hard stool in a formula-fed baby

There’s a first time for everything… (about a newborn’s first bowel movement):

The very first stool of a newborn baby is called meconium. It is a sticky (difficult to wash off), dark mass (almost black). Meconium is amniotic fluid and epithelial cells of the intestinal wall that enter the baby’s body while still in the womb. As a rule, meconium comes out of the baby after birth during the first two days. Frequent latching of the baby to the breast promotes the rapid passage of meconium. The first milk, colostrum, has an excellent laxative effect.

The color of meconium is from black to green-black, rich.

The consistency of meconium is very dense, slightly viscous.

Smell - no smell.

What's wrong with meconium?:

In this case, disruption of the meconium passage process can occur in two directions:

◊ early exit. Meconium may pass before birth. In this case, the amniotic fluid turns greenish. Such early passage of meconium indicates fetal hypoxia and protracted labor. This phenomenon requires the help and supervision of specialists;

◊ delayed passage of meconium. A long delay in the passage of meconium (more than two days) may indicate the presence of congenital diseases (for example, Hirschsprung's disease, associated with a congenital lack of innervation of the intestinal sections). In addition, a delay in the passage of meconium and difficulty in passing it indicate that the child is malnourished.

This may be due to the following reasons:

◊ insufficient amount of colostrum in the mother;

◊ irregularly shaped nipples (small or sunken), as a result of which the baby is unable to fully latch onto the breast;

◊ due to physiological characteristics, the baby is unable to latch onto the breast (this happens quite often when a newborn’s lower lip falls heavily under the upper lip). As a result, the baby cannot latch onto the breast correctly.

Thus, if you are causing late meconium passage and attributing it to malnutrition, then use special breast shields. They will help the baby to latch on to the breast more correctly and fully feed on hind milk, which is very high in calories and healthy!

Thus, it is necessary to monitor your baby’s bowel movements and the nature of this content from the very birth of your baby.

What's next?:

Transitional chair. The baby will have this stool until the end of the first week of life. Its composition is the remains of meconium and digested colostrum.

The color of transitional stool ranges from greenish or greenish-yellow to white. Such a varied color indicates that the baby’s stool has not yet formed and his digestive system is just beginning to develop and adapt to new food and lifestyle. In addition, the intestinal microflora is just beginning to be populated by various microorganisms.

The consistency of transitional stool is quite liquid; when it comes into contact with a tissue surface, a fairly large watery spot is noticeable around the contents. In addition, such feces are quite heterogeneous; there may be areas of different density, consistency and color in it.

The smell of transitional feces is sour, rather pungent.

In addition, mucus and undigested lumps of food may be present in transitional stool.

All these indicators are within normal limits and should not make parents overly concerned. The appearance of transitional feces indicates the normalization of the lactation process in the mother and the formation and development of the digestive system in the baby.

Transitional feces: what will make you worry...:

Constipation. Retention of stool in the first week after the birth of the baby indicates that the mother has little colostrum and first milk. The baby is simply malnourished. In addition, stool retention can also be a result of the fact that colostrum is completely absorbed by the baby’s body. And the process of bowel movements in newborns occurs only when the intestines are sufficiently filled with contents. But since this transition period from meconium to infant feces and from colostrum to mother’s milk is quite short, special attention must be paid to the feces that the baby will have 6-8 days after birth.

Prolonged period of transitional stool (more than one week). Such a long process of transition from meconium to normal baby stool indicates disturbances in the development of the baby’s microflora. What are the reasons for this delay:

◊ supplementary feeding of a newborn in the maternity hospital with artificial formulas;

◊ weaning from the mother in the maternity hospital;

◊ forced use of antibiotics (then the stool becomes greenish in color with a rather pungent odor);

◊ long breaks in feeding;

◊ disturbances in the mother’s lactation process (milk does not come in for a long time).

What is important to consider: if a child, against the background of such deviations in stool formation, feels well, gains weight within normal limits, and has a good appetite, then such changes in stool do not need correction. If, on the contrary, the child is lethargic, eats poorly and gains weight, this is a reason for concern and seeking medical help.

Constipation

If your baby's stool is hard and looks like small pebbles, he may be constipated. The baby is clearly uncomfortable when he poops; the stool may even be stained with blood from irritation in the anus.

One or two diapers is not a problem, but if your baby has three or more (or if you see blood), it's best to see a doctor. Constipation may be a sign of sensitivity to milk or soy protein or an intolerance to something in breast milk or formula.

