Constipation in a one-year-old child, what to do Komarovsky

What is constipation

Constipation is incomplete or irregular bowel movements. Most often this problem occurs in children in the first year of life . This is due to poor functioning of the intestinal tract and causes discomfort to the baby and his parents.

Difficulty in defecation can be determined by several signs.

These include:

• stool becomes hard and pea-shaped;
• there may be blood in the stool;
• frequent urge to go to the toilet (the child kicks his legs, cries and strains hard);
• putrid odor from feces;
• the stomach is swollen and hard;
• stool discharge is rare (once every 3-4 days);
• no appetite.

The main thing is to clearly understand what to do for constipation in a child under one year old according to Komarovsky, as well as according to the recommendations of the local pediatrician. You should not self-medicate.

Can the reasons be established?

There can be many reasons for constipation in a child. And only a qualified doctor can help identify the exact cause in a particular child. Often this is only a symptom of some disease, and not an independent problem. Constipation can manifest as pancreatitis, cholecystitis, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers and other diseases.

If examinations of the child do not determine a serious cause of constipation, Komarovsky emphasizes that parents should not consider constipation a tragedy or misfortune. This trouble can be easily dealt with.

Reasons for its development

Dr. Komarovsky says the following about constipation in children: “The main reasons for difficult passage of feces is the lack of fluid and potassium in the growing body.”

During dehydration, stool becomes dry and makes bowel movements difficult . A lack of potassium in a growing body (especially in the first years of life) negatively affects the wave-like contraction of hollow tubular organs and prevents the movement of their contents into the outlet openings. This phenomenon makes it difficult to pass feces.

Constipation in a child and behavioral therapy

Behavioral therapy is of great importance in the treatment of constipation in children of any age, that is, a psychotherapeutic effect not only on the sick child, but also on his parents. This is due to the fact that reviewing the diet and following it often requires breaking certain stereotypes. In addition, explaining to parents the features of the course of functional constipation in children and their interaction with the doctor can prevent the prescription of unnecessary medications.

If a one-month or two-month-old baby has constipation, you can give the baby a light abdominal massage. Use a warm palm to stroke your baby's tummy in a clockwise direction.

What the doctor says about constipation in children

Dr. Komarovsky tells what to do for constipation in a baby during breastfeeding and artificial feeding as follows.

In infants

First of all, it is necessary to avoid dehydration of a small, fragile child . To do this, it is enough to feed him at the allotted time and, if necessary, supplement with warm raisin water (this is especially necessary to do with artificial feeding). Plain boiled water is not suitable for soldering, since after heat treatment there are few minerals left in it that are useful for a growing organism.

Important! To maintain the required amount of potassium (with the permission of the pediatrician), compotes of raisins, prunes and figs should be introduced. This drink will help your baby cope with constipation.

You also need to monitor the humidity and air temperature in the room , because this directly affects the baby’s stool.

To maintain the necessary conditions, it is necessary to wet clean the room more often and ventilate it.

Try not to overheat your baby by dressing him too warmly . In small children, body thermoregulation is poorly adjusted, and therefore children cannot control it on their own.

To do this, dress children in accordance with the air temperature and let them take air baths more often (the child must be completely undressed).

To properly pass feces, you should walk in the fresh air (at least 2 times a day for 30 minutes) and do gymnastics in the morning .

The main thing is to know what to do if a one-year-old child has constipation. Komarovsky recommends not to panic and follow the instructions.

In older children

Older babies are also susceptible to constipation. Some of their causes are similar (dehydration or lack of potassium). However, during this period the reasons become more numerous.

Dr. Komarovsky believes that constipation in children 2 years old can occur due to a psychological factor . This happens when the baby feels pain or discomfort when going to the toilet and subsequently tries to restrain the waste of feces. In this way he tries to avoid the discomfort associated with going to the toilet.

This is how psychological constipation manifests itself in a 2-year-old child. Komarovsky recommends that in such situations, try to explain to the baby that going to the toilet can cause great inconvenience. If you cannot solve the problem on your own, then you need to contact a psychologist.

Irregular and unhealthy diet can cause constipation. Nutrition should be complete and combine the daily intake of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. If the problem arose for this reason, then the child’s nutrition should be normalized and provided with the necessary amount of fluid.

Some medications can cause constipation .

To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to give children drugs during treatment that restore intestinal function (Lactofiltrum, Linex, etc.).

Congenital or acquired diseases of the autoimmune, neurological and endocrine systems can also make it difficult to pass feces

For treatment, you will first need to cure the disease, and only then treat constipation. Therapy should be carried out under the supervision of a physician.

Important! Komarovsky calls for entrusting the treatment of constipation in children 2 years of age and older to specialists after passing all the necessary tests. This is due to the fact that constipation can be caused by various factors that a person without medical education cannot determine on their own.

What do you need to know?

When the first signs of a delicate problem appear, you should definitely start monitoring your baby in order to see a doctor in time. Reasons to contact a specialist are usually the following:

• the child has stool less than once a day;
• stool is hard and pea-shaped;
• unsuccessful attempts to go big in a baby;
• the presence of blood in the stool.

In infancy, a cause for concern should be not only the fact that the baby cannot pass much on its own, but also the appearance of hard feces, which are uncharacteristic before the age of six months. That is, constipation in a baby during breastfeeding can be considered a first-priority problem. And with any of its manifestations, you must contact a specialist in order to prevent the baby’s condition from worsening.

From 0 to 6 months, the baby should go to the toilet after each feeding or several times a day, but at least once. The shape of the stool should be mushy. The stool should not be liquid or formed; the first formed stool appears only after the introduction of complementary foods.

Dr. Komarovsky explains constipation and its causes: “The mother’s diet greatly influences the absence of constipation in the baby.” This only applies to those who are exclusively breastfed. A thoughtless and incorrect diet for a nursing mother can cause tummy problems in the baby. To prevent constipation in a newborn, you need to add prunes, beets, fiber, and a sufficient amount of liquid to the mother’s diet.

Dr. Komarovsky also recommends keeping a food diary, where it is necessary to note all the baby’s reactions to a particular food. Such a diary will help a specialist solve problems such as constipation in children. Do not forget that the baby’s fragile intestines react to any manifestations of new food.

