Pediatricians say that the younger the child is, the more often he should go to the toilet “in a big way.” In babies under 1 year old, this usually happens 4-5 times a day; in older children, 1-2 times a day is considered the norm. When can you consider a child to be constipated? If the baby cannot have a bowel movement for 1.5-2 days, it is worth talking about congestion in the intestines.
Often the cause of this problem is the psychological discomfort that the baby feels before defecation. In most cases, discomfort is caused by fear, for example, of painful bowel movement, if it ever occurred.
As a result, the stool in the intestines hardens and going to the toilet becomes even more difficult. Sometimes a child's bowel retention occurs due to some kind of emotional upheaval. It is known that from the age of 1.5 years a child is able to restrain and control his natural needs, so it is already possible to delay the act of defecation at this age.
Appearance of excrement
It is worth paying attention not only to the frequency of bowel movements in the baby, but also to the appearance of the feces. In the intestines of a newborn baby there may be not only amniotic fluid, but also parts of the epithelium that penetrates during swallowing. In the first two days it leaves the body. This stool is called meconium. It looks dark: almost black, similar in appearance to plasticine.
When breastfeeding, bowel movements are a little watery, light in color, and have a milky-sour smell. Those babies who eat artificial formula have different feces. It has a dense consistency with a pungent odor. They poop more often than those who drink breast milk.
Problems in the intestines are indicated by the characteristic shape of the poop and its dark color, as well as long intervals between bowel movements. If there is constipation, then other symptoms are also present. When a child does not poop for 5 days and there is bloating, colic, and problems with appetite, this is a signal for immediate help.
What is considered constipation in a newborn?
Why does an infant groan constantly?
When a baby grunts but does not poop, we are talking about indigestion. Constipation in an infant is the absence of stool, accompanied by one or more symptoms:
- the tummy became hard;
- Lightly massaging the abdomen causes pain;
- constant attempts, often accompanied by groaning, do not produce results;
- poor health of the child is manifested by frequent and loud crying.
Some moms may even see a piece of hard stool coming out of the anus when the baby is pushing but can't poop.
Important Factors
Of course, it's stressful for new parents when their baby doesn't poop for 4 days or more . But you need to put aside your emotions and think a little, because something could have influenced this. For example:
- method of feeding (breast or artificial);
- features of the mother’s diet;
- composition of mother's milk;
- type of mixture.
All this affects the frequency of bowel cleansing in the baby and can frighten young parents. It happens that inexperienced pediatricians begin to treat constipation, although this is not necessary.
What Causes Constipation in Newborns?
A newborn does not poop for a day, two days or more - what to do
If an infant does not poop, you should always begin to analyze everything he has eaten that day. When it comes to babies under 6 months of age who have not yet learned complementary feeding, you need to analyze their basic nutrition.
Possible causes of constipation in infants:
- artificial feeding takes place in violation of proportions during the preparation of an adapted milk formula;
- an artificial child does not eat formula, but the milk of farm animals (cow or goat);
- A baby who is on mixed feeding receives cow or goat milk as a supplement after breast milk instead of AMS.
It is important that the mother follows the rules for preparing formula that are indicated on the packaging. If for a three-month-old baby a single serving should consist of 180 ml of water and 6 measuring spoons, then you cannot add a different amount of components. If the amount of dry formula increases or the volume of water decreases, the child may become constipated due to the high concentration of milk protein.
If a mother feeds her baby cow's or goat's milk, this also becomes the reason why the baby does not poop well. The milk of farm animals in the child's stomach curdles under the influence of gastric juice, turning into large lumps. They, in turn, form hard lumps of feces, which make it very difficult for a baby, especially those younger than 6 months, to have bowel movements.
If your newborn doesn't poop
All parents who are worried about the absence of bowel movements in their baby need to remember an important truth: when breastfeeding, constipation in most babies indicates that the mother's milk is perfectly suitable and, in principle, completely digestible. This fact suggests that there is no reason to worry when constipation rarely occurs, much less interfere with this process. If a child is 2 months old and has not pooped for 2 days, then this is not a cause for concern at all. The body adapts to the process of digesting food, and this may take time .
Many doctors around the world have come to the conclusion that there is no need to panic if a child has not pooped for 3 days. Taking into account the above, this can only be observed if he feels great, and the consistency of the stool is no different from previous bowel movements. Some parents begin to panic if the child has not walked for more than 1 day, but in this case there is no reason to worry at all.
If you notice something unusual for the child: for example, he is pushing, puffing, putting his legs up to his tummy, his face becomes reddish, and his bowel movements are like peas, then you need to show him to the pediatrician.
What are the reasons why a child cannot have a bowel movement?
