Newborn problems pooping

Symptoms, Treatment and When to Call a Doctor

Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Constipation (con-sta-PA-shun) in infants can worry parents. Most of the time, your baby is not really constipated. They may not have developed a routine for pooping yet. Some babies do not develop a bowel movement (BM) pattern for a while.

An infant’s BM pattern can change if their diet changes, like switching from breastmilk to formula, starting solid foods, or drinking less formula than usual. If your baby’s stool (poop) is not soft or easily passed, then they may be constipated.

In rare cases, constipation may be caused by a lack of nerves going to the intestines or by a problem with the way the intestine formed at birth. Your baby can be tested for these conditions if your health care provider feels it is needed.

Signs of Constipation

less stools than their usual pattern
straining more than normal to have a bowel movement
a change in how the stool looks from soft and mushy to:
- small, hard pebbles, or like a large, round golf ball
- loose and watery
abdomen (belly) bloated or swollen with gas
painful cramps

Treatment

If your baby is not eating baby food yet, you may give 1 to 2 ounces of 100% fruit juice (pear, prune, cherry, or apple) once a day. Stop the juice if their stools become too loose.
If they are old enough to eat baby foods, feed them pureed pears, peaches, or prunes instead of giving them juice.
If your baby eats cereal, it may help to give oatmeal, wheat, or barley cereal. Rice cereal can cause constipation in some children.
Sometimes giving your baby a warm bath to relax them or exercising their legs, like riding a bicycle, will help stimulate the bowels to move (Picture 1).
If it has been a few days since your baby has pooped and the juice or pureed food has not worked, then you can try a glycerin suppository. Place your baby on their back. Gently push the suppository into their anus (bottom). Suppositories are meant for occasional use.
Contact your baby’s health care provider before giving them laxatives, baby mineral oil, or enemas to treat constipation.

Medical Therapy

Your child’s health care provider may order the following treatments:

Give your child medication.
Check your child’s temperature using a digital, rectal thermometer. Put a small amount of petroleum jelly (Vaseline®) on its tip before inserting into the rectum. Taking a rectal temperature may stimulate the baby to pass stool.

When to Call the Health Care Provider

Call the health care provider if any of the following occurs:

Your baby is irritable and seems to be having stomach pain. Infants will pull their legs up to their stomach and cry when they are in pain.
Your baby has constipation and develops vomiting, and their belly looks like it is bloated or filled with gas.
You see blood in their stool.
Their constipation does not get better with treatment.

If you have any questions or concerns, call your baby’s health care provider.

Constipation: Infant (PDF), Spanish (PDF), Somali (PDF), Arabic (PDF), Nepali (PDF)

Constipation in infants and children: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

Constipation in infants and children occurs when they have hard stools or have problems passing stools. A child may have pain while passing stools or may be unable to have a bowel movement after straining or pushing.

Constipation is common in children. However, normal bowel movements are different for each child.

In the first month, infants tend to have bowel movements about once a day. After that, babies can go a few days or even a week between bowel movements. It's also difficult to pass stools because their abdominal muscles are weak. So babies tend to strain, cry, and get red in the face when they have a bowel movement. This does not mean they are constipated. If bowel movements are soft, then there is likely no problem.

Signs of constipation in infants and children may include:

Being very fussy and spitting up more often (infants)
Difficulty passing stools or seeming uncomfortable
Hard, dry stools
Pain when having a bowel movement
Belly pain and bloating
Large, wide stools
Blood on the stool or on toilet paper
Traces of liquid or stool in a child's underwear (a sign of fecal impaction)
Having less than 3 bowel movements a week (children)
Moving their body in different positions or clenching their buttocks

Make sure your infant or child has a problem before treating constipation:

Some children do not have a bowel movement every day.
Also, some healthy children always have very soft stools.
Other children have firm stools, but are able to pass them without problems.

Constipation occurs when the stool remains in the colon for too long. Too much water gets absorbed by the colon, leaving hard, dry stools.

Constipation may be caused by:

Ignoring the urge to use the toilet
Not eating enough fiber
Not drinking enough fluids
Switching to solid foods or from breast milk to formula (infants)
Changes in situation, such as travel, starting school, or stressful events

Medical causes of constipation may include:

Diseases of the bowel, such as those that affect the bowel muscles or nerves
Other medical conditions that affect the bowel
Use of certain medicines

Children may ignore the urge to have a bowel movement because:

They are not ready for toilet training
They are learning to control their bowel movements
They have had previous painful bowel movements and want to avoid them
They don't want to use a school or public toilet

Lifestyle changes can help your child avoid constipation. These changes can also be used to treat it.

For infants:

Give your baby extra water or juice during the day in between feedings. Juice can help bring water to the colon.
Over 2 months old: Try 2 to 4 ounces (59 to 118 mL) of fruit juice (grape, pear, apple, cherry, or prune) twice a day.
Over 4 months old: If the baby has started to eat solid foods, try baby foods with high-fiber content such as peas, beans, apricots, prunes, peaches, pears, plums, and spinach twice a day.