Constipation is a common side effect of taking iron supplements, which are prescribed for low hemoglobin. Solution: start taking iron in a dose 2-4 times less than according to the instructions, and gradually increase it.

Evgeny Komarovsky talks about products that in 25% of cases help to cope with constipation in a child without any medications. This is a glass of yogurt and 20 pieces of steamed prunes before bed for several days.

Preventive measures during pregnancy

During pregnancy, many women do not realize that they can solve the problem of constipation in themselves and their unborn baby in advance. To do this, you need to eat proper and fresh food .

1. The expectant mother needs to drink a sufficient amount of fluid (in the absence of swelling of the extremities).
2. Eating all types of nuts is encouraged, with the only exception being walnuts.
3. In the morning you should definitely eat porridge with dried fruits (prunes, dried apricots, raisins).
4. Vegetables can be eaten in any form.
5. The diet must include meat, boiled eggs, and cereals.
6. You should eat fresh fruit every day.

Komarovsky also believes that constipation in a baby with mixed feeding can be avoided by proper nutrition of the woman during pregnancy.

Treatment of a child 1-5 years old according to Komarovsky

If a child becomes constipated, the first thing you need to do is adjust your lifestyle and diet . If you cannot achieve the desired result, you will have to use medications.

Komarovsky recommends using lactulose syrup for constipation in a 5-year-old child. It can be purchased at any pharmacy without a doctor's prescription.

The most effective and well-known drugs are Duphalac, Normaze and Lazilak . These medicines can be used in young children.

Elimination of constipation occurs in courses and in stages. Dr. Komarovsky recommends starting with 2 ml and gradually increasing the dose to 5 ml.

Peculiarities! If, due to difficulty in passing feces, the baby has cracks near the anus, then it is better to use glycerin or sea buckthorn suppositories. This will reduce pain during bowel movements.

Know!

• Constipation and iron

Constipation is a common side effect of taking iron supplements, which are prescribed for low hemoglobin. Solution: start taking iron in a dose 2-4 times less than according to the instructions, and gradually increase it.

• Prunes will help

Evgeny Komarovsky talks about products that in 25% of cases help to cope with constipation in a child without any medications. This is a glass of yogurt and 20 pieces of steamed prunes before bed for several days.

You can read more about constipation on the official website of Evgeniy Komarovskiy www.komarovskiy.net -> “Navigator” -> “Constipation” (12+)

Prevention of constipation in children

It is no secret that it is better to avoid a problem than to deal with it in the future. Therefore, by following simple rules, parents can relieve their baby from constipation .

1. When bottle-fed, the baby must drink enough liquid.
2. To prevent constipation in a breastfed baby, the mother will drink about 2 liters of water.
3. Frequently keeping the baby on his stomach, regular exercises and light abdominal massage.
4. You should monitor the child's temperature and avoid overheating.
5. The food of children over one year old should not be overcooked or damp.

Medications

As for laxatives, without consulting a specialist, a well-known pediatrician considers only two categories of such drugs acceptable:

1. Liquid oils, such as olive, castor or almond oil.
2. Preparations based on senna, for example, senade or senadex.

When giving a child these remedies, the main task is to achieve daily bowel movements (preferably in the morning, so the drugs are recommended to be taken before bedtime). The dosage should be selected so that going to the toilet in the morning does not cause discomfort.

Having selected the current dose of the laxative, give the child the drug in such a dosage for 10-14 days, so as not only to make the baby’s bowel movements regular, but to develop the reflex to have a bowel movement at the same time every day. Then gradually reduce the dose every three to four days, and if constipation appears again, give the child the same amount of medicine.

Komarovsky emphasizes that constipation, like any other health problem, should be treated comprehensively.

1. Prevention of constipation in infants
2. Constipation in a baby while breastfeeding, what should I do?
3. Laxative suppositories with glycerin for constipation in adults
4. Intestinal motility: what to do if it is absent and how to restore it in adults and children, medications and drugs to improve or treat it

What is constipation?

Each newborn child has an individual body and specific needs. Parents often sound a false alarm, since fecal retention is not a cause for concern in most cases. Depending on the quality of feeding and its quantity, stool will be formed.

Rare stool may indicate not only problems with the baby’s intestines, but also, on the contrary, good functioning of this organ and maximum absorption of all nutrients along with mother’s milk or complementary foods.

Constipation in its pure form can be considered a long retention of feces in the intestines (several days in a row). At the same time, the child develops tearfulness, apathy, and sleep disturbances. In this case, parents should not use self-medication. Some mothers like to experiment with the child’s body using laundry soap. Dr. Komarovsky does not recommend this procedure. It is necessary to first find out the cause of constipation in the baby, and this can only be done by an experienced doctor, and then begin the recommended treatment.

Reasons for its development in infants

Komarovsky calls one of the most important reasons for constipation in a baby a lack of potassium and moisture in the child’s body. Dehydration of the entire body also affects the dryness of feces, which for this reason cannot fully pass through the intestines and come out. The intestines begin to work with great effort, all the work of forming and removing feces becomes difficult.

The following may be causes of constipation in infants:

• Various intestinal pathologies. The most common ailment of this kind, leading to stool retention, is Hirschsprung's disease.
• Frequent colds in a child, inflammatory and infectious processes in the body.
• Disturbed intestinal microflora. For example, due to the mother's use of antibiotics or too fatty foods.
• Allergies to certain types of food that mom loves. Infants often develop intolerance to cow's milk.

This list of reasons is quite serious, so if they occur, you should definitely consult a doctor.

Other factors that affect your baby's stool may include:

• lack of breast milk;
• poor diet of the mother;
• lack of water consumed by a woman;
• sudden transition from breast milk to artificial feeding;
• abrupt introduction of complementary foods;
• changing milk formula;
• overheating of the child;
• experiences and stress in the baby.

These reasons are not too scary. A woman can cope with them quite independently, so the help of a doctor is not required.

Symptoms of constipation in infants

Constipation is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• moodiness, tearfulness and sleep disturbance;
• anxiety during bowel movements, frequent straining, pain;
• incomplete bowel movement;
• frequent attempts to push without achieving results;
• refusal to eat; stool retention for 2 or more days;
• absence of gases;
• bloating;
• vomit.

