Constipation is a consequence of complementary feeding or its improper introduction

How does a child's stool change after the introduction of complementary foods?

Defecation of breastfed children is individual: from several times a day to 1 time a week. Breast milk provides the baby’s body with the necessary substances, which gives it the opportunity to fully develop.

After 6 months, mother's milk and formula for artificial infants are insufficient in terms of energy content and nutritional elements. Dietary changes are needed. The child needs more calories, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates.

After starting complementary feeding, defecation should be done daily so that the feces do not harden and do not injure the walls of the intestines, rectum, or anus.

With prolonged retention of stool (up to 3 days) due to the introduction of new dishes, intoxication of the body begins: skin rashes appear.

Stomach upset

In everyday life this disease is called diarrhea. This reaction is common in infants who have tried new foods. If the food is not suitable for your baby, diarrhea may occur several hours after eating.

If an upset stomach occurs, the first thing to do is to postpone eating new foods for a while. It is important to control the amount of fluid you drink to avoid the risk of dehydration. In this case, mother's milk will be the best medicine for your child; if he is artificially fed, offer him a formula. It is worth seeking medical help if your six-month-old baby poops more than 5 times a day.

We reveal the question: Choosing a special mixture for colic in newborns

The main causes of constipation

A congenital cause of fecal retention in the intestine may be Hirschsprung's disease. A pathological change in an area of ​​the intestine prevents stool from moving towards the rectum. 1% of infants suffer from the disease. Diagnosed at birth.

Constipation in an infant can occur if he is inactive due to illness, has physiologically immature intestines, and weak abdominal muscles. Taking antibacterial agents by a nursing mother or baby disrupts the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract, which first leads to dysbacteriosis and then to stool retention.

Causes of constipation not related to complementary feeding include:

• stressful situation (change of residence, unfamiliar surroundings);
• Iron-deficiency anemia;
• increased dryness of air in the apartment, on the street.

When breastfeeding at the same time, the mother's diet can provoke disturbances in the intestines. With the introduction of complementary foods, problems with bowel movements may arise due to a lack of fluid or poor nutrition. Symptoms of constipation appear after the first feeding.

Fluid deficiency

A breastfed baby does not need additional fluid. New nutritional supplements and reducing breast milk without replacing with water will make the stool thick. The baby must be taught to drink water at the same time as taking new foods.

The less milk he receives from the breast, the more he must drink water and learn to quench his thirst. Eating baked goods must be washed down with sufficient quantity of water. When switching to solid food, the volume of liquid (dried fruit compote, water for babies) is minimal - 125 milliliters, maximum - 200 milliliters.

Inappropriate diet

Errors in complementary feeding begin with determining the foods for an infant’s diet.

The baby receives meals rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and fats:

It is not advisable to introduce potatoes, bananas, or sea fish at first. A single serving should correspond to the volume of the stomach and intestines. An immature digestive tract will not be able to process the entire volume of food.

Violation of the feeding schedule

There is a certain sequence of introducing new foods into a child’s diet. At six months he should receive vegetable purees, at 7 months he should try porridge and vegetable oil, at 8 months he should try crushed fruits. Meat reaches the baby's table at 9 months, kefir at 10 months, fish products at 11 months.

This sequence in time is explained by the peculiarities of the development of the enzymatic system of the child’s body. At 6 months, not every baby’s body will be able to digest meat or fish, which will cause constipation.

Food allergy

The introduction of certain food ingredients into the baby's diet causes stool retention due to an allergic reaction.

The child’s body may not be able to assimilate:

• milk;
• eggs;
• fish;
• vegetables, berries, red fruits.

Cow's milk is one of the most common causes of food allergies. It contains 25 antigens that can cause an increased immune response. Boiled milk partially loses its allergenicity, with the exception of two proteins: casein and P-lactoglobulin.

Chicken protein contains a strong allergen - albumin, which provokes the production of immunoglobulin. Yolk does not have the same effect on the immune system. The cause of allergies to tomatoes, pomegranates, strawberries, red bell peppers, watermelon, cherries, grapes, red currants is the pigment lycopene, due to which the peel and pulp have a rich red color.

What to do in case of constipation from complementary foods

First of all, you need to consult a pediatrician, because it is he who must identify the absence of dysbiosis and other serious diseases and confirm that the reason for stool retention lies precisely in complementary feeding. Your doctor can help you determine what exactly went wrong when introducing solid foods into your baby's diet.

Dr. Komarovsky believes that constipation in childhood is a much more serious problem than a similar one for an adult, since our health throughout life depends on how the digestive system is formed in childhood. This means that this issue must be approached as seriously as possible.

Drinking regime

If the cause of constipation in a child lies in insufficient fluid intake, then it is necessary to compensate for the deficiency with fruit drinks, water, tea or dried fruit compotes (an additional laxative effect is provided). To understand whether your baby is drinking enough, consider the total fluid requirement per 1 kg of body weight, depending on age.

So, at the age of 6 months, a child needs 140 ml per kg, at 9 months - 130, at 1 year - 125, at 4 years - 105, at 7 years - 95, at 11 years - 75, at 14 - 55 ml. This is your total fluid requirement, including food, but these numbers can give you an idea of ​​how much you need to drink.

Baby menu correction

What to do if you chose porridge as the first complementary food, and the child developed constipation. Try cutting out the porridge and starting with vegetable supplements. Vegetables rich in fiber - zucchini, pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower - are ideal foods for first feeding. After all, they not only contain a lot of dietary fiber, but also rarely cause allergies.

Mashed potatoes, meat dishes, and rice porridge very often become a stumbling block for the proper functioning of the baby’s stomach and intestines, so if your child is prone to frequent constipation, give preference to other foods as complementary foods.

You can also help your child cope with constipation by including foods with a laxative effect in his menu, for example, prunes, peach, apricot, carrots, broccoli, oatmeal and others. You can add a small amount of vegetable oil to your baby’s dishes, this will make bowel movements easier.

If your child has already become familiar with many foods, then the ideal dish for preventing constipation during complementary feeding will, of course, be soup. You can prepare regular soup or puree soup, it doesn’t matter, the main thing is not to use rich meat broths. For children, it is better to cook soups with vegetable broth or broth made from poultry or lean fish.

When preparing soups with beef or pork, the first water must be drained, that is, after the liquid boils, drain it completely, pour in new water and cook the dish with it. If your baby receives complementary foods correctly, balanced and in a timely manner, but constipation does not go away, help your baby with a massage.

Massage to improve digestion

According to Dr. Komarovsky, constipation in a child can be overcome with an extremely simple tummy massage. You can ask your pediatrician to show you the basic techniques, or read them through literature or the Internet.

