What can newborns take for constipation

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

You Might Also Be Interested In

Blog

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy: How It Can Help

Podcast

PediaCast 503 Your Childs Stomach Part 1

Blog

Senna-Based Laxatives for Kids’ Constipation: Are They Safe?

Constipation in Babies & Newborns

It’s easy for parents to misunderstand constipation and how it affects a baby. They can’t tell you if they’re having problems pooping. A few basic facts about your baby’s digestion can help you keep things in perspective.

Can Few Poops Still Be Normal?

Because breast milk is so nutritious, sometimes a baby’s body absorbs almost all of it, leaving little to move through the digestive tract. Your baby may poop only once in a while -- it’s perfectly normal for breastfed infants to have a bowel movement once a week.

Some infants just have a slower (but completely normal) gut, so they don't go very often. Hard stools are common from time to time. But if your baby seems to be in pain or you have any concerns, call your doctor.

In rare cases, a medical problem causes lasting, serious constipation. For example, the muscles in the intestine aren’t working the way they should or there’s a blockage in the digestive tract.

Symptoms of Constipation in Babies

Constipation isn’t just about how often your baby poops. It’s also about how tough it is for them to do it. If they have soft, easy-to-pass stools every 4-5 days, they’re probably OK. On the other hand, you should talk to your doctor if they:

• Have a hard time going or seem uncomfortable
• Have hard stools
• Have stool that is bloody or black
• Don't poop at least once every 5 to 10 days
• Won’t eat normally
• Have a swollen belly

Home Care for Constipation in Babies

• If you're bottle feeding, try a different brand of formula -- after you check with your doctor. Constipation should never be a reason to stopbreastfeeding.
• Add a little dark fruit juice, like prune or pear, to your baby's bottle.
• Give them some extra water if they’re older than 4 months -- no more than 1-2 ounces per day. But check with the doctor first.
• If your baby is eating solid foods, try some that are higher in fiber, like pureed prunes or peas, or cereal with barley or whole wheat.
• Try bending your baby’s knees toward their chest. It’s easier to get poop out in a squat posture than lying flat. It may also help to exercise their legs gently in a bicycle motion.
• A warm bath can help your baby’s muscles relax and release poop.
• Gently massage their belly.
• Taking your baby’s temperature with a rectal thermometer may stimulate their bowels.
• Remember that most babies who don’t poop a lot are not truly "constipated" and don’t need anything different from normal.

OTC medications for constipation in babies

If home remedies don’t work, there are some over-the-counter medications you can try. Ask your doctor first.

• Glycerin suppository. This is placed directly in your baby’s anus to stimulate a bowel movement.
• Laxatives. Only use a laxative if your doctor tells you to.

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
• Troubled state
nine0007 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. nine0003

What to do if a child has problems with stool

1. If a child under one year old has acute constipation and there is 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. nine0008
3. When introducing complementary foods to a baby with a tendency to constipation, introduce fruits and vegetables into the diet first.
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. nine0008
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.