For children:

Drink plenty of fluids each day. Your child's health care provider can tell you how much.
Eat more fruits and vegetables and foods high in fiber, such as whole grains.
Avoid certain foods such as cheese, fast food, prepared and processed foods, meat, and ice cream.
Stop toilet training if your child becomes constipated. Resume after your child is no longer constipated.
Teach older children to use the toilet right after eating a meal.

Stool softeners (such as those containing docusate sodium) may help for older children. Bulk laxatives such as psyllium may help add fluid and bulk to the stool. Suppositories or gentle laxatives may help your child have regular bowel movements. Electrolyte solutions like Miralax can also be effective.

Some children may need enemas or prescription laxatives. These methods should be used only if fiber, fluids, and stool softeners do not provide enough relief.

Do NOT give laxatives or enemas to children without first asking your provider.

Call your child's provider right away if:

An infant (except those who are only breastfed) goes 3 days without a stool and is vomiting or irritable

Also call your child's provider if:

An infant younger than 2 months is constipated
Non-breastfeeding infants go 3 days without having a bowel movement (call right away if there is vomiting or irritability)
A child is holding back bowel movements to resist toilet training
There is blood in the stools

Your child's provider will perform a physical exam. This may include a rectal exam.

The provider may ask you questions about your child's diet, symptoms, and bowel habits.

The following tests may help find the cause of constipation:

Blood tests such as a complete blood count (CBC)
X-rays of the abdomen

The provider may recommend the use of stool softeners or laxatives. If stools are impacted, glycerin suppositories or saline enemas may be recommended also.

Irregularity of bowels; Lack of regular bowel movements

Constipation - what to ask your doctor
High-fiber foods

Sources of fiber
Digestive system organs

Kwan KY. Abdominal pain. In: Olympia RP, O'Neill RM, Silvis ML, eds. Urgent Care Medicine Secrets. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 19.

Maqbool A, Liacouras CA. Major symptoms and signs of digestive tract disorders. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 332.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Constipation in children. www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/constipation-children. Updated May 2018. Accessed October 14, 2020.

Updated by: Charles I. Schwartz, MD, FAAP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, General Pediatrician at PennCare for Kids, Phoenixville, PA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

Urinary disorders in children

2019.12.29

Urinary problems in children have a profound impact on their lives and their families. Recently, we have seen an increase in the number of children with urinary problems. It should be borne in mind that urination disorders are often accompanied by defecation disorders.

Urinary disorders in children:

• Increased frequency of urination during the day (8 or more times)
• Infrequent urination (3 or less times)
• Urinary incontinence is the uncontrolled flow of urine,
• Daily incontinence
• Nocturnal enuresis - any form of urination before bed at age 5,
• a sudden urge to urinate if you don't go to the toilet at that time is obviously a disaster,
• Nocturia - waking up at night to urinate,
• Urinary retention or distress - your child has difficulty starting to urinate.

What do doctors call normal urination?

In fact, to understand what urinary disorders are, you need to know what normal urination is. Children usually urinate 6-7 times a day and at least 3 times

What are the signs of urinary problems?

Please note:

• If your child has daytime incontinence,
• if your child has a sudden and overwhelming urge to urinate,
• If your child has urinary retention, sometimes mothers will say that he did not urinate in the morning or that there was a so-called “accident” in the toilet.
• if your child develops and begins to recur with urinary tract infections, constipation, or behaviors that involve urinary retention and, of course, nocturnal enuresis.

Should all urinary disorders be treated?

There is a low-risk group of diseases and a high-risk group of diseases that can develop with kidney failure. Low-risk urinary tract symptoms include the following symptoms: daytime urinary syndrome, urinary incontinence, laughing incontinence, stress urinary incontinence, bladder incontinence, and primary nocturnal enuresis. These syndromes do not require intensive investigation or any special monitoring.

How to deal with the symptoms of a low-risk disease?

We suggest that you consult with a general practitioner or pediatric urologist and:

Sometimes you need to calm down

Wait sometimes

Sometimes different behaviors are studied

For example, the syndrome of frequent urination 20 times a day. This disorder can be caused by psychological stress and is most common in boys aged 4-8 years. Urinalysis is normal. Nothing can be done, it spontaneously disappears after 2 days, and sometimes after two and a half months.

After urination drops is a common problem in children. This urination is more common in teenage girls for a number of reasons: irregular urination (insufficient urination of the legs), frequent urinary tract infections, itchy perineum, sometimes due to a fungus or chemical irritation. This is what happens when you love to swim in foam and the chemicals in there can irritate and develop non-bacterial inflammation.

Urinary incontinence also occurs. It is more common in girls before adolescence. This may continue into adulthood, without any other urinary problems. We encourage these children to go to the toilet and urinate frequently before an upcoming social event. Laughter incontinence is similar to stress urinary incontinence.

Advice and guidance in case of such violations.

First of all, children should learn to urinate regularly, at least 5-6 times a day, slowly.