Baby's stool: how normal?:

After a week after birth, the contents of the baby's diaper will change. These changes will happen gradually, so you need to be patient and not make hasty conclusions.

The color of the baby's stool - after the transition period, the baby's stool becomes yellow in color.

Important!

When taking iron supplements, the stool may turn black.

The consistency is mushy and can vary from denser to thicker. The consistency of a baby's stool is influenced by factors such as:

◊ mother’s nutrition during breastfeeding. Some foods that a nursing mother eats can loosen or strengthen the baby's stool.

◊ fat content of milk. If the baby sucks poorly at the breast, then he feeds mostly on foremilk, which is less dense and fatty. The stool of such children is usually looser.

◊ type of infant feeding: breast or artificial. In babies who are bottle-fed, their stools are denser due to poorer digestion and absorption of the formula. In these children, the problem of constipation is more acute. In breastfed babies, stools are looser and constipation is less common, since mother's milk is absorbed by the baby's body faster and easier.

The smell can be varied, depending on the nutrition of the nursing mother. In children on artificial nutrition, the smell is usually sour milk.

You should definitely keep in mind the fact that the baby’s main and only food is milk. This is a natural product that can shift the characteristics of a baby's stool in different directions. You should not strive to ensure that the baby’s stool is strictly the same. This is almost impossible to achieve, and it is not necessary.

Number of bowel movements. After two weeks, this is already an important indicator of the baby’s health and nutrition. The following point is important here: the minimum number of bowel movements should be 2-3 per day. Often in children at this age and more often. Too infrequent bowel movements indicate that your baby is not getting enough food (he doesn’t have enough milk).

Normal for breastfeeding

In the first days of life, a newborn's stool is a thick black-green mass called meconium. Later (until the end of the 1st week), liquid green stool with a grayish tint is observed. Starting from the 2nd week of life and up to 5-6 months, the bowel movements of a healthy baby receiving only breast milk acquire characteristic features, which include:

1. yellow
2. homogeneous, mushy consistency
3. thickness of sour cream
4. not very pronounced “curd” smell
5. frequency - 4-12 times a day, usually the baby empties its intestines after each feeding, but as it gets older, the number of bowel movements decreases

Often, stool contains white lumps (undigested milk) and minor mucus. Its hue, aroma and consistency may vary slightly: soft light yellow, yellow-green, bright yellow stool with a slightly sour odor - these are all normal options. This is how the baby’s body reacts to the foods consumed by the mother.

What violations may occur?:

In fact, there are many such disorders of infant stool. It should be understood that the following signs in a baby are cause for concern:

◊ weakness;

◊ low activity;

◊ poor appetite;

◊ poor weight gain;

◊ constipation.

These indicators are an important signal for contacting a gastroenterologist to determine the cause and correct such deviations.

In addition, parents should be alert to the following signs of changes in stool:

◊ Constipation. A prolonged absence of bowel movements indicates that the baby is malnourished. In addition, with a lack of the enzyme that breaks down milk sugar, the feces become thicker and also lead to stool retention and painful bowel movements. In addition, such bowel movements can damage the rectum and cause fissures, which are very painful for the baby. In children who are bottle-fed, stools are denser and bowel movements occur less frequently. This is normal. You just need to choose the right mixture.

◊ Large amounts of mucus in the stool. Such stool indicates that the baby has recently had such an infection. In addition, such stool is often observed in children during teething.

What to do? If mucus persists in the stool for a long time, then this is a reason to contact a gastroenterologist to correct this condition after examination (as a rule, they take an analysis called a coprogram).

◊ The stool is foamy, slightly greenish, with a very pungent odor. In addition, there is irritation of the skin around the anus. Such stool most often indicates overeating and excess milk in the mother.

What to do? Change breasts less often so that your baby eats mostly hind milk. It contains enzymes for breaking down milk sugar.

◊ The stool is foamy, green, its appearance is accompanied by a characteristic “pop”, which indicates increased gas formation. This type of stool indicates lactase deficiency (lack of the enzyme that breaks down milk sugar). To correct this condition, you must consult a doctor. And the mother should ensure that the baby receives more hind milk, which is very rich in these enzymes.

◊ Very frequent yellow or green stools with a very unpleasant odor. This type of stool indicates the presence of an infection and requires immediate attention to a doctor.

