Relieve constipation newborn babies

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)

HH-I-14 ©Copyright 1984, Revised 2022, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

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Baby constipation: Top 7 home remedies

Babies often go a long time between bowel movements. Most of the time, it is normal for a baby to go days or even more than a week without a bowel movement. However, a baby may sometimes be constipated and need a little help.

If a baby is constipated, a pediatrician may recommend using home remedies as a first-line treatment for baby constipation.

Home remedies for constipation in a baby include:

1. Exercise

Moving a baby’s legs can help relieve constipation.

As with adults, exercise and movement tend to stimulate a baby’s bowels.

However, as babies may not be walking or even crawling yet, a parent or caregiver may want to help them exercise to relieve constipation.

The parent or caregiver can gently move the baby’s legs while they are lying on their back to mimic the motion of riding a bicycle. Doing this may help the bowels function and relieve constipation.

2. A warm bath

Giving a baby a warm bath can relax their abdominal muscles and help them stop straining. It can also relieve some of the discomfort relating to constipation.

3. Dietary changes

Certain dietary changes may help constipation, but these will vary depending on the baby’s age and diet.

While breastfeeding a baby, a woman could eliminate certain foods, such as dairy, from her diet. It may take some trial and error to identify the dietary changes that help, and it is quite possible that changes in the diet will have no effect on the baby’s constipation.

For formula-fed babies, a parent or caregiver may want to try a different kind of formula. It is best not to switch to a gentle or dairy-free formula without consulting a pediatrician first. If one change does not make a difference, continuing to try different formulas is unlikely to help.

If an infant is eating solid foods, parents or caregivers should look to introduce foods that are good sources of fiber.

Many fruits and vegetables can help stimulate the bowels because of their higher fiber content. Good food choices for babies with constipation include:

• skinless apples
• broccoli
• whole grains, such as oatmeal or whole-grain bread or pasta
• peaches
• pears
• plums

4.

Young infants do not typically need supplemental liquids as they get their hydration from breast milk or formula.

However, babies that are constipated may benefit from a small amount of extra liquid.

Pediatricians sometimes recommend adding a small amount of water or, occasionally, fruit juice, to the baby’s diet when they are over 2–4 months old and are constipated.

5. Massage

There are several ways to massage a baby’s stomach to relieve constipation. These include:

• Using the fingertip to make circular motions on the stomach in a clockwise pattern.
• Walking the fingers around the naval in a clockwise pattern.
• Holding the baby’s knees and feet together and gently pushing the feet toward the belly.
• Stroking from the rib cage down past the belly button with the edge of a finger.

6. Fruit juice

A small amount of pure apple juice can help soften stool.

After a baby reaches 2–4 months of age, they can have a small amount of fruit juice, such as 100-percent prune or apple juice. This juice may help treat constipation.

Experts may recommend starting with about 2–4 ounces of fruit juice. The sugar in the juice is hard to digest. As a result, more liquid enters the intestines, which helps soften and break up the stool.

However, a parent or caregiver should not give fruit juice to a baby for the first time without consulting their pediatrician.

7. Taking a rectal temperature

When a baby is constipated, taking the baby’s rectal temperature with a clean, lubricated thermometer may help them pass stool.

It is important not to use this method very often, as it can make constipation worse. The baby may start not wanting to pass a bowel movement without help, or they may begin to associate having a bowel movement with discomfort, leading them to fuss or cry more during the process.

Anyone who feels as though they often need to use this method to help the baby have a bowel movement should talk to the baby’s doctor.

As infants may go for extended periods without a bowel movement, it can be hard to tell if they are constipated. Signs that indicate constipation in a baby include:

• infrequent stools that are not soft in consistency
• clay-like stool consistency
• hard pellets of stool
• long periods of straining or crying while trying to have a bowel movement
• streaks of red blood in the stool
• lack of appetite
• a hard belly

Signs of constipation in babies vary depending on their age and diet. A normal bowel movement before a baby begins eating solid food should be very soft, almost like the consistency of peanut butter or even looser.

Hard baby stool prior to solid food is the most obvious indication of constipation in babies.

At first, breastfed babies may pass stool often since breast milk is easy to digest. However, once a baby is between 3 and 6 weeks old, they may only pass a large, soft stool once a week and sometimes even less.

Formula-fed babies tend to pass stool more frequently than breastfed babies. Most formula-fed babies will have a bowel movement at least once a day or every other day. However, some formula-fed babies may go longer between bowel movements without being constipated.

