Infants develop constipation after they stop breast milk and start on semi solid and solid food. Lack of adequate fibre and water in their diet are the most common reasons associated with constipation in infants.
When the infant suffers, most often, the mother too suffers and is tensed and frustrated as they do not know how to relieve the infant of the pain and discomfort. Discussed below are some mild and safe home remedies that are apt for your infant. Home remedies may take time, but are very efficient and safe for long term use.
Giving a gentle tummy massage may sometimes stimulate bowel movements and help the bowel to move down and get to the rectum. Most children with constipation find it difficult to push down as the hard stools can cause pain and discomfort and this can lead to phobia, which can only worsen the symptoms.
Give a gentle massage on the stomach in a clockwise direction while you put your infant for potty. This will stimulate the movement of the constipated stools downwards and will ease the entire process.
Rich in omega 3 fatty acids, flax seeds are good for loosening the bowels and also in preventing constipation in infants. This is ideal for kids above six months.
Grind a few flax seeds and include in his/her daily diet. A teaspoon of flax oil too can work wonders and help the colon to slide the stools down easily.
Licorice tea can be given to the infant to ease the bowel movement. Take a teaspoon of licorice and add to one cup of boiling water. Steep for ten minutes and give this water to the baby two to three times until the bowel function is adequately regulated.
Ginger tea too helps when the infant is constipated. Ginger reduces instances of indigestion and also helps in easing the bowel function. Take ten grams of ginger and add one cup of boiling water. Add liberal amounts of honey and give it in small quantities to the baby.
The pectin that is present in apple juice is a soluble fibre and this helps in adding fibrous mass to the stools and makes it easy to be slid down from the colon. For constipated infants, a bottle of apple juice can be given every day so that the stools remain loose and constipation kept at bay. Pectin is found specially in the skin of apples and work by drawing water to the constipated stool and preventing constipation.
Prune juice has laxative properties that can help in softening the stools. When prune juice is administered to the baby, it might increase the frequency of bowel movements and this will prevent constipation as well.
An ounce of prune juice can be diluted with equal quantities of water and given twice daily to prevent constipation. For infants who are older, the juice can be blended with their cereals to ease the bowel movements.
Some doctors recommend a warm bath for stimulating bowel movements in infants and easing the pain and trouble associated with constipated stools. A warm soak in baking soda can stimulate the excretory system and aid in elimination of stools.
Fill the tub with warm water and add a few teaspoons of baking soda to this. Let the baby soak in this warm water for ten minutes. Baking soda soak helps in hydrating the stools and this can be repeated 2-3 times a week to keep the constipation under control.
Vaseline does not actually help alleviate the symptoms of constipation. But it helps to ease the pressure on the rectal canal and can also avoid rectal tearing. Applying Vaseline in the anal areas will also help the stools to slide through easily without much friction.
If your infant is always constipated, you can apply Vaseline in the rectum and anal areas so that the pain and the discomfort can be reduced tremendously. This however has to be teamed up with another stool loosening remedy for maximum benefits.
A folk remedy that has been passed on to the current generation, dark corn syrup has complex sugar proteins that help in keeping the water content in the bowels, thereby making the stools loose. One teaspoon of dark corn syrup can be added to four ounces of breast milk or formula milk and given to the baby daily.
Once the bowel movements are regulated, intake of dark corn syrup can be reduced and finally stopped. The syrup can be given whenever the stools start becoming hard. Light corn syrup is not effective for this treatment. It is also important to check whether the dark corn syrup that you use for this purpose contains sugars and is not a refined one.
Home Remedies For Constipation
Herbal Remedies For Constipation
Foods To Cure Constipation
Home Remedies For Constipation In Adults
Psillium husk is known for its laxative properties and can be used for infants as well. It can be blended with cereals or other food that is given to the infant for easing the bowel function. It is best to check with a doctor first to find out if there are any possible side effects with psillium husk.
Sometimes, external stimulation is the key to aiding them in proper bowel function. Glycerine suppositories can be inserted in the rectal region in such cases so that the stools can easily glide through without causing any rectal tear and pain.
Constipation occurs due to lack of sufficient fluid intake. If your infant is faced with frequent constipation, you must assess the intake of fluids and add more fluids to his/her diet. 2-3 extra glasses of water or other fluids and fruit juices must be added to his/her diet to combat constipation and soften the stools.
Milk of magnesia can help when your baby is constipated. A teaspoon can be given to the baby along with a bottle of milk to ease the movement of stools through the colon and aid in bowel movement. Milk of magnesia can be given twice a day and once the results surface, you must discontinue it.
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Milk Of Magnesia sound cool
Can anyone help me in my prob? My DS is having bad constipation since last week and it's getting me very worried. So pity whenever i see him crying when i tried to force him to poo. His stomach also start to bloat now. What shud i do??
Its true that children need to drink plenty of water to avoid constipation.. you can try out on those remedies but should also consider about long term solution for constipation… you can look for milk tat contains pre-biotic? its good for constipation.
I think you could feed them prunes. Prune is good for constipation, you could try. :)
@maryjanewong:disqus
I think Mamil will work well in solving ur probs. Bcos Mamil has the prebiotics ingredients and sucrose-free where it is important ingredients in preventing children's constipation. I've used it since last year and I have no prob keeping my LO stools healthy. Mamil also has the highest DHA level in the market.. U can definitely see the results in a week.
Mamil in this case is killing two birds with one stone i guess. Highest DHA level which can help in child's development and growth. Then prebiotics which helps in constipation. I think i should ask my wife to change also la, just incase my current formula dont help preventing baby's constipation.
There's alot comparison between Mamil and Friso. If u ask me, i would prefer to go for Friso Gold, my DS have no probs with his bowel at all.
Imho, I think Mamil is better because it contain no sucrose which can benefits to children health.
Not all children can try the same thing, everyone has a different stomach sensitivity one la.. So better don’t try those unproven remedies.. You might ended up sending your kid to hosp, trust me! Happened to me once.. Pity my DD and I was also so foolish to let her try it.. ask for advise before trying anything.
My little boy used to face constipation frequently. Every time he have different symptoms during constipation period. Sometimes he has foul smelling wind and poo, but sometimes he has less active and easy to get irritated because of stomach ache. Also, the main symptoms was the bowel movement has been decreased per week. I need a solution that can solve my boy's constipation issue entirely and I found that some formula milk can really help in preventing constipation. But I'm not so expert in formula milk. Can someone suggest me any other brands that can help in preventing constipation issue?
my little angle, Mia got constipation before and i gave her mamil as her drink. this is because my friend suggested me to used mamil. he said mamil was good because it contained no sugar and got high level of dha. i think so because after that, mia's stool became more soft than before. and after a week, her constipation prevented. for me, mamil was good to prevent constipation