◊ Blood in the stool. This is a dangerous symptom that indicates various pathologies, including: bleeding, allergies to milk protein, hemorrhoids, congenital intestinal diseases, bacterial infection.

All of the above features should be a reason to consult a doctor. After all, the nature of a baby’s bowel movements is a “litmus test” of all processes occurring in the baby’s body. And analysis of the contents of a diaper can sometimes help to recognize dangerous diseases or abnormalities in time. In order to do this competently, it is imperative to have information about the norms in children's stool, which are described above.

Breastfeed your babies! This will avoid many health problems for your baby.

From the literature on caring for a newborn, mothers know that the baby should poop after each feeding. If a newborn and infant defecate a yellowish mush, then babies who consume formula excrete feces that are denser. Their smell is specific, pungent. If the baby suddenly hasn’t pooped all day, parents worry and think about using a laxative. But moms and dads don’t know whether the baby really needs help.

dark brown stool

Maria Kostyuchenko, the author of the block Learning by Playing, has a wonderful daughter, Dasha. She came up with the creative competition “My Color Book”. Details on the website “Learning by Playing” https://earlystudy.ru/zhizn-bloga-2/konkursyi/tvorches.. I liked Dasha’s idea, but I didn’t tell my daughter Lida, who recently turned 6 years old, about the competition. I suggested that she come up with a fairy tale.

I started:

“One day, the stepmother ordered Cinderella to sew dresses of an unusual color for the upcoming ball - so that no one else had them! And the names of the flowers had to begin with certain letters: D, E, E, Shch, Yu, Ya.”

And my daughter picked up:

“Cinderella was confused and upset: how can you sew dresses from flowers that no one has? Cinderella cried bitterly and then she received a message from her godmother (and we remember that Cinderella’s godmother was a sorceress). “Dear Cinderella, I know about your task, and I will help in any way I can. But I won’t be able to come myself (I have a lot of important things to do) and I’m sending my student to help you. He is not a wizard, he is just learning, but his kind heart, love for you and his magic wand will help you. I know, dear goddaughter, that you are smart, resourceful and hard-working. you can do it! Good luck!"

Cinderella wiped away her tears and went to meet the guest. Together they set to work. The first spring rain was just falling outside. Cinderella admired the sky! She asked the clouds to share with her their unusual gray-blue color. This is how the dress turned out to be the color of Rain clouds.

The rain stopped and it was time to prepare lunch. The sorrel has just grown in the beds. The leaves, washed by the rain, were sown with freshness in the rays of the spring sun. It has been decided - the second dress will be sorrel color.

The magic wand embodied Cinderella's idea.

After dinner, Cinderella went out to the gazebo with sewing and then the birds that flew in from the south began to sing their songs to her. Cinderella asked them what unusual things they saw in the southern regions? The birds told Cinderella about the unusual skin color of people living in the southern regions. Thus the color Southern Tan was born.

Apple pulp color

Cinderella came up with the idea while eating a green apple. At that time, the apple tree was blooming and Cinderella took the color of the apple blossoms and mixed it with a small amount of young foliage.

Cinderella had no doubts about the color starting with the letter E - she loved the New Year holidays, decorating the Christmas tree, and wrapping gifts! So she ran to her favorite spruce alley and asked: Christmas tree, Christmas tree, share your color with my new dress! The Christmas tree happily agreed, and the magic wand helped her. the Christmas tree dress appeared

Evening came, Cinderella was tired, and then someone began to puff at her feet - hedgehogs! Here is the last color found. The hedgehog color of the dress looks very mysterious at dusk!

Now all the dresses are ready. The stepmother and sisters liked the dresses so much that it was decided to take Cinderella to the ball! Cinderella loves to dance so much!”

Lida drew illustrations for the fairy tale.

When the work was finished, I invited her to find out how fabrics were actually dyed in ancient times (we did not read this description from the 5th issue of the magazine My Mother Vasilisa). We read how it's done and dyed a white cotton handkerchief with onion skins. The result is a rich shade of brown.

Then we wanted to find out more about what inspired the color scheme.

We remembered how clouds, clouds, rain are formed.

SORREL

How to remember the correct accent: Spruce grows in the forest, and sorrel grows in the garden.