The main massage movements for the abdomen are circular strokes from the navel to the ribs. They need to be performed by applying slight pressure, slightly vibrating and springing with your hand. It is better to carry out the massage procedure on an empty stomach, after bathing in the evening or immediately after the baby wakes up. By stroking twice a day for 10 minutes, you will help your baby cope with the difficult task of digesting solid food.

Physical education for baby

Physical exercise even at a very early age is the key to excellent functioning of the digestive organs, so do not forget about morning exercises:

1. Place the baby on the changing table on his tummy, with his head turned to one side. Place your palm as a support under the baby’s feet and let him, pushing off your hand, make crawling movements for 2-3 minutes.
2. Turn the baby onto his back. Take his hands by the palms and pull him towards you, helping to lift his torso. Such exercises for your baby’s abs will help his intestinal muscles become toned.
3. The baby lies on his back, take his legs by the ankles, lift them at an angle of 90° to the body, bend them at the knees, and press them firmly to the chest. Repeat 10-15 times.
4. The starting position is the same, taking the baby by the legs, pedal an imaginary bicycle in the air for 2-3 minutes.

These exercises will not only help improve digestion, but will also improve your child’s health. You can also sign up your baby for infant swimming or give preference to fitball - these sports are not only useful, but also give children pleasure.

How to understand that a child is constipated - symptoms and signs

Stool retention can be determined by the child's condition. An active, cheerful baby, with a good appetite and sleep, does not experience abdominal discomfort. Attention should be drawn to anxiety and crying for no reason, sleep disturbances, and aversion to food. When the urge to defecate begins, the child tenses, blushes, and cries. The baby's abdomen is tense.

Feces with constipation have characteristic signs: fecal plug at the beginning of defecation, a liquid substance at the end. In advanced cases, with a delay of more than 3 days, the stool comes out hard, falling apart, with blood clots.

An indirect sign that constipation is beginning is a decrease in the number of urinations. After six months, normally there should be at least 15 per day. Decreased urine volume and thick stools are signs of a lack of fluid in the body.

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.

Baby stool up to six months has a semi-liquid consistency. It is yellow in color, without an unpleasant odor, and may contain particles of undigested breast milk in the form of curdled inclusions. Artificial feces are denser and may have a characteristic specific odor.

Read also: one month old baby does not poop

Signs and symptoms of constipation

The main thing you need to pay attention to is the general condition of the child and the consistency of the stool. Symptoms indicating constipation include:

• A child with constipation is capricious and cries;
• restless behavior of the child during bowel movements: the baby often strains, but straining does not lead to any result, expression of pain on the face, pushing, crying;
• any attempt to empty the intestines is accompanied by screams and restless movements of the baby;
• When a baby is constipated, the feces are hard: either they look like peas, or the first portion looks like a “cork”, followed by a mushy mass;
• incomplete bowel movement;
• regular stool retention for 1 – 2 days;
• restless sleep;
• refusal to eat;
• absence of gases;
• causeless crying;
• bloating;
• pulling your knees to your chest;
• vomit.

The manifestation of one or two of these signs does not mean that the baby is constipated, but if several symptoms are present, you can be quite confident in the diagnosis and begin treatment. First of all, be sure to contact the pediatrician observing the child. It is necessary to exclude the possibility of an intestinal reaction to medications taken, new foods, the start of complementary feeding and other factors that provoke difficulties in the gastrointestinal tract. Be sure to diagnose dysbiosis, allergic reactions and other digestive pathologies. A nursing mother should urgently introduce into her diet foods that activate the motility of intestinal smooth muscles: boiled prunes, beets, pumpkin. For children after six months, in the absence of allergies, these products can also be used as complementary foods.

If the child is calm, does not refuse the breast or bottle, and bowel movements do not cause him discomfort, then this is definitely not constipation. In newborns, mother's milk or formula can be absorbed so well that they simply cannot go to the toilet.

If the listed problems are still present, then before treating constipation, it is necessary to find out the reasons.

How to help your baby

An infant, including a newborn, needs effective help to empty the intestines when constipated.

To activate peristalsis, certain manipulations must be done:

1. Massage your baby's belly clockwise for a few minutes.
2. Then place it on a hard surface with your back facing up and leave for 5 minutes.
3. Turn it over, bend your knees and press it to his chest.
4. Rotate your legs alternately, performing the “bicycle” exercise.

In cases where constipation lasts more than 2 days, infants are given medications in the form of laxatives, suppositories, and enemas. Laxative medications for young children should be prescribed by a doctor. Glycerin suppositories and enemas with warm boiled water will help remove thick stool.

Adjusting your diet

Adjusting your diet includes three elements:

• eliminating foods that cause constipation;
• increasing the share of vegetables and fruits;
• compliance with the diet.

If there is a tendency to constipation, fatty, high-calorie, viscous foods should be removed from the infant's menu:

• milk 3.2%;
• cottage cheese 18%;
• kefir 3.2%;
• pork;
• mutton;
• salmon;
• herring;
• rice;
• semolina;
• fresh baked goods;
• boiled carrots.

Instead of foods rich in fats and carbohydrates, the child is given skim milk, cottage cheese, kefir, dietary meats, fish, and bran bread. The diet includes purees of cauliflower, zucchini, prunes, apricots, and pumpkins, which have a laxative effect on the intestines. Oatmeal and buckwheat are rich in fiber, which prevents stool from thickening. Vegetable oil is used as a laxative, adding a few drops of it to prepared dishes.

A meal schedule helps improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The child is given laxative products at certain hours to help cleanse the intestines at the same time. The combination of products helps improve taste and correct excretory function: fruit additives are added to porridges, and vegetable additives are added to meat dishes.

Administration scheme

The main rule of complementary feeding is gradualism. The product is given in small quantities daily, at the same time of day. A week is allotted for the introduction of each vegetable and another week for the child to adapt to the new product. The daily volume of vegetable puree before a year is 150 g, after - 200 g.

• 1 day - 5 g (1 tsp);
• Day 2 - 10 g (2 tsp);
• Day 3 - 15 g (3 tsp);
• Day 4 - 20 g (4 tsp);
• Day 5 - 50 g (10 tsp);
• Day 6 - 100 g (20 tsp);
• Day 7 - 150 g (30 tsp).

After 2 weeks, you can begin to introduce another type of vegetable into the child’s diet according to a similar scheme.

Recommended age for introducing basic vegetables into complementary foods

The data given in the table are approximate values.

Preventive measures

Constipation is a consequence of poor nutrition. Due to impaired bowel movements, there will be problems with metabolism, stomach, and intestines, which will be more difficult to correct with age.

