As the baby's age increases and gradually add complementary foods, the frequency of the baby's bowel movements will also decrease, watching the child because he can't pull out the stinky face is red, and even cry because of pain, parents will rush to the child with kaiser dew and the like, but the baby's frequency of bowel movements is reduced, not necessarily constipation.
Constipation may be possible only if any of the following conditions occur:
1. The baby will have a bowel movement for 3-4 days;
2. The baby's defecation is very difficult and laborious, and he will hold back his small face red, and even cry because of pain;
3. The excreted stool is large, dry and hard or there is blood on the surface or inside of the stool;
4. After the end of defecation, the baby is no longer irritable, abdominal pain, resumes appetite, and sleep becomes stable;
5. During the interval between two bowel movements, some dirty things of stool color will appear in the baby's anus.
If it is determined that your baby has constipation, this is needed to relieve it:
Most infants and young children have functional constipation, such as lack of exercise, lack of moisture in the diet, fat, or dietary fiber, which can be alleviated by:
1. Adjust the diet structure:
If the baby's complementary food is based on high-protein animal foods (eggs, minced meat, animal liver, seafood, etc.), the intake of dietary fiber should be increased, such as: fruits, vegetables, cereals and beans, etc., to help the stool remain soft and moist in the intestine, making it easier to be excreted, and there is no discomfort;
It should be reminded that the fruit can not be juiced, but should be eaten with the pulp, otherwise there is no effect of supplementing dietary fiber, if you buy a finished food supplement, you should also pay attention to the fiber content in the ingredient list.
If the baby's complementary food is based on plant paste (rice paste, apple puree, mashed potatoes, pumpkin paste, broccoli paste, etc.), you should add 5-10 shells of vegetable oil rich in α-linolenic acid, such as: walnut oil, flaxseed oil, etc., these oils can directly moisten the intestines, and its decomposition can also effectively stimulate intestinal peristalsis.
2. Increase your baby's exercise
Insufficient exercise may also lead to constipation in the baby, so parents can help the baby defecate by massaging the baby's abdomen; if the baby can exercise on his own, then parents can encourage the baby to turn over and crawl to increase the stimulation of the intestine.
3. Let your baby drink more water
Lack of water may also lead to dry stools, thereby making the baby constipated, in addition to drinking breast milk or formula, babies over 6 months old can also give the baby some boiled water to ensure that the digestive tract is hydrated enough to soften the stool.
4. Appropriate use of softeners
If short-term adjustments do not improve the baby's symptoms, or the baby is constipated, then parents can apply a semiflux or emollient lotion on the fingers to stimulate the baby's anus and stimulate the baby's bowel response.
It should be noted that this is a method that treats the symptoms but not the root causes, in fact, if the early reasonable intervention, basically does not need to be used. If the baby's stool is very hard and thick, stuck in the entrance and can not come out, resulting in difficulty in defecation, pain, then you can use it temporarily, but do not use it frequently, so as not to cause dependence.
5. Take lactulose
For lactulose oral solution, it is generally recommended that the baby take 5-10 ml each time every morning, the dose can be adjusted appropriately according to the defecation situation, if it lasts for 2-3 days, the constipation situation is not alleviated, and the amount can be increased as appropriate, and the amount is increased every 2-3 days by 1-2 ml, up to 1 ml/kg (baby weight).
When you need to be taken to the hospital
1. Babies who have not added complementary foods, if the milk powder is excluded and there are no other unknown causes, but there is repeated constipation. In particular, newborns and young infants need to be consulted to assess for potential organic causes, such as Hirschsprungs and anorectal malformations.
2. Constipation occurs repeatedly and the cause is unknown.
3. Oral medication and other methods last for 1 week without effect, and it is still necessary to use open plug dew laxative multiple times.
4. Continuous constipation for more than 4 weeks, prevention, nursing, treatment and other ways of treatment are not obvious.
5. There is blood on the stool or diapers, and there is blood on the panties.
Constipation is one of the most common symptoms for children, and I hope this article will be helpful to parents.