Infant constipation remedies.
Relieving constipation in newborn babies.

 

Which infant constipation remedies are safe to use for a baby.

If your baby is straining and having difficulty passing stools and his stools are dry and hard he may be constipated.

 

There may be other signs like your baby drawing up his legs to the abdomen or grunting and getting red-faced.

 

Sometimes you can even see a bit of blood on the stools because the hard stool tears the rectal wall (fissure).

Finally baby’s wind and stools can have a foul smell especially if there are fewer than 2 or 3 bowel movements a week.

 

How can a young baby get constipated?

Breastfed babies are nearly never constipated. Mother milk is nearly completely absorbed, leaving no leftovers to cause constipation. Most breast fed infants have several soft mustard colored stools a day.

Babies drinking formula milk have usually fewer and firmer stools. Constipation in newborn babies can be a sign they don’t drink enough. The bowel needs water to be able to form soft stools.

Other causes of infant constipation can be:

• Switching from breastfeeding to formula.
  
  
• Baby has problems digesting the baby-formula you are using.
  
  
• Baby has difficulty digesting a large amount of milk at the time.

 

What are the best infant constipation remedies?

The following very simple infant constipation remedies can just do the trick.

• Give your baby extra fluid. An extra bottle of water may help relief infant constipation.
  
  
• Switching to another baby formula may be effective. Some mothers belief wrongly that the iron in the formula causes their baby's constipation.

• Feeding your baby smaller amounts with more frequent feedings gives baby a better change to digest the formula.
  
  
• Sometimes taking a rectal temperature will stimulate a baby’s bowels.
  
  
• Consider to continue breastfeeding for a while if switching to formula seems to be the cause of your baby’s constipation. Breastfeeding is the most natural of all infant constipation remedies.
  
  
• Massage baby’s stomach during bath time. The massage in warm water will relax your baby and stimulate the bowel. Careful this trick may give immediate relief.
  
  
• When baby lies on his back try gently moving bay’s legs as if he or she is riding a bicycle.
  This little bit of exercise may help baby’s bowel movements.

 

---

 

Infant constipation remedies: glycerin suppositories or flax oil.

Consult first with your pediatrician if it is ok to use these nonprescription laxatives.

• When your baby is straining and grunting and obviously not able to have a bowel movement you can relief him with a glycerin suppository. If you make it wet with some water it inserts easier in baby’s rectum. Hold your baby’s buttocks together until the suppository is dissolved otherwise it will come out straight away without the wanted result.
  
  
  
• Flax oil is not only a well known laxative but also a valuable source of omega 3 fats.
  The recommended dose for flax oil for infants is one teaspoon a day (mix in the formula) and for toddlers two teaspoons a day.

 

 

Flax oil has many other benefits apart from being one of the best infant constipation remedies, like improving cardiovascular health, lessen the discomfort of menopause and reduce the risk of cancer.

You can order your bottle of flax oil here.

 

 

 

Corn syrup or Karo infant constipation remedy.

Doctors still have different opinions about giving corn syrup to infants or not. Some say it is the best remedy for infant constipation and others warn that corn syrup or Karo can cause botulism in infants under one year of age.

Although there have never been any cases of infant botulism directly linked to corn syrup, manufacturers of corn syrups can't guarantee that their products are free of these bacterial spores. Still many health care providers recommend Karo as one of the best infant constipation remedies.

Taking into account these concerns I would not recommend to give corn syrup to your infant.

 

---

Delay the introduction to solid foods like rice cereals and bananas, applesauce (not apple juice) and pasta. These can contribute to baby’s constipation. Instead start with pureed pears or prunes  this way you are adding more fiber to baby’s diet. Fiber softens the stools by drawing water into them.

Infant constipation remedies: Prune Juice.

For infants older than four months a much recommended remedy is prune juice.

Prune juice is made of steaming prunes (dried plums). The extract from the steamed prunes is called prune juice. This juice is very high in fiber content and is popular for its laxative effect. It can be given to babies, who are above the age of four months. For younger infants consult your doctor first.

You can mix an ounce of water with an ounce of prune juice and  mix this with the formula throughout the day. You do not need to add any sugar to the prune juice.

Infant constipation remedies for older babies.

If your baby has started eating solid foods, give plenty of fibre.
The following fruits are all high in fibre.

• Pureed or chopped apples
  
•  Apricots
  
•  Blueberries
  
•  Grapes
  
•  Pears
  
•  Plums
  
•  prunes

 

When to go and see a doctor.

If your baby seems happy you can wait 4 days for bottle fed babies and 7 days for breast fed infants. Consult your doctor immediately if your baby is vomiting, not eating or has blood with his stools.