A serious problem is constipation in a newborn baby, because it can in the future harm the baby's health. Parents from the first days of life need to attend to the normal functioning of the digestive tract in infants to form a strong immune system. Irregular stools can not be treated without identifying the cause and without consulting a pediatrician.
How to help a child with constipation
A child at any age has problems with the intestines, including schoolchildren and newborns. The reasons for the intestinal obstruction are many: food allergies, nervous tension, malnutrition, prolonged intake of medications, low fluid intake. Parents are especially worried if there is constipation in the baby, because irregular stools can lead to a dangerous disease - a twist of the intestine, when the life of a baby can only be saved by surgical intervention by the surgeon.
Constipation in an infant is the absence of emptying within 24 hours. As a rule, in newborns, defecation occurs per day from 2 times. If the child is on artificial feeding, then emptied once a day. The consistency of the stool should be soft. If the feces are heavily dense or not at all, then it is already considered constipation in the baby. To avoid the unpleasant consequences of this state of the child, parents should know how to help them.
Breastfeeding
Constipation in infants with breastfeeding should disturb young parents. The first thing you need to know: if a baby is less often than once a day, or if defecation occurs, accompanied by crying, bloating, refusal to eat and bad sleep, you need to sound an alarm. First, you need to understand the causes of constipation:
- Colon defects( anatomical).This condition is called Hirschsprung's disease. The cause of constipation is very rare, but it is necessary to eliminate the disease.
- Unbalanced feeding of nursing mother. Provoke constipation in infants with breastfeeding products such as bananas, rice, white bread, coffee, cocoa, nuts. Mom should consume more vegetables that positively influence peristalsis of the baby.
- Abrupt introduction of complementary foods. The newborn's gastrointestinal tract copes well with mother's milk, but the rest of the products need to get used to. Pediatricians claim that the baby, at least half a year, should be fed only by mother's milk.
- Use of antibiotics. When medications are the only way to cure a baby from a serious illness. As a result of this, constipation almost always occurs - this is how the intestinal dysbacteriosis manifests.
Constipation in newborns with artificial feeding
Famous pediatrician, Dr. Komarovsky, publicly declares that the treatment of constipation in children is mainly due to an early transition to artificial nutrition. The main reason is an unnatural food with a high content of additives and fatty acids. The baby's gastrointestinal tract does not take food that is difficult for it, as it is not adapted to it. There are a number of other reasons that constipation in infants can cause:
- in the body lack of fluid;
- for artificial feeding was a sharp transition;
- frequent change of different mixtures.
With mixed feeding
Sometimes mixed food is a mandatory measure when the mother has a lack of her milk or its quality is inadequate. For some babies, the lure is shown from the maternity hospital, when doctors recommend supplementary dairy nutrition. Even the best quality mixture can trigger changes in the digestive system of the newborn. In addition to the main causes of constipation in infants, in infants with mixed feeding, digestive disorders can occur due to overheating, dehydration or a large amount of solid food.
What to do if a newborn has a constipation
If a newborn has difficulty in defecating, he needs help to go to the toilet. Parents with constipation in infants use laxatives, folk remedies( dill vodichka), a stomach massage, a warm bath, an enema. Before choosing to treat constipation yourself, you should always consult a pediatrician. The first thing that experienced doctors advise is external stimulation: the exercise "bike" and the "lying on the stomach" position for several minutes.
Tummy tuck
When colic, no gas, delayed bowel movements and other symptoms of constipation, a newborn should be massaged. Easy manipulation on the baby's tummy will help to fix the waste of accumulated gases and stimulate the motility of the intestine. Elements of the 5 minute session, which are done with constipation in the infant and for its prevention:
- Newborn put on the back, clockwise 10 strokes of circular motions.
- Rib of the palm, massage on the trajectory of the letter "P", lightly pressing at each point.
- From the navel, make a few spiraling, intense movements with the palm open.
- Do circular pounding with your finger pads along the trajectory of the letter "P".
- Turn the newborn to the tummy, in a circular motion, stroke from the scapular to the sacral area clockwise.
Candles for babies
Candles for constipation for babies are based on glycerin and gas-forming. The first for any signs of constipation help the thick calves become soft, and the latter, when dissolved, turn into carbon dioxide, which helps the baby to defecate on its own. Use this type of candles is safe for the baby's health, because they do not have side effects. However, their uncontrolled use can irritate the rectum, so it is better to use this method infrequently.
Enema for infants
If constipation is severe, the doctor may prescribe a cleansing enema. Children of different ages need a different amount of fluids for bowel cleansing from feces:
- from birth to monthly age - 35 ml;
- from two months to three months of age - 55 ml;
- up to half a year - 85 ml;
- up to 10 months of age - 120 ml;
- up to a year - 170 ml.
As a cleaning liquid used boiled water, chamomile broth or a weak solution of salt. The volume is measured with a pear or measuring cup. In addition to the liquid and the disinfected pear, the procedure will require: vaseline oil, a tip, a thermometer to determine the temperature of the liquid( 36 degrees).Put the breast on your left side, and bend the legs to the tummy. Then the tip, lubricated with oil, should be inserted 3 cm into the anus, then carefully send the liquid there. After 2-5 minutes the child should be planted on a pot.
Laxative for babies
Give a laxative babe for a year should be very rare, so that the intestine is not used only through stimulation to work. They release constipation drugs for small children in various forms, but pediatricians recommend using syrups that are sold in all pharmacies without a prescription. Typically, the active ingredient of laxatives is lactulose, which positively affects the intestinal microflora and improves peristalsis. The effect of using a laxative drug for constipation for infants manifests itself during the first hour.