Constipation in a baby (treatment of constipation)

A common cause of sleepless nights of young parents is a malfunction of the child’s emerging intestinal tract: colic, flatulence and constipation. Every fifth baby suffers from the latter according to statistics. Artificial or mixed-fed infants are usually susceptible to unpleasant illness, but infants are also at risk. What is the reason for constipation and babies, how to avoid it, what emergency measures can be applied and how to provide the baby with comfortable digestion - tasks of paramount importance. A frivolous attitude of parents to this problem or the use of drugs and treatment methods inconsistent with the pediatrician is fraught for the crumb with a host of complications at an older age.

What can be considered constipation in a baby?

From a medical point of view, constipation in a child up to a year is considered difficulty in defecation or the absence of bowel movement in the last day. This concept is quite vague, as it is closely related to the specific age of the child: in a baby with artificial feeding and in a baby, the frequency and consistency of the stool will vary significantly. For example, for infants under the age of a month, the norm is emptying the intestines in such quantity as there were meals. This is the case with breastfeeding. For an artificial child, the norm is only 2 - 3 bowel movements per day.

Of great importance is the instability of the intestines of the baby. Without the help of a specialist, it is quite difficult to determine when the baby suffers from constipation, and when the decrease in stool frequency is just a physiological feature of the development of a small organism. Therefore, it is important to control not only the number of “adventures”, but also the consistency, smell, density and color of feces, the behavior of the child before and during bowel movements.

Feces of infants up to six months have a semi-liquid consistency. It is yellow in color, without an unpleasant odor, and may contain particles of undigested breast milk in the form of curdled patches. In an artificer, feces are more dense, may have a characteristic specific smell.

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Signs and symptoms of constipation

The main thing that you need to pay attention to is the general condition of the child and the consistency of feces. Symptoms that indicate constipation include:

• a child with constipation is naughty, crying;
• restless behavior of the child during bowel movements: baby crumbs oftenbut straining does not lead to any result, expression of pain on the face, attempts, crying;
• any attempt to empty the intestines is accompanied by screams and restless movements of the baby;
• feces with constipation in infants are hard: either has the appearance of peas, or its first portion is similar to a “cork”, and then a mushy mass follows;
• incomplete bowel movement;
• regular stool retention for 1 - 2 days;
• restless sleep;
• refusal of food;
• lack of gas;
• causeless crying;
• bloating;
• pulling the knees to the chest;
• vomiting

The manifestation of one or two of these signs does not mean that the baby is constipated, but if there are several symptoms, you can be completely confident in the diagnosis and begin treatment. First of all, be sure to contact the pediatrician watching the child. It is necessary to exclude the likelihood of a bowel reaction to medications, new products, the beginning of complementary foods and other factors that cause difficulties in the digestive tract. Be sure to diagnose dysbiosis, allergic reactions and other digestive pathologies. A nursing mother should urgently introduce into the diet foods that activate the motility of the smooth muscles of the intestines: boiled prunes, beets, pumpkins. For children after six months, in the absence of allergies, you can also use these products as complementary foods.

If the child is calm, does not refuse a breast or a bottle, and emptying the intestines does not cause him discomfort, then this is definitely not constipation. In newborns, mother's milk or a mixture can be absorbed so well that they simply have nothing to go to the toilet.

If the listed problems are still present, then before treating constipation, it is necessary to find out the causes.

Causes of constipation

In the early stages of constipation, it is easy enough to fight it, simply by eliminating the causes of the constipation. These include:

• Lack of fluid

This is an extremely urgent cause of constipation for babies with artificial feeding, especially in the hot summer or winter, when the room has dry air due to heating devices. Be sure to increase the amount of water consumed by the child. The popular pediatrician Komarovsky strongly recommends dosing even breast-fed infants.