The guiding principle is to have quick access to the toilet at school and help reduce embarrassment. If the child does not hold urine, cannot urinate in time, bad breath appears, which is a very traumatic situation even in school bullying.

As a result, children no longer want to go to school, lose friends, feel worse.

Treatment of urinary tract infections is very important as it is sometimes the main cause of urinary problems. Girls need to be taught to urinate, and in case of laughter, special behavior needs to be taught.

It is advisable to adjust the diet of a child with urinary problems. Now it is very fashionable for teenagers to drink coffee. We ask you to exclude foods that irritate the bladder, and first of all it is caffeine, as well as orange juice, tomatoes, spicy foods. We recommend taking cranberry juice and yogurt as a preventive measure for urinary tract infections.

Urination in newborns - how it should be | Mamovediya

For the first time, a child urinates sometimes during childbirth, and sometimes immediately after them. In general, the first urination in newborns occurs in the first 12 hours of life. However, in every 10th child, it can occur only on the 2nd and even on the 3rd day.

Therefore, if you gave birth at home and it so happened that the baby does not pee, wait 2-3 days after giving birth. If the situation has not changed during this time, invite a doctor.

Newborns produce little urine in the first 3 days of life, although their urinary system is well formed. What is the matter here has not been definitively established. But, of course, a certain role is played by the fact that the child outside the womb excretes water with the entire surface of the body, and so far receives little liquid.

Reduced urine output in newborns in the 1st week of life is called transient oliguria (Greek oligos - few, insignificant).

In the same week, all newborns develop another transitional state - uric acid infarction, which externally manifests itself as an unusual yellow-brick color of urine. It is cloudy and leaves a correspondingly colored stain on the diaper. By the end of the week, urine acquires its natural color and transparency.

The frequency of urination in full-term newborns in the 1st week of life is 4-5, and in preterm infants - 8-13 times a day.

Usually, in healthy children, by the end of the 1st week, the daily urine output reaches an average of 209±26 ml. If by this time it is significantly less than the age norm (for example, it is only a third of it), you should observe the baby.

Reduced urine output is not always associated with kidney, bladder or ureter disease.

A child may develop a high temperature (38-39°C) if they are dressed too warmly, lying next to a radiator, or the room is very hot, all of which can lead to decreased urine output.

The same result occurs with a disorder of the stool - diarrhea, which is accompanied by large losses of fluid.

However, if the child is not overheated and the stool is normal, you should see a doctor.

The unusual color of urine should also alert you. It can be concentrated - very yellow. At the same time, diapers are also painted yellow, and the skin of the child in the place where the urine has got turns pink. An increased concentration of urine can be caused by the fact that the baby is not getting enough liquid. In this case, he needs to give more to drink.

If he drinks a lot and his urine is still concentrated, you should consult your doctor.

Newborns rarely experience acute urinary retention in the first days. At the same time, the bladder is full of it, stretched and clearly visible above the bosom. Sometimes it even reaches the level of the navel.

The reasons for this may vary, but in any case, the baby will need urgent medical attention.

A combination of two symptoms may serve as a reason for an urgent visit to a doctor: 1) the child has not urinated for 2-3 days and 2) his bladder is empty.

Anuria, a severe disease characterized by such a combination of symptoms, can soon lead to a sharp deterioration in the child's condition. He will turn pale, become drowsy and lethargic, and will refuse to eat. Further, convulsions, coma are possible. Anuria is treated exclusively in a hospital.

In some pathologies of the urinary system, blood is found in the urine of a newborn. This symptom may also be associated with other diseases, such as hemorrhagic disease of the newborn.

However, the urine may turn reddish after taking certain drugs. Therefore, after consulting a doctor, you can not give the child medicine for some time to find out if it is to blame.

Quite rarely, in children in the first days of life, signs of hereditary metabolic pathologies may appear. At birth, the baby looks quite healthy, but after a few days (and more often months) he becomes drowsy and lethargic, he has vomiting, convulsions. And at the same time, an unusual smell of urine and body appears. It is associated with the smell of mice, sweaty feet, mustiness, maple syrup, rotting fish

You should consult a doctor without delay, because the treatment of hereditary fermentopathies, in order to be effective, must be started in the neonatal period, and the sooner the better. Otherwise, as a rule, the mental development of the baby suffers. And often the course of the disease acquires a life-threatening character.

Sometimes it happens that the diaper on which the child urinates, when dry, turns black as pitch. Urine acquires the same color when standing. This is a sign of another hereditary fermentopathy - alkaptonuria. Often the disease does not give other symptoms. However, over time, alkapton (black pigment) can accumulate in the cartilage of the nose and ears, and then in the joints, the mobility of which will decrease because of this.

The disease is treatable if treated early.

Congenital diabetes mellitus, which is extremely rare in newborns, is characterized by characteristic signs. The child sucks a lot and greedily, urinates often and profusely, the diaper, having dried, becomes hard, as if starched.

The child may quickly develop a diabetic coma. Therefore, with such symptoms, you need to urgently consult a doctor.

It is important to pay attention to the color, consistency and turbidity of the baby's urine.