To avoid constipation, complementary feeding begins with minimal doses: half a teaspoon. Every day the volume increases by 10-15 grams.

At first, zucchini and cauliflower are suitable for vegetable purees. You should not prepare fruit puree from red-skinned apples, raspberries, and red currants. Grated pears, green apples, apricots, plums are a suitable option at the initial stage of complementary feeding.

The period for introducing a full norm of the product into a child’s diet is at least 2 weeks. To make the task easier, you need to create a menu for this period, in which you indicate when, how much and what the baby should receive. At the first signs of constipation, you can determine which product was introduced into the problem in order to change your diet.

Constipation when introducing complementary foods is common. The newborn’s body, accustomed to mother’s milk, may react negatively to the introduction of new products. To normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and relieve the child of discomfort due to constipation, it is worth changing the first feeding regimen and taking a number of other measures.

Basic rules for cooking vegetables

The functioning of the intestines directly depends on nutrition, on the order in which new dishes are introduced into the diet. It is important to give a little at a time (start with half a teaspoon), gradually increasing to a whole serving. It is advisable to feed your baby only after 6 months.

According to WHO recommendations, complementary feeding is given the following periods:

1. From 6 months (for artificial babies all the dates are slightly shifted, vegetables are introduced 2-4 weeks earlier) the baby will have his first acquaintance with vegetable puree. Cauliflower, zucchini, and broccoli are ideal. First, the puree is made very liquid and diluted with breast milk.
2. If the baby tolerates vegetables well, at 7 months it’s time to try dairy-free cereals (more details in the article: what should a small child eat at 7 months?). Buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, and corn are good for the intestines. You can add a little vegetable oil to the puree.
3. From the age of 8 months, they begin to get acquainted with fruits, which are first pureed by rubbing through a sieve. You can try baby cookies.
4. At 9 months, the baby is ready to try lean meat, which is most often added to soup in the form of meatballs. You can also add butter to dishes.
5. At 10, fermented milk products are introduced into the diet: cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt.
6. After 11 months, you can give your child fish.

In addition, during the day the baby should receive from 120 to 200 ml of water; for infants this amount may be less, but for artificial babies it is imperative to drink well. Lack of water also leads to constipation. You can give clean water (preferably baby water, not boiled water) or compote.

1. The vegetable must be thoroughly washed and seeds and peel removed.
2. Pour boiling water over the bowl containing the zucchini puree.
3. Prolonged heat treatment is not allowed.
4. To obtain a homogeneous consistency, puree the vegetable in a blender or rub through a sieve.

Why does constipation occur after introducing complementary foods?

If you establish the cause of constipation after complementary feeding, you can eliminate the problem without resorting to medications.

• incorrect introduction of products. New foods were introduced comprehensively and in large quantities;
• portions too big. Perhaps you give your child too much food, which his stomach cannot digest, and the food enters the intestines not completely digested;
• early feeding Constipation can occur if a newborn's diet changes before the age of six months;
• lack of fluid. When breastfeeding, the baby had enough mother's milk without the need to include water in the diet. But with the transition to “adult” food, it is necessary to include the required amount of liquid in the menu;
• insufficient physical activity. During physical activity, intestinal motility is activated, so with low mobility, fecal stagnation may occur;
• unbalanced mother's diet. If, along with the introduction of new foods, the mother continues to breastfeed her baby, perhaps some of the foods she ate could cause constipation with the introduction of complementary foods.

When stagnation of feces occurs in the intestines, the fermentation process begins; fecal breakdown products can poison the body, being absorbed through the thin walls of the rectum.

If your baby is constipated from complementary feeding, take immediate action.

Folk remedies for 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.

The primary task is to determine the main cause of defecation disorders in infants and eliminate provoking factors, which include:

• in newborns and babies in the first months of life, constipation can occur due to malnutrition in the mother, abuse of harmful and strengthening foods in the diet;
• if infants have congenital gastrointestinal diseases and disorders of the digestive process, abnormalities in the structure of the stomach, intestines, disruption of the supply of enzymes for food processing;
• When a baby is constipated while bottle-fed, Dr. Evgeniy Komarovsky pays attention to the drinking regime, namely, supplementing children with water in addition to formula. Insufficient fluid intake can provoke dehydration, hard feces are formed, and stool retention;
• a danger to normal digestion is posed by the early introduction of complementary foods - an unformed enzymatic system does not allow the complete digestion of new foods;
• The harm comes from the abundance of new products in the infant's complementary feeding; according to Komarovsky, the frequent introduction of new complementary foods does not allow the child's body to adapt and causes disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract;
• Dr. Komarovsky calls for attention to the introduction of unadapted mixtures into the diet, unbalanced in composition, inappropriate for age, reloading with vitamins and beneficial nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract of an infant, which can cause the risk of developing constipation and allergic reactions;
• violation of the number of feedings, according to Komarovsky, leads to overload of the digestive tract and is fraught with malfunction of the intestines;
• incorrect breastfeeding technique or bottle feeding method - the baby swallows a lot of air, flatulence, intestinal colic, spastic intestinal reaction and constipation develop;
• Dr. Evgeny Komarovsky emphasizes that respiratory diseases of infants are often accompanied by defecation disorders, toxins accumulate in the intestines, causing constipation;
• A sudden transition from breastfeeding to artificial feeding can be a factor in the impairment of somatic health, a psychogenic provocateur of constipation.

Dr. Komarovsky notes that determining the etiology of constipation is already half of the treatment, because knowing the cause, you can choose methods of treatment and correction of digestive tract disorders.

Dr. Evgeniy Komarovsky notes that in the treatment of a pathological condition in infants, one should focus on the severity of the condition. In case of short-term constipation, no weight loss, fever or changes in the child’s behavior, the mother can limit herself to home methods after agreement with the pediatrician:

• tummy massage to relieve spastic phenomena and stimulate intestinal motility;
• stimulation of defecation by irritating methods - gas tube, glycerin suppository.

It is effective to administer microenemas to infants that contain drugs with laxative properties or the use of medications with Lactulose orally. According to Komarovsky, it is necessary to use these methods for prolonged constipation and the lack of effect of non-drug methods of stimulating the gastrointestinal tract.

Komarovsky’s opinion about constipation in infants during breastfeeding comes down to the need to adjust the mother’s diet and drinking regime to correct the qualitative and quantitative composition of milk. The diet includes more first courses, fresh vegetables, fruits, and milk porridges. It is recommended to drink at least 1.5 - 2 liters of clean drinking water.

