Tips on Baby Constipation Treatment Your newborn baby will pass out stools that are soft and dark green for the first few days of his new life. Later on your newborn baby will have regular bowel movements that are lighter in color. Regular bowel movements for the newborn baby usually start from the third day onwards. If your baby is still passing out the dark and hard stools by the fourth or fifth day he might be having newborn constipation.
Constipation could be as a result of the formula used in feeding the baby. Changing the formula used in feeding the baby can cause the baby’s body to take its time before adapting to the new formula.
The current atmospheric temperature. What is the current temperature of your locality? If it is pretty hot, then it might be responsible for your baby’s slower bowel movement.
The number of bowel movements mainly depends on whether the baby is breastfed or on formula. Babies on breast milk tend to poop more frequently. Newborn constipation is when a baby does not poop for over a week and the feces is hard. Constipation can be due to not eating enough, what the baby is eating, or just the digestive system adjusting to not being in the womb. Constipation in newborns can be treated when detected.
Constipation is one of the most common complaints of infants, newborns, and toddlers. It creates a lot of discomfort in them and inconvenience on the part of the parents. It is characterized by the infrequent removal of feces or occurrence of hard stools.
If you have an infant that strains and cries when they try to go to the bathroom with no results or one that has gone three days or more without having a bowel movement, there is a good possibility that they are experiencing infant constipated. Our pediatrician told us that, generally speaking, an infant will have 3-4 bowel movements every day, but he also stated that each infant is different and you will begin to notice a pattern that could be 2 bowel movements a day or 5 bowel movements a day.
It is always good to report this immediately to your child’s pediatrician immediately to let them know. There are some natural things you can do to help alleviate newborn constipation. If you notice that they are straining, you can pull there knees up to their chest or hold them in an upright position with their knees bent.
Please note that most babies strain a little when they pass a bowel movement, even if they are breastfed. In fact, that is often your signal that you will soon have to change the next nappy! Also remember that if your baby is not passing stools too often, but seems relaxed when they do and the stools are not too hard or dry, this may simply be their pattern in the meantime. Obviously, if you are worried, you should never be too shy to ask your health care professional for advice.
Newborns will typically have a first movement of the bowels within 24 hours of being born. It is when the baby is starting to be bottle fed or breast fed that constipation will most likely occur although some studies have shown that breast fed babies are less likely to suffer from the problem.
Another cause of newborn constipation is the formula you use in the feeding of the baby. The baby might be reacting to the different types of formula if you switch formulas suddenly. So, if after switching formulas you notice the infant has started constipating, then it is probably due to the formula you are feeding the infant with. You can also change the quantity of formula you give the baby at a point in time and increase or decrease the frequency of feeding with formula. Also increase the quantity of water you give to the baby.
Within twenty-four hours, infants have their first fecal removal after birth. The stools are usually thick and sticky, which progress to soft yellow in the first week of their lives. On an average basis, breastfed babies poop eight to ten times up to their first week. Month-old babies who are breastfed have the normal habit of removing their bowels to four times a day.
Constipation can be a common cause of abdominal pain in infants, and there can be a range of variations in the frequency at which they open their bowels. Any child not passing faeces as frequently as every other day or passing very hard stools is generally regarded to be constipated. Constipation can occur in the newborn, infant, toddler, or indeed a child of any age.