At the same time, babies constantly pull their legs towards their stomachs, as they experience relief in this position.

What Komarovsky says about constipation in children

Dr. Komarovsky urges parents not to panic if their child does not have bowel movements for more than a day. It is necessary to weigh all the points sensibly. It may be that in recent days the child has eaten little or has not touched the breast at all. In this case, accordingly, he did not have time to accumulate fecal formations. There is no point in worrying about this version of events. As soon as the child saturates his stomach better, the process will start by itself.

On days when bowel movements are delayed, a small child should be given as much fluid as possible. This should be warm boiled water. At the same time, mother’s milk cannot be mistaken for a liquid, since the baby’s intestines need pure water without impurities, and the more, the better.

Treatment of constipation in infants

The first priority if there is a problem is to examine the child to determine the cause of constipation. For this, the baby should be shown to a doctor. He will examine the child and suggest ways out of the current situation:

• Tummy massage. It will help relieve spasms, increase intestinal tone and activate peristalsis. The doctor will show parents how to perform a light relaxing massage.
• Mechanical stimulation of the intestines. The anal mucosa is irritated in a special way. To do this, use a cotton swab coated with baby cream.
• Glycerin suppositories. Softens stool and cleanses the intestines.

The last resort that doctors can offer is an enema. 20-30 ml. syringes with cooled boiled water or a decoction of medicinal chamomile are injected to a depth of one and a half centimeters into the baby’s anus and all the liquid is slowly injected.

Constipation during breastfeeding Komarovsky

When breastfeeding, constipation can be caused by poor nutrition of the mother. To correct the situation, you need to change your diet. A woman should include as many fresh vegetables and fruits as possible in her daily menu. Also, according to Komarovsky, mother should drink more fluids and eat liquid soups and broths.

At the same time, the number of breastfeedings should be reduced either over time or in single portions. This is necessary so that the baby’s stomach adapts to more complete milk, which is formed in the mother’s breast.

Preventing constipation

Useful preventive actions that will help prevent constipation in an infant:

• Before feeding, you should lay the baby on his tummy for a few minutes so that all the gas comes out. After eating, carry the baby in a column for several minutes.
• Be sure to do gymnastics with your baby. You should stretch his legs and arms.
• Give your baby water as often as possible.
• Preparations with bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, fermented milk products, and natural yoghurts are useful for the intestinal microflora. They are indicated for both the child and the mother.
• If treatment with antibiotics is necessary, at the same time as taking them, start giving drugs to prevent dysbacteriosis.

Dr. Komarovsky believes that constipation in infants is quite easy to cure. To do this, you need to determine its exact cause, but this cannot be done without a specialist. After the cause is identified, the doctor prescribes a set of simple actions that will help the mother and child solve their problem.

A common cause of sleepless nights for young parents is disruption of the child's developing intestinal tract: colic, flatulence and constipation. According to statistics, every fifth baby suffers from the latter. Typically, formula-fed or mixed-fed babies are susceptible to this unpleasant disease, but infants are also at risk. What is the cause of constipation and infants, how to avoid it, what emergency measures can be taken and how to ensure comfortable digestion for the baby - tasks of paramount importance. Parents' non-serious attitude to this problem or the use of medications and treatment methods inconsistent with the pediatrician is fraught with a lot of complications for the baby at an older age.

What can be considered constipation in a baby?

From a medical point of view, constipation in a child under one year of age is considered difficulty in defecation or lack of bowel movements in the last 24 hours. This concept is quite vague, since it is closely related to the specific age of the child: in a bottle-fed baby and in an infant, the frequency and consistency of stool will differ significantly. For example, for newborns under the age of one month, the norm is to have bowel movements in the same amount as there were meals. This is for breastfeeding. For an artificial child, the norm is only 2–3 bowel movements per day.

The instability of the baby's intestines is of great importance. Without the help of a specialist, it is quite difficult to determine when a baby suffers from constipation, and when a decrease in stool frequency is just a physiological feature of the development of a small organism. Therefore, it is important to control not only the number of “passages”, but also the consistency, smell, density and color of feces, and the child’s behavior before and during bowel movements.

What to do if your child is constipated?

In newborns and babies under 6 months of age, bowel movements occur approximately 2-3 times a day, and the consistency of the stool is mushy. Up to 1.5 years, the frequency of bowel movements occurs 1-2 times a day. Most often, constipation occurs in an infant if he is transferred to artificial feeding with insufficient fluid from an early age. In this case, the child’s stool is regular, but when defecating, the baby strains, and the feces have a hard consistency in the form of small balls.

Treatment of constipation in children is complex and is selected individually by the doctor. The doctor must analyze the baby’s diet, as well as his psycho-emotional state and the presence of concomitant diseases.

If an infant has constipation, first of all it is necessary to correct errors in the feeding process: violations of the diet, nutrition (volume), incorrect (often unreasonably early) start of complementary feeding, its quality. A breastfeeding woman should maintain sufficient drinking regimen and a diet that limits the consumption of foods that increase gas formation and reduce colon motility: tea, coffee, alcohol, chocolate, sweet syrups.

When artificial feeding, frequent changes of formula should be avoided, only adapted milk formulas should be used, and sufficient fluid intake should be ensured: boiled water and herbal teas with fennel, chamomile, dill for infants, from 4–4.5 months - weakly concentrated decoctions of prunes, dried apricots, dried fruits, berry fruit drinks.

The introduction of complementary foods with vegetable and fruit purees (prunes, apricots, peach, apples) is indicated for a child with constipation no earlier than 5 months of age.

In the diet of older children, the fiber content increases due to vegetables, the possible introduction of bran; beets, carrots, and dried fruits will become frequent foods in the diet. In the summer, plums and peach will definitely be added to the menu. To normalize stool, the baby will be prescribed oatmeal, bran, black bread, and fermented milk products. Fluid intake increases, drug therapy (laxatives) is carried out.

Currently, there are various groups of laxatives, but not all of them are recommended for use in children. There are medications that soften stool. They are not addictive and can be taken for a long time, including by young children, without the risk of side effects.

At the beginning of treatment, it may be necessary to cleanse the rectum of accumulated dense feces.

