What to do when a new baby is constipated?

This is an automatically translated article.

Constipation can happen at any stage of a child's development. However, constipation is more common in babies who have just started solids. Therefore, parents should learn the causes and ways to handle when babies are constipated on solid foods.

1. Why does constipation appear in babies who have just started weaning?

When starting solid foods, children are easily constipated for many different reasons, common causes include:
1.1. Because the baby's digestive system has not yet adapted to the new diet. Baby's food in the first 6 months is mostly breast milk or formula. These are foods that are extremely easy to digest and ensure nutrition for children. Because milk is in liquid form, the baby's digestive system does not have to work too much.
However, when it comes to weaning, the food for babies also changes. In addition to milk, children are given new foods such as flour, porridge, ... These are all foods that have a big difference with milk in terms of hardness, consistency, ... so their digestive system Children need to "adapt" to be able to "process" these foods properly. In the first time when babies eat solid foods, the instability of the digestive system is the main cause of constipation in new babies.
1.2. Constipation in babies who have just started solids due to eating too early According to recommendations from nutritionists, the most appropriate time to start giving babies solid foods is when the child is 6 months old. However, many parents give their children solid foods earlier. On the contrary, some children have a later weaning time.
Therefore, you need to evaluate the time of weaning in accordance with the child's condition to avoid overloading the child's digestive system. You can identify when weaning is right for your baby through a number of indicators such as:
Your child is interested in the foods you give them. Children enjoy sitting and eating food with the family. Children have a habit of putting food in their mouths. Children tend to open their mouths when receiving food. 1.3. Children who are not fully breastfed Breast milk is always an important and extremely valuable source of nutrition than any other food, especially for babies under 12 months of age. However, mothers do not think that weaning will provide more nutrients for the baby and when starting weaning will reduce or cut off the baby's breast milk supply.
This is a serious mistake of parents. In fact, the baby's weaning foods, no matter how rich in nutrients, can't help supplement the nutrients found only in typical breast milk such as antibodies, enzymes,...
So even if the baby has If you eat solids, you should still continue to breastfeed to prevent nutritional deficiencies and is also an effective way to treat constipation in weaned children.
1.4. Because you make condensed milk From birth until a baby can eat like an adult, a baby's food gradually changes in hardness and consistency. However, that's not why when babies switch to weaning, they need to mix more condensed milk.
When you mix condensed milk, it will have a bad effect on the baby because:
The baby's digestive system is easily overloaded due to insufficient water. Milk that is not properly mixed will not reach the highest nutritional value. Drinking condensed milk will increase the risk of diarrhea or constipation in children. So, in addition to using breast milk, if you give your baby formula milk, make sure to mix it according to the manufacturer's instructions.
1.5. Because babies do not drink enough water When babies are exclusively breastfed, there is almost no need to drink water because breast milk already provides enough water and nutrients for babies. However, when eating solids, if the child does not drink enough water, the risk of constipation is great because the stool is dry and hard. So don't forget to add enough water for your baby to avoid constipation.
In addition to the reasons mentioned above, there are many other causes that can lead to constipation in new-born babies such as sudden change of weaning powder, unscientific food processing, psychological changes in children, etc. .. And some cases of children with constipation are caused by rectal prolapse,.... You need to observe the child's activities, diet as well as daily expressions to be able to determine the cause from that. There will be an effective solution.

2. What foods are likely to cause constipation in new weaning babies?

When starting solid foods, you should be careful when choosing foods for your baby, because there are some types of foods that are easy to make children constipated if not processed properly. Such foods include:
Formula milk and formula weaning food: When choosing baby food, you need to pay attention to the ingredients. Because these foods often contain complex proteins and lactose, which can make it difficult for children to digest and cause bloating. Carrot: Carrot juice is often known as a very good juice for children. However, when steaming or preparing cooked carrots, on the contrary, it often makes stools hard and difficult for children to pass. Apple: This is a fruit that you should not give your baby a lot of food when they first start eating, because the composition of apples contains pectin. This substance will harden the stool, so it is easy to cause constipation. This is also the reason why apples are used more in cases of diarrhea. Cheese and dairy products: These foods are nutritious, high in fat, but low in fiber. When giving children a lot of these foods, you need to add foods containing fiber such as green vegetables.

