approach takes time.
If you have a chronic disease or a physical lesion that causes pain and difficulty pooping, surgery might have a place in your treatment plan.
Surgery is usually the last resort for people with severe symptoms that don’t respond to other treatments or complementary medicine. But it’s often successful.
When do babies grow out of infant dyschezia?
The good news is that infant dyschezia is usually a brief problem, lasting a few days to weeks. Even this can feel like forever when you witness your baby’s daily struggles. But you can rest assured that they’ll overcome it. Most have outgrown dyschezia by the time they’re two to three months old.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Pooping difficulties will make you miserable, whether you’re an infant, child or adult. Fortunately, infant dyschezia is short-lived and resolves on its own. Adult dyschezia can be more complicated and can take longer to resolve. If you have dyschezia, don’t delay seeing a qualified healthcare provider about it.
What is constipation in a newborn
The contents of a baby diaper is one of the key topics that young mothers discuss.
They pay attention to the frequency of the stool, its consistency, color and smell. One of the most common problems they complain about to doctors or to each other is constipation in babies. We figure out what the baby’s chair depends on and how many days he may not go to the toilet for the most part.
Normal neonatal stool
During fetal development, nutrients are supplied to the baby through the umbilical cord. Through it, the metabolic products of the fetus are also excreted. The digestive system of a newborn begins to work only after childbirth, so it is logical that the baby does not poop in utero. But this does not mean that nothing gets into it.
During this period, the child actively swallows amniotic fluid (amniotic fluid). Its excretion from the body begins after the birth of the child and the start of breastfeeding. For the first time, a newborn goes to the toilet on the second day after birth. This stool is not like a baby's usual feces. Over time, he will return to normal.
How does the baby's stool change in the first months of life?
| Age | Child's chair |
| 1–3 days after birth | The chair is dense, pasty. Usually dark, sometimes greenish in color. The passage of meconium can cause discomfort to the baby. |
| 3–5 days after birth | The chair gradually brightens, becomes mushy. Usually does not cause any inconvenience to the child. But some problems may arise due to the fact that the digestive tract of the baby "learns" to work and is colonized by bacteria. |
| 2 weeks after birth | The work of the gastrointestinal tract is normalized. If the mother feeds the baby with breast milk, the stool is creamy, yellow. On artificial feeding it can be thicker. Not always homogeneous, there may be inclusions. |
| 1 month after birth | A month old baby can poop from one to several times a day. The chair is normalized and is both pasty and quite hard. Some children may also have stool retention. But if the separation of feces does not cause discomfort and anxiety in the baby, they should not bother the mother either. |
| 2 months after birth | The work of the intestine continues to improve. Two-month-old baby no longer goes to the toilet after every feed. The number of bowel movements is reduced to 1-2 per day. The stool is still not hard, more like slurry. It can be homogeneous and interspersed. |
Due to the immaturity of the enzymatic system, it is greenish in color. Constipation is not considered that the baby cannot go to the toilet for a certain time. The main criteria at this age are not stool retention, but unpleasant sensations during defecation (the child cries before pooping), a large amount of stool and its hard consistency.
Because of what the child does not walk on large
Constipation is a reduction in the number of bowel movements relative to their normal number for this age. In addition, such a disorder of the stool is accompanied by the discharge of a large amount of dense stool. Thus, constipation is not just a decrease in the number of bowel movements, but also a change in the stool itself.
Other signs of constipation in a baby include the following:
- change in stool odor;
- a large amount of gases;
- anxiety of the baby during washing;
- restless sleep in a baby with frequent awakenings;
- intense crying that cannot be stopped.
Even if the baby goes to the toilet every day, but at the same time his feces become plentiful and dry, this indicates constipation in the child. At the same time, the absence of a bowel movement for several days, which does not cause any inconvenience to the baby, and normal mushy stools, even after a break, are not considered grounds for making such a diagnosis.
Causes of impaired defecation can be both normal and pathological. The most common causes of constipation in babies are:
- congenital malformations of the gastrointestinal tract;
- disruption of the digestive glands;
- violation of the normal colonization of the gastrointestinal tract by flora;
- the predominance of the mixture over breast milk;
- insufficient fluid intake;
- unsuitable mixture for the baby;
- allergic reactions;
- Iron-deficiency anemia.
Most often, the problem lies in improperly selected nutrition or dysbacteriosis in babies. The fact is that the child's intestines are sterile, and until the flora returns to normal, constipation can develop even in a one-month-old baby. Usually this condition does not require medical intervention, but the baby needs some help anyway.
Constipation is not just a delay in stool, but also a change in its consistency.
It can be difficult for a young mother to understand when the lack of bowel movements is normal, and when the child needs help. Our doctors at a remote consultation will help you understand when a child needs help, advise on how to organize a baby’s diet and choose the right formula for him.
