Do You Know The Signs Of Baby Constipation And How To Cure It
Constipation is the condition during which defecation becomes challenging and painful. It can occur in babies too for various reasons. Normally infants have 4-5 bowel actions each day. Breast-fed infants could have more bowel movements compared to formula-fed infants, and so they rarely develop constipation. Constipation takes place when there is a violation of normal bowel function. Normal bowel function in infants can differ on various reasons. As age increases and complementary food is introduced, infants tend to develop lesser bowel movements. Bowel movements happening twice a day in a 6 months old baby is very normal, and any rate less as compared to that shall be defined as constipation.
When baby has painful defecation and when the consistency of the poop is hard the condition can be considered as baby constipation. Among the very obvious indicators of baby constipation is a crying baby characterized by belly ache. In a baby with constipation, defecation may perhaps occur daily but the poop will be thick and in small fragments. It could be caused by a dysfunctional large intestine or an abnormal colon. Typically it is attributable to pinching of feces in the lower intestine as a consequence of constriction of muscles. The a lot more the stool remains in the intestine the harder it becomes. Nevertheless, baby constipations are of two types- organic constipation and functional constipation.
In organic constipation anatomical defects or developmental disabilities perform an important role. Usually organic constipation begins at birth due to the lack of independent defecation. Various other causes for organic constipation are an enlarged colon with a narrowing lower region as in Hirschsprung’s disease and Dolichosigmoid.
Functional constipation may perhaps be because of a variety of reasons such as an improper diet of feeding mother, baby’s reduced intake of water, artificial feeding in infancy, irregular diet of children, dehydration and mainly, oppression of the defecation reflex.
Signs of constipation in babies
If the baby passes harder stools or if he has not passed stool for one or two days, it can be taken as symptoms of baby constipation. He or she may well have a hard abdomen, the discomfort of which makes the baby cry.
Normally baby constipation is cured with natural home remedies and a change in the diet itself. Prune juice diluted with water given to babies more as compared to 6 months old is shown to have good final results. The juice should be diluted in the ratio one ounce water for an ounce of prune juice. Prune juice is given in addition to breast milk or other formula. In toddlers who develop constipation after they are introduced to baby food the condition can be treated by reducing cereals and giving fruits like prunes and apricot instead.
Constipation in babies less compared to 6 months old can usually be treated after consulting a pediatrician. If the baby is formula fed talk to your doctor about changing the formula. Along with constipation you may perhaps also notice the baby peeing much less. Provide the newborn baby plenty of water to drink. A warm compress will give alleviation to pain associated with constipation. If you notice any blood marks in the stool check with a doctor immediately.