Historical reference:

Sorrel is an ancient garden crop. The plant appears in ancient Roman authors: the comedian Plautus, the poet Virgil, and in Pliny the Elder’s “Natural History”. The “Canon of Medical Science” describes the healing properties of sour sorrel (Avicenna calls it garden) and wild sorrel, which, according to the author, “is stronger than garden sorrel in all respects.”

In Russia, sorrel began to be eaten much later than in Europe. In our country, this grass was long considered a weed, laughing at the French, Germans, Greeks, Dutch, and Bulgarians who ate the “green grass.” Our ancestors considered it a weed plant, unsuitable for human consumption, but very useful for its medicinal properties. Our compatriots managed to taste sorrel only at the end of the 18th century.

Among the people, it received rather strange names - “meadow apple”, “wild beet”. By the way, in Ancient Rus', “wild beets” were even considered sacred and were used as amulets.

In the Russian peasant calendar there was even a day “Mavra - green cabbage soup” (May 16): “new” cabbage soup was cooked from fresh sorrel and other greens - in the spring, bright green leaves replaced cabbage when preparing first courses.

It is believed that the Russian name of this plant was derived from the name of such a famous dish as cabbage soup.

In Latin, sorrel is called "Rumex", which translates as "spear".

Nutrient content:

The sour taste of sorrel depends on the oxalic-potassium salt contained in its leaves, and its value as a food and medicinal plant is determined by the presence of many chemical compounds necessary for the human body. These include mineral salts: organic acids (malic, citric, oxalic), proteins, sugars, flavonoids, carotene, vitamins B1, B2, C, K, PP. All types of sorrel are rich in vitamins; horse sorrel is especially rich in vitamin C (this species is distinguished by its tall, thick stem, large leaves and powerful root system).

Application:

Sorrel is also called the “spring king”; the greenery of this plant is one of the first to appear in the garden beds in early spring and delights us with its freshness and sour taste. Few people know that sorrel is the closest relative of buckwheat, and just like buckwheat, it is very beneficial for the body. Eating this vegetable can solve many health problems. The rich vitamin and mineral composition easily explains all the unique healing and beneficial properties of sorrel.

Sour sorrel is mainly used for food as a leaf vegetable, and less often horse sorrel. All species of the sorrel genus are vitamin and medicinal plants. It should be remembered that young sorrel leaves are more nutritious and healthier (malic and citric acids predominate in them), while older leaves require the addition of chalk when boiled in order to precipitate oxalic acid. To do this, one gram of chalk per kilogram of leaves is enough.

HOW DO YOU GET A TAN?

We have many tiny black grains on our skin. They are called melanin. This substance protects the skin from sun rays. Therefore, when the bright sun hits the skin, the melanin grains become larger. When their number increases, the skin darkens. This is called tanning. If you are exposed to the bright sun without protection (without clothing or sunscreen), your skin may burn from the sun's rays (it will become red and sore).

I wonder what the tan

, turns out to be completely different in different latitudes of the globe. Somewhere it is reddish, somewhere yellow, and somewhere bronze. What does this depend on? It turns out that the main factor that affects the intensity of tanning is the angle of incidence of the sun's rays on our planet. The intensity and color of the tan is affected by the height of the sun above the horizon. At the same time, there is one pattern - the higher the sun is above the horizon, the faster a person acquires a brown skin tone. There is another factor that also greatly affects tanning. This is the transparency of the atmosphere. This is what determines exactly how the sun's rays will be reflected from the earth. This effect can be observed especially well high in the mountains, where the air is cleaner than at the surface of the earth. And it turns out that a day on the glacier will bring a much browner tan than a whole week of lying on the beach with a great desire to tan. A sea tan is different from a river tan. The thing is that salt baths increase the skin's sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation. Chocolate tanning occurs in Africa and countries located closest to the equator. Of course, a white-skinned person here will literally burn in the sun within a few hours, so sunbathing here needs to be done in doses, and very carefully. In the Maldives, a shade of dark coffee is obtained. There will be no blisters, no fever, no red skin. Bronze tan is Sochi, Crimea, Bulgaria and Türkiye.

CHRISTMAS COLOR

Christmas tree is the colloquial name for an evergreen coniferous tree (pine, fir or spruce)

Why don’t the needles of spruce, pine or fir fall off in the fall like other trees?

Only a small fraction of the water that passes through the channels of the tree trunk is used by it for nutrition. A significantly larger amount of water is processed by the leaves of the tree. Water evaporates from the surface of the leaves through microscopic pores.