In parallel with diet and taking medications, it is useful to “train” the intestines, developing a certain bowel movement routine. For this purpose, it is recommended to sit the child on the toilet/potty for 5-10 minutes after each meal. It is important to do this consistently and regularly, encouraging good toilet habits. There are special diaries and programs that help you learn to go to the toilet regularly. If the child is not yet potty trained, then it is better to first achieve regular independent soft stools while taking medications, and only at the next stage introduce him to the potty.

Causes of constipation

In the first stages of constipation, it is quite easy to deal with it by simply eliminating the causes that provoked constipation. These include:

• Lack of fluid

This is an extremely pressing cause of constipation for bottle-fed infants, especially in hot summers or winters, when the air in the room is dry due to heating appliances. Be sure to increase the amount of water your child consumes. Popular pediatrician Komarovsky strongly recommends supplementing even breastfed newborns.

• Poor nutrition of a nursing mother, an adapted formula that is unsuitable for the baby, a lack of foods that stimulate the gastrointestinal tract (beets, pumpkin, dried apricots, figs, apples, peaches, apricots, prunes and others)

When choosing a formula for a formula-fed baby, you should opt for baby food without iron in the composition. If breastfeeding, the mother must exclude from the diet refined foods, tea, coffee, processed foods, rich fatty broths, baked goods, rice, nuts, bananas and other foods that “strengthen”. List of products for a nursing mother.

• Taking certain medications by an infant or nursing mother

Constipation is possible when taking antidepressants and antispasmodics. antibiotics, bismuth and iron preparations, NSAIDs, anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants. Taking and stopping any medications, both by the mother and the baby, must be previously agreed upon with the pediatrician.

• Breast milk deficiency

Causes so-called “hunger constipation” in an infant. In this case, all the food consumed is absorbed into the walls of the internal organs and blood, and the intestines simply have nothing to process.

• Introduction of complementary foods

More often, the introduction of complementary foods helps to normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, but it can also cause difficulties with stool. You should carefully monitor your intestinal reaction to new foods. Also, early introduction of complementary foods can contribute to constipation.

• Abrupt change in nutrition

This is possible when there is a sudden loss of milk from the mother, replacement of one adapted formula with another, or incorrect transition from one type of feeding to another. Constipation usually disappears after adaptation to the new food.

• Psychological constipation

This is by no means a myth, as some people think. A child’s body, finding itself in unusual or uncomfortable conditions (for example, when a baby separates from its mother), responds to stress in exactly this way. Also, the child may be afraid to recover because of the pain that occurs at this moment. In this case, you need to try to return the normal mushy consistency to the baby’s stool by following a diet.

There is another reason for psychological constipation - a child can manipulate adults in this way. If any signs of constipation in a baby cause his parents to panic and the parents begin to constantly feel sorry for, console and fuss around the child, then the baby may deliberately hold back stool. The only way to treat such a situation is to take a calm approach to the problem.

• Colds or infectious diseases

An increase in body temperature can cause significant compaction of stool and lead to constipation.

It is extremely important that constipation itself may be one of the signs of serious diseases and pathologies, so it is important not to self-medicate, but to consult a doctor. Such diseases include:

• Genetic predisposition.
• Anatomical defects of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Diabetes.
• Disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract.
• Rickets.
• Diseases of the nervous system.
• Myasthenia.
• Spinal cord dysfunction.
• Liver diseases.
• Lactose deficiency.
• An allergic reaction to a protein in cow's milk.
• Food allergies.
• Hypothyroidism.

Diseases that lead to constipation. Fortunately, these diseases are uncommon. These include dolichosigma, Hirschsprung's disease and lactase deficiency.

• Dolichosigma is an elongation of the sigmoid colon. Bowel emptying is slowed down due to kinks and excess pressure of the sigmoid colon on itself and the rectum;
• Hirschsprung's disease occurs due to disruption of the intestinal innervation. This leads to the fact that some parts of the intestine do not work and are in a spasmodic state;
• Lactase deficiency occurs due to the absence or small amount of the enzyme that breaks down milk sugar (lactase). In this case, the baby's constipation will be replaced by diarrhea.

Only a doctor can identify such constipation in a baby, and only a doctor can decide what needs to be done in this situation.

What is the treatment?

The famous doctor notes that for normal bowel function, the child must be provided with a normal amount of fluid. But at the same time, enough potassium must enter the baby’s body. When a child loses fluid (for example, due to a fever or being in a hot, dry place), this affects the intestinal juices, impairing their function. Everything gets worse when parents are afraid to give their child any water other than boiled water.

Yes, it is better to give your baby boiled water than untreated tap water, but water after boiling is free of mineral salts. And first of all, the lack of potassium in such water is unfavorable for the intestines. If this element is not enough, this affects the contractions of the digestive tract - they weaken, which ultimately leads to constipation.

If your doctor is sure that constipation is not a symptom of something serious, you can try to cope with it on your own. What should you pay attention to?

1. The child should not have a fluid deficiency.

Lack of fluid is one of the most common causes of constipation in children. At the same time, the feces become thick, slowly move through the intestines, scratching its walls, which causes pain and colic. And the urge to go to the toilet arises only when the accumulated masses begin to put pressure on the walls of the rectum, but water helps to increase their volume, and the baby poops faster. So let's drink more and hydrate the nursery!

2. The body must have enough potassium.

With a lack of potassium, intestinal contractions (so-called peristalsis) are sharply weakened, and this may well be the cause of constipation. The most potassium is found in raisins, dried apricots, prunes, and figs, which, by the way, can be added to compotes or simply eaten steamed.

3. A nutritious diet rich in fiber.

For constipation, foods rich in protein, such as chocolate, cottage cheese, and nuts, are undesirable. Yogurts, one-day kefir and yogurt are desirable. Brown bread is better than white bread. Apple juice is better than a whole apple. It is better to limit meat. In general, fiber is an excellent preventive measure for constipation. This means that the child needs to be given more fruits and vegetables, as well as cereals, preferably slightly undercooked.

If lactulose and glycerin suppositories do not help, go to the doctor

4. Safe medications.

There are only two medications that can be used even in infants and without a doctor's prescription. The first is lactulose syrup, which is sold under different commercial names in any pharmacy. It increases the volume of feces, retaining water in the intestines, does not cause “addiction”, and can be taken for as long as you like.

