Constipation in infants

Constipation is recognized as one of the most common problems in young children. This unpleasant state gives parents a lot of anxiety and trouble. In this article, we will consider the main causes of constipation in children under one year, as well as those situations in which you need to seek urgent help from a doctor.

Constipation is an irregular defecation or a lack of defecation for a long time, which leads to painful sensations during bowel movement.

However, depending on what kind of food the baby uses (that is, on what kind of feeding it is), the concept of constipation differs. After all, how useful substances are absorbed in a small organism depends on whether it is breastfeeding or artificial.

Breast-feeding

The most ideal feeding for a baby. Of course, mom in this period will have to adhere to a certain diet, but what can you do for a beloved crumb, to which mother's milk delivers immunoglobulins that protect it from disease, and ensures good absorption of nutrients. However, it is good digestion sometimes leads to a situation where the baby may not have a stool for 2-4 days. If the baby is calm, if the gazikas from time to time go away and there is no fever or vomiting, then parents probably have nothing to be afraid of - the food is well absorbed and the stool mass, sufficient for defecation, has not yet time to be deposited. Therefore, this is not a constipation in a breastfed woman on breastfeeding.

If something seems suspicious or the chair is not there for more than 4 days - this is an occasion to consult a specialist for advice.

Artificial feeding

Constipation in infants is most often accompanied by artificial feeding. Nutrients are absorbed in much smaller amounts, the feces are often too hard, and from that the defecation becomes not only difficult, but also painful. If the baby is mostly on artificial feeding, then the maximum interval between defecations should not be more than 2 days. If the chair does not appear during this time, constipation begins in infants. In very severe cases, blood in feces can be found.

If after 2-3 days, neither enemas nor defecation massages are achieved and it is not possible, a doctor's consultation is necessary.

What should I do if babies become constipated?

You can conduct a stimulating procedure with a small rectal syringe. Her tip is lubricated with Vaseline oil and carefully inserted into the anus, (by no means entirely!), And then withdrawn back. This procedure is more suitable for babies up to six months, because their muscles are not strong enough and this will allow carrying out the stimulation successfully.

If you have already introduced complementary foods, then diluted apple juice helps with constipation.

If constipation in an infant is breastfed - it is necessary to consume more green and yellow apples, fermented milk products, for example kefir.

You can make a massage - stroking the tummy strictly clockwise, without strong pressure on it.

In extreme cases, you can resort to the enema. However, it is necessary to know how much water is administered, what age it corresponds to: 25 ml for newborns, 40 ml for a month, 60 ml at the age of 4 months, and not more than 100 ml for half a year. And, of course, we must not forget that the syringe should be sterilized, and water - boiled and cooled to room temperature.

If the proposed measures do not help, you need to get a doctor's consultation without taking any medications without him. And immediately contact the doctor if severe pains in the abdomen and vomiting accompany constipation in infants. Remember that the health of the child depends on your correct actions and vigilance.