A fissure in the anus can cause constipation in children.
Between the ages of 1 and 3, children learn to be “independent.” They try to repeat the movements of adults, but without their help, they try to manipulate toys and even strive to defend “their self.”
This age is considered the age of “first protest,” which can also manifest itself in the situation of potty training a child.
Often a child refuses to sit on the potty due to embarrassment, unusual conditions, or improper behavior of parents who force him and put him on the potty.
Sometimes such “lessons” are accompanied by screams and irritation, which can make the child “squeeze” even more. However, more often bowel movements are difficult due to previous pain during pooping, which may be caused by a crack in the anus.
Sometimes the problem lies in hard food that is not suitable for the baby, which could not be fully digested and excreted from the body.
Causes of constipation
Once in the body, food releases its nutrients with the help of enzymes, which contain a small dose of vitamins and water. It then slowly moves through the colon, filling the lower intestine. This causes it to stretch and form feces, but first moisture is taken from it through the intestinal walls. This makes bowel movements drier .
If feces remain in the intestines for a long time, they become heavier and bulkier, and the intestines become stretched. Over time, the intestines cannot cope with feces on their own, pushing them out. This can cause discomfort, sometimes painful for the baby.
In this case, it may simply be a vicious circle. If the muscles of the colon are trying to push bowel movements out of the body, the nerve endings signal the importance of pooping. Painful sensations appear. Bleeding cracks that appear after the last diligent attempts to go to the toilet encourage the child to restrain himself.
What else can be done if the baby cannot or does not want to “walk big”?
No need to force your child to sit on the potty!
It is very important to provide your child with psychological comfort. There should be a welcoming, calm and favorable atmosphere at home; there should be no showdowns, much less scandals.
If the baby refuses to sit on the potty, then there is no need to insist too much, much less scold or intimidate him.
You need to be patient and unobtrusively show, tell and stimulate the baby. In more rare cases, the help of a psychologist may be required, but there is no need to rush into this; the problem can be solved on your own.
Don't forget about incentives. If the bowel movement is successful, you can give the child his favorite toy or candy (but you shouldn’t go overboard with sweets). And if it is convenient for the baby to walk “largely” during water procedures, then let it be so, because this is temporary, the main thing is that he is comfortable.
Read: What causes anal bleeding?
Psychological constipation
As practice shows, delays in emptying are easier to detect in those who use diapers or a potty to relieve a child’s natural needs than in those who use the toilet. It is not always that, as a child grows up, he will talk about such an insignificant problem for him.
Situations may be different:
- the child is playing an interesting game, he doesn’t want to stop, so he holds back the feces;
- he is scared alone in the toilet;
- does not feel comfortable in kindergarten;
- fear of the painful sensations experienced last time.
Sometimes the parents themselves are to blame for psychological constipation. Buying an interesting potty and trying to accustom the baby to it, they play with it. This way the child perceives the potty as a game, so he doesn’t poop in it. In this case, it is important to talk to your child and try to explain that pooping needs to be done regularly. Maybe he needs reassurance or support.
You can praise your child after each bowel movement. And if you can’t poop, you don’t need to scold or force him to go back to the toilet to do the right thing. This will leave him with negative feelings and impressions, and it is unlikely that parents will be able to help the child in this way.
How to stimulate a child to go to the toilet on his own “in a big way”?
Toys will help distract the child's attention from the unpleasant process.
The most effective technique is your own example. Show your baby how you do it and there is a high probability that he will repeat after you. This will form a habit.
- If the old potty does not suit the child in some way or it was painful for him to relieve himself on it, then you should just buy a new one.
- To remove the child’s fear of defecation, it would be good to compose some kind of fairy-tale story about a cat or dog who really likes to go to the potty and is not afraid of it.
- You can even arrange a small theatrical performance using toys, through which the baby will understand that going to the toilet to go potty is very pleasant and necessary.
- After sitting on the potty, you can give the child plasticine and a piece of paper on a board. This maneuver is good for distracting attention and relaxing.
- To prevent and get rid of constipation, you can give your child one-day kefir, fermented baked milk or yogurt at night.
- Praising a successful bowel movement is also very helpful. The child will remember this and will know that walking “big” is good and pleasant.
Prevention measures
Some mothers try using a thermometer to pick at the butt or shove soap, but all this can be harmful. The child can be injured, disrupt the intestinal microflora, and cause irritation. A manifestation of maternal love in this situation is to call a pediatrician to examine the child. You can also give your baby the medicine Lactulose Syrup, which will help cleanse the intestines. It is purchased at the pharmacy in the form of syrup or suppositories with glycerin .
You can give the child a abdominal massage (stroking clockwise), or you can put the child on his back and do exercises by bending his legs to his tummy and briefly moving them, as if he were riding a bicycle.