Changing the feeding schedule helps - if the child is malnourished or is a “lazy sucker”, the development of constipation is inevitable. In such situations, it is recommended to feed not on demand, but according to a schedule relative to the age of the baby.

Dr. Komarovsky’s opinion when using formulas is to focus the attention of the mother and the attending physician on the mixture that the child eats. The mixture should contain exclusively natural nutrients, vitamins and probiotics to help establish normal intestinal microflora. Otherwise, constipation is possible.

In addition to the formula, the baby should receive an adequate amount of drinking water to prevent dehydration and constipation.

Komarovsky’s opinion about constipation in a baby with mixed feeding comes down to an imbalance in the consumption of milk and formula. Many mothers, believing that there is not enough breast milk, increase the dosage of the formula at a time, causing overload of the digestive tract instead of benefit for the baby.

Dr. Evgeniy Komarovsky points out that often even the best adapted formula may not be compatible with milk. This is one of the reasons why pediatricians recommend not using formula when breastfeeding. If there is a small amount of breast milk, it is worth completely switching to artificial feeding.

A doctor can determine drug treatment for an infant up to one year after preliminary tests and instrumental examination of the digestive tract. Komarovsky strongly advises against self-medicating constipation.

When treating infants, one should focus on the safety of the drugs, natural composition, and the absence of contraindications for the baby to take medications. The pleasant taste of the drug for constipation is especially important for children over 6 months of age.

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Pharmacy drugs

The course of treatment with medications in infants depends on the severity of disorders in the body, the cause of development and duration of constipation.

Stool norms in newborns

It is considered normal for an infant to have a bowel movement at least 1-2 times every 2 days. But if bowel movements occur less frequently, but the baby feels fine, has a good appetite, and is not capricious, then you have no reason to worry.

But if bowel movements occur rarely and the baby behaves restlessly, pulls his legs towards his stomach, and refuses to eat, this may indicate difficult bowel movements. You can also monitor how he goes to the toilet. If the baby strains, refuses to go to the toilet, the feces have a hard consistency and the shape of granules, this indicates stagnation of feces in the intestines.

Measures for complications

Constipation

Pay attention to your diet and make adjustments to it. Eliminate the latter types of dishes. A sufficient amount of fluid will contribute to recovery. Put aside pills, enemas and other mechanisms for cleansing the intestines. Artificial stimulation is addictive, leading to difficult natural release of feces.

Loose stools

Minimize the risk of dehydration by replenishing lost moisture. Offer mother's milk, and for the artificial baby - formula. If loose, watery stool bothers your child more than five times a day, then do not hesitate to visit a doctor. This condition is dangerous for a baby.

Allergy

Determine which product you are allergic to. The allergen is detected using laboratory tests. Introduce complementary foods carefully, no more than one product per week, record them in a special food diary.

What foods cause constipation during complementary feeding?

If your child is constipated after introducing complementary foods, it is worth reviewing his menu. Often, parents introduce prohibited foods into the diet because they believe that the child is not getting enough to eat, or because they react to the fact that the baby refuses to eat allowed food.

What can a baby eat:

• foods containing fiber. Such food contains coarse fibers; when digested, they stimulate the active production of digestive enzymes, which improves food processing and stimulates the intestines;
• Prunes have a good laxative effect. When you reach the required age, you can include prunes in the menu in the form of puree or compote;
• vegetable oil lubricates the intestinal walls and facilitates the passage of feces;
• Fermented milk products normalize intestinal microflora.

It is also important to normalize your drinking regime. The baby needs to drink 50-100 ml of clean water per day.

Prohibited foods for constipation:

• rice porrige;
• bananas, pears;
• flour products;
• potato;
• whole milk;
• fatty cottage cheese;
• fat meat.

If the baby is still breastfed, the mother also needs to change her eating habits. Include more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet, drink at least 1.5 liters of water a day, give up flour, spicy, fatty foods, legumes, and white cabbage.

What medications can be used in infants for constipation?

In medicine, it is believed that a baby up to three months old should have bowel movements two to four times a day.
And constipation is a condition when there is no stool for more than two days. But here everything is individual. Sometimes it happens that a breastfed baby completely absorbs mother's milk. And he has a bowel movement every 3-5 days. Before panicking and giving the baby medication, the mother needs to find out what symptoms accompany constipation in the baby. Komarovsky says that if the baby is developing well and gaining weight, is cheerful and sleeps normally, and bowel movements do not cause him discomfort, then rare bowel movements are normal.

We can talk about the disease when, in addition to constipation, the child has other symptoms: gas formation, pain, bloating, loss of appetite. In addition, it is very important to pay attention to the condition of the stool. In infants, it should be mushy, soft, and yellowish. If a child is constipated, his stool will be dark in color, have an unpleasant odor, and be hard.

After birth, the functioning of all the baby’s organs improves for some time. In the first three days, the baby passes black-green plasticine-like feces - meconium. Then, until one and a half months, the baby poops as many times as he eats - 8-12. His stools are mushy, yellowish in color, with a sour odor.

But before 3 or 4 months, the baby’s intestinal functions have not yet fully developed; many enzymes and beneficial bacteria are missing. Therefore, constipation in a newborn often occurs at this time. Komarovsky urges parents not to panic, but to try to improve the diet of the nursing mother or consult a doctor about choosing formula milk.

A child who eats mother's milk may not poop for up to 3-4 days. This is considered normal if the baby is not bothered by anything, if he is cheerful and cheerful, sleeps well and is gaining weight. This means that breast milk is suitable for him and is well absorbed. Only in rare cases does a baby develop real constipation during breastfeeding.

What rules should a woman follow so that her child has regular bowel movements?

• You need to drink at least 2 liters of water, it will help stimulate intestinal motility;
• regularly eat prunes, dried apricots, raisins and beets;
• the daily menu should include buckwheat or oatmeal, pumpkin, apricots, plums and fermented milk products;
• it is necessary to exclude coffee, tea, chocolate, smoked foods, fatty and spicy foods from the diet;
• You should limit your intake of rice, legumes, potatoes, fresh milk, walnuts and baked goods.

But even if the mother follows all the rules, sometimes a baby experiences constipation while breastfeeding. Komarovsky believes that this is due to a lack of water. He recommends feeding your baby with clean water or raisin decoction in hot weather. But it is not advisable to use a bottle with a nipple for this, so that the baby does not get used to it. You can give your child water from a spoon or a special drinking bowl, and a very small child can be given water from a syringe without a needle.

