Constipation is a very common issue that many newborns face. Symptoms may appear from the first days of life due to the immaturity of the kid’s digestive organs. A child becomes restless, cries, and refuses to eat. At the same time, a baby does not have a fever, vomiting, or cough. The problem occurs less often and is easily solved by adjusting the mother’s diet if a child is breastfed. If a baby is bottle-fed, the only correct decision is to change one formula to another after a consultation with a pediatrician. Here are the common signs to identify constipation:
- when a kid does a diaper, it bends its back, becomes restless, tense, crying, and the tummy is firm and swollen
- a child has a hard and dry stool.
Constipation should not be underestimated. If attempts to empty the bowels cause pain, a baby begins to be afraid of these pains resulting in restraining the desire to go to the toilet. It leads to serious problems beginning from the intoxication of the body to serious gastrointestinal diseases.
The Main Reasons for Constipation
The causes of constipation among breastfed kids are as follows:
- Improper proportions when preparing the formula. Often the cause of constipation in infants who are breastfed is incorrectly cooked formula. The set usually includes the measuring spoon corresponding to 30 gr. In case the specified norm is exceeded while making the baby formula, you’ll get a concentrated product.
- Lack of water. Many parents do not know that a child should receive extra water when it is bottle-fed.
Proven Ways to Help a Baby with Constipation
First of all, you need to know how many times a day your little one does a diaper, and what color and consistency its stool is. Whether the defecation is long, fast, or if there are any painful sensations. All these you should know to identify when a kid needs help.
The Right Feeding
If the formula is the cause of problems, you should replace it with the one enriched nutrients. The most important components you should pay attention to are the presence of probiotics and prebiotics. They are intended for the prevention and elimination of constipation. Probiotics aim at softening fecal masses, as well as improving the intestinal microflora. Lacto-and bifidobacteria, natural dietary fibers will help to improve its peristalsis.
Baby probiotics form a strong immune system, restore the gastrointestinal tract after antibiotics, and contribute to a speedy recovery when the disease occurs. Besides eliminating problems with constipation and diarrhea, they relieve colic and improve the absorption of vitamins and trace elements. Specialty formula also normalizes the entire digestive system so that babies stop bothering with colic and gas.
Moisturizing
As it was mentioned before, thirst is the common reason for constipation. The situation is especially tense when the weather is hot. In such cases, it is necessary to give a child water. It is needed to obtain the desired consistency of feces, which will facilitate its passage. Therefore, if you notice that the baby’s stool is hard, and lumps, there is a need for extra water. Boiled spring water is best.
Exercises for the Abdomen and Legs
Abdominal muscle movement is important for stimulating bowel function. You can stimulate it with massage and simple exercises. Just lift the baby’s legs so that the elbows touch the abdomen, repeat this movement several times.
Probiotics
Children with stomach problems are recommended formula enriched with probiotics. These beneficial bacteria make beneficial changes in the bacterial flora of the large intestine. There are many formulas with probiotics, however, in the line with probiotics, there could be lots of other harmful ingredients. Therefore, you can try organic baby formula. Why’s that? The point is that there are strict regulations for organic formula production, especially for European brands. So if you notice an organic label on the package and there are probiotics in the content, you can be sure that’s exactly what you need.
If this is not enough, after consulting a doctor, you can try pharmacy probiotics after the consultation with a doctor. Due to their beneficial effect, they should be included in kids ‘diet in its natural form.
Carefully Start Solid Food
A baby’s digestive problems, including constipation, can be the result of introducing the new food. Therefore, new products need to be included in the menu in turn, so you can see what exactly has a negative impact.
High-fiber foods are extremely important for babies. Dietary fiber is a plant component that is not broken down by human digestive enzymes. This is necessary for the proper functioning of the digestive system, including the intestines. It binds water, which softens fecal masses and, in addition, increases the amount of defecation and reduces the time of intestinal passage. Its presence in the colon is important for the development of probiotic bacteria.
Fiber-rich products:
- apples, pears (grated or peeled fruit juice), currants, raspberries, kiwis, peaches
- parsley, beets, cauliflower, broccoli
- wholemeal bread and rye bread, wholemeal pasta, cereals, bran, oatmeal, barley and others, natural rice.
