Many things can make babies constipated. However, the type of foods they eat will be a determining factor. Find out more in this article.
To learn how to prevent and relieve constipation in babies, you must first determine what their normal pattern of bowel movements is.
It’s considered normal for a baby to have from one bowel movement after every meal to having one bowel movement a day. Believe it or not, both are considered totally normal!
It all depends on how the baby is fed, what they eat, what they drink, how active they are, how fast they digest their food and, of course, their genes.
For a newborn who’s totally breastfed, there’s no “normal” number of bowel movements. Their poop is usually yellowish-orange and soft, even when they haven’t pooped for days.
A breastfed baby can poop from 4 or 5 times a day to once a week. Breast milk is the perfect blend of nutrients, proteins, and fats, so many breastfed babies simply don’t have a lot of waste to dispose of.
You’ll gradually learn your baby’s habits. Also, you’ll learn what foods you should and shouldn’t eat while breastfeeding them.
Take a look at this article: How is breast milk produced?
One of the advantages of breast milk over formula is that there’s no way a breastfed baby can suffer from constipation. However, their new intestines can have a hard time digesting formula.
Some formula ingredients may cause constipation in babies. Finding the right formula for your baby can be a harrowing and stressful process that will surely affect the newborn, thus complicating things even more.
Once you have determined what the perfect formula for your baby is, it’s considered normal for your baby to have one bowel movement a day. However, choosing to breastfeed your baby over formulas is the best choice for your baby’s overall health.
Generally, constipation problems start when the baby starts eating solid foods, even if they’re still breastfed. You probably won’t see any signs of constipation if you give them fruits and vegetables.
However, when they start eating cereals (mainly industrialized foods made of rice), the first signs of constipation begin to appear:
If your baby is dehydrated, their stools will be even drier and harder. They will have more difficulty passing stools because their body reacts to dehydration by absorbing more liquid, both from the foods and liquids they consume as from what’s already processed in their intestines.
Also, there are medical conditions that can cause constipation, such as hypothyroidism, botulism, certain metabolic disorders, and food allergies.
Hirschsprung’s disease or congenital megacolon is the least common disease. It’s diagnosed in the first few weeks of life and prevents the proper functioning of the intestine.
If there are no clear reasons for hard and difficult to pass stools, you should consult with your doctor to rule out any disease.
Want to know more? Read: 6 Body Parts You Should Massage
Talk to your doctor if:
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