However, at the first dose, the baby may develop gas as a reaction to the drug, so it is better to increase the dose gradually. The second is suppositories with glycerin. Their advantage is that glycerin is not absorbed by the body, but is released along with the contents of the intestines, and such suppositories act much more gently than an enema.

If the cause of constipation is cracks in the anus (appearing, for example, after the passage of lumps of hard feces), due to which the child simply does not want to go to the potty for fear of pain, suppositories with sea buckthorn oil will help.

5. Daily routine.

It happens that there is an urge to go big, the child feels it, but ignores it - for example, he is very busy or simply does not want to go to the toilet in the garden or at school, preferring to wait until he gets home. If this behavior becomes systematic, then the rectum begins to stretch from excess feces, and in order to feel the urge to go to the toilet, the child needs more and more time. This leads to constipation, which takes a very long time to treat.

To prevent this, it is important to accustom your baby to systematic bowel movements from childhood. Better - at the same time and in the same familiar environment. Let him go to the potty before bed or after breakfast, before leaving the house.

If all of the above does not help, you need to seek help from a doctor. It is important to understand that specialists have a much larger range of constipation treatment regimens than parents.

Treatment of constipation

The first task in treating constipation is to determine its cause and eliminate it. To establish normal bowel function in a newborn, you need:

1. Medical examination.
2. When breastfeeding, apply more frequently to the breast.
3. For a child on artificial nutrition, supplementation with special baby water (not boiled) between meals, and the volume of liquid should be equal to the volume of one serving.
4. For an infant over 6 months old, introduce apples and vegetables into the diet.
5. For a child after one year, soup is a mandatory dish in the daily diet.

General recommendations for combating constipation also include: correcting the diet of the mother and baby, increasing the amount of fluid consumed, changing the nature of complementary foods, or changing the adapted formula to one that contains more lactobacilli.

Separately, we should dwell on the issue of complementary feeding. Independent experts have long proven that store-bought juices, purees and other “jars for children,” regardless of the manufacturer, are made with the addition of quite harmful substances and preservatives and are the strongest allergens for children. Try to find some time to prepare really healthy complementary foods. From ordinary carrots or apples you will get many times more healthy and fortified puree or juice. The money saved on purchasing the dangerous “Agushi” can be spent on a convenient blender or juicer, which will make it easier to prepare foods for complementary feeding.

Enemas and laxatives should only be used as a last resort. They wash away beneficial microflora from the intestines: potassium, vitamins, protein, microelements; contribute to a decrease in intestinal muscle tone, lead to disruption of the natural bowel cleansing reflex, and interfere with the absorption of nutrients. Before using these emergency measures in a panic, you should try softer and harmless methods, which in most cases give a positive result. These methods include:

Constipation in a 7 month old baby what to do Komarovsky

What to do if your baby is constipated

Quite often, parents are faced with such a problem as constipation in a newborn, but not everyone knows what to do in this case.
To solve the baby’s problem, you need to have some mandatory knowledge, which includes not only relieving the baby of problems with bowel movements, but also preventing recurrent constipation. Content

Introductory word

The most dangerous cases for newborns are cases of using traditional medicine methods without prior consultation with a pediatrician. The risk for babies is that many of these recipes are intended exclusively for adults. In some way, one can justify the fussiness of parents who, suspecting constipation in a newborn, resort to administering an enema or special gas tubes.

If your infant has problems with bowel movements, then there is no need to panic in any case. It is better to calm down and analyze the circumstances, as well as the symptoms. A fairly important point is to clearly identify constipation in an infant, and only then proceed, following the pediatrician’s prescription, to treatment.

Constipation or infrequent bowel movements

In medicine, constipation is defined as the absence of bowel movements in newborns for more than two days. Dr. Komarovsky talks about this in his program. However, quite often a newborn may experience difficulties with defecation, and there are significant natural explanations for this. The normal indicator for a baby whose age does not exceed three months is stool two to four times a day.

The closer the baby is to one year of age, this frequency decreases by almost half. However, given that the intestines of an infant are not always ready to cope with such loads as thorough digestion and the required rate of absorption of incoming food, irregular bowel movements may occur.

It should be noted that short-term constipation in newborns is observed by all parents, but with proper nutrition and an appropriate diet, the situation quickly normalizes.

So, if your newborn has difficulty defecating, then it is most likely to assume that the stool is too dense. In such cases, even Dr. Komarovsky advises changing the baby’s diet. However, now we will dwell in detail on the causes of constipation.

Only a pediatrician can determine the true causes of constipation in a newborn. It is not recommended to independently, experimentally, find out and treat this phenomenon. The use of medications is especially dangerous.

There are a number of factors that can cause bowel problems in an infant. Among them are:

• transition from breastfeeding to bottle feeding
• change in artificial nutrition manufacturer
• lack of breast milk or hunger constipation
• a diet containing foods that tend to form thick stools
• lack of intestinal muscle tone: colds, infectious diseases
• insufficient amount of water
• allergy to cow protein.

First aid for constipation

Despite the fact that it is impossible to treat constipation on your own without a medical prescription, it is necessary to do at least something to alleviate the condition of the newborn. In this case, it is necessary to have certain knowledge. Dr. Komarovsky agrees with this statement and recommends taking the following steps:

• Massage.
  It is quite simple to perform and consists of a smooth movement of the palm of the right hand along the tummy of an infant, following a clockwise movement.
• Exercise bike.
• Warm baths taken together.
• Laying the newborn on his tummy to activate intestinal functions.
• Consumption of stool thinning products.

Dr. Komarovsky shares useful information on this issue. He claims that constipation occurs in newborns when the foods they consume are digested too quickly. What should be done in such cases? Feed the infant “light” foods or, conversely, those that leave something left over. After all, if you do nothing, the problem will not go away on its own.

Dr. Komarovsky also recommends eliminating constipation in newborns with fiber or a sufficient amount of vegetables and fruits, cereals, bread and bran. In his opinion, the best option would be to feed an infant with slightly undercooked cereals. Among his advice, Mr. Komarovsky notes that the food offered to the baby should not be overly thermally processed and extremely soft.

An extremely important issue in terms of eliminating constipation is the impossibility of allowing fluid deficiency in the body.

