Infant constipation is a concern for most new parents at some point during the first year of their baby's life. Just because your baby hasn't messed his diaper in three days doesn't mean he's necessarily constipated. Babies, especially breastfed babies, have less frequent bowel movements the older they get. But, if you're convinced your baby is suffering from constipation there are some things you can do to help relieve him. Read on for how to help a constipated baby.
Constipation Treatment in Children
Once you know that your child has constipation, you must find out the cause. Once the cause is understood it is usually just a matter of rectifying the fault that will cure the constipation.
Following are some ways in which you can treat / avoid constipation in your child.
1. Toilet trains the child. It is difficult, but with patience and regularity it will become a natural habit with the child.
2. Let the child know that anytime is OK to visit the toilet (even 2 to 3 times a day), and it does not matter whether it is morning, noon, evening, or night.
3. If the child is school-going, let the child know that it is perfectly fine to use the school toilet. Explain to the child what bad can happen if they wait until they get home to use the toilet.
4. Find out the cause of your child's constipation and solve it immediately. Waiting for it to subside by itself could only make the situation worse and put your little one into unnecessary pain and suffering.
5. Whenever you have to use a laxative, use a very mild one meant for children.
6. Feed your child more of fresh vegetables and fruits (with skin).
7. Avoid feeding your child too much junk foods, ice-cream and chocolates (a little is perfectly good for them; it helps keep them happy too).
8. See to it that your child drinks enough water. Many children do not drink sufficient water which leads to constipation.
9. Maintain good eating habits in your child.
After the age of 6 months and once your baby starts eating solid food, the frequency of bowel movements and the consistency and appearance of his stools will depend on the food he eats. Your baby’s stools will begin to look a bit more like ordinary stools in both consistency and smell. The pattern in bowel movements will also change to anything from several times a day to once every 2 to 3 days. At this point, some babies may become slightly constipated because their intestines have to get used to the composition of the new food. You need to be aware at this point that constipation could be caused by dehydration. Is your baby still taking in plenty of liquids?
Read more on http://www.herbalcureindia.com/constipation/a-complete-list-of-all-constipation-causes.htm
When a baby is constipated, the stool in the intestines has backed up more than it should. The longer this stool sits in the colon, the more water is absorbed back into the body. It can be the start of a vicious circle. This is because it will hurt your baby to pass the large hard stools that have gathered in the intestine. Cracks around the anus may appear; these may start to bleed and cause more pain. To avoid such pain, your baby may subconsciously start holding back stools.
How to help treat constipation:
A warm bath can make your baby relax so the stools are passed more easily. Then……..
Massage your baby’s tummy. With some oil on your fingers, start at the tummy button and then massage outwards in circles in a clockwise direction.
Move your baby’s legs in a quick cycling motion while he is lying on his back.
Give your baby extra fluids with bottles of cooled, boiled water.
Once your baby is older, you can start introducing more cereal (oats) and fruit or vegetable purees into their diet. These are rich in fiber and will help prevent baby constipation.
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