Newborn health: constipation, its causes and treatment

Published 01/04/2019 · Comments: · Reading time: 4 min · Views: Post Views: 1,457

A common cause of anxiety for a young mother is the child's rare bowel movements. But the absence of stool for several days does not always mean constipation in a newborn. If the baby is bottle-fed or mixed-fed, he must poop every day. If a child eats only breast milk, he may not have stool for a whole week - this is one of the normal options. Drinking breast milk is well absorbed by the body. You can recognize that a newborn is constipated if there are several signs of the disorder.

Causes

Constipation can be caused by increased or, conversely, decreased fat content of breast milk. In children, the system of enzymatic activity has not yet been adjusted, so their intestines react to increased/decreased fat content with constipation or diarrhea.

Other main causes of constipation in infants:

• Irregular feeding, irregular diet.
• Starting complementary foods too early or choosing the wrong amount.
• Incorrectly selected mixture (if the child is artificial).
• Microflora disorders, both congenital and acquired.
• Abnormalities in intestinal development.
• Allergic reactions to food or medications.
• Metabolic disorders.

Even nervous disorders can affect constipation in a baby.

When selecting artificial formulas, you should not change them very often - this can also cause constipation in the baby.

Causes of constipation

There are a huge variety of reasons that can lead to constipation in a baby.

Poor nutrition

In most cases, constipation in babies is caused by poor nutrition of the mother or child. In cases of breastfeeding, constipation can be caused by the mother's addiction to protein foods, for example, eating large amounts of cottage cheese, meat, flour products, coffee and strong tea.

And if the baby is bottle-fed, the selection of formula is incorrect.

Another possible cause related to poor nutrition is not drinking enough fluids. Although some pediatricians say that there is no need to give water to breastfed children, since the required amount of liquid comes with breast milk.

Treatment of constipation in an infant in this case will consist of the following measures:

• It is necessary to minimize the consumption of all these products. But you shouldn’t go to extremes; you can’t completely exclude them from your diet, just reduce your consumption. But this does not apply to meat; it must be consumed in quantities of at least 100 grams per day;
• eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, as they contain a lot of fiber, which promotes bowel movements;
• if the baby is old enough, water and juice can be replaced with a decoction of raisins or dried fruits, but very carefully, since many dried fruits are potential allergens;
• when artificial feeding, the mixture is replaced with another, preferably one that does not contain gluten.

Diseases leading to constipation

There are a number of abnormalities that can lead to constipation. Fortunately, these diseases are not that common.

These include:

1. Dolichosigma is a genetically determined elongation of the sigmoid intestine. In this case, emptying is complicated due to the abundance of intestinal kinks and excessive pressure.
2. Hirschsprung's disease is a disorder of the nervous innervation of the intestine. That is, some areas simply do not work, since electrical impulses are not suitable for them.
3. Lactase deficiency is the complete absence or deficiency of the lactase enzyme. In this case, a constant alternation between constipation and diarrhea is typical.
4. Diseases of internal organs. For example, with pathology of the thyroid gland, especially with its hypofunction, hypothyroidism develops, characterized by hormone deficiency. Thyroid hormones are very important, as they participate in metabolic processes and control the functioning of all endocrine glands.
5. Rickets and general diseases of the nervous system can also often cause constipation in infants.

Treatment for diseases of organs and systems is prescribed exclusively by a doctor.

Symptoms

The main signs of constipation in newborns are rare stools, accompanied by the baby's crying, and decreased appetite. This reaction occurs due to the fact that the stool is too hard, making it difficult for the baby to empty the intestines.

How to help your baby:

1. First of all, change mom’s diet.
2. You can give a small enema with chamomile.
3. Give a tummy massage.
4. With mixed feeding, you can avoid it by changing the complementary feeding mixture.

Constipation in breastfed newborns is most often caused by foods that “strengthen.” Mom needs to limit the consumption of the following products:

• hard cheeses;
• rice dishes;
• boiled and fried potatoes;
• baked goods;
• hard cheeses.

Completely eliminate from the diet foods that cause constipation in a newborn baby, such as:

• coffee;
• cocoa;
• chocolate;
• nuts.

Constipation in a bottle-fed baby most often stops with the replacement of the formula. The same advice will help prevent constipation in a newborn during mixed feeding. From the age of 6 months, additional foods are introduced into the child’s diet. At this stage, the causes of constipation in newborns lie precisely in them. There are a number of foods that can interfere with the passage of stool.

For constipation it is not recommended:

• apples;
• bananas;
• pears;
• semolina;
• rice porrige;
• boiled carrots;
• eggplant;
• bread.

When can bowel retention be considered constipation?