By following these simple recommendations that Dr. Komarovsky provides, you can easily eliminate constipation in newborns. However, we must not forget that the delay in defecation depends on the volume of feces. If their accumulation in the rectum is sufficient, then the baby will not experience problems with bowel movements.

If relief does not come, what to do next?

There are often cases when a baby’s constipation does not go away, what to do next in this case? If all of the above does not lead to the expected results, then there is a plan “B” in stock. It consists of certain mechanical action steps that answer the question of what to do next.

Among the methods of mechanical influence that relieve infants from problems with defecation are:

• pushing a small bar of soap into the anus
• exposure to a thermometer (not mercury, but electronic), which is inserted into the anus
• lubricating the walls of the anus with a cotton swab lubricated with baby cream
• use of gas outlet tubes.

Answering the question “What to do if a child is constipated? ", the safest and optimal answer has always been the use of glycerin suppositories.

Modern pharmacology does not separate suppositories for children and adults. Therefore, infants, as a rule, need to insert only half a candle into the anus. However, to alleviate the condition, sometimes it is enough to administer only a third of such a suppository. If a baby suffers from constipation, it is not recommended to use such suppositories without consulting a pediatrician, even though they are completely safe for the health of newborns.

It is not uncommon for all of the above methods to not bring even a small positive result. What to do in this case? If all else fails, then the last resort is an enema. However, it should always be left as a last resort.

How to give an enema correctly?

Many parents are afraid to give their baby an enema, and if they agree to such a step, it is only if all the work falls on the shoulders of the grandparents. There is nothing scary about this.

The syringe should fill with liquid. As a rule, chamomile decoction is used. Liquids will need from 20 to 30 ml. First, lubricate the baby's anus with any baby cream, and then insert a syringe into it 1.5 or 2 cm. Then, using gentle pressure, the liquid is introduced inside.

Remember, a “cold” liquid is always used in a cleansing enema. Otherwise, it will all go into the bloodstream, penetrating the walls of the intestinal mucosa.

To conclude this topic, I would like to ask another equally scary question for parents: “What to do if constipation in a newborn could not be overcome, and an enema turned out to be powerless? " In this case, there is only one way out for both parents and their newborns - seeking modern medical help. Since only a pediatrician can determine the cause of its occurrence, only he can prescribe, if not one, then several courses of treatment for an infant.

The most important thing is prevention

Considering the above, it is already possible to clearly determine the reasons that provoke constipation in newborns. It is an undeniable fact that it is easier to prevent a disease than to try to get rid of it later. Therefore, prevention is an important point for a newborn. It includes the following steps:

• Regularly placing the infant on his tummy. The time the baby remains in this position should not exceed two minutes, but should not be less than one minute.
• paying due attention to the amount of fluid necessary for the proper functioning of all body systems of the newborn
• For a breastfed baby, it is very important for his mother to eat foods rich in potassium (raisins or prunes)
• preventing overheating of the newborn baby’s body.

The fact remains undeniable that no one is immune from such a nuisance as constipation in a baby; you already know what to do in this case.

Following the recommendations suggested above, which should be combined with careful monitoring of the diet of both the baby and her mother, will prevent problems with bowel movements.

Then every parent will not think about what to do if an infant has constipation.

Constipation in a baby. Komarovsky's advice

Constipation in infants is a very pressing problem today. Every mother struggles with this disease differently, but what does Dr. Komarovsky say about this?

A breastfed baby may not poop for up to four days, and this is considered normal, since mother's milk can be easily absorbed. Of course, such a lack of emptying a child’s intestines can be ignored only if nothing bothers the baby; any mother is able to understand whether the child has a tummy ache.

Komarovsky's advice for constipation in infants

Komarovsky claims that 99% of constipation in infants does not pose any danger, except that it causes discomfort. But no one says that constipation in a baby is good, and therefore the child needs help. Fortunately, constipation in infants is highly treatable.

Lactulose is an ideal and safe treatment for constipation in infants, says Evgeniy Olegovich Komarovsky. The most common drug is Duphalac, and the doctor also recommends Lizalak. "Normaze". Lactulose helps to increase the amount of gases in the intestines, so in the first days of use, Komarovsky recommends additionally using neutralizing gases, safe drugs, such as Espumisan or Sub-Simplex. And also, it is recommended to start using drugs with a reduced dosage, for example, in the instructions for the drug “Duphalac” the dosage is indicated as 5 ml, and you start with 1 ml, gradually increasing it. The advantage of lactulose is that even long-term use is safe.

Treatment of constipation in infants

To treat constipation in infants, Komarovsky advises using suppositories with glycerin. instead of the usual enemas. and he considers a piece of soap to be a real mockery of a child, so do not follow the lead of grandmothers and do not follow this advice, which was once popular.

If the baby is breastfed. A nursing mother can help her baby by adjusting her diet by introducing potassium-rich foods and natural laxatives such as prunes. dried apricots figs raisin .

Komarovsky identifies two main causes of constipation in infants - overheating and boiled water. A famous doctor considers raisin decoction to be the best drink for infants (a tablespoon per 200 ml of boiling water, steam in a thermos).

Treating constipation in a child over six years old

Treating constipation in a child is a complex task, requiring time and constant monitoring. Medicines alone cannot solve this problem. Disturbances in the functioning of the large intestine, in other words, constipation, is a fairly common disease in childhood. This disease occurs most often in preschoolers and elementary school students. That is, for children from 6 to 9 years old.

Content:

Constipation and its symptoms

With normal bowel function, the child should have bowel movements at least 4 times a week. At the same time, he should not feel pain or strain unnecessarily. Therefore, difficult, systematically insufficient or delayed emptying is considered constipation. Regular delay in bowel movements of 2 days or more is a sign of a chronic form of the disease. Main symptoms of the disease:

• a small amount of feces
• dryness and hardness of stool,
• irregular stool,
• lack of appetite,
• general weakness,
• nausea and dizziness,
• depressed mood
• sleep disturbance.

The totality of these symptoms or parts of them is a signal to parents. Treatment should be started immediately, because chronic constipation is fraught with serious complications.

