Some General Symptoms And Remedies For Infant Constipation

Infant Constipation can happen on occasion. The most probable reason for infant constipation is not enough water and poor muscle moment. You can assume that if an infant does not have a bowel movement for three days you are dealing with a case of infant constipation. Infants should have a bowel movement at least four times a day.

Some of the symptoms of infant constipation include drawing of the legs to the chest and squeezing with grunting sounds and red face as well as crying. The stool may look extremely hard and dry, like pebbles. The stool may be blood streaked. A rectal tear may develop from infant constipation from the strain called a fissure.

For some reason Infant constipation is much less frequent with breast fed infants and babies. But it is not necessarily the formula either. Iron fortified formulas are not usually infant constipation culprits. If you have to change the formula it is because of a formula intolerance most likely. You should call your pediatrician to let him or her know what is going on with the baby. If he tells you not to worry there are some home remedies you can try before panicking and calling him back or going to the emergency room.

If the baby is under 2 months old: 1. Offer additional water in between the feedings. You should boil the water first! You can give one to two ounces of cooled boiled water once to twice a day. 2. If the water isn’t enough try adding ½ teaspoon brown sugar to one ounce boiled water. Give this to the infant Three times a day before feedings Another alternative to treat infant constipation is to add 1 teaspoon of Karo syrup to 4 ounces of boiled water. Give 1 ounce at a time of the mixture to the baby in a bottle before feedings twice a day. * Only add brown sugar or Karo syrup when the infant is constipated. Do not use brown sugar and karo syrup together. Use one or the other. Do not use this as part of a regular feeding regimen. 3. Change the formula.

Keep in touch with the pediatrician, let them know what you are doing, they will tell you when it is time to come in with the infant.

For babies between 2 and 6 month that are experiencing infant constipation 1. Offer additional water, one to two ounces, once to twice a day. 2. Try the brown sugar and karo syrup remedies. You can also try dilute fruit juice. You can offer apple, pear or prune juice after diluting ¼ parts fruit juice to ¾ water. You add boiled water that has cooled to the juice. You can slowly increase to half water and half juice. Only choose one of these remedies do not use all three together. 3. Change the formula Keep the pediatrician on call.

Babies over 6 months also get additional water to treat infant constipation You can offer two ounces 2 times a day. Add a mixed grain cereal to your babies diet. Start including fruit juice daily in the babies diet to maintain soft stools. Increase the fruit servings for baby daily.

There are laxatives for babies available in the stores but I would not recommend them without the consent of a doctor. Also do not use honey; it can cause botulism in infants.

In addition to the above recipes you can give the baby tummy massages. You rub the baby’s stomach in counter clockwise movements, starting at the navel and moving outwards. You can give the baby a warm bath and stomach massage after. You can gently do leg bicycles while the baby is on his or her back. Take the legs at the ankles and pump them as if the baby is on a bicycle. Remember if things do not improve contact the doctor immediately or go to an emergency room. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

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