With the onset of cold weather, the soil freezes, and therefore the tree no longer has the same amount of “extra” water that it evaporated through the leaves in the summer. This is precisely the reason that the vast majority of trees shed their leaves in the fall. The needles of evergreen trees do not need as much water as those of deciduous trees. Therefore, they do not need to fall off in the fall.

CHRISTIAN LEGEND The emergence of the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree with bright toys is associated with the night when Jesus was born. The Magi presented gifts to the baby, and Joseph, in order to also please Jesus, cut down an evergreen tree and brought it to his cradle. The stars rolled down from the heavens and shone on the branches, and Jesus laughed and clapped his hands. Since then, it has become a custom to decorate the Christmas tree with shiny toys and stars.

APPLE PULP COLOR

The Russian word “apple tree” comes from the Old Slavonic “ablon”, and it comes from the Indo-European “albho”, which means “white”. Indeed, when cut, apple pulp is usually white.

Apples are very beneficial for human health and beauty.

An English proverb says: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. (

Literal translation: Eating one apple a day will keep your doctor out of work. Russian equivalent: “Whoever eats an apple a day never sees a doctor.” »

Recipe we tested:

For cold cough and hoarseness

drink warm apple decoction or infusion. 2-3 peeled apples are boiled in 1 liter of water for 15 minutes, then left for 4 hours. Take a warm decoction several times a day.

A few facts about hedgehogs:

:

1. Hedgehogs appeared on Earth about 15 million years ago.

2. The average hedgehog has approximately 10 thousand spines. They are updated every three years. Hedgehog needles take a long time to grow, about a year. Fortunately for the hedgehog, their renewal occurs gradually.

3. The hedgehog has 36 teeth, which, like humans, can fall out in old age.

4. Hedgehogs suffer from tick bites more than any other animal. When a hedgehog runs through the grass, it is like using a comb to “comb out” parasites from it, which willingly settle on the unfortunate animal. Hedgehogs are prevented from getting rid of ticks by their own quills, so they use a trick - they stick cigarette butts on themselves to poison the parasites with tobacco.

5. In epidemiology there is the concept of “hourly”. It indicates the number of ticks collected by a hedgehog during an hour of running through the forest. Recording “hourly” helps scientists identify natural foci of tick-borne encephalitis.

6. Hibernation of hedgehogs lasts 128 days. While the hedgehog is sleeping, its body temperature drops to 2 degrees Celsius (under normal conditions it is 34 degrees). The breathing of sleeping hedgehogs is seriously slowed down: a maximum of 8 inhalations and exhalations per minute, although they usually breathe at a frequency of 40-50 times. An awakened hedgehog is the walking embodiment of hunger, so the animal spends several days after waking up exclusively searching for food.

7. Most types of hedgehogs have a tail. True, it is very short - only 3 cm, so it is not visible from under the needles.

8. Despite the fact that hedgehogs can distinguish colors, they are naturally blind. But they have very acute hearing and a keen sense of smell.

9. Eared hedgehogs differ from their counterparts in that they are extremely reluctant to curl up into a ball in case of danger. This type of hedgehog runs very fast, and it is not easy for land predators to catch up with it. If the long-eared hedgehog is overtaken by an enemy, the animal jumps up and tries to prick its opponent in sensitive places.

10. Hedgehogs are immune to viper venom, although they do not specifically hunt these snakes. However, if the opportunity arises, the hedgehog will eat the viper with great appetite.

11. Also, even the strongest poisons have almost no effect on hedgehogs: sublimate, arsenic, potassium cyanide, hydrocyanic acid, etc.

12. Hedgehogs do not hunt mice - this is a myth. They might be happy to feast on mouse meat, but they are not able to catch up with the mouse.

13. In children's books you can often see a hedgehog carrying an apple on his back. In fact, hedgehogs do not prick apples, mushrooms, or other large objects onto their dorsal needles—they are physically unable to curl up in such a way as to do this. The “father” of the myth that animals carry supplies on their backs is the ancient Roman historian Pliny the Elder. Where he got this from is unknown.

14. Hedgehogs are remarkably tamed and get along well with other pets - dogs and cats. But few people can keep hedgehogs at home because of their loud stomp.