Causes

The main causes of bowel dysfunction in children aged 6 to 9 years at the present time are:

• nervous overstrain (change in usual way of life, unhealthy atmosphere in the family, new environment at school),
• sedentary lifestyle (few active games in the fresh air, sitting at the computer for a long time - this is very abused by children 7–8 years old),
• poor nutrition (lack of a routine, unhealthy, junk food, few fresh vegetables and fruits in the daily menu),
• insufficient fluid intake (the child needs to drink at least a liter of water per day),
• malfunction of the thyroid gland (lack of iodine in the body),
• damage to the central nervous system (including congenital pathologies),
• anemia (lack of iron),
• food allergy (aversion to any food products),
• long-term use of antibiotics (or treatment with drugs that adversely affect the intestinal microflora).

Complications

It is necessary to combat constipation in children promptly and persistently, since prolonged and frequent defecation disorders can provoke the development of various complications. First of all, such failures have a detrimental effect on the child’s well-being. The baby becomes capricious and irritable, his appetite worsens, and his sleep becomes restless.

Usually, with chronic constipation in children, the balance of microflora in the intestines is disturbed, which means that food is poorly digested and is almost not absorbed by the body. Stagnation of feces also contributes to the proliferation of dangerous microorganisms.

Poorly processed food literally rots in the intestines, toxins are formed, and intoxication can begin. Simply put, the body poisons itself. The immunity of such children is often weakened, which means it cannot fully resist various infections.

Negative consequences

In addition to all of the above, constipation can cause many unpleasant consequences:

• inflammation of the sigmoid and rectum,
• secondary colitis,
• return of feces from the caecum into the small intestine,
• haemorrhoids,
• cracks in the tissues of the rectum,
• expansion and lengthening of the colon,
• inflammation of adjacent tissues,
• gastritis,
• formation of stones in the gallbladder and its ducts.

All these troubles can be avoided if you carefully monitor any changes in your baby’s behavior. It is necessary to establish a balanced diet for the child, provide him with comfortable psychological conditions and active pastime.

Preventing constipation

• To prevent such a serious disease as constipation, parents should teach their child to have regular bowel movements from a very early age. It is best to choose the morning time for this.
• It is equally important to establish a diet. Half an hour before breakfast, offer your child a glass of water. And also make sure that your baby’s daily diet contains enough plant fiber and foods that improve digestion.
• To strengthen the abdominal muscles, it is necessary to teach your child to do morning exercises every day, because an active, athletic child is much less likely to have problems with bowel movements.

A calm, friendly atmosphere should reign in the family. After the noise and emotional stress at school, the child should mentally relax and rest at home.

How to help your baby without drugs

What to do if a child complains of the inability to empty his bowels? There are three ways:

• massage (lightly massage the iliac region with light circular movements),
• enema (half a liter of boiled water with a temperature not exceeding 20 degrees and 1–2 tsp glycerin),
• laxative decoctions (for example, brew 1 tablespoon of senna leaves with a glass of boiling water, leave for 1 hour and give the baby 3-4 spoons every 3 hours).

You should not abuse all of the above methods. If your child’s constipation recurs again and again, you should immediately take him to see a gastroenterologist. Only a specialist will prescribe the correct treatment and tell you what needs to be done. This will help avoid more serious problems.

Drug treatment

All laxatives help ease the process of bowel movement, but they cannot eliminate the cause of the disease. Moreover, they should be used only in rare cases and as prescribed by a doctor. Since their frequent use can harm the already fragile health of children.

Most often, doctors prescribe the following drugs to children 7–8 years old:

• "Duphalac" (liquid for oral administration),
• "Prelax" (syrup),
• "Lactusan" (suspension),
• “Macrogol” (packaged powder, which is diluted with warm boiled water),
• "Buscopan" (anal suppositories, or oral suspension).

All of these medications help soften stool. But they should be taken in doses, after consultation with a doctor, and no longer than 2-3 days. After bowel movements, you need to regulate the child’s diet and eliminate possible causes of constipation.

Constipation in a baby while breastfeeding. What to do?

Constipation during breastfeeding in children, as well as during artificial feeding, is quite common. Pediatricians say that constipation is a sign of digestive dysfunction. Unfortunately, not all parents understand how serious this is, and they don’t even always know what the frequency of baby stool should be.

How often should a child go to the toilet?

For a newborn who is breastfed, the physiological norm for defecation is 2 to 6 times a day. As the baby grows, the number of bowel movements per day decreases to 1-2 times a day (this is the norm for a six-month-old child, and is usually established with the introduction of complementary foods).

Formula-fed babies also have stools 1-2 times a day.

Constipation or not?

Option number one is when the act of defecation occurs less frequently than once every 1-3 days (light bowel movements after each feeding are acceptable).

Option two - defecation occurs with normal frequency, but with severe pain and difficulty.

Simply put, it is the absence of bowel movements. But if the baby has difficulty defecating, the feces are hard and bloody - these are also signs of constipation. Normal bowel movements should occur at least once a day, and it certainly should not cause difficulty or pain. Most often, constipation in babies is accompanied by pain in the tummy, which makes them fussy and cry.

The most common cause of fecal retention in infants is an insufficiently formed neuromuscular system responsible for moving feces to the intestines. All constipation in infants is divided into:

Organic constipation

Constipation caused by impaired development of the digestive organs. A complete examination of the gastrointestinal tract, which is prescribed by a doctor, helps to determine the cause of constipation.

Functional constipation.

A number of reasons contribute to its occurrence:

• lack of fluid in the child’s diet. This most often happens when complementary foods are introduced into the diet.
• non-compliance with the mother’s own diet
• early weaning
• brain dysfunction due to birth trauma
• rickets
• intestinal dysbiosis
• Iron-deficiency anemia

Parents should understand that constipation for an infant is a very dangerous phenomenon and can lead to a lot of trouble. With constipation, the intestinal microflora changes, causing toxic substances to enter the blood, and feces, without leaving the outside, can provoke putrefactive processes that cause inflammation. In addition, due to frequent constipation, cracks appear in the intestines and even rectal prolapse can occur. Also, chronic constipation leads to disruption of the intestinal microflora, an increase in pathogenic microflora and a decrease in normal microflora, which also leads to a decrease in immunity.

How to treat?

