Constipation in a month-old baby: what to do? The causes of the appearance and treatment of constipation in children

Constipation in children in the first year of life is a fairly common problem. In 90-95% of cases, stool disorders are characterized by a functional character (i.e. motor, suction, secretory and excretory functions of the colon are not affected without pronounced structural changes in the intestinal wall). Much less often constipation is associated with any congenital and hereditary diseases, pathologies of various internal organs and systems.

If there was constipation in a month-old child, what should parents do? How can moms and dads help older children? In such situations, you should not prescribe treatment yourself. It is necessary to immediately contact the pediatrician. The specialist will determine the exact cause of the disorder of the stool and will prescribe the appropriate treatment.

What is constipation and what are the causes of it?

By this term, specialists understand difficult, rare or systematically defective defecation. Constipation is divided into acute and chronic. With the first type of stool disorder, there is no defecation in the child for several days. Then the work of the intestine is normalized. For chronic constipation, a periodic defecation is characteristic.

How to eliminate constipation in a month-old baby, what to do, if this problem occurred in a baby older than the first year of life - issues that interest many parents. First of all, it is worth trying to understand the cause of the violation of the stool. Constipation in young children is very often due to:

• Underfeeding;
• Transfer to artificial feeding;
• Excess protein intake;
• Lack of dietary fiber in the diet;
• Insufficient use of liquid.

How to recognize constipation: stool frequency and stool shape

The pediatrician, when examining a child with a broken stool, asks the parents several important questions. The specialist is interested in:

• How often defecation occurs;
• What form does cal.

For example, the doctor examined the baby. The information received from the parents allowed the pediatrician to confirm the constipation of a month-old baby. What should Mom and Dad do so that in the future without the help of a specialist one could understand the origin of this problem in crumbs?

It should be remembered that the emptying of the intestines in babies of the first months of life is an involuntary process. Basically it occurs after feeding. In newborns, the frequency of defecation can be up to 6 times a day. As you grow up, this value decreases. By 4-6 months (ie, at a time when children begin to eat not only mother's milk, but also lure), the intestine is emptied no more than 2 times a day.

The form of feces also indicates the violation of defecation. When constipated, it can be:

• Sausage-shaped and at the same time lumpy;
• Walnut (feces are presented as separate hard and difficult-to-pass lumps).

Features of nutrition of infants and mothers

If there was constipation in a month-old baby, what should mom do? One of the recommendations is not to give up natural feeding (if there is no evidence for this). In breast milk contains a huge amount of useful substances, which are characterized by prebiotic effects.

Another tip is to correct your mother's daily menu. The fact is that the properties of breast milk depend on what products a woman consumes. That is why it is recommended:

• Normalize the drinking regime;
• Refuse drinks and dishes that reduce the motor function of the colon (they include jelly, cocoa, strong tea, mucous soups, porridge from rice);
• To delete from the diet products that increase gas formation (cabbage, beans, black bread).

Feeding of children who are on artificial feeding

If you refuse to breastfeed, you may experience constipation in a 2-month-old baby. What to do, tell the pediatrician. The expert will recommend feeding the baby with specialized adapted dairy mixtures. They prevent the occurrence of problems with the stool.

There are many different mixtures (for example, Nutrilon Comfort 1, Semper Bifidus 1). They can be used on a permanent basis as a single mixture, because these products include all substances and trace elements necessary for the growth and development of children.

Lure against defecation disorders

Approximately in half a year parents start to enter in the menu of the child usual meal - various mashed potatoes, porridges. Some dishes can cause problems with the stool. If there was a constipation in a 6-month-old baby, what to do, with what products can you get rid of the baby from this problem? Pediatricians, responding to similar questions of parents, recommend to include in a ration of crumbs:

• Fruit purée, stimulating intestinal peristalsis (for example, from apple, plum, prune);
• Vegetable purees (from cauliflower, carrots);
• Barley, millet porridge.

Do not forget also that since the introduction of complementary foods, the body of the child begins to require fluid. If the baby does not lack it, then he will not have constipation. To prevent the appearance of problems with the stool, you can give boiled water, fruit drinks prepared from berries, loosely concentrated decoctions of dried apricots and plums, teas with chamomile, fennel, dill water.

Cleansing enema - an ambulance

If, for example, a doctor confirms constipation in a 3-month-old baby, what will the specialist do after that? He can prescribe a mechanical evacuation of the intestine with a cleansing enema. It is made with a pear-shaped balloon, the volume of which is determined depending on the age of the baby:

• Cylinder number 2 (50 ml) - suitable for 2-3-month-old children;
• Balloon №3 and №4 (75 and 100 ml) - can be used at the age of 6 months.

Pour boiling water into a suitable container. When calculating the volume of fluid takes into account the age of the child:

• Newborn children are injected from 25 to 30 ml;
• Babies at the age of 1-3 months - from 50 to 60 ml;
• In 3-12 months - from 100 to 150 ml.

How is mechanical emptying done? For example, the doctor prescribed a cleansing enema, diagnosing constipation in a 4-month-old baby. What to do next, many parents do not know. To put a cleansing enema, the baby is placed on the left side or back, previously arranged under the body oilcloth. The rubber cylinder is filled with boiled water. Its temperature should not be more than 25 degrees. The tip of the balloon is treated with petroleum jelly for easier administration.

If the crumb lies on its side, then it just spreads the buttocks. If he is located on his back, then he lifts his legs up. From the pear, air is released, and after that its tip is carefully inserted into the anus at a depth of 3-5 cm. First it is advanced strictly forward, and then - down and forward. After that, the pear is slowly compressed, thereby releasing water into the rectum.

"Dufalac" - an effective drug (syrup)

If you have constipation in a 5-month-old baby, what to do, what medications you can give - a frequently asked question. In the treatment of violations of defecation, drug therapy can be used. A popular drug is Dufalac, which is available in the form of a syrup and is dispensed without a prescription. The drug has a mild, relaxing effect, does not adversely affect the body of a young child.

The components of the drug in the unchanged form reach the colon and are split. Eventually:

• Lowers the pH;
• Increases osmotic pressure;
• Increases the amount of intestinal contents.

All this leads to stimulation of peristalsis of the intestine, normalization of the consistency of the stool.

Glycerin suppositories against constipation

It's no secret that glycerin candles have a good laxative effect. They have an irritating effect on the mucous membrane of the rectum, reflexively stimulate peristalsis, promote softening of the stool. If, for example, there was a constipation in a 7-month-old baby, what to do with glycerin suppositories, is it worth buying them for a baby? The answer to this question can give the pediatrician. This remedy is prescribed by a doctor if necessary.

Glycerin suppositories are used before the restoration of normal intestinal peristalsis. For a long period of time, they can not be used. With prolonged use, the rectum is irritated, the physiological process of defecation is weakened.

Thus, treatment of constipation is a rather difficult problem. In its solution in complex cases, an integrated approach should be used - diet therapy, drug therapy and the use of enemas. However, parents should not take any measures to eliminate constipation without prior consultation with the pediatrician, because their actions can cause harm to the child.