If, when breastfeeding, mothers rarely encounter real problems in emptying the baby’s intestines, then this happens more often with artificial mothers. What can you do to prevent constipation in a bottle-fed baby? Komarovsky recommends following these rules:

• The mixture must be diluted strictly according to the instructions; it cannot be made more concentrated;
• Be sure to give your baby water, maybe adding a few drops of dill seed decoction;
• if a child experiences constipation frequently, it is necessary to change the formula, choosing one that contains lactobacilli.

It is not recommended to give babies any medications without consulting a doctor. Even the safest drugs approved for use from birth can harm the immature intestinal microflora of a child. Therefore, only in extreme cases is it recommended to use medications to cure constipation in infants.

• It is best to use preparations containing lactulose. This is the safest laxative. Lactulose syrup is a prebiotic. It stimulates the production of beneficial bacteria in the intestines and helps remove feces. The following drugs containing lactulose are recommended: Duphalac, Normaze, Portalak, Lizalak and some others. To begin with, it is better to give these medications in a reduced dosage. And if you need long-term use, you should definitely consult your doctor.
• To reduce gas formation in the intestines, doctors prescribe the following drugs to children: Espumisan, Plantex or Sub-Simplex. They help relieve cramps and gently remove gases, relieving bloating.
• Komarovsky considers glycerin suppositories to be the best remedy for constipation in infants. Children's ones are very rarely sold on sale, but regular ones can also be used. One candle needs to be cut in half lengthwise and then crosswise. You will get four parts. You need to smooth out all the edges of one piece of candle with clean hands and carefully insert it into the baby’s anus. Gently squeeze his buttocks and hold for a while. This suppository will help soften stool and gently move it out.

“In infants, rare bowel movements almost always indicate that the food the child eats is of high quality, suits him perfectly and is almost completely absorbed,” says Evgeny Komarovsky. – And if the baby is fed breast milk or an adapted formula, if you introduce the correct complementary foods on time, but the baby does not poop for up to six days in a row, this is normal. Provided, of course, that this does not cause him discomfort and does not affect his well-being and development.

The better the food is digested, the less often the baby goes to the potty.

That is why most often the problem is not in the child, but in his environment.

“Grandmothers, having learned that the baby has not gone to the potty for two days, immediately begin to lament about this, advising to “treat” him with folk methods, and mothers worry and look longingly at the empty potty,” says Evgeniy Olegovich. – In this case, the cause of stool retention may be, for example, excessive mother’s care. Judge for yourself.

Let's say mom has two potatoes. She can boil them in their uniforms and give them to the child, and he will absorb 80% of this dish, the rest will come out naturally. Or mom can boil them, peel them, mash them properly, add milk and butter. The result will be a liquid puree that will be absorbed almost entirely.

How to properly feed a newborn

First of all, constipation in a baby when introducing complementary foods can occur if foods are not included correctly in the diet. It is forbidden to give several products at the same time. The menu update should proceed as follows: you prepare a puree from one vegetable, for example, it will be zucchini, and give it to the child for a week. If the newborn does not experience any negative reactions from the zucchini in the digestive system, you stop feeding this product and introduce another. During the week, you give your baby puree from another vegetable. When the next week goes well, continue to include foods in the same manner. Be sure to write down the foods you give to your baby to avoid confusion.

When all permitted products have been successfully introduced into the menu, you can reduce the rotation intervals to 3 days.

That is, give a certain product for 3 days, then move on to the next one. If constipation does not begin with the introduction of complementary foods in this mode, you can start mixing foods into multi-component purees.

It is also worth following the order of introducing your baby to new foods as his digestive system develops. At 6 months, vegetable purees are allowed, at 7 - porridge, vegetable oils, at 8 - fruit purees, baked goods, at 9 - meat, at 10 - dairy products, at 11 - fish.

How to eliminate constipation in a child when introducing complementary foods

In addition to correcting the diet, it is important to mechanically stimulate intestinal motility. For this, special gymnastics is used.

• Give your baby a tummy massage several times every day. To do this, warm your hands and make 5-6 circular movements clockwise across the stomach with light pressure;
• Before each feeding, place your baby on his stomach for 5-10 minutes. To enhance the effect, scatter bright toys next to him so that the child reaches for them;
• Do the “Birch tree” exercise with your child: lift the baby’s legs up and hold them in this position. The “Bicycle” exercise will also help: take the newborn’s legs by the ankle joint and make several rotational movements;
• take a large inflatable ball and place the child on it with his stomach down, make a few rocking movements.

If the difficulty of emptying causes great discomfort to the baby or lasts more than 4 days, it is worth using radical measures.

You can give the baby an enema, give a laxative, or light a suppository.

You should not abuse laxatives for constipation, as they lead to intestinal atony, and it refuses to excrete feces without additional stimulation.

In case of constipation, it is important to respond in a timely manner to disturbances in the functioning of the newborn’s intestines and coordinate all measures to prevent disturbances with the doctor.

Constipation in an infant when complementary foods are introduced is a pathological condition characterized by the absence of bowel movements for more than a day. Complementary feeding should be introduced to the baby on the recommendation of the pediatrician, no earlier than 4 months. Do not trust reviews on the Internet or advice from grandmothers; each child’s body is individual.

Rules for introducing complementary foods

To prevent constipation when introducing complementary foods to cause discomfort in the baby, doctors advise starting to give pureed vegetables and fruits. For these purposes you can use:

1. Apples.
2. Pears.
3. Cauliflower.
4. Zucchini.

Such ingredients cleanse the intestines on their own, so complementary feeding should not lead to constipation. It is worth understanding that any new product after feeding exclusively with milk is stressful for the child.

His digestive system is not ready for a sudden change in diet. There are frequent cases of disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, which are expressed in the form of diarrhea or constipation.

The cause of constipation can be the early introduction of complementary foods, especially for a bottle-fed child.

You can change the diet only after 6 months; before that it is better to feed the baby with breast milk or special formulas.

If constipation occurs when introducing complementary foods, there is no need to worry or panic.

In some cases, the problem can be greatly exaggerated by the parents themselves; in addition, getting rid of constipation on your own is not always easy and can harm the baby; it is better to consult a pediatrician and listen to his advice.

You need to understand that mother’s milk is almost completely absorbed by the body, and if the baby does not have a bowel movement for 2-3 days, then this is considered normal.

Even in healthy children, bowel movements can occur once a week due to individual characteristics. When complementary foods are introduced, the situation should immediately change and the baby should have bowel movements 1-2 times a day.

If constipation is suspected, parents should pay attention to the following factors:

1. Child's moodiness, sleep disturbance and loss of appetite.
2. You need to feel your stomach and if it is hard, then constipation and fecal retention are indeed possible.
3. Constipation after complementary feeding may be accompanied by a skin rash, since many toxins accumulate in the intestines, which can enter the bloodstream.

