Intestinal constipation, commonly known as “bowel irregularity” or “constipation,” can occur in newborn babies. This health issue is characterized by difficulty passing stools, due to a large volume of hardened feces1.

It can cause pain, anal fissures, and hemorrhoids. Usually, a constipated baby is one who is not being breastfed, which tends to happen from six months of age, but other environmental or dietary factors can contribute to constipation in babies, in addition to rare diseases.

Constipation presents symptoms such as abdominal pain, irritability, absence of bowel movements, hard stools that cause discomfort, and, in some cases, darker stools due to streaks of blood. Bowel irregularity affects both children and adults, with almost the same symptoms.

However, the causes are different and it is important to prevent it from becoming chronic. It’s important to check your baby’s diaper to ensure their bowels are functioning well: if there are not pasty bowel movements every day, this is a strong sign of constipation.

What To Do with a Constipated Baby?

If the baby’s stools are hard and dry, and if they cry and seem to feel abdominal pain, constipation should be investigated and treated as soon as possible. In the case of a child who is breastfeeding and has not yet started eating other foods, the cause may be the mother’s own diet.

It is important for the mother to stay hydrated2 by drinking plenty of water and fluids in general (about 3 liters or more) and to avoid foods that could relate to the days the baby was constipated.
In the case of babies who have already started eating foods or other infant formulas, their bodies might not have responded well to the changes, even if those foods are appropriate for their age. Ideally, the milk formula should be changed, check if the powder-to-water ratio is correct, and prioritize meals that are rich in fiber. Introducing certain fruits and vegetables into the child’s daily diet helps loosen up the bowels.

Fruits That Help with Constipation in Babies:

  • Papaya
  • Avocado
  • Prune
  • Mango
  • Strawberry
  • Kiwi
  • Orange
  • Tangerine

In the case of prunes, there’s a home remedy that’s popular among mothers: soaking the fruit in a glass of water overnight and then giving the water to the baby. There are other recommendations for constipation in newborns.

Recommendations to Relieve Constipation

  • Maintain regular breastfeeding intervals (for example, every three hours)
  • Double down on hygiene and diaper rash care to reduce discomfort
  • Play with your child, making the environment more pleasant and encouraging their movements
  • Massage the baby’s belly, pressing three fingers below the belly button

If any laxative medicine or suppository is needed for treatment, the pediatrician is the only qualified person to prescribe it. Do not seek out medication on your own.

Causes of Constipation in Babies

Newborns’ stools are not like those of adults. They normally are pasty, more yellowish, and have small lumps. Bowel movements usually “dirty the diapers” more than once a day. Therefore, any characteristic outside these patterns can indicate the onset of constipation.

Parents should be alert, but as breast milk does not produce much residue or fermentation, if the newborn takes a while to have a bowel movement and does not seem uncomfortable, there is no cause for concern.

From six months of age or after the end of exclusive breastfeeding, the baby may only have one bowel movement a day and with firmer consistency, which is absolutely normal. Only if reduced bowel movements come with other symptoms such as pain, irritability, and a hard abdomen, should constipation be considered.

IMPORTANT: In rare cases, constipation may be caused by disease or congenital problems. Pay attention to additional symptoms!

Warning Signs

Some symptoms may indicate the situation is more than simple constipation, so if you observe the following signs take your child to the hospital emergency room immediately:

  • Vomiting
  • Rectal bleeding
  • Excessive drowsiness
  • Reduced urination
  • Lack of appetite
  • Distended abdomen

Inadequate Nutrition

As mentioned earlier, nutrition is the main cause3 and consequently the main treatment for a child’s constipation. The absence of breastfeeding, use of artificial milk formulas and thickeners added to these milks can be the cause of constipation in babies.

Self-Constipation in Children

That habit of “holding in” the urge to evacuate can gradually inhibit the child’s reflex to go to the bathroom, as “the urge passes.” Children do this especially if trying to pass stool causes pain, when stools are hardened.

If it hurt once, they may associate this with the act of defecating. So one thing leads to another, and the stool becomes compacted in the rectal ampulla, the final part of the intestine, making bowel movements even more difficult, in a vicious cycle.

Diaper rash and hemorrhoids also cause pain during bowel movements and can inhibit this reflex, known as the intestine’s “mass movement.” In cases of self-constipation, the ideal is to treat the pain and provide more water and foods that loosen the bowels, so the child can empty their rectum, dissociate defecation from the painful experience, and end the cycle.

Little Activity

Babies should not be too sedentary. Although they need lots of sleep and don’t know how to walk yet, they still need to be encouraged to move. Lack of physical activity can lead to immaturity of the locomotor system and decreased intestinal movement, causing constipation.

For this reason, it’s good to encourage games and crawling. For newborns, the recommended exercise is the “bicycle” movement with their little legs.

Emotional Factors

Finally, another common cause of constipation is the child’s emotional state. Stress and agitation make the mind ignore the body’s needs, resulting in constipation. When children use the toilet by themselves, it is also common for them to ignore the urge to evacuate to keep playing, for example.

See Also: Baby Colic! What to Do?

Photo: thejbird