When constipation of the baby requires medical attention
Most often, problems with defecation in infants occur due to improper feeding or due to the immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract. However, in some cases, the absence of a chair requires medical intervention. It is especially dangerous if the newborn cannot go to the toilet and his meconium has not passed 2 days after birth.
This may indicate congenital problems with the gastrointestinal tract, which require additional diagnosis and examination by a neonatologist. In addition, other symptoms may indicate them. The main ones are:
- blood streaks or black blotches appear in the feces;
- close relatives have diagnosed diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- the child burps frequently and profusely;
- he has vomiting with bile impurities;
- the child gains little or no weight;
- his stomach is very distended;
- the child's stool is like a ribbon;
- he refuses breast or bottle;
- the child cries a lot, and the parents cannot calm him down;
- his temperature rises;
- there are traces of calomania on the diaper, but the feces themselves do not go away.
If such symptoms are observed in the maternity hospital, it is necessary to report them to the neonatologist on duty. If they are found after discharge from the hospital, you need to call a pediatrician or report these symptoms during a patronage bypass. In cases where the child begins to vomit profusely and the temperature rises sharply, you need to call an ambulance.
Important! The minimum weight gain for children in the first three months of life is 150 grams per week or 600 grams per month. In the first month, the increase is calculated from the minimum weight, and not from birth weight.
How to treat stool problems in an infant
To help the baby cope with constipation, you need to understand what caused its development. The diagnosis is made on the basis of a survey of the mother and a physical examination - the doctor palpates the abdomen, examines the anus and performs a rectal examination. To determine the cause, an examination is also carried out - general tests of urine, blood and feces, ultrasound and others if necessary.
If pathologies are detected, a small patient is sent for treatment to a gastroenterologist, who will prescribe the appropriate treatment for the child. In other cases, it is recommended to change the lifestyle of both the nursing mother and the baby:
- A nursing mother is recommended a light diet without fried and fatty foods, with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits. It is also worth reducing the amount of sugar in the diet, as it can cause fermentation in the digestive tract.
- Try to keep breastfeeding or mixed feeding as long as possible. Breast milk helps the digestive tract to ripen and form the correct flora.
- When transferring to artificial feeding, make sure that the mixture does not contain palm oil. It impairs the digestive processes and can cause constipation.
- If these measures do not help, the child may be prescribed pro- and prebiotics, which help to normalize the intestinal flora, after which the digestive processes also normalize.
- As prescribed by the doctor, the baby may be prescribed laxatives, glycerin suppositories, microenemas and gas tubes. However, you should not get carried away with these drugs, since their constant use can lead to hypotension.
Massage of the abdomen can also help the newborn - stroke the baby's tummy in a circular motion in a clockwise direction and gently press the legs to the stomach. This will improve peristalsis and help the stool pass. A warm bath can also help the baby - it will relax the muscles and make it easier to pass the stool.
If we are not talking about pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, normalizing the nutrition of mother and child helps to fight constipation. Our doctors will help you choose the best diet, tell you when your child needs supplementary feeding, and determine when he needs medication.
FAQ
How do you know if a baby is constipated?
+
Normally, a child’s stool may be absent for several days, if the baby himself is calm at the same time, and the feces after that are soft and pass without problems.
A sign of constipation is the presence of a hard plentiful stool and difficulty with the bowel movement itself.
Why is there a delay in stool in infants?
+
Stool retention can develop due to the immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract of the child, pathologies in the development of the intestines or digestive glands, dysbacteriosis, dehydration, an improperly selected mixture, or flaws in the diet of a nursing mother.
Can a newborn baby be given a laxative for constipation?
+
Do not give a newborn baby any medication without first consulting a doctor. Your doctor will assess the severity of your constipation and suggest ways to treat it with or without a laxative.
What to do if the baby has constipation? Should I force my baby to poop?
+
If the child is not bothered by anything, and the feces after the pass pass without problems, then there is no need to interfere in these processes.
If the baby is clearly having difficulty with bowel movements, consult a doctor to find methods that facilitate this process.
Can planting help with constipation?
+
Theoretically, an upright posture can help a child cope with constipation. However, these methods are rather auxiliary and will not lead to a stable result. It is more effective to adjust the diet and make sure that the child does not have dehydration.
Expert opinion
The absence of a chair in a child does not always mean that the baby has developed constipation. It is indicated by hard plentiful stools, restlessness and a swollen belly of the baby. The cause of a violation of the stool can be both pathological processes in the gastrointestinal tract, and flaws in the diet of the mother or baby. To determine when constipation requires treatment, the doctors of our service will help. They are available at any time of the day without queues and long waiting times.
We publish only verified information
Article author
Pruzhinin Mark Yulievich pediatrician
Experience 30 years
Consultations 1572
Articles 160
An experienced pediatrician with extensive experience and clinical experience in various medical organizations in the field of general pediatrics, resuscitation and integrals.