In some cases, constipation after the introduction of complementary foods appears due to a lack of water in the body. As a rule, the problem appears in the heat, with illness or lack of water consumed.

In this case, attention is also paid to urination. A healthy child should have about 20 urinations per day, and after six months of age about 15 times.

Constipation is often accompanied by allergies and appears after introducing complementary foods. This manifestation is typical for certain products, but the main ones are:

1. Milk.
2. Eggs.
3. Fish.
4. Vegetables and fruits are red.

As a rule, allergies are accompanied not only by a rash, but also by dry skin and itching. To get rid of allergies and stool retention, it is necessary to exclude provoking foods from complementary foods.

This is easy to determine if one ingredient is used for administration for a week, after which the child’s condition must be recorded in a special notebook.

It is forbidden to start complementary feeding with several ingredients at once. Therefore, if puree is chosen during complementary feeding, then for a whole week it should be prepared from only one vegetable or fruit, after which other products should be added.

If complementary foods are already quite rich, but an allergy appears, then you need to remove one product from the diet every 5 days and monitor the condition.

Constipation always increases the allergy condition, which means that if symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor.

Rules for introducing complementary foods to children

Premature introduction of a baby to dense foods can put a strain on the digestive system. Breastfeeding for up to six months serves as a prevention of gastrointestinal diseases such as constipation and diarrhea.

Opinions differ about the age at which complementary feeding should begin. If the mother's breast milk is insufficient, doctors allow infants to introduce complementary feeding starting at 4 months. According to WHO recommendations, infants should be introduced to new products no earlier than 6 months.

Complementary foods are administered in the following order:

1. Vegetable puree (zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower).
2. Dairy-free porridge. Start with rice and buckwheat; oatmeal is not suitable due to its laxative properties.
3. Fruit puree (apples, pears).
4. Meat purees (rabbit, turkey, chicken).
5. Fermented milk products (milk, cottage cheese).
6. Fish puree.
7. Egg yolk.

Preparing complementary foods from zucchini

Zucchini is a source of vitamins and microelements, is easy to prepare and does not cause allergic reactions in the baby, which is why mothers choose it as the first complementary food. Despite these positive qualities of the product, after its introduction, the digestive system of an infant may react with stool retention.

Zucchini contains a large amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, which are difficult to digest by the child’s immature digestive system. It also contains fiber, which helps harden stool.

The baby's body is accustomed to digesting only breast milk, so new solid foods can make it difficult to process and absorb food in the intestines.

Most parents prefer to prepare purees at home rather than buy a ready-made product. When preparing zucchini puree yourself, you need to pay attention to the quality of the vegetable and its heat treatment. Zucchini is introduced into the baby’s diet gradually in boiled or steamed form. If the baby's stool frequency and consistency have changed, it is necessary to postpone complementary feeding with this vegetable for 3 weeks.

Causes and symptoms of constipation

The introduction of new products into the diet of a baby in the first year of life should be accompanied by the intake of fluid (at least 150 ml per day). You can give your baby raisin decoction, baby mineral water, or dried fruit compote.

After introducing complementary foods

After the introduction of complementary foods, constipation in an infant occurs due to the premature introduction of a new product, allergic reactions, low-quality products, and insufficient heat treatment.

Symptoms:

• when defecating, the baby turns red, cries, groans, and strains;
• the baby's tummy is hard;
• general condition worsens: the child is anxious, capricious;
• no stool for more than 2 days;
• A skin rash indicates the accumulation of toxic substances in the body.

To prevent pathological conditions, pediatrician Komarovsky recommends introducing complementary foods when the baby is absolutely healthy. The absence of bowel movements for 2 days is considered normal if the child’s general condition has not changed: the newborn baby actively plays and eats.

After changing formula for artificial feeding

Formula for feeding is prescribed and replaced as prescribed by the pediatrician. Normally, bowel movements in artificial babies should occur at least 1-2 times a day.

To prevent constipation after switching to a new formula, change it gradually. Read the instructions carefully before use. Dilute the product correctly; it is better to make the mixture more liquid than indicated in the instructions than to concentrate it too much. Before purchasing, check the expiration date of the product.

The cause of gastrointestinal disorders after replacing formula is individual intolerance to the components. For constipation, pediatricians recommend mixtures with lactobacilli and drinking plenty of fluids.

We monitor changes in the baby’s stool after introducing various foods into complementary foods

Each new stage of a baby’s physiological development is exciting for parents. Moms and dads are sensitive to the health of the child.

New food is not only new taste sensations, but also all sorts of responses from the body to foods familiar to adults.

Mothers are sometimes overly suspicious and make an appointment with a pediatrician when there is no cause for concern and no deviations from the norm are observed.

On a note. Stool after the introduction of complementary foods is undoubtedly an important indicator. But the authoritative doctor E.O. Komarovsky recommends paying attention to appetite, emotional state, and body temperature. The smell, consistency, and color of baby stool are secondary signs. It is not necessary to study the contents of the pot to identify health problems.

General provisions

Stool that is yellowish in color and has a runny consistency is typical for a breastfed baby. With the consumption of different foods, the appearance of stool changes. It becomes thick, dark or hard.

Greenish inclusions and whitish lumps indicate a large amount of food intake or too active introduction of complementary foods. Until six months, due to physiological characteristics manifested in the form of increased intestinal permeability, the child’s body does not need complementary feeding. During this period, the nutritional properties of mother's milk are sufficient.

The World Health Organization is categorically against early complementary feeding.

The administration process should occur smoothly and gradually, each time increasing the volume of the portion. At the initial stages, a teaspoon will be enough. The adaptation process should not be shorter than seven days. Different intensity of stool color when consuming the same product, for example, fruit puree, indicates addiction, and not the presence of pathologies.

The smell of your stool will change after eating solid foods. It will become sharper and more unpleasant, noticeable even through the diaper. Undigested pieces of food may be found in the stool. The process of breaking down proteins, fats and carbohydrates by digestive enzymes has not yet been fully formed. The gastrointestinal tract gradually adapts to digestion. The color of the stool is related to the shade of the product consumed.

On a note. E.O. Komarovsky claims that the best remedy for constipation is fiber.

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The first full meals are prepared from vegetables. Doctors advise starting with potatoes, zucchini, broccoli or cauliflower. A child's stool turns green after eating zucchini or an apple. Zucchini is low in calories and is indicated for anemia. This oblong fruit is indispensable in baby food due to the presence of:

• fiber: necessary for better intestinal permeability;
• potassium: useful for the cardiovascular system, kidneys, participates in the transmission of nerve impulses;
• copper: participates in the metabolic process, increases resistance to infections, delivers oxygen to the muscles.