If you encounter constipation in your baby while breastfeeding, then you need to go in several ways. Firstly, the mother should reconsider her diet; perhaps one of the products she eats causes this effect, for example, pomegranate juice. If the baby receives complementary foods or is bottle-fed, you need to adjust his food and drinking regime, and pay attention to whether he has sufficient physical activity.

It is also worth contacting your pediatrician; you may need consultations with other specialists and special treatment.

Be sure to see a doctor!

When should you definitely go to the doctor?

• constipation is accompanied by abdominal pain, bloating, loss of appetite
• there was blood in the stool
• there is a "fear of the potty"
• a breastfed baby has no bowel movement for two days
• Spotting periodically appears, i.e. liquid feces are involuntarily released, and solid feces accumulate in the rectum.

Will help quickly

To help your child defecate, you can use a glycerin suppository or make a microenema (add 1 teaspoon of glycerin to 200 ml of water at room temperature). At the age of up to 1 month, you can inject up to 25 ml of solution, up to 2 months - no more than 40 ml, at 2-4 months - 60 ml.

Just keep in mind that these are means for temporary help; if you use them too often, addiction may occur and the stomach and intestines will not want to work on their own.

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PSS: Express your opinion or ask questions in the comments, I will be happy to answer them.

Sources: lediveka.ru, womantip.net, lechimrebenka.ru, be-no.ru

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Preventive measures

The simplest and most effective treatment method is to prevent the disease. The health of children under one year of age requires constant monitoring and attention. Don’t wait for the first signs of constipation; start preventive measures immediately.

• A simple but effective method is very useful: before feeding, place the baby on his tummy for a few minutes, after eating, carry the baby in a column for several minutes;
• Do gymnastics regularly. To do this, place the baby on his back, carefully and smoothly lift his legs bent at the knees and lightly press him to the tummy. Repeat several times, avoiding sudden movements. It is also useful to do the bicycle exercise;
• Provide the baby with the necessary amount of liquid. Instead of tea and juices, it is better to drink special bottled baby water. There is no need to boil it. When introducing complementary foods, juices must be diluted with water;
• If the baby is more than 4 months old, prune juice is an excellent remedy for constipation. Two teaspoons is enough. After six months you can use prune puree. Both fresh fruits and dried fruits are equally effective. You can add prunes to compotes;
• Don't wrap your baby up. Overheating, along with dehydration, is one of the main causes of constipation. This is also relevant for colds and infectious diseases: if the baby has a fever, give him food as often as possible, otherwise constipation after illness cannot be avoided;
• Effective drinks for constipation - dried fruit compote with dried apricots and prunes, raisin water. To prepare it, just pour boiling water over a spoonful of pure raisins and leave in a thermos;
• Give preference to vegetables with a “laxative effect” and a high content of coarse fiber, fruits rich in potassium. These are figs, green apples, prunes, dried apricots, beets, carrots, peach, apricot, pumpkin. These same products should be included in the diet of a nursing mother;
• Preparations with bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, fermented milk products, and natural yoghurts are extremely beneficial for the intestinal microflora. They are indicated for both the child and the mother;
• Try to breastfeed your baby for as long as possible, the first six months are especially important. If this is not possible, give preference to adapted fermented milk mixtures;
• If treatment with antibiotics is necessary, at the same time as taking them, start giving drugs to prevent dysbacteriosis.

There is no need to panic if your baby is constipated. The first step to recovery is identifying and eliminating the causes of the disease. But do not self-medicate and do not use grandmother’s treatment methods without consulting a doctor. Most often, it is enough to improve your diet, drink more fluids and do not forget about massage and gymnastics for the disease to recede. In emergency situations, Duphalac, glycerin suppositories or an enema will help. Pay maximum attention to the treatment of constipation. The formation and normalization of the gastrointestinal tract in the first year of life is the key to the future health of the child.

On the topic of newborn stool:

How to treat constipation, prevention

If the baby is not breastfed, but is bottle-fed or mixed-fed, then it is imperative to offer him a sufficient amount of water. It promotes better movement of food and its digestion. Water is the first remedy for preventing constipation in infants.

It is necessary to monitor the temperature in the room and the baby’s clothing. Constant overheating, which occurs as a result of the fact that a young mother does not comply with the temperature regime and often wraps her baby when this is absolutely not required, leads to problems with stool. The occurrence of colic occurs due to frequent overheating, the same leads to constipation. Therefore, first of all, if a problem arises with the tummy, you must make sure that the temperature regime is optimal for the child. The ideal room temperature for a newborn can be considered 18-20 degrees during the day and 16-18 degrees at night. Up to 15 degrees, a child can safely wear only panties. Do not neglect air baths even in the cold season. This is very important for a newly born baby.

When a baby is breastfed, he does not need to be supplemented with food or anything else until he is six months old. It is at 6 months that the child’s body is ready to accept other foods, that is, complementary foods. Usually, proper introduction of complementary foods helps solve the problem of constipation.

To prevent constipation in children from becoming problem number 1, it is imperative to place the baby on his tummy from the first days of his life.

Gymnastics can be considered a good way to treat and prevent constipation. There is a specially developed complex that helps cope with the problems of colic and constipation. The complex consists of the following exercises:

1. Place the baby on his back and pull his legs towards his tummy 10 times.
2. Pull the legs towards the baby's tummy and gently roll it from side to side.
3. Use your palm to gently massage the baby's tummy clockwise, pressing lightly.
4. Place the baby on his tummy and stroke his back.
5. Using a fitball, roll the baby while lying on his stomach.

In extreme cases, drug intervention is required. Doing this yourself is not recommended. Before giving your baby any medicine, you should consult your doctor. Experts prescribe a laxative such as Duphalac and glycerin suppositories for children under 3 years of age. They can be purchased at any pharmacy. The dosage must be observed.

To insert a candle, you need to divide it into 4 parts and “wash” it a little. Its surface must be smooth. The child should be placed on his back and his legs raised up. You need to squeeze the baby's butt for a few seconds.

If constipation is observed in a one-year-old child, then you can get by with folk remedies, such as prune, pear, apricot juice, and dried fruit compote. You can give prune juice from 4 months of age, starting with 1 teaspoon per day.

For babies over 6 months old, to prevent constipation, you can use puree made from prunes, pears, apples, and apricots.

Constipation can also be caused by teething. In this case, the problem solves itself in 2-3 days.