Just below we’re going to be jumping into a “messy” situation. All jokes aside though your babies digestive health is very important and I’m going to show you how to keep it running smoothly.
Ready? Here we go…
They Poo, they Pee and they make your world go around it… literally. All parents would agree that at least sometimes, if not always, they’ve disliked (I’m being modest) the precarious job of changing the diaper!
That said, we all must agree that passing a stool is one of the most important ways by which our body discards waste and toxins to cleanse our system from within.
Even in case of babies a normal Poo routine is indicative of proper digestion and good health. Your little one’s Poo routine can get disturbed if he or she is constipated.
Though it is not as common in kids as it is in adults, baby constipation is something that can happen to any child.
Difficult pooing or pooing less than normal can be a good indicator of some other health problem or it can be a serious problem in itself.
Constipation in babies is one such condition that makes passing a stool difficult.
Your baby would either not pass a stool as per his/ her normal routine or would have difficulty emptying the bowels.
There is nothing like a normal pooing routine when it comes to babies, particularly infants. Every baby is different and so is his/ her defecating routine.
For some, several times a day is normal whereas some might just be fine with few times a week. You can judge if your baby is constipated by making a few observations.
- If your baby passes a stool less often than his/ her normal routine
- If he/ she finds it difficult or painful to pass a stool; or if he/ she (if older) complains of spasms in the lower abdomen before passing
- If the stool is extremely hard, dry or black in color
- Apart from these apparent indications, sometimes even too liquid a poo can also be a sign of baby constipation. This is because the hard stool in the intestine blocks the passage and the liquid poo slips down from the sides.
Though constipation, in most cases, is not a serious problem, it can get extremely painful for your baby and can even develop into a never ending cycle.
As the stool becomes hard due to constipation, your baby can get fissures/ cracks around the rectal opening.
These cracks may begin to bleed causing excessive pain to your child. This might make your baby further avoid passing and making the problem even worse.
Before looking at the remedies to this problem, let’s consider some factors that might be causing constipation.
In case of infants, breast fed babies normally do not get constipated as breast milk has the proper balance of nutrients and is easy on babies’ digestive system.
Formula fed babies are more likely to face this problem as formula milk is harder to digest and there might be some ingredients in the formula that do not suit the baby.
Older babies, who have started weaning can develop constipation due to the change in their diet. The digestive system takes some time before it can get used to the change in the components of the diet.
Lack of fluid in the diet or dehydration can also be a reason behind constipation at this stage.
In children who have started eating a variety of solid foods, this condition can be caused by some constipating foods like rice, bananas, cereals, white potatoes, etc.
Lack of fiber and fluid in the diet can also cause constipation.
Here are 6 tips to get things “moving”…
- Try changing the formula that you feed to your infant and in most cases this will help.
- For babies who are taking solid diet, make sure that they are getting the much needed dose of fiber and fluid in their diet.
- Stop giving constipating foods to the child. Generally, a change in diet will help ease constipation.
- If the baby already has constipation and developed fissures or cuts around the anus, apply something moisturizing like Aloe Vera gel, petroleum jelly or glycerin.
- Massaging the stomach, firmly but gently downwards from the navel also helps babys poo. But do this only if the baby is comfortable with it.
- Infant stomachs often respond to some light exercise like moving their legs in cycling motion, in turn creating pressure on the intestine and easing motion.
If these simple measures do not help, consult your pediatrician. Never try any over the counter laxative in the case of baby constipation as this might have side effects.