Once a parent introduces solid food to a baby’s diet, a baby may be more likely to experience constipation. A baby may also be more likely to become constipated if a parent or caregiver introduces cow’s milk (other than formula) to their diet.

Share on PinterestA doctor should assess a baby with ongoing constipation.

It is advisable to call a pediatrician if a baby has not passed a stool after a day or two and there are other signs present, such as:

• blood in the stool
• the baby seems to be irritable
• the baby appears to have abdominal pain
• there is no improvement in the baby’s constipation after taking steps to treat it

Treatment typically starts with home remedies. If home remedies do not work, a doctor may examine the baby and, in rare cases, prescribe medications, such as:

• laxatives
• enemas
• suppositories

People should never give these medications to a baby unless a doctor prescribes them.

Constipation can lead to discomfort and irritability in a baby. People can try several at-home methods to help alleviate constipation.

If symptoms do not improve, it is best to speak to the infant’s pediatrician for additional strategies.

Read the article in Spanish.

Constipation in a baby - what to do, causes and symptoms of constipation in a baby

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Constipation in infants: causes and treatment For this period (at least the first 6 months), breastfeeding is recommended, which is able to fully meet the needs of the infant until the introduction of complementary foods. However, for various reasons, breastfeeding can be replaced with artificial.

There have been many comparative studies of breastfeeding and artificial feeding. Most pediatricians still insist on breastfeeding the baby, but, as experience shows, it does not guarantee complete health, and even with breastfeeding, problems with the digestive system can be observed. One of the most common problems parents face is constipation in babies. The causes of this condition can often be due to the physiological characteristics of the infant's digestive system, but are often pathological. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to constipation in infants in time and consult a doctor.

Further in the article, we will consider such issues as: the causes of constipation in infants, the treatment of constipation, as well as the symptoms and why constipation occurs with different types of feeding.

Causes of constipation in babies

Before listing the causes of constipation in infants, you should familiarize yourself with the features of the structure and functioning of its digestive system. This will help you better understand why a baby is constipated.

The first feature of the digestive system of infants is the small size of the stomach (in the first month of life its volume is about 100 ml, and then gradually increases) and its horizontal arrangement . Food in infants is delayed for about 2.5-3 hours, and with artificial feeding - a little longer. But the main feature that contributes to the development of such a problem as constipation in an infant is a long intestine and weak abdominal muscles.

So, normally, the frequency of stool in infants of the first year of life can coincide with the frequency of feeding (up to 6 times). With age, it decreases and by the time of the introduction of complementary foods it is approximately 2 times a day, and in children on artificial feeding - 1 time per day. Normally, babies have mushy feces.

Constipation is considered to be: if the interval between defecation acts in an infant increases, if the emptying is systematic, but insufficient, and the feces themselves are not mushy, but dense, fragmented.

It is customary to talk about constipation in children under 3 years old if the number of bowel movements is less than 6 times a week.

The most common causes of constipation in infants are as follows:

• Genetic predisposition.
• Perinatal encephalopathy, for example, as a result of hypoxia, or trauma (cerebral palsy).
• Incorrect daily routine and nutrition of a nursing mother.
• Violation of feeding and drinking regimen.
• Congenital pathology and developmental anomalies.
• Immaturity of the digestive system of the baby.
• Violation of intestinal microbiocenosis.
• Use of certain medications.
• Metabolic disorders.
• Diseases of the spinal cord.
• Grischsprung's disease, etc.

What causes constipation in babies with different types of feeding

Above were listed the main reasons why the baby has constipation. As you can see, such a problem can arise regardless of the type of feeding - constipation is often found in infants on breastfeeding, on mixed and even on completely artificial.

Constipation can occur during breastfeeding due to various causes, including:

• Excess consumption of animal fats by a nursing woman (butter, pork and other fatty meats) and lack of fermented milk products, dietary fiber in the diet.
• Underfeeding or overfeeding a child.
• Maternal hypogalactia.
• The presence of defects in the oral cavity of the baby, sluggish sucking, regurgitation.
• Dehydration (non-compliance with the drinking regime, fever, etc.).
• Lactose intolerance.
• Breastfeeding mother taking certain medications.

Very often there is constipation in infants on mixed feeding. The reasons for this may lie in the following:

• Mixture too thick.
• Incorrect mix.
• Non-compliance with the drinking regime, etc.