Works with leading experts, attends international and Russian conferences.
five ways to make life easier for a baby with constipation0001
Why it's so important to go potty early in the morning and how dried fruit can help your bowels.
Constipation is slow, difficult, or systematically insufficient bowel movement. And constipation in children is a problem that parents often face. About whether it is worth worrying if the baby rarely goes to the potty, in which cases it is important to consult a doctor, and in which it is possible to solve the problem on your own, says the famous pediatrician, candidate of medical sciences, TV presenter Evgeny Komarovsky.
Evgeny Komarovsky, the most famous pediatrician, candidate of medical sciences, TV presenter:
"Very often, constipation is not an independent disease, but only a symptom - peptic ulcer, hemorrhoids, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, dysfunction of the thyroid gland"
- If we are talking about children of the first year of life, then in one case for several thousand constipation may be the result of the so-called Hirschsprung's disease, - continues Evgeny Komarovsky.
- This is a congenital disease in which nerve cells are not developed in one of the sections of the intestine, which is why peristalsis is disturbed and fecal masses accumulate in the intestine. In this case, there is only one way out - an operation.
In a word, the constant problems with the child's stool should encourage parents to contact a gastroenterologist, who would rule out diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Stool retention in infants is normal
Each baby has a different frequency of bowel movements, which depends on many factors. And here it is important to remember this:
“In infants, a rare bowel movement almost always indicates that the food that the child eats is of high quality, suits him perfectly and is almost completely absorbed,” says Evgeny Komarovsky. - And if the baby is fed breast milk or an adapted formula, if you introduce the right complementary foods on time, but the baby does not poop for up to six days in a row, this is normal.
Provided, of course, that this does not cause him discomfort and does not affect his well-being and development.
The better the food is digested, the less often the baby goes to the potty
That is why most often the problem is not in the child, but in his environment.
“Grandmothers, having learned that the baby has not gone to the potty for two days, immediately begin to lament about this, advise him to “treat” him with folk methods, and mothers worry and look longingly into an empty pot,” says Evgeny Olegovich. - In this case, the cause of stool retention may be, for example, excessive mother's care. Judge for yourself. Let's say mom has two potatoes. She can cook them in uniform and give them to a child, while he will absorb 80% of this dish, the rest will come out naturally. Or mom can cook them, clean them, knead them properly, add milk and butter. It will turn out a liquid puree, which will be absorbed almost entirely. There is simply nothing to leave the body!
Five rules for the treatment of constipation
If the doctor is sure that constipation is not a symptom of something serious, you can try to cope with it yourself.
What do you need to pay attention to?
1. The child must not be deficient in fluids.
Lack of fluid is one of the most common causes of constipation in children. At the same time, stool masses become thick, slowly move along the intestines, scratch its walls, which causes pain and colic. Yes, and the urge to go to the toilet occurs only when the accumulated masses begin to put pressure on the walls of the rectum, while water helps to increase their volume, and the baby poops faster. So we give more to drink and moisturize the nursery!
2. There must be enough potassium in the body.
With a lack of potassium, intestinal contractions (the so-called peristalsis) are sharply weakened, and this may well be the cause of constipation. Most potassium in raisins, dried apricots, prunes, figs, which, by the way, can be added to compotes or eaten simply steamed.
3. A complete diet rich in fiber.
For constipation, protein-rich foods such as chocolate, cottage cheese, nuts are undesirable. Yogurts, one-day kefir and yogurt are desirable. Black bread is better than white bread. Apple juice is better than a whole apple. Meat is better to limit. In general, fiber is an excellent prevention of constipation. This means that the child needs to be given more fruits and vegetables, as well as cereals, preferably slightly undercooked.
If lactulose and glycerin suppositories do not help, see a doctor
4. Safe drugs.
There are only two drugs that can be used even in infants and at the same time without a doctor's prescription. The first is lactulose syrup, which is sold under various commercial names in any pharmacy. It increases the volume of feces, retaining water in the intestines, does not cause "addiction", you can take it for as long as you like. True, at the first dose, the baby may form gaziki - as a reaction to the drug, so it is better to increase the dose gradually. The second is candles with glycerin. Their advantage is that glycerin is not absorbed by the body, but is released along with the contents of the intestine, while such suppositories act much softer than an enema.
If the cause of constipation is cracks in the anus (appeared, for example, after passing lumps of hard feces), because of which the child simply does not want to go to the potty, fearing pain, candles with sea buckthorn oil will help.
5. Daily routine.
It happens that there is an urge to go big, the child feels it, but ignores it - for example, he is very busy or simply does not want to go to the toilet in the garden or at school, preferring to be patient until he gets home. If this behavior becomes systematic, then the rectum begins to stretch from excess feces, and in order to feel the urge to go to the toilet, the child needs more and more time. Hence - constipation, which has to be treated for a very long time.
To prevent this, it is important from childhood to teach the baby to systematic bowel movements.