Constipation can be diagnosed in a breastfed or bottle-fed infant in cases where:

• the baby is restless and capricious;
• there is a persistent decrease in appetite;
• every attempt to empty the bowels leads to screaming or is accompanied by crying;
• noticeably expressed straining of the baby, which does not end with defecation, which leads to redness of the face and crying;
• intestinal gases are released, characterized by an unpleasant odor;
• poor weight gain occurs;
• The baby's stool is hard or pea-shaped.

In those cases when the baby is calm, does not refuse to eat, and bowel movements are not accompanied by anxiety, the baby is not constipated. If, however, the presence of one or more of the listed symptoms is noted, before starting treatment, you need to find out the causes of constipation.

How to treat constipation at home

Special exercises can help cure constipation in a one-month-old baby. The well-known “bicycle”: carefully and gently taking the child by the legs, you need to make forward movements, as if pedaling. The baby will like this exercise and normalizes blood circulation in the pelvic organs.

Frequently placing the baby on his tummy will also help - this perfectly activates the intestines.

At home, treatment includes taking warm baths. You can add chamomile to the water, which has a beneficial effect on all the child’s organs and also calms him down.

To liquefy hard feces, it is recommended to use microenemas. To do this, take a chamomile decoction into a syringe and inject it into the baby’s anus. In order not to injure the anus, before inserting the syringe, both the butt and the tip are lubricated with baby cream.

The enema solution must be cold! Warm water will quickly be absorbed by the intestinal walls and will not have time to reach the feces.

Constipation in infants causes a lot of inconvenience for both mother and baby. The pharmaceutical industry produces special gas exhaust tubes. If the causes of constipation in a baby are gases, then inserting such a tube into the anus will help them move away.

All the ways to cure constipation in a baby did not help, what to do next?

Try glycerin suppositories. They are sold in pharmacies without a prescription, are completely harmless and help to empty the intestines well.

Complementary feeding for constipation

The main rule of rational complementary feeding is timely introduction. You cannot introduce complementary foods ahead of schedule, otherwise it will inevitably lead to constipation. The best food for a small child is mother's milk.

The baby should eat it for at least 4 months, because breast milk is the best preventative against constipation. At the 5th month, you can slowly introduce complementary foods. Read more about introducing complementary foods→

Constipation often occurs immediately after the introduction of complementary foods. If they are observed when feeding exclusively breast milk, then you should pay attention to:

1. The mother's diet should be balanced.
2. Compliance with the drinking regime, both by the mother and the baby himself. Doctors recommend paying special attention to your baby’s drinking during the hot season or when the child spends a long time in a room with dry air.
3. Composition of formula for formula-fed children. The mixture must be selected strictly individually. Nowadays the market offers a large number of adapted mixtures based on fermented milk products and prebiotics.

Rules and features of introducing complementary foods for infants suffering from constipation

Complementary feeding for constipation in infants should be carried out at the same time as for healthy children: no earlier than 4 months and gradually. Always start with small portions.

Pediatricians recommend starting complementary feeding with the introduction of juices, a few drops at first, increasing the amount daily. It's better to start with neutral fruits, such as apples. Then you can add fruit or vegetable purees. This kind of complementary feeding is called the first. It is preferable to introduce zucchini, carrots, and pumpkin from vegetables.

The second complementary food is introduced 3-4 weeks after the introduction of the first. Usually these are different cereals. But by no means a decoy. Buckwheat, corn and oatmeal have a good laxative effect.

After 4-5 weeks, by the beginning of the 8th month, you can introduce fermented milk products: kefir, cottage cheese. From 9 months, meat is added to the diet, preferably lean. Turkey and chicken are ideal.

The mother’s diet should also be reviewed if the child develops problems with constipation.

Foods that cause constipation in infants, which are best not consumed by mother in large quantities:

• an abundance of cheeses in the diet, especially fatty varieties;
• a large amount of milk;
• fatty or fried meat;
• bakery products from light varieties of wheat;
• nuts and dried fruits;
• strong tea and coffee.

Author: Zuleta Hapsirokova specially for Mama66.ru

When to go to the doctor

If constipation in an infant lasts more than 1 day, it’s time to sound the alarm and contact a pediatrician.

The main symptoms of constipation in infants, for which you should definitely be examined by a doctor:

• Rare stools, less than 2 times a day.
• Extremely infrequent stool (1 time every 2 days).
• Before defecation, the child wiggles his legs and cries.
• Crying during or after bowel movements.
• Blood in the stool.
• Mucus impurities.
• Very hard stool.
• Foul-smelling stools of atypical color.
• Bloating.
• Vomit.
• Refusal to eat.

The above manifestations may indicate the presence of serious diseases in which constipation in a child is just a symptom. Therefore, if constipation occurs frequently in an infant, there is no need to guess what to do; it is better to immediately consult a doctor.

Normal bowel movement cycle in infants

In medicine, it is customary to diagnose constipation in the following cases:

• no stool for more than a day;
• a feeling of incomplete bowel movement after defecation develops;
• there are hard stools;
• there is a need for excessive straining during bowel movements.