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Cabbage and other green vegetables boast a high content of calcium and vitamin E. Plant fibers and pectin substances normalize the functioning of the stomach.

Despite the usefulness of vegetables, a child may be categorically unsatisfied with their taste. Under no circumstances should you be forced to swallow food you don't like.

This will cause unnecessary stress, and the feeding process will turn into torture.

A banana or pear can act as a laxative and have a consolidating effect if the stool is loose. Depends on individual characteristics. If a child periodically suffers from loose stools, then it is worth giving blueberries. It contains a polyphenol of plant origin - tannin. This tannin will help with diarrhea.

When eating bananas, streaks of reddish or brown color form in the stool. They can be mistaken for traces of blood. The child’s condition is stable, he is cheerful, playful, does not complain about his health, then his fears are groundless. After complementary feeding, the regularity of the baby’s stool changes; he walks “in a big way” less often, 1-2 times a day.

Mothers must continuously monitor the baby’s behavior and record the slightest deviations. A change in the nature of feces is not always associated with the introduction of complementary foods. May be the result of viral or bacterial infections. If loose stools are accompanied by fever and pain in the abdomen, seek medical help.

When the body is completely accustomed to one product, introduce the next one. Make the previous complementary foods for breakfast, which will replace breastfeeding after waking up.

Cottage cheese turns stool yellow, beets - red. Feeding buckwheat porridge makes stool brown. All this is within normal limits, the main thing is that the process of bowel movements is painless and the child’s bowel movements are regular.

On a note. E.O. Komarovsky does not recommend giving castor oil to infants as a laxative.

The process of introducing complementary foods does not always proceed smoothly and asymptomatically. The body can react sharply to the slightest innovations in the usual menu. Can appear:

1. Constipation or loose stools;
2. Gastrointestinal disorders;
3. Skin rashes, inflammation, allergic reactions.

The child sometimes refuses to taste new food. Children who are exclusively breastfed suffer the most.

Don't envy mothers whose babies have a good appetite. The amount of food required to satiate is the same individual parameter as height, weight, foot size.

For some, a jar of yogurt is enough, while others, after a hearty meal, get up from the table with a slight feeling of hunger. Additional tricks in an effort to feed tightly will aggravate the situation. Riots and protests will not be long in coming.

On a note. If the act of defecation is accompanied by pain, then the reason is insufficient water in the body. A dense and thick fecal lump damages the rectal mucosa. During intense physical activity, as well as in the hot season, E.O. Komarovsky recommends drinking plenty of fluids.

Pay attention to your diet and make adjustments to it. Eliminate the latter types of dishes. A sufficient amount of fluid will contribute to recovery. Put aside pills, enemas and other mechanisms for cleansing the intestines. Artificial stimulation is addictive, leading to difficult natural release of feces.

Loose stools

Minimize the risk of dehydration by replenishing lost moisture. Offer mother's milk, and for the artificial baby - formula. If loose, watery stool bothers your child more than five times a day, then do not hesitate to visit a doctor. This condition is dangerous for a baby.

Allergy

Determine which product you are allergic to. The allergen is detected using laboratory tests. Introduce complementary foods carefully, no more than one product per week, record them in a special food diary.

Each new stage in the formation of a newborn baby’s body is accompanied by certain changes in the child’s body. The introduction of additional products into the infant's diet brings with it a number of characteristic changes that affect the color and consistency of the newborn's stool. This is due to the response of the child’s body to the assimilation of food elements unfamiliar to it.

Such changes often cause anxiety among young parents, as they associate them with illness.

The nature of the bowel movements of a child receiving complementary foods is an important indicator of the correctness of the parents’ actions, however, this sign can be considered indirect.

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More informative signs indicating the general condition of the child are the baby’s behavior, his appetite, the degree of motor activity and the level of interest in the external environment.

When a baby consumes mother's breast milk or artificial milk formula, his stool has a runny consistency and a yellowish tint.

The appearance of new foods in the diet is accompanied by a change in the color and density of feces. The feces of a newborn acquire a dark color, become thick and even hard.

If parents find greenish inclusions in the baby’s stool, this indicates an excess of additional products in the baby’s diet.

Important! The World Health Organization strongly discourages early introduction of complementary foods. Such experiments lead to the formation of digestive disorders in a newborn child.

Inexperienced parents need to make it a rule that foods unfamiliar to the child’s body should be introduced gradually, systematically increasing their volume. The initial volume of complementary foods is no more than 1 tsp. per day. The duration of adaptation of the baby’s body to new nutritional conditions ranges from 7 to 14 days. For some children, this process lasts up to 21 days.

The introduction of solid foods into the diet is accompanied by a change in the smell of the baby's stool. It becomes sharp and is felt even when the baby is in a diaper. In addition, parents can observe particles of undigested food in the baby's stool, indicating adaptation of the enzymatic system to new conditions.

Can a baby be constipated from formula?

Reasons for stool problems when introducing a new formula:

1. Individual intolerance.
2. Improper preparation, increased concentration.
3. Insufficient intake of water into the baby's body.
4. Poor quality product.
5. Expired date.

If the baby does not have stool after feeding, or the general condition is disturbed, try diluting the mixture in more water. If the measure does not help, contact your pediatrician.

Your doctor can help you choose a constipation formula that contains prebiotics and probiotics. Prebiotics soften stool and fill the intestines with beneficial bifidobacteria. Probiotics rid the gastrointestinal tract of harmful bacteria and normalize digestion.

Preventing constipation

Everyone knows that it is better to prevent a problem than to look for ways to cope with it. Dr. Komarovsky talks a lot about constipation in infants, but the main thing he focuses on is the need to establish proper nutrition for the baby. How should you act to prevent constipation?

• A bottle-fed baby should receive enough water.
• If the baby is fed breast milk, then the mother needs to drink at least 2 liters of liquid and eat foods rich in potassium.
• Place the baby on his tummy more often, ideally for 5 minutes each time before feeding.
• Do gymnastics with your child regularly: lift his legs, bend them at the knees, exercises on a gymnastic ball are useful.
• You need to give the baby a light tummy massage, it helps relieve muscle spasms and reduce gas formation.
• The child should not be allowed to overheat.
• The food of babies who are already receiving complementary foods should not be highly heat-treated and very soft.

You need to treat constipation in infants yourself only if it is the only symptom. And when a baby experiences abdominal pain, has increased gas formation and lacks appetite, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor.