• Poor nutrition of a nursing mother, an adapted mixture that is not suitable for the child, lack of products that stimulate the digestive tract (beets, pumpkins, dried apricots, figs, apples, peach, apricot, prunes and others)

Choosing a mixture for an artificial child, you should opt for baby food without iron in the composition. In the case of breastfeeding, mother needs to exclude refined products, tea, coffee, convenience foods, rich fatty broths, bakery products, rice, nuts, bananas and other foods that are “fixed” from the diet.Product List for Nursing Mom.

• Taking certain medicines with your baby or nursing mother

Constipation is possible when taking antidepressants, antispasmodics. antibiotics, bismuth and iron preparations, NSAIDs, anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants. Acceptance and cancellation of any medications, both by the mother and the baby, must be previously agreed with the pediatrician.

• Breast milk deficiency

It causes the so-called "hungry constipation" in the infant. In this case, all the food consumed is absorbed into the walls of the internal organs and blood, and the intestines simply have nothing to process.

• The introduction of complementary foods

More often, the introduction of complementary foods contributes to the normalization of the digestive tract, but it also causes difficulties with stool. You should carefully monitor the reaction of the intestines to new dishes. Also early introduction of lures may contribute to constipation.

• Power Shift

This is possible with a sharp loss of milk from the mother, the replacement of one adapted mixture to another or an improper transition from one type of feeding to another. Usually constipation disappears after adapting to new food.

• Psychological constipation

This is by no means a myth, as some think. The child’s body, in unusual or uncomfortable conditions (for example, when the baby breaks up with her mother), responds to stress in this way. Also, the child may be afraid to recover due to the pain that occurs at that moment.In this case, it is necessary to try to return the normal mushy consistency to the baby's stool, adhering to the diet.

There is another reason for psychological constipation - a child can manipulate adults in this way. If any signs of constipation in the baby cause a panic in his parents and the parents begin to constantly feel sorry, comfort and fuss around the child, then the baby can consciously hold up the stool. The only way to treat this situation is to have a calm attitude to the problem.

• Cold or Infectious Diseases

An increase in body temperature can provoke a significant compaction of feces and lead to constipation.

It is extremely important that constipation itself can be one of the signs of serious diseases and pathologies, so it is important not to engage in self-treatment, but to consult a doctor. Such diseases include:

• Genetic predisposition.
• Anatomical defects of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Diabetes.
• Violations of the digestive tract.
• Rickets.
• Diseases of the nervous system.
• Myasthenia gravis
• Spinal cord dysfunction.
• Liver disease.
• Lactose deficiency.
• Allergic reaction to protein in cow's milk.
• Food allergy.
• Hypothyroidism

Diseases that lead to constipation.Fortunately, these diseases are not common. These include dolichosigma, Hirschsprung's disease and lactase deficiency.

• Dolichosigma is an extension of the sigmoid colon. Bowel movement slows down due to excesses and excessive pressure of the sigmoid colon on itself and the rectum;
• Hirschsprung's disease occurs due to impaired intestinal innervation. This leads to the fact that some parts of the intestine do not work and are in a spasmodic state;
• Lactase deficiency appears due to the absence or small amount of an enzyme that breaks down milk sugar (lactase). In this case, constipation in the baby will be replaced by diarrhea.

Only a doctor will be able to identify such constipation in infants, and only a doctor decides what to do in this situation.

Treatment of constipation

The first task in the treatment of constipation is to determine its cause and eliminate it. To establish the normal functioning of the intestines of the newborn, it is necessary:

1. Medical examination.
2. With breastfeeding, more frequent application to the chest.
3. For a child using artificial nutrition, dosing with special children's water (not boiled) between meals, while the volume of liquid should be equal to the volume of one serving.
4. For a baby older than 6 months, an introduction to the diet of apples and vegetables.
5. For a child after a year - soup, as an obligatory dish in the daily diet.

General recommendations for combating constipation also include: correction of the nutrition of the mother and baby, increasing the amount of fluid consumed, changing the nature of complementary foods or changing the adapted mixture to the one that contains more lactobacilli.