Before considering the pathology of bowel movements, you must first learn about the normal functioning of the child’s digestive tract.

Actually, the first days of life are characterized by stool, which in medicine is called meconium. At its core, these are the remains of intestinal cells that functioned while the baby was in the womb.

Immediately after birth, these cells die off, as they are no longer needed.

This stool also contains breakdown products of amniotic fluid, which somehow entered the child’s body. Normally, the first meconium passes immediately after the first feeding. Its color is darkish, very rarely almost black, it has no odor, and its consistency is somewhat reminiscent of toothpaste.

During the first 24 hours of life, a newborn baby should have bowel movements 1-3 times a day. After the second day, when all the meconium has passed, the structure of the stool changes, depending on the mother’s diet.

If the baby is breastfed, his stool should normally have a runny consistency. The color is yellowish, with shades of brown, sometimes even greenish - you shouldn’t be afraid of this. It is believed that this color variation is a normal variant.

In this case, the stool has a specific smell of sour milk. Sometimes it contains food lumps - pieces of curdled milk mass that has not been completely broken down in the baby’s small intestine. The stool of formula-fed infants looks a little different - it is darker, the smell is similar to the usual feces, and the consistency is denser and thicker.

In the first two months of a baby's life, the intestines should be emptied every time after feeding, or at least 2 times a day if the baby is breastfed. Emptying at least once daily - if the child is fed formula milk.

From the age of 2 months to six months, the frequency of bowel movements of the child should gradually decrease. If for a two-month-old baby the norm is five stools, then in six months the norm is 1-2 times.

But frequent bowel movements are not a necessary condition for good health and proper development. In some infants, mother's milk is so full and well absorbed that it is enough for them to have bowel movements 1-2 times for 2-3 days, while the infant does not develop constipation: the baby is also cheerful, gaining weight well, and the stool is of normal color and smell.

In children after 6 months, due to changes in food products (introduction of complementary foods), the consistency and structure of feces changes quite noticeably. Feces are denser, darker, with a distinct odor. Emptying occurs 1-2 times.

To summarize, for breastfed babies:

• the number of bowel movements per day varies greatly;
• When assessing the health of the digestive system, you need to focus not on the quantitative indicator of bowel movements, but on the general condition of the child and the nature of the feces.

For those babies who are fed formula milk, daily bowel movements are required; its absence at least once a day is a reason to contact a pediatrician.

Treatment of constipation in children

Treatment of constipation in newborns begins with a careful history taking. The doctor will examine the baby and palpate the tummy. The mother should be ready to talk about all violations in the child’s behavior in as much detail as possible. To exclude the development of dysbacteriosis, stool will be sent for analysis. The doctor will also prescribe blood and urine tests to assess the general condition of the child’s body.

Constipation in infants is not uncommon, however, only a complete examination of the small organism will help to find the exact cause. X-ray examination is prescribed to identify tumors and disorders in the structure of the sacral spine. An ultrasound will show the condition of the abdominal and pelvic organs. An examination by a neurologist will reveal or rule out neurological disorders.

How to treat pathology

Treatment of problems with bowel movements must be completely entrusted to the local pediatrician. The use of any medications to alleviate the condition of the infant is strictly prohibited.

Enemas, artificial irritation of the rectum, medications (laxatives), rectal suppositories - all products are used exclusively after prescription by a specialist. Self-medication will cause many problems with the gastrointestinal tract and lead to lifelong intestinal dysfunction.

Pediatricians recommend starting therapy:

• from reviewing the mother’s diet - during breastfeeding;
• selecting the most suitable mixture for IV - this is done by the doctor;
• introducing a sufficient amount of liquid - water, baby juices;
• compliance with the feeding regimen and its quantity - newborns are fed every four hours, in small portions;
• massage of problem areas; conducting special gymnastics for newborns - general recommendations will be given by the specialist observing the baby.

Massage during breastfeeding

One of the best recommendations for proper massage for infants is

Advice given by a professional healthcare professional on massage techniques will help parents avoid mistakes and accidental injuries to the baby when performing it.

Drug therapy

Prescribed according to indications and taking into account the general condition of the baby:

In case of lactose deficiency, the child is transferred to formulas with a reduced or negative amount of lactose in the composition, based on soy. Treatment is carried out with prebiotics - Duphalac, Lactusan, Prelax. In parallel, this series of medications cures dysbiosis.

In case of food allergies, cow's and goat's milk are removed from the diet. The diet of a nursing mother is subject to correction, and if necessary, antihistamines are prescribed - “Suprastin”, “Fenistil”.

Laxative medications are used as a one-time treatment option to facilitate the removal of feces. Long-term use is not recommended - it may create a “lazy” bowel syndrome. Frequently prescribed ones include “Microlax”, “Normolakt” - which is a microenema.

