How to cure constipation in a 5 month old baby

An unfavorable environmental situation, long-term drug treatment, non-compliance with the principles of dietary nutrition by a nursing mother, acquired or congenital pathologies of the stomach can disrupt regular bowel movements in children five months of age. The most important thing is to detect the first signs in time in order to restore a stable digestive process and avoid intoxication of the entire body. Next, we’ll look in more detail at what to do if a 5-month-old child has constipation.

Signs and causes of constipation in a five-month-old baby

Constipation in a five-month-old baby develops due to the following factors:

• During the first feeding. Early introduction of a baby to new foods leads to the development of diarrhea or constipation. The body of a five-month-old baby is not yet ready for adult food, so it reacts with various unpleasant symptoms. That is why you need to start introducing new foods into your daily diet gradually and only from the age of six months.
• An imbalance of water and salts in the body is observed mainly in the summer and with a deficiency of breast milk. Mothers forget to give the child extra fluids, which leads to difficulty in defecation.
• Poor quality baby formula. There are cases when the main components of baby food are not suitable for a particular child, which leads to disruption of regular bowel movements. It is enough just to change the mixture, for example, to one containing bifidobacteria, to restore stable functioning of the stomach.
• A five-month-old baby may be teething. Mostly this is a very unpleasant process, which is characterized by pain and increased body temperature. All this together leads to intense loss of fluid and compaction of stool in the intestines.
• Allergies to food, medications or chemicals. The digestive system reacts with unpleasant symptoms to any allergens. In this case, it is enough to exclude the allergic element from the baby’s daily diet to restore stable bowel movements.
• Rickets or other neurological problems that are very often observed in children in the first months of life.
• Disorders of the thyroid gland, namely a deficiency of enzymes that are responsible for the stable breakdown and absorption of food
• Anemia, diabetes.
• Hidden or acquired pathologies of important organs and systems.

Constipation in a five-month-old baby can be diagnosed by the following signs:

• When you touch the tummy, the child feels pain and begins to cry.
• Bloating.
• Abdominal muscle tension.
• Lack of bowel movements for 24 hours if the child is breastfed.
• Feces have a hard and fragmented structure.
• General weakness.
• Loss of appetite and weight.
• Presence of green mucus or blood in the stool.
• Increased sweating and body temperature.

Traditional methods of treatment

Traditional medicine recipes will help restore stable stools.

So, below we offer several simple and effective ways to relieve constipation:

• Prune decoction. Several berries are poured with boiling water and left to cool completely. Strain and give the kids one spoon before each meal.
• A decoction of flax seeds or dill. Pour boiling water over a spoonful of seeds and leave until completely cool. The strained broth is given one spoon before meals.
• Teas with a laxative effect, which include fennel, dill or flax extract. Such teas can be given from the first months of the baby’s life.
• Vegetable oil, such as flaxseed or olive oil. A spoonful of oil can be added to baby formula or breast milk to speed up the removal of solid waste from the body.
• Infant formula with probiotics, which allow you to restore the functioning of the stomach and quickly remove solid waste from the body.

Enemas for constipation in children at five months

Enemas should be used with extreme caution for constipation in children, because they have more contraindications than advantages. First of all, along with pathogenic microflora, beneficial salts, vitamins and enzymes are washed out of the body, which can negatively affect the digestive process. Frequent and uncontrolled use of an enema can cause severe diarrhea and dysbacteriosis.

For five-month-old children, you need to take the smallest size syringe. The volume of liquid should not exceed 100 ml. In some cases, 70 ml will be enough. The main thing is that the temperature of the solution does not exceed body temperature.

For severe constipation, you can use a decoction of chamomile or string, boiled water with a small amount of glycerin. Before insertion into the anus, the enema should be lubricated with baby cream.

In order to facilitate the process, it is recommended to buy a ready-to-use enema, namely Microlax. Five-month-old children need to insert the tip only halfway into the anus.

The enema should not be used if there is an elevated body temperature, internal bleeding or anal fissures. In addition, the procedure should be carried out as carefully as possible so as not to damage the delicate mucous membrane of the anus.

Constipation in older children, treatment with folk remedies

Constipation in children older than one year is easier to treat - you can give an apple or grate a carrot. But when simple methods do not help, proven folk methods are used:

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∗ Boil 100 g of prunes and the same amount of dry figs in three glasses of water until the liquid has evaporated by a third. The child should drink the resulting amount of decoction per day. Give the baby a teaspoon without measure, distributing the broth throughout the day. Feed the baby softened dried fruits. Eat the remaining pulp the next day.

∗ Squeeze half a lemon into a glass of hot water and add a pinch of salt.
Stir well and give your baby 1 teaspoon up to 6 times a day. ∗ After lunch, you can give your child half a glass of fresh kefir, to which add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil (stir).

∗ Grind fresh spinach in a meat grinder into a paste and pour a glass of boiled water at room temperature. Leave for an hour, stirring occasionally. Strain and give to your child in teaspoons throughout the day.

∗ Peel the apple, grate it and lightly sprinkle with sunflower oil. Feed the child (preferably eat the entire portion). The gruel turns out very tasty; if the apple is sour, you can add honey. Feed the baby 2-3 times a day for a week.

∗ Grind bell pepper (1-2 pcs.) in a meat grinder, add vegetable oil and feed the baby 1-2 teaspoons 4 times a day.

∗ Rinse 1 tablespoon of raisins and add a glass of hot water. Leave for 2-3 hours and give the child 2-3 tablespoons to drink 3-4 times a day.

∗ I was once advised this method: let the baby eat a few oatmeal cookies, washed down with milk. It helped my five-year-old nephew, but you can’t use this technique all the time. You can cook oatmeal or jelly, which is also a very good remedy for constipation.