Separately, we should dwell on the issue of complementary foods. Independent experts have long proved that store juices, mashed potatoes and other "jars for children", regardless of the manufacturer, are made with the addition of rather harmful substances and preservatives and are the strongest allergens for the child. Try to find some time to make really healthy food. From ordinary carrots or apples you will get many times more healthy and fortified puree or juice. The money saved on the purchase of the dangerous Agusha can be spent on a convenient blender or juicer, which will facilitate the preparation of food for feeding.

Enema and laxatives should be used only as a last resort. They wash out beneficial microflora from the intestines: potassium, vitamins, protein, microelements; help to reduce the tone of the intestinal muscles, lead to a violation of the reflex of natural cleansing of the intestine, interfere with the absorption of nutrients. Before using these emergency measures in a panic, you should try milder and harmless methods, which in most cases give a positive result. These methods include:

Tummy massage

It is aimed at relieving spasm, increasing bowel tone and activating its peristalsis. It is performed by soft strokes with a slight pressure on the baby’s stomach. Movements must be performed clockwise. You can additionally put on a tummy crumbs ironed towel or diaper. Just make sure that it is not hot, but warm. Warm baths and warmth of the mother’s body also help: just gently press the baby with his tummy to his own stomach.

Massage the abdomen with constipation:

Intestinal mechanical stimulation

It is performed by irritation of the anus. Can be done with a cotton swab, richly greased with baby cream. The stick is superficially inserted into the anus and gently rotated several times. Usually, a bowel movement occurs after a few minutes.

During the procedure, there is a risk of scratching the epithelium of the anus with a stick, so you need to act extremely carefully, with light movements, do not abuse this method.

For similar purposes, a special vent pipe is provided. It is also gently inserted into the rectum, which allows you to activate the defecation process.

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Glycerin candles

You can use special rectal suppositories for newborns. They quickly soften feces and help cleanse the intestines. For a newborn, 1/3 of the suppository is enough. It must be carefully cut and, smoothing with a finger the sharp ends, slowly and carefully enter into the anus.

All the difficulties associated with dividing the suppository, calculating the dosage, etc. can be avoided by using special children's glycerin suppositories Glicelax®. The suppository Glycelax® has a reduced size and a children's dosage of 0.75 g of glycerin, so parents do not need to perform additional manipulations - you just need to remove the candle from the package and put it to the child. 15-20 minutes after setting the candle, a soft and natural bowel movement occurs. Glycelax® suppositories can be used in children from three months of age; suppositories are safe and hypoallergenic.

There is an old and supposedly effective “grandmother's” method of treating constipation, in which a bar of soap is used instead of a glycerin suppository. You need to know that this is a very dangerous way: soap contains alkali and other harmful substances that can lead to a burn of the rectum. Even when using baby soap, it is difficult to guarantee that it is made without hazardous components.

If, after an hour after the introduction of the suppository, the child did not empty the intestines, a doctor should be called. Some suppositories can cause unpleasant sensations: burning, itching, allergic reactions, so suppositories also apply to emergency measures. Before use, be sure to study the anatomy.

Enema

Enema is considered an emergency measure of relief from constipation. A syringe (20-30 ml) with cooled boiled water or a decoction of medicinal chamomile is injected to a depth of no more than 1.5 cm into the anus of an infant and slowly inject all the fluid. The required fluid temperature is about 37 ° C. It is advisable to dissolve a pinch of table salt in enema water and add a couple of drops of pharmacy glycerin. When buying a syringe, stop your choice not on a plastic, but on a rubber or silicone tip, they are less traumatic. First, the syringe tip should be generously lubricated with baby cream or oil. Too warm water should not be used: it is simply absorbed into the intestinal wall, and the desired result will not be achieved.

