Tips On Relieving Constipation

Most infants are not truly constipated unless they experience all of the following:

• Firm, dry pebbly stools.
• No bowel movement for 2-3 days for formula fed babies or 7-10 days for breastfed babies.
• Strains and cries while having a bowel movement.

It’s rare that a fully breast fed baby will become constipated prior to the commencement of solids. 7 or 10 days without a bowel movement can be very normal where baby is only offered breast milk. Breast milk is the perfect food for babies and very little is left to waste. Breast milk also has a natural laxative effect, that helps protect baby against constipation.

The following remedies can help to relieve your infant constipation :

• Increasing the amount of water offered is often more effective than adding sugars to a baby’s diet. For babies less than 6 months old, offer 1 oz of cooled boiled water, once or twice a day. For babies over 6 months offer 2 oz or twice a day.
• A remedy for constipation that has been around for centuries and still recommended today is to add some form of sugar to a baby’s diet. The sugar works by drawing additional fluid into baby’s bowel to soften the stools. Sugar can come from fruit, in the form of fructose or sorbitol or sucrose from sugar cane. It’s commonly recommended to add sugar (particularly brown sugar) or corn syrup (Karo) to baby’s formula.
• Offer diluted apple, prune or pear juice. To begin with dilute the juice to ¼ strength by adding cooled boiled water to the juice. Slowly increase the concentration to ½ strength if necessary.
• Diluted fruit juice is not recommended for babies less than 2 months old. For babies aged 2 – 6 months, offer 1 oz of diluted juice (2 oz for babies over 6 months), twice a day until his poop is soft. Give less rather than more to start with. Too much juice can result in abdominal gas, bloating and diarrhea. Unlike added sugars (including Karo), fruit juice can be offered on a regular or daily basis to maintain soft stools.
• Offer cereal and fruits. Rice cereal, bananas, and apple sauce can result in firmer stools. Prunes, peaches, pears, plums, apricots, and peas make stools softer.