Tips On Relieving Constipation

It’s not the frequency of bowel movements or straining that determines if an infant is constipated or not, it’s the consistency of the stool. An infant is constipated if his poop is firm, dry or pebbly. If his poop is fluid, soft or paste consistency, then he’s not constipated.

Crying while having a bowel movement, bleeding from the anus, abdominal pain and reduced appetite can also be signs a baby is constipated.

How To Identify The Causes of Infant Constipation?

An infant may not be getting enough fluid in the form of breast milk or formula and this can lead to constipation. This can be identified by checking whether he is gaining appropriate weight for his age.

Check how you are preparing his formula. Make sure you are adding the correct number of scoops of formula powder to water, as recommend by the manufacturer. Take care not to overfill or tightly pack the formula powder in the scoop. This can lead to a more concentrated formula and result in constipation.

Switching formula (or switching to cows milk) can lead to a change in stool consistency, resulting in either constipation or loose runny stools. Most often this change is only temporary, until your baby’s little tummy gets used to the new formula. Some types and brands of formula are more constipating than others. If constipation continues to be a problem for your little one, it may be necessary to change formula.

It’s common for a breast fed baby to experience constipation for the first time when solid foods are introduced into his diet. His little body is just not used to digesting anything other than breast milk. Introduce new foods slowly to allow time for him to adjust. Some foods are more constipating than others. If your baby’s poop is firm, dry or pebbly, think back to what he’s eaten in the previous 24 hours. Did you offer him a new food? If there’s something you can identify, wait until his constipation has cleared, then try offering it in smaller amounts next time.

Fiber is only found in plant foods such as cereals, fruits and vegetables. Babies over 6 months with high intakes of formula or cows milk (only recommended after 12 months) can become constipated. It’s not the milk itself that cause this, it’s simply that the child fills up on milk which means he will have no appetite for other foods which provide fiber.