Very often, constipation develops after the introduction of complementary foods, especially if the first complementary foods were introduced abruptly and in large quantities.

What foods can cause constipation in babies? The development of constipation can provoke the introduction of cereals and solid foods, applesauce, pear puree, pasta, eggplant, fatty meats, eggs, caffeinated foods, etc. into the baby’s diet.

Symptoms of constipation in an infant

Constipation in a baby for a long time may not attract the attention of parents. First of all, this may be due to the lack of ideas about how many times a day a baby should have feces and what kind of character it should be. With a problem such as constipation in infants, the symptoms may be mild, and often accompanied by non-specific symptoms. So, when can you suspect constipation in the baby?

The symptoms of constipation are as follows:

• Decrease in the number of bowel movements (less than 6 times a week).
• The baby often cries for no apparent reason and pulls his legs up to his stomach;
• Stool formed, hard, fragmented, dry;
• The child is not gaining weight;
• Stone anointing.
• Rumbling in the abdomen, increased flatulence.
• Signs of inflammation or irritation around the anus.
• Sleep disturbance.

If defecation occurs less frequently than usual, but the child eats well, is not naughty, none of the above is observed, then the infant is most likely not constipated. But what if the baby is still constipated?

What should I do if my baby is constipated?

Many parents do not know what to do if the child has constipation, although they can recognize it on their own. First of all, it is necessary to review the diet of the baby and the nursing mother, exclude foods that contribute to constipation, adjust the frequency and volume of feedings, and establish a drinking regimen.

If this does not help, then you should definitely seek the advice of a pediatrician, and not treat constipation in infants on your own.

How and how to treat constipation in infants

Before treating constipation in infants, you should definitely consult a doctor, undergo the necessary examinations to exclude organic pathology.

So, how to treat constipation in infants? In most cases, constipation in infants is physiological, that is, due to the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the baby's digestive system, the nature of his feeding. With this in mind, the treatment of constipation in infants is as follows:

• Correction of the diet of a nursing woman and baby.
• Correction of the baby's drinking regimen.
• Prescription of probiotics.
• Appointment of a course of massage and gymnastics, which improve intestinal motility.

In the absence of effect and as directed by a doctor, osmotic and volumetric laxatives, as well as emollients, may be prescribed.

What to do with constipation in a newborn?

Constipation in a newborn or infant is an extremely unpleasant problem for parents. And it is not always possible to quickly determine what is the cause of constipation in an infant. Most often, problems with bowel movements in babies are functional in nature and are directly related to the nutrition of the child.

Signs of constipation in a child of the first year of life

• Infrequent dry and hard stools
• Sleep disorder
• Restless state
• Pungent odor of feces and flatus

Causes of constipation in a newborn child

Causes of constipation in newborns and infants, as a rule, are not associated with a serious pathology of the internal organs or the central nervous system. The main cause of constipation in a baby is malnutrition, early transfer of a child to supplementary feeding with infant formula, frequent changes in products during artificial feeding.

When breastfeeding, the formation of constipation in children of the first year of life is affected by poor nutrition of the mother, for example, the use of large amounts of animal fats and a lack of fiber in the diet. One possible cause of constipation in newborns is dehydration.

What to do if a child has problems with stool

1. If a child under one year old has acute constipation and has anxiety, straining and arching, we actively massage the abdomen in a clockwise direction so that hand marks remain on the skin (but not bruises!) . We spread it on the stomach, do the exercise - legs to the head, children under one year old can massage the anus, if all this does not help - a children's candle with glycerin from the refrigerator.
2. If such situations are repeated often - a mandatory consultation with a pediatrician.
3. When introducing complementary foods to a baby with a tendency to constipation, first introduce fruits and vegetables into the diet.
4. If the child is older than a year and the process is chronic - evaluate nutrition - whether there are the necessary 5 servings of vegetables and fruits per day (portion - from the palm or fist of the baby). Estimate - how much water does the child drink per day? Is there enough physical activity during the day? What is the psychological climate in the family and the attitude - not to demand a chair from the child, not to swear and not to shout, not to discuss problems with other people in his presence, not to force him to sit on the potty, not to scold him for dirty panties when anointing.
5. It is better to choose laxatives based on macrogol or lactulose with the help of a doctor.
6. In parallel with laxatives, we conduct psychological work with the child at home and with a specialist - books about defecation, toilet games, etc.