15. The culprit in the death of many hedgehogs was the McDonalds fast food restaurant chain. The fact is that the animals willingly licked the remnants of McFlurry ice cream from the cups. The neck of these glasses was wide enough for hedgehogs to stick their heads in, but too narrow for them to stick their heads back out. As a result, thousands of poor little animals were unable to free themselves from the cups and died of hunger. After much protest from wildlife activists, the neck diameter of McFlurry cups was reduced in 2006 and the hedgehogs were safe.

So, once again about the colors and how we got them:

Rain cloud color

: blue+black+white=shade of blue-gray

Ezhiny

: white+black+brown=taupe

Christmas tree

: Jade + dark green + white = shade of green

Sorrel

: green + yellow = shade of green

Southern tan color

: brown+pearl yellow=bronze shade

Apple pulp

: white + a little light green = shade of white

Dasha, thank you for the idea with the competition. We had a great time completing your assignment!

Emptying regimen for infants

Nutritional habits help to understand why stool retention occurs in a child under one year of age. If the newborn is breastfed and does not receive any fluids or medications, the absence of stool will be considered normal even for a week. Some babies' bodies absorb mother's milk completely, so feces are simply not collected.

If the baby is switched to a bottle and the mother notices that he has not pooped for 2 days or more, this is already a problem. The mixture is an artificial product that cannot be processed in full. Its remnants must leave the body regularly.

The frequency, quantity, and type of bowel movements depend not only on the type of feeding of the child. Before 12 months of age, these indicators are influenced by several factors:

• mother’s nutritional habits if the baby is breastfeeding;
• composition of human milk (fat slows down the movement of feces);
• type of mixture (the factor works when transferring the baby to artificial feeding);
• weakness of intestinal motility and anterior abdominal wall.

Why does the intestine have difficulty defecating? The fact is that food gruel is slowly transported through the thick part of the tract and loses all its nutrients. Vitamins and water remain in the masses, gradually filling the lower part of the organ. The intestine stretches, the feces dry out and become voluminous and heavy. Since the baby does not have sufficiently developed muscles, the intestines cannot get rid of feces. The process of defecation becomes painful and unpleasant.

Norm for artificial feeding

The stool of a baby fed with an adapted milk formula almost immediately acquires a rather thick (almost solid) consistency, a uniform structure and an unpleasant odor. Its color can vary from light yellow to brown. If the mixture is enriched with iron, then very dark discharge is observed. In any case, inclusions should not be present in the masses; their presence indicates an incorrect choice or preparation of food.

Artificial babies do not have bowel movements very often - 2-3 times a day. Therefore, a sudden increase in the number of bowel movements to 6-7 per day is considered an alarming symptom. Especially if there is loose, foamy, and unusually colored stool.

When to contact a pediatrician?

Newborns and older babies report problems with bowel movements using certain symptoms. Caring parents will definitely notice the following deviations:

1. vomiting;
2. lack of gas;
3. poor sleep and appetite;
4. increased nervousness;
5. anxiety during feeding;
6. twisting legs due to bloating and pain in the tummy (possibly hard).

Fecal masses in the presence of these anomalies are characterized by increased density. The color of feces changes from yellow to dark if the baby is switched to formula. The reason for contacting a doctor is both the strange consistency and shade of stool, and the general condition of the child with problems with stool and passing gas.

For example, if a baby does not poop and has difficulty passing gas, this condition poses a danger to the body. The combination of symptoms indicates intestinal obstruction. If the baby farts but does not poop, he is not in danger of obstruction. Moderate gas formation against the background of rare bowel movements indicates normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

How to make your baby's stool easier?

In the absence of nutritional problems, treatment of problematic bowel movements is carried out by eliminating spasmodic phenomena occurring in the intestines. When the baby cannot poop, he needs to massage his tummy with a clockwise movement of his hand. It will be useful to bend your legs while pressing against your stomach (similar to riding a bicycle). Exercise stimulates intestinal motility and accelerates the elimination of processed food.

If your newborn is concerned about air trapped in the tract, you can try placing a gas tube. The device irritates the walls of the rectum and forces them to contract involuntarily. When the tube is pushed out, the gases come out along with the feces.

If the baby eats formulas, cereals, juices, but does not defecate for 3 days in a row, parents should give him warm boiled water to facilitate the expulsion of feces. Let the baby consume a sufficient amount of liquid - she will not allow stool retention. You can try feeding the baby a different formula or switching to a special food that prevents colic and hardening of stool.