3. What are the symptoms of children with constipation when eating solids?

When your child shows signs of having fewer bowel movements than usual, you should closely monitor the following symptoms to see if your child is constipated:
The number of bowel movements of the child is less than usual (less than 3 times) /the week). Hard baby stools can even clump, leaving small pellets like goat manure. Your baby shows signs of discomfort, irritability, crying or screaming when having a bowel movement. The baby may have bloating and indigestion.

4. How to deal with constipation when babies eat solid foods

The weaning period is a period when children often face constipation. To help your child overcome this situation, you can apply some simple but effective ways:
4.1. Changing the child's nutrition This is one of the ways to deal with constipation when a baby is constipated. Because when your baby starts to eat solid foods, you should prioritize preparing foods in liquid or soft form, easy to chew and swallow. At the same time, you also need to limit adding to the menu solid, solid foods that cause indigestion.
You should feed your baby with diluted porridge or give your child extra formula mixed with the correct ratio as instructed on the box. This will help your baby's digestive system get used to new foods faster.
After 1 week of weaning, you can add to the child's menu green vegetables and fruits that have been crushed, then cooked with porridge to add more fiber for the child. When the child's digestive system is gradually getting used to a variety of foods, you can add nutritious foods such as meat, eggs, fish, shrimp, etc. However, you need to limit the use of too much. lots of protein-rich foods.
4.2. Add foods containing many beneficial bacteria When the child's body has many beneficial bacteria, it will stimulate the body to produce more digestive enzymes such as amylase, protease... to help children digest food more easily, and at the same time. They also help kill harmful bacteria in the digestive system.
Kinds of beneficial bacteria will help children best absorb nutrients and effectively improve constipation in babies who have just started weaning. Therefore, you should add foods containing beneficial bacteria such as yogurt for children every day with the appropriate dose according to the age of the child.
4.3. Abdominal massage for children to reduce constipation Abdominal massage is one of the ways to treat constipation in weaning children. This method can help increase blood circulation, support pain relief and stimulate bowel movements to work more efficiently.
You can perform abdominal massage for the baby to relieve constipation in the following three steps:
Step 1: Place the child on his or her back on the bed, then use your index finger to gently place it under the baby's navel. Step 2: Gently rotate your index finger clockwise. Step 3: Use your whole hand to gently press on the abdominal wall to activate bowel movements. If you do this method regularly, you can contribute to improving your child's digestive performance. In addition, this also helps children feel more relaxed and comfortable.

5. Some tips to help prevent constipation in new weaning babies

To prevent constipation in new-born babies, you can apply the following very simple tips:
Give your child enough water: Drinking enough water is the most effective measure, it not only prevents constipation in children, but also helps the child's blood circulation better, providing adequate water to all parts of the body. You can supplement water for babies through breast milk, foods, and drinking enough water. Add fiber in the diet: Fiber is an important factor to help children prevent constipation effectively. You can add fiber through green vegetables for children to learn weaning by grinding and finely grinding vegetables in porridge, powder for children. Mixing the right proportions: Mixing the right proportions and following the instructions is very important. In addition to powdered milk and formula, all kinds of baby food powders also need to be mixed in the right proportions to ensure that children can absorb maximum nutrition and prevent apples. Practice the habit of going to the toilet every day: Although defecation is a child's natural need, you can completely teach your child the habit of going to the toilet on time and every day. The best time to let your child go to the toilet is in the morning, right after he wakes up. Help children move regularly: The regular and regular movement of the child's legs up and down will help the intestines work better, limiting constipation in babies who have just started weaning. You can help your child move his limbs gently in a lying down position on a bicycle or stretch his limbs regularly. In addition, you can also let your child play with toys that can automatically move and roll, such as balls, toy cars. The child's curiosity will stimulate the child to run after the toy, thereby increasing the child's daily activity level. The above is information about constipation in children who have just started weaning and notes on care and diet for children to help improve this situation, hopefully the article has brought you some meaningful knowledge. It makes it easier for you to take care of your children.
In addition to proper nutrition and exercise, the baby should also be supplemented with the necessary micronutrients: Zinc, selenium, Chromium, Vitamins B1 and B6, Ginger, acerola fruit extract (vitamin C), .. . to improve taste, eat well, reach the correct height and weight, and exceed the standard, have a good immune system, strengthen resistance to less sickness and less digestive problems.
For more nutritional knowledge and child care for each age, parents should regularly visit the website vimec.com and make an appointment with the leading doctors, pediatric and nutrition experts of the National General Hospital. Vinmec when needing advice on children's health.