How to avoid constipation when feeding vegetables

To avoid constipation when feeding vegetables, start complementary feeding with canned food adapted for children. Mashed potatoes prepared independently are not inferior in quality.

To avoid upset baby's stool, follow the rules:

• Give preference to fresh vegetables from your own garden. Do not buy products from markets if you are not sure of their quality. If fresh vegetables are not available, frozen ones will do; they do not need to be defrosted first;
• Boil or steam vegetables. Do not add salt, sugar, seasonings;
• To start complementary feeding, hypoallergenic vegetables are suitable: zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower. Then pumpkin, beets, and potatoes are introduced into the diet. Green peas, legumes, and white cabbage are included last because of the risk of flatulence and increased gas formation;
• When buying canned vegetable puree, read the ingredients: there shouldn’t be anything else in it except vegetables. If the product contains additives in the form of salt, sugar, starch, thickeners, flavorings, preservatives, do not buy it;
• purchase baby food from registered retail outlets. In case of dispute, request documents confirming the quality of the goods;
• if there is no cotton when the lid is opened, the product is not consumed;
• puree in jars is heated to room temperature before use;
• make a one-ingredient puree. Mix several vegetables after the baby tries everything separately;
• do not introduce a new product earlier than 7 days later.

Causes of constipation

1. A dangerous and rare cause of constipation in infants is intestinal pathology (Hirschsprung's disease, Dolichosigma, etc.). These diseases require surgical intervention and, fortunately, are extremely rare, occurring in approximately 1% of children.
2. Insufficient fluid intake is a common cause of constipation.
3. Food allergies or individual intolerances.
4. Changing the diet and composition of food (complementary feeding).
5. Unreasonably early introduction of complementary foods. A baby under 4 months is not ready to accept “adult food”; complementary feeding will create too much stress on the immature intestines.
6. Unbalanced diet (predominance of dairy, protein foods).
7. Immaturity of the nervous and endocrine system. It happens that the brain incorrectly sends signals to the intestines or there are not enough thyroid enzymes.
8. Use of medications. Medications, especially iron supplements, antibiotics, and anticonvulsants can cause difficulty defecating.
9. Psychological constipation. The baby, having experienced difficulty and pain during bowel movements for the first time, begins to try in every possible way to postpone this moment so as not to experience pain again.

Practice shows that in most cases, bowel retention in a baby is not a reason to panic, it is only an alarming signal that requires increased attention from parents to the baby’s diet and physical activity.

Most often, constipation occurs when complementary foods are introduced, because up to this point the baby has been eating liquid, easily digestible food, breast milk or an adapted milk formula, and the appearance of new products in the diet is a revolution for the fragile digestive system.

How to give an enema to a baby

Many people believe that this is the only way to treat constipation in a baby. Komarovsky recommends using an enema only in extreme cases. Their frequent use washes out beneficial bacteria from the intestines and weakens its tone. How to properly give an enema to a baby?

1. Take a rubber bulb with a soft tip; it should have a volume of up to 60 ml.
2. Typically, chamomile decoction is used for infants. It should be at room temperature. Water that is too warm will be immediately absorbed through the intestinal walls.
3. Lay the baby on his side or back. Lubricate the anus and the enema tip with baby cream.
4. Squeeze the bulb a little to remove air from it. Carefully insert the tip no more than a couple of centimeters into the baby's intestines. If resistance is felt, do not press.
5. Release the water slowly, but do not use force. The process of intestinal contraction occurs in waves, so if you feel resistance, you need to wait a little. Take out the enema.
6. Squeeze your baby's buttocks and hold for a couple of minutes.

But more convenient to use and safer for the child are ready-made microenemas, which are sold in pharmacies. For example, you can buy Microlax. But you shouldn’t do them often to prevent addiction.

Constipation in infants with artificial feeding

If, when breastfeeding, mothers rarely encounter real problems in emptying the baby’s intestines, then this happens more often with artificial mothers. What can you do to prevent constipation in a bottle-fed baby? Komarovsky recommends following these rules:

• The mixture must be diluted strictly according to the instructions; it cannot be made more concentrated;
• Be sure to give your baby water, maybe adding a few drops of dill seed decoction;
• if a child experiences constipation frequently, it is necessary to change the formula, choosing one that contains lactobacilli.

Constipation in infants during breastfeeding

A child who eats mother's milk may not poop for up to 3-4 days. This is considered normal if the baby is not bothered by anything, if he is cheerful and cheerful, sleeps well and is gaining weight. This means that breast milk is suitable for him and is well absorbed. Only in rare cases does a baby develop real constipation during breastfeeding. Komarovsky believes that measures need to be taken if the baby is not gaining weight, is restless and cries. But before using any medications, you should definitely consult your doctor. In most cases, you can cope with the problem simply by changing the mother's diet.

What rules should a woman follow so that her child has regular bowel movements?

• You need to drink at least 2 liters of water, it will help stimulate intestinal motility;
• regularly eat prunes, dried apricots, raisins and beets;
• the daily menu should include buckwheat or oatmeal, pumpkin, apricots, plums and fermented milk products;
• it is necessary to exclude coffee, tea, chocolate, smoked foods, fatty and spicy foods from the diet;
• You should limit your intake of rice, legumes, potatoes, fresh milk, walnuts and baked goods.

But even if the mother follows all the rules, sometimes a baby experiences constipation while breastfeeding. Komarovsky believes that this is due to a lack of water. He recommends feeding your baby with clean water or raisin decoction in hot weather. But it is not advisable to use a bottle with a nipple for this, so that the baby does not get used to it. You can give your child water from a spoon or a special drinking bowl, and a very small child can be given water from a syringe without a needle.

What to do

Komarovsky gives some advice on how you can help your baby. After all, it is not always possible to see a doctor right away. But every mother is able to alleviate the child’s condition. And only if these measures do not help, you should definitely contact a medical facility. So, what to do if your baby is constipated? Komarovsky recommends the following methods:

• give the baby a massage, using gentle movements with a warm hand to rub the baby’s tummy clockwise;
• The “bicycle” exercise helps activate intestinal functions: you need to take the child’s legs and carefully bend them alternately at least 10 times;
• you can put a diaper heated with an iron on the baby’s tummy;
• A warm bath will help your baby relax;
• The doctor considers glycerin suppositories to be an effective remedy for constipation;
• as a last resort, you can give your child a laxative medicine prescribed by your doctor.

It is necessary to call an ambulance or consult a doctor as soon as possible if your child has the following symptoms:

• abdominal pain, gas, bloating;
• loss of appetite, refusal to eat;
• blood appears in the stool;
• frequent vomiting;
• The baby's stool and urine are dark and have an unpleasant odor.