Rectal suppositories - based on glycerin, facilitate bowel movements, used according to indications.

Prevention of constipation in infants

To avoid such violations, you must take a lot of walks: fresh air benefits every person. In this case, there is no need to wrap the child up; he should be dressed according to the weather.

Every mother tries to be a little doctor: a light tummy massage and physical exercise will benefit the child.

The baby should not be limited in drinking! Pure water helps soften stool and normalize digestion.

It is important to understand that frequent constipation in infants may be a symptom of a more dangerous disease and then treatment should only be carried out by a trusted specialist. The attending physician will examine the child and prescribe the necessary therapy.

Causes of constipation in newborns

In fact, constipation is quite rare during breastfeeding. If a young mother listens to the recommendations of the pediatrician, problems with stool should not arise.

However, there are several reasons that can affect the process of defecation:

• improper nutrition of the mother (doctors immediately say: “the child eats what his mother eats,” you need to take into account the fact that through mother’s milk the baby receives the same foods that his mother eats);
• immaturity of the baby’s gastrointestinal tract (baby intestines can take up to four months to form);
• illness of the baby (with a rise in temperature, infection or acute respiratory viral infection, it is quite likely that problems with defecation will occur);
• complementary feeding (if supplementary feeding is introduced too early, the child’s body may “give” a response in the form of constipation);
• mixed feeding (here the problem arises due to the introduction of a formula that is not suitable for the child).

By the way, if we talk about formulas (sometimes formulas are prescribed due to a lack of breast milk), it is worth considering some facts that will help overcome such a problem as constipation:

• The mixture should be prepared strictly according to the instructions;
• You should give your baby regular water (boiled, filtered);
• Observe sterility when feeding (boil bottles and nipples).

If, despite following all the rules, the baby continues to have problems with stool, you should think about changing the milk formula.

Treating constipation with aids

Sometimes no amount of massage helps to cope with a problem such as constipation. At such moments, young parents have a question: “what can be given to the child” and “what should be done in this situation.”

To help the baby, the mother needs to do one of the following:

• give the baby a suppository (it is better for the drug to be prescribed by the attending physician; Viferon suppositories are usually prescribed);
• do an enema (for children’s intestines, a small syringe is more suitable - for the first time it is better to entrust this procedure to a visiting nurse);
• induce the process of defecation by stimulating the anus (both the entrance itself and the cotton swab with which the procedure will be carried out are lubricated - the first procedure is also best left to the nurse);
• insert a special tube into the anus (it is sold in a pharmacy; the anus and the tip of the tube are lubricated with baby cream or Vaseline, after which a tube is inserted into the anus, which causes the process of gas and feces to pass away).

In order not to have problems with the baby's stool, a young mother needs to follow a few simple rules that will help her protect her baby from problems with bowel movements.

How to Diagnose Constipation in an Infant

Before you think about how to get rid of constipation, you should establish for sure that the baby really has problems with bowel movements.

Usually this disease is accompanied by a number of symptoms, including:

1. hard tummy (the child feels a tightness in the abdominal part of the body);
2. anxiety on the part of the baby (the newborn has trouble falling asleep, sobs, cries);
3. twitching of the limbs (the baby can twist its legs, throw up its arms, bend over);
4. breast refusal (in some cases the child refuses to eat and turns his face away from the breast);
5. redness of the face and sharp crying (the child may try to defecate, but since the process causes him discomfort and pain, he begins to cry).

Often these symptoms are observed in combination: the baby’s tummy becomes tense, he begins to wag his legs and cry, blushes, refuses to eat, and becomes hysterical. In such cases, the baby needs to be helped.

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A common occurrence for young parents is constipation in their infants. Komarovsky hastens to reassure mothers, talking about the possibility of eliminating troubles without the use of medications. They are not harmful to the child’s body, but their use is often met with hostility by young parents, which is why infants are forced to constantly suffer from abdominal pain. Next, the features of the treatment and prevention of constipation in children during breastfeeding will be discussed in detail.

Signs and symptoms of constipation

First of all, you need to pay attention to the frequency of bowel movements, the condition of the feces and the general condition of the baby.

So, we can identify the following signs of constipation in a baby:

• The child is constantly capricious and even cries while trying to defecate.
• The baby often pushes to no avail and screams at the same time, because there is pain in the rectum.
• The baby tries to pull his legs towards his stomach when trying to defecate.
• Changes in the structure of feces, namely: it becomes hard and fragmented.
• Incomplete bowel movement.
• Lack of bowel movements during the day.
• Bad dream.
• Partial or complete refusal of food.
• Unreasonable crying.
• No gas formation.
• Abdominal bloating.
• Vomiting after eating.
• A deficiency of breast milk causes constipation in infants.