If a child poops on the second or third day and it is difficult for him to relieve himself, then you need to contact a qualified specialist for a diagnosis and further treatment of the baby.
Based on the information described above, we can conclude that if a baby does not poop for 2 days, it is not advisable to immediately take rescue measures; it is more important to determine the problem of this phenomenon. Young parents need to be very attentive to the health of the little person, so as not to miss a more serious problem.
How to save a child from suffering
Microlax is a one-time enema to combat constipation.
The fastest and most effective way is to give an enema. Even if this procedure is not very pleasant, it will help to effectively empty the baby’s intestines and relieve him of discomfort.
Read: Appendicitis in children: signs, symptoms and help for the child
So, if a child does not go to the toilet “in a big way” for 1.5-2 days, then an enema will be very important in this case. You can buy a disposable enema (for example, Microlax) or use a regular rubber bulb.
However, you should not get carried away with giving enemas, as this can cause irritation and even cause cracks in the anus. Because of this, the baby may complain of pain. You can recognize the problem using the child’s words and gestures. Typically, children point to the place that worries them and say characteristic words, for example, “wava” or “ay,” and sometimes they may cry.
There is no need to get carried away with laxative suppositories; their frequent use can also cause problems. Sea buckthorn suppositories, which have a wound-healing and anti-inflammatory effect, will help relieve irritation and heal cracks.
If a child has constipation, it is very important to adjust his menu. It is useful to serve pumpkin or carrot juice, as well as prune decoction, an hour before meals or an hour after. Also reduce your consumption of baked goods and sweets. It is recommended to include fruits and vegetables in your diet, including baked and boiled ones.
If the baby is not particularly inclined to such food, then it can be “disguised” in the form of cutlets, in soups and casseroles. If a child refuses traditional soup, then he will probably like puree soup. Fermented milk products will also help improve digestion, but you need to make sure that they are fresh and daily. Long-term storage fermented milk is not worth buying.
For better digestion and well-being of the child, he needs to drink enough liquid. Under no circumstances should these be carbonated drinks, they only make you stronger. It is useful to serve compotes and juices. Taking probiotics will help normalize your intestinal microflora. However, it is not recommended to use them on your own; you should definitely consult a doctor.
Read: Celiac disease, how to live with a diagnosis of celiac disease?
Poor nutrition
Poor nutrition of the child and mother can cause changes in the intestines . It happens that parents literally understand the words that it is necessary to feed only when the child demands. Therefore, whenever he is worried, he receives a portion of food. And this leads to overeating, and then to the development of constipation. If you start giving your child a new formula, you need to observe it for two weeks to get used to it, only then can you say anything about the baby’s health.
Those children who suffer from constipation should start feeding them with fruit and vegetable purees. They are rich in fiber, which affects intestinal motility. In case of prolonged problems with intestinal function, formula-fed children are introduced to complementary foods from five months.
If the baby eats solid food, he should eat vegetables and fruits (well, if with peel), cereals, and wholemeal bread. This helps the bowel movement process. It is important to eat fermented milk products every day, especially in the morning and evening. Whole milk is not recommended for consumption. Children who suffer from constipation should not be given bananas, sweets and legumes, as they affect gas formation and have a constipating effect.
Advice from Dr. Komarovsky
Pediatrician Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky recommends monitoring how much fluid your child consumes. Its lack in the body leads to constipation. Older children should consume enough fiber, which forms bulky, soft stools that remove toxins and cholesterol. A diet that includes daily consumption of vegetables and fruits will ensure easy and regular bowel movements, which means that the problem of your baby not pooping will disappear. For children who know how to chew and chronically suffer from constipation, it is better to give slightly undercooked vegetables.
Physical exercise
It is important for a child to lead an active lifestyle, since the process of physical exercise strengthens muscles, which has a great effect on intestinal activity. Breasts are advised to do exercises with their mother. You need to be careful not to swaddle your baby too tightly. It is useful to be more in the fresh air.
For those children who have learned to walk, it is useful to take walks on their own, do exercises in the morning, and participate in outdoor games. Ordinary daily activities, such as helping mom with cleaning, can be used as useful exercise.
Try to do physical exercises with your baby while playing, for example, let him bulge his tummy, raise and lower his legs, and then retract. You can try crawling on your tummy. Those who are a little older benefit from skiing and skating. Great for swimming, running, jumping.
By applying all the tips, you will see that your child will not have problems with bowel movements. The baby's intestines will function smoothly without requiring medical attention. It is important to remember that attentive parents consult with a pediatrician, looking for guidance on how to wisely help and not harm the natural processes of the body.