Treatment with drugs

Only under the supervision of a doctor can constipation in a 5-month-old child be treated with medical means. In addition, it is recommended to choose herbal or natural-based drugs that have no contraindications and almost never cause adverse reactions.

For example, for mild constipation, you can try glycerin-based rectal suppositories, which almost never cause negative effects. And suppositories with sea buckthorn can also cure pathologies of the large intestine, for example, cracks.

In order to choose safe medications, you should first determine the cause of constipation by undergoing an examination in the clinic. After all, this may be a symptom of a stomach disease, for example, an ulcer or a malignant intestinal tumor.

Prelax

Belongs to the group of mild laxatives and does not affect the delicate mucous membrane of internal organs. The first positive effect occurs within 6 hours after administration and can last for 12 hours. Therefore, you need to be at home or near the toilet in order to empty your intestines of toxins in time.

The main active component of the drug is lactulose, obtained by special processing of milk. The drug is well tolerated by the child's body, removes toxins and restores the normal level of beneficial bacteria in the stomach.

You can take it for three weeks or until all unpleasant symptoms disappear completely. If necessary and only after the doctor's permission, the therapeutic dose can be increased.

Duphalac

It is produced in a very convenient form, namely in the form of syrup, which allows it to be used in the treatment of five-month-old infants. The syrup has a pleasant taste, but you can add it to baby formula or breast milk.

Contains lactulose, which is perfectly accepted by the child's body if there is no allergy to milk protein. In addition, to accelerate the therapeutic effect, you should drink a lot during the day.

Lactusan

The drug is produced at a domestic pharmaceutical factory, which has a positive effect on its cost. You can be treated without interruption for two weeks or until all negative symptoms disappear.

Prescribe one spoon twice a day before main meals. The dose is selected individually, taking into account the condition and body weight of the baby.

At the beginning of treatment, gas formation may increase, which will normalize on its own after a few days.

Normaze

A modern drug with a high level of effectiveness. It is not addictive, which allows it to be used for more than four months. It all depends on the stage of constipation and the age of the baby.

It comes in syrup form, making it easier to take. Prescribe one spoon during meals. Adverse reactions such as bloating and flatulence are possible in the first two days of treatment.

Herbs for constipation for children

An effective analogue of drug treatment are folk remedies for constipation in children. More often, to improve the motility of the gastrointestinal tract, herbs that help cleanse the intestines are used:

• licorice roots;
• dandelion;
• pharmaceutical camomile;
• Melissa;
• fennel;
• yarrow;
• plantain;
• burdock and flax seeds.

Treating a baby with medicinal herbs requires consulting a doctor. There are several recipes that will help with constipation:

• Senna grass. Stimulates intestinal motility. The desired effect occurs 8-10 hours after taking the decoction. To prepare it, pour 1 tsp. senna 60 ml boiling water, leave for 20 minutes. Then add water to a volume of 200 ml and give the child a drink.
• Plantain seeds. Activate intestinal motility, help with atonic constipation. Pour 1 tbsp. l. seeds 0.5 glass of boiling water, leave for 15-20 minutes, strain, divide the volume by 3 times, let the baby drink three times a day until the condition improves.
• Raisin water. For children from 6 months of age, before feeding, give 2 tsp. As a drink, water infused with raisins. This remedy has a mild laxative effect. You can prepare it like this: pour boiling water over the washed raisins and leave for 1 hour.

Complementary feeding against defecation disorders

Constipation in a 5-month-old child can be cured by early introduction of complementary foods, but only after the doctor’s permission. In general, introduction to new food should occur only from the age of six months. At the same time, in case of problems with stool, you can try to introduce safe foods with a laxative effect into the diet.

A plum or an apple will help speed up the process of removing toxins. The fruits need to be crushed to a puree. We start with one spoon per day, increasing the dose every day. If there are no adverse reactions, then you can continue to give this complementary food.

In addition, it is useful to cook compotes based on plums and apples for constipation. Again, you need to start with a few spoons a day, be sure to monitor the baby’s health.

The group of drugs with a laxative effect also includes yoghurts, home-made kefir, beets, and zucchini. It is from these products that you should start the first complementary feeding for constipation.

Features of child nutrition with constipation

There is a lot said online about feeding a child with constipation, so I won’t repeat myself. I want to emphasize that parents must follow several rules that will help in the fight against the disease.

So:

1) The child should drink a lot of water - up to 1.5 liters per day.

2) It is advisable to exclude carbonated drinks, viscous cereals, mashed potatoes, cabbage, legumes and peas, white bread, and flour.

3) Wheat or oat bran should be included in the diet - add them to soups, salads, and make decoctions.

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4) Children need to be taught to chew solid food: carrots, apples (for persistent constipation, the skin must be peeled), pears, etc.

5) Dried fruits are excellent helpers for constipation. They should be given to the child every day and compotes should be made.

6) Do not teach your child to go to bed or sit in front of the TV after eating. Let the baby play, move around, and be moderately active.

Troubleshooting according to Komarovsky

Dr. Komarovsky recommends the following simple methods to combat constipation in five-month-old infants:

• Increasing fluid intake. This applies to both breastfed and bottle-fed children. In addition to water, decoctions of prunes, fennel seeds and dill are useful.
• Frequent walks in the fresh air.
• Maintaining optimal indoor air humidity, namely 70%.
• Introduction of products with a laxative effect into the diet of a nursing woman.
• The use of physical stimulation of the anus using gas tubes.
• Daily exercises and abdominal massage.
• Using safe medications for constipation, such as those based on glycerin, lactulose or bifidobacteria.

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