Previously, mothers alleviated the suffering of children with mechanical stimuli. They inserted a piece of soap, the tip of a thermometer, and a hygienic stick in cream or Vaseline into the anus. Today these methods are not welcomed by pediatricians. If a child poops poorly despite everything, he is prescribed rectal glycerin suppositories

Doctors suggest medicinal treatment of children for intestinal problems using mildly effective means:

• Plantex;
• Normaze;
• Duphalac;
• Gutalax;
• Vita-plant;
• Prelax.

If defecation delay is caused by dysbiosis, intestinal treatment is aimed at restoring the flora. For this purpose, the baby is prescribed bifidobacteria - Bifidumbacterin, Bifidum, Trilact, Probifor, etc. It is better to give the baby probiotics in liquid form, because they act immediately in the body. Infants can obtain beneficial bifidobacteria from special fermented milk products. Therapeutic nutrition and medications are selected individually.

Retention of stool in a baby causes a lot of panic among parents. Any manifestation of a problem with bowel movements suggests that the baby is constipated. However, constipation does not always accurately characterize a problem with bowel movements, so it is urgent to find out the reasons for this phenomenon.

Feces and diseases

In some cases, the uncharacteristic appearance of a child’s stool is one of the symptoms of pathologies associated with improper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Too frequent liquid, foamy, bright green or bright yellow stools with mucus, blood and a strong odor may be a manifestation of diseases such as:

1. lactase deficiency - deficiency of the enzyme responsible for the absorption of milk sugar
2. dysbacteriosis – an imbalance of beneficial and pathological microorganisms in the intestine
3. rotavirus infection - inflammation of the stomach and intestines caused by rotavirus
4. celiac disease – gluten intolerance

In any of the above cases, foamy stool will not be the only symptom of the disease. As a rule, these conditions requiring medical attention are accompanied by decreased appetite, crying for no reason, bloating, pain and fever (in case of infection).

Soft feces of different shades of yellow are normal for infants. Parents should be wary if the stool takes on an intense green or gray tint and has a very pungent odor. But it is not the appearance of the stool that is decisive, but the child’s behavior. Many pediatricians believe that if a baby eats only mother’s milk, feels good and develops correctly, then it doesn’t matter what his stool looks like.

Signs and causes: how to recognize them?

It is important for parents to pay attention to the general condition of the baby and the consistency of the stool. If the delay is associated with constipation, the child will be capricious and whiny. The baby may push frequently, but this does not lead to the desired result. While trying to go to the toilet, the baby gets worried and becomes nervous. During constipation, a baby's stool has a hard consistency. It looks like a pea or has a plug followed by a mass of feces.

If there is a delay in defecation, but the child is calm, does not refuse feeding, and the act of defecation does not cause discomfort, then we are clearly not talking about constipation. A newborn may often have this problem: the quality of absorption of formula or breast milk is too good. In this case, the baby simply has nothing to go to the toilet with. If you have the following symptoms, you need to find out the reasons. It is necessary to show the baby to the doctor.

Another problem is related to lactose deficiency. It occurs due to a small amount of the enzyme or its complete absence. This enzyme is necessary for the breakdown of milk sugar - lactose. Such a disorder manifests itself easily, since the absence of stool can be replaced by diarrhea.

To eliminate the delay, you need to get rid of the reasons that can cause this phenomenon. For this purpose, the mother’s diet must be adjusted and the baby’s drinking regime is observed. In some cases, it is necessary to additionally humidify the air in the room. You should consult your doctor if you need to replace the formula you are using or adjust the nature of complementary feeding.

If there is no result during the implementation of the listed changes, the baby’s condition should be diagnosed. This will allow you to exclude diseases or detect them. You should not rush to use enemas and various laxatives.

As for the permitted drugs, it is prohibited to use any laxatives other than Lactulose for a newborn. reduce the baby's reflex, which is associated with the process of emptying. The degree of absorption of beneficial vitamins and substances decreases, the tone of the intestinal muscles decreases, which only worsens the situation. Therefore, it is necessary to help the child with harmless means before moving on to more serious medications.

In this case, you need to place the baby on his stomach more often. It is useful to perform a tummy massage, followed by the previously mentioned revolution. You need to make clockwise movements, and press your legs to your stomach. You can use them to simulate riding a bicycle.

Heat has a relaxing effect on the baby, so you should put a warm diaper on the baby's stomach. You can place the baby on the mother's stomach. Warmth not only calms the baby, but also stimulates peristalsis.