A modern analogue of an enema with a milder effect - Microlaxdesigned specifically for newborns.It is a microclyster based on a water-salt solution with the addition of glycerin. The effect of Microlax occurs a quarter of an hour after application. You must first familiarize yourself with the instructions for use, and do not enter the tip into the rectum beyond the drawn line.

These methods can be used as emergency measures, especially with regular constipation. Frequent use of an enema disrupts the work and the favorable microflora of the intestinal tract and causes dysbiosis, which will have to be treated with probiotics.

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Laxatives

Taking laxatives is necessary only when nothing else helps. Infants under one year of age are contraindicated in most laxatives. An exception is Duphalac syrup and similar drugs based on lactulose. To cause bowel movement, Dufalac must be given crumbs in a volume of 5 ml. If the baby feeds on breast milk, then the nursing mother can also use the product.

For six months, you can take the drug Forlax. Its great advantage is the duration of use up to three months.

Before using any product, remember that only the attending physician can prescribe medications, and emergency measures are allowed to be used only when absolutely necessary: when all treatments for constipation have been ineffective.

We also read: laxatives for constipation for children under 1 year old

Often in young children, a stomach ache. How to help a child? What are the best treatments for constipation in an infant? Do I need to use drugs or can I do with folk remedies? The pediatrician of the “Home doctor” with extensive experience Orlova Galina Viktorovna answers all these questions:

Preventative measures

The simplest and most effective method of treatment is the prevention of the disease. The health of children under one year of age requires constant monitoring and attention. Do not wait for the first signs of constipation, immediately start preventative measures.

• A very simple but effective way is very useful: before feeding lay the baby on the tummy for a few minutes, after eating, wear crumbs for several minutes in a column;
• Exercise regularly. To do this, lay the baby on the back, gently and smoothly lift its legs bent at the knees and gently press it to the tummy. Repeat several times, avoiding sudden movements. It is also useful to do the exercise "bike";
• Provide crumbs with the required amount of fluid. Instead of tea and juices, it is better to drink special bottled baby water. You do not need to boil it. With the introduction of complementary foods, juices must be diluted with water;
• If the baby is more than 4 months old, prune juice helps with constipation. Two teaspoons is enough. After six months, you can use mashed prunes. Both fresh fruits and dried fruits are equally effective. You can add prune berries to compotes;
• Do not confuse the baby. Overheating, along with dehydration, is one of the main causes of constipation. This is also true for colds and infectious diseases: if the baby has a temperature, drink it as often as possible, otherwise constipation after the disease cannot be avoided;
• Effective drinks from constipation - dried fruit compote with dried apricots and prunes, raisin water. To prepare it, it is enough to pour a spoonful of pure raisins with boiling water and insist in a thermos;
• Prefer vegetables with a "laxative effect" and a high content of coarse fiber, fruits rich in potassium. These are figs, green apples, prunes, dried apricots, beets, carrots, peaches, apricots, pumpkins. These same products should be introduced into the diet of a nursing mother;
• Extremely useful for intestinal microflora preparations with bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, dairy products, natural yoghurts. They are shown to both the child and mother;
• Try to give the baby the breast as long as possible, the first six months are especially important. If this is not possible, give preference to sour-milk adapted mixtures;
• If you need treatment with antibiotics, at the same time as taking them, start giving funds for the prevention of dysbiosis.

Do not panic if the baby is constipated. The first step to recovery is to identify and eliminate the causes of the disease. But do not self-medicate and do not use grandmother's treatment methods without consulting a doctor. Most often, it is enough to establish nutrition, drink more fluid and do not forget about massage and gymnastics, so that the ailment recedes. In emergency situations, Dufalac, glycerin suppositories or an enema will help. Show maximum attention to the treatment of constipation. The formation and normalization of the digestive tract in the first year of life is the key to the future health of the child.

On the topic of newborn stool:

• Diarrhea in an infant
• If the baby has green stool with mucus?
• Dill water for newborns

VIDEO: what to do with constipation