Like constipation in adults, infant constipation is likewise a common cause of abdominal pains. In a nutshell, baby constipation occurs when the infant’s stool becomes too firm and hard. And as in every case of constipation, it involves a problem which deals with the diet of the baby. The best way to treat constipation in babies would involve an alteration in the child’s food intake.
What are the signs that your baby is constipated? Constipation with newborns is indicated by hard stools excreted less than once a day with some pain and a bit of trouble in passing them. This is almost the same with dry stools. There is always strain in expelling them and it causes so much pain that infants are commonly crying out loud to convey this message. Another sign of constipation in babies is the hard, pebble-like stools. These cause much difficulty during bowel movement. You can see in your baby that he or she is drawing her legs up on his or her abdomen, grunting and turning red with the ordeal.
Also, in serious cases of constipation, you will spot streaks of blood on the outside of your baby’s excrements. It is also a clear sign that your kid is constipated when there is frequent abdominal discomfort along with hard and infrequent stools.
Reasons that may be causing constipation in your infant
There are a number of factors that can cause your baby to experience constipation. First is the intake of new food or milk. This can cause infant constipation as there is an alteration in his or her food intake. Consider this especially when your child has begun to take in new kind of diet or if you have switched from breast milk to formula milk, or from formula milk to another kind such as cow’s milk or commercial fresh milk. Second is lack of fluid intake. Your baby may not be taking in much water. This causes drying up of the stools. The third factor is stress. If your baby may somehow be upset, intestinal functions may be upset as well. Finally, your baby might not be getting enough fiber resulting in the processing of hard stools.
Treating infant constipation
There are a number of infant constipation remedies that are suggested by most physicians and medical practitioners. One infant constipation treatment suggestion is to experiment with different formula milks to find out which among them works well with the infant’s intestines. Infant constipation is too much of a discomfort to let it linger for so long.
Also, try to frequently feed the baby with smaller amounts of formula. This will give the intestines an opportunity to digest the formula intake of your child properly. The rule says, feed half as much twice as often. To be able to treat infant constipation, consider this rule.
Another treatment is delaying the introduction of solid food, especially those that can cause infant constipation. Examples of this are rice and bananas. An alternative to rice cereal may be barley cereal. High-fiber chows that may be helpful on the treatment of infant constipation are pureed pears and prunes.
You could also ease the passage of stools with the use of glycerin suppositories or liquid glycerin. Liquid glycerin or the so-called Babylax may be inserted into the baby’s rectum by gently dropping it in. This is an effective stimulant to bowel movement for the treatment of infant constipation.
Another treatment is to add one teaspoon of flax oil once a day to the baby cereal or the infant’s milk bottle. Flax oil is considered as a non-prescription laxative. It is a healthy alternative to mineral oil which has laxative properties and is a good source of omega 3 fats. Flax oil is a nutrient that eases up absorption of vitamins. One teaspoon will be enough for infants, two teaspoons for toddlers, and one tablespoon a day for children and adults.
Lastly, always watch out for the about-to-go signs. If your baby has started grunting, grimacing, appearing bloated, or showing signs of straining, quickly slide in a glycerin suppository to ease the passage of your child’s stool.