It is a condition characterized by slow and heavy bowel movements.
Because the newborn's body is so different from the adult's, sometimes mothers have an unresolved problem - this is either the baby's condition is normal, or the alarm needs to be sounded.
When constipation is diagnosed in adult medicine awareness:
1) Not having a seat for more than a day;
2) Feeling of emptying the bowel after bowel movements;
3) Strong stools;
4) Stress in the process of emptying the bowel.
When inexperienced parents apply these principles to newborns, they often suspect that they have a complete bowel problem. After that, my mother should go to the pediatrician for advice. When the test is done in isolation and based on the advice of friends, grandparents and the Internet, treatment is most effective.
To understand the true condition, constipation needs to take into account the normal functioning of the baby's digestive system.
The first days of life. The first seat of a newborn is called meconium. The intestinal cells that the baby accidentally ingested are the products of amniotic fluid and digestive products. Normally, meconium begins to leak immediately after the first meal. The color of the first stool is dark, in some cases black, odorless and consistent with toothpaste.
During the first 1-2 days of life, the baby occasionally empties his intestines - 1-3 times a day. After the meconium is completely gone, the character of the stool begins to change depending on the type of food the newborn receives.
When breastfeeding, it is reminiscent of thin, mustard or pea soup. Color - yellow, yellow-brown, green is acceptable. Delicious milk has an unmistakable odor. It may have persistent wrinkles and a small amount of foam.
In bottle-fed infants, the stool is dark in color, with a faint odor and thick consistency.
The first 2 months of life. The most common options for breastfeeding are - up to 2 meals a day after each meal.
Strict requirements are set for children who are fed formula. The rule is considered to be at least once a day.
2 months to 6 months. With the child's age, the frequency of defecation decreases daily: 5 times a day in 2-month-old infants 1-2 times a day in half-year-old children. In some babies, breast milk is well absorbed and emptied once every 2-3 days. This is normal if the baby is happy, eats well, gains weight well, has no bowel movements, and has a soft stool and bad odor.
Children over 6 months of age. After supplementation, the rule is to empty the bowel 1-2 times a day. At the same time, the behavior of the stool changes dramatically. When they switch to solid food, feces begin to form. They have a darker color, an unpleasant stool odor, and a thicker texture.
Therefore, summarizing all of the above, we can draw the following conclusions.
For breastfeeding babies :
The amount of bowel movements in infants during the day before meals is strictly individual;
When assessing a baby's condition, one should focus on the general condition and weight gain, not on the number of bowel movements.
Bottle-feeding infants;
The chair should be at least 1 time a day.
When can delayed bowel movements be considered constipation?
Diagnosis of constipation accompanied by the following symptoms may be suspected.
The child's anxiety and loss of appetite;
1) Strong stress when trying to defecate;
2) Redness of the face, crying, tingling in the legs while eating;
3) Intestinal gases with a foul odor, unpleasant fecal odor;
4) Weight gain.
5) It does not matter how long it has been since the last bowel movement.
Constipation in breastfeeding infants is associated with:
Intestinal disease
1) These include gastrointestinal disorders - megacolon - herpes zoster, lack of anus or tightness, prolongation of the sigmoid cycle.
2) Diseases of other organs and systems
3) Inadequate production of thyroid hormones - rickets, damage to the nervous system - all diseases negatively affect bowel movements and cause constipation.
4) Nervous system immaturity
5) Babies are often born with immature nerve endings in the intestinal wall.
As a result, it cannot contract properly by pushing the food container into the anus. This is a physiological condition that passes in the second month of life without special treatment.
Everything a mother eats affects the quality of breast milk. Some foods have a strong effect on the newborn.
Fat cheese;
Whole cow's milk;
Fatty meats;
White bread;
Nuts (peanuts, cash);
Bakery products;
Strong tea, coffee;
Medications (without spa, medicines and treatments, directors, iron preparations).
Various processes in the newborn's gut can increase gas production during digestion. Gas bubbles that accumulate in the intestinal lumen disrupt the normal functioning of the intestinal contents.
This can happen for the following reasons.
Causes of the development of constipation in infants on artificial feeding
In addition, you can add the following reasons:
Unsuitable formula
The most common cause of constipation in infant formula is the wrong formula. Breast milk is best for the baby, but the age-appropriate formula should be chosen as a substitute if breastfeeding is not possible.
Suddenly transfer to another mixture
Water shortage
If breastfeeding is not recommended for up to 6 months and is used only in extreme cases (heat), then extra safe drinking water is a must when feeding on a formula.
If a mother is sure she has constipation, the first thing she should do is go to the pediatrician. The causes of intestinal obstruction can be serious illnesses, which a specialist can only diagnose. The doctor may order a blood test for hormones and vitamins and recommend an ultrasound, X-ray of the internal organs, or a stool for dysbiosis. Then prescribe professional treatment based on the results.
If abnormalities are not found during the test, constipation may be related to the immaturity of the baby's nervous system or the quality of breast milk or formula.
All methods of relieving constipation can be divided into the following groups:
