Is your baby having frequent bowel movements? That’s right, because here’s the most important information about constipation and diarrhea in babies!
Do you have any questions about constipation and diarrhea in babies? Here’s what you need to know.
In the past, you were embarrassed to talk about bowel movements. But when you become a parent, poop has become a part of your life. It’s normal for you to change your baby’s dirty diapers several times a day and sometimes, you even monitor how many times he or she has had a bowel movement in a day.
When it comes to babies, there are two diseases related to their bowel movements – constipation and diarrhea.
Normally, a baby’s stool is very soft, and it’s also normal for them to have bowel movements more than once a day. But if you notice that their stools are soft and watery and more frequent than usual, your baby may have diarrhea.
Constipation is the opposite, where the baby has difficulty defecating and their stools are often hard.
Baby constipation and diarrhea | Image from Freepik
These illnesses can be distressing. If left untreated, your baby’s health may be affected.
To better understand constipation and diarrhea in babies, here are some things that can help you care for a child with a stomach ache.
1. It helps to know what is normal or not in a baby’s poop.
First of all, you should know that your baby’s milk or food affects the appearance, color and frequency of his poop.
In exclusively breastfed babies, their poop is soft like cottage cheese, yellow in color and has small seeds.
They poop frequently – sometimes, they poop immediately after they are weaned. By 6 weeks, their poop will be less frequent. It is also normal for them to not poop for a few days, because breastmilk is easily digested and only a small amount of poop needs to be passed.
When it comes to formula-fed babies, their poop is harder and more regular.
By their 6th month, babies will start eating solid food and the appearance and smell of their poop will change again. It may be the same color as their food and smell more foul than before.
It is normal for babies to have yellow, green or brown poop. Once they are over 6 weeks old, it is also normal not to have a bowel movement for a day to a week, as long as the baby is breastfeeding well and gaining weight.
2. Baby’s constipation and diarrhea may be caused by a food allergy
When the digestive system senses a food as an allergen, the digestive tract or intestines react to fight it.
This will cause diarrhea, because it speeds up digestion. Or it slows down digestion so that it does not spread to other parts of the digestive tract—hence the difficulty in defecating.
Doctors advise introducing foods one by one and slowly to the baby to find out what his stomach does not agree with.
3. Baby diarrhea is caused by irritation of the gastrointestinal tract.
Diarrhea is caused by irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, which speeds up digestion and bowel movements to get rid of irritants.
Often, the stomach or system does not accept a type of food or milk, which is why diarrhea occurs.
Although not all types of diarrhea can be considered diarrhea, it is still necessary to observe how often and what the stool looks like.
Remember that diarrhea is more watery and has a different color and smell. It is also more frequent than ordinary bowel movements in a child. Add abdominal pain, fever and whole food to the stool that is not digested well.
Ask the pediatrician what foods will be good for your baby’s condition.
Baby constipation and diarrhea | Image from Freepik
4. Infection and food poisoning are two common causes of diarrhea.
Sometimes a baby eats or drinks something that has infectious microorganisms. This is a sign of infection if the child has a fever and vomits, similar to food poisoning.
According to Dr. Maria Belen Vitug-Sales, a pediatrician and gastroenterology specialist at Makati Medical Center, you should make sure that baby’s items such as pacifiers and feeding bottles are clean to prevent infection.
“Make sure that your nipples are cleaned properly, your feeding bottles, make sure that it’s thoroughly clean.” she said.
She added that babies also need to be monitored as they grow because they can get infections from the things they drink.
5. If diarrhea is not treated promptly, the child is at risk of dehydration.
Because the stool passes through the baby’s intestines so quickly, the baby’s body can quickly become dehydrated and dehydrated.
If the mouth is dry, there is little urination (or wet diapers), the baby’s head is sunken and there are no tears when he cries, he may be dehydrated.
Dr. Sales advises that the water lost from a baby’s body must be replaced immediately. “When he has diarrhea, the first priority is always to hydrate so that you can replace what he has lost. So you give more fluids now.” he said.
If dehydration is not treated promptly, it can lead to low blood pressure and seizures, so Dr. Sales reminds us that it is important to inform your doctor immediately if your baby has diarrhea.
“First thing you do is hydrate, let’s change it. Then call your pediatrician, because the danger is that the baby gets dehydrated. When a baby is dehydrated, sometimes (he) can get into seizures. Because you lose salt in your body, sodium and potassium, they are lost,” she added.
To replace the sodium and potassium lost from his body, baby can also drink oral rehydration salts mixed with his water or milk.
6. With constipation, it’s important to look at the appearance of baby’s poop
Because it’s normal for babies to go a day or even a week without pooping, the frequency of their poops is not an effective basis for determining whether your child is constipated.
According to Dr. Sales, a more effective basis for determining whether a baby is constipated is the appearance of their poop. “What you look for is the consistency of the poop. It should be normal, soft,” she says.
If your baby’s poop is small and hard, or large and hard, and dark in color, he may be constipated.
7. A baby may be afraid to poop when he has constipation.
Also, you will notice that the baby has difficulty defecating if he cries or is irritable while doing so.
The stool that comes out of him is hard so it is expected that the baby will be hurt. As a result, they are afraid to defecate so sometimes the baby will hold it back.
Statement by Dr. Sales,
“Because the problem with constipation is that the poop is hard and painful. That’s a bit traumatizing for babies, so they’re scared and they hold on. They don’t want to poop anymore because it hurts, they’ll hold back, it makes everything worse.”
Correct number of bowel movements for a baby | Image from Fotolia
8. The main cause of constipation is that food is not digested quickly in the baby’s stomach.
A baby’s intestines are still small and they don’t have teeth to chew and grind food into smaller pieces. Unlike milk, solid food is harder for a baby to digest and may cause constipation.
Sometimes, this is also due to a unique intestinal problem, such as Hirschsprung’s disease, a congenital condition in which there are no nerve cells in the large intestine, making it unable to digest food.
9. Proper nutrition and exercise can help fight constipation.
According to Dr. Sales, the best way to help your child with his bowel movements is to make sure he is eating or breastfeeding properly.
If your baby is already eating solids, make sure he has a balanced diet. Give him fruits and vegetables that are rich in fiber such as peas, broccoli, avocado, pears, and blackberries, as well as oatmeal and other grains. Also avoid foods that are difficult for his stomach to digest.
“In general, we tell parents that once your baby starts solids, you have to make sure that their diet is balanced. It should have fiber.” said Dr. Sales.
She also added that it is also a habit to have your baby drink plenty of water, especially during hot weather to prevent dehydration. Have him drink water after meals to help with digestion.
Also try giving him prune, apple, or pear juice in small amounts if he has difficulty passing stool. It can also be mixed with milk.
It is more difficult for the baby’s stomach to digest food when he is lying down, so let him be naughty. Exercise helps to help the child’s digestion.
Walk the baby outside and also gently massage the body, especially the baby’s stomach and legs.
10. Sometimes milk is the cure for diarrhea or switching from breastmilk is the cause of constipation.
Some people also notice that babies get constipated when they switch from breastmilk to formula milk. This is because breastmilk is easier to digest in the stomach. Formula milk has sugars and proteins and is more difficult for a baby to digest in the stomach.
Doctors often recommend adding water to the formula milk mixture, for some flavors. It is returned to the previous mixture when the child’s bowel movements are normal.
11. Diarrhea is very dangerous in babies under 4 months, so take it to the doctor immediately at the first suspicion.
Babies’ immune systems are still weak at this age, so what is thought to be a mild infection or just normal diarrhea may worsen.
At the first sign of dehydration, you need to take your child to the doctor immediately, especially if the child does not want to drink water and is obviously weak.
Also, if your baby (any age) experiences the following symptoms, take him to the hospital immediately:
- fever
- stomach pain
- blood in their stool, or stools that are black, white or red
- extreme weakness or anxiety
- vomiting
12. If you notice that your baby is having a hard time defecating, don’t hesitate to consult a doctor
If you notice that your baby is having a hard time defecating, has blood in the stool, and is in pain. Don’t hesitate to ask your baby’s pediatrician what to do.
If your baby’s stool is too hard, it can hurt or scratch the baby’s bottom.
There are stool softeners that your doctor can prescribe. If your baby is weak, vomiting, and has a large and hard stomach, take him to the doctor immediately.
To avoid constipation and diarrhea in your baby, make it a habit to ask your doctor about foods that your child can eat before serving them to him. Also, don’t give your baby any medicine without the advice of his pediatrician.
Above all, don’t hesitate to ask your pediatrician if you have any questions about your baby’s constipation and diarrhea, or if you notice anything unusual in his bowel movements.
Baby poop
It is important for mommies to always monitor their baby’s diaper. A baby’s poop gives any sign or indication about their health and whether they are consuming the right amount of milk.
Additionally, dirty diapers with baby poop indicate that the baby is not constipated and diarrhea-free.
The number of times a baby normally poops in the first few weeks depends on whether they are breastfed or formula fed. If you switch from breastfeeding to formula milk, or vice versa, expect a change in the consistency of your baby’s poop.
How many times does a baby poop normally?
Usually, a baby has a certain number of normal bowel movements. However, regardless of whether the baby is formula fed or breast fed, there may also be a change in the number of times a baby changes diapers.
There can also be an average of five to six diaper changes (often due to urination) per day during this period of a baby’s life. But what about the number of normal bowel movements and the number of diaper changes due to baby poop?
Newborn babies usually have at least one or two bowel movements per day. Over the course of a week, a baby may have 5 to 10 bowel movements.
It is also possible for a baby to have a bowel movement after breastfeeding or drinking formula milk. The number of times a baby normally has a bowel movement may decrease as feedings increase and as he grows in his first month.
By the time a baby reaches 6 weeks, he may not have a bowel movement every day. This is not an indication of any health problem for the baby. As long as he is still comfortable and healthy while growing. Also, as long as the baby’s poop is not hard.
Chart of the correct number of bowel movements for a baby by age
A baby may pass meconium, a black, sticky, tar-like substance, in the first few days after birth. After another three days, the baby’s stool will become lighter or lighter in color, and softer.
The color of the baby’s stool may be light brown, yellow, or yellow green.
Based on our research, from the Healthline.com, here is a chart of the correct number of bowel movements a baby should have as he grows after delivery.
|
|---|
| |
Day 1 to day 3 |
first 6 weeks |
After starting to eat solid food |
| If baby is breastfed |
A newborn baby may pass a stool called meconium within 24-48 hours after birth. It will change color to yellow-green by day 4. |
The baby’s stools will be softer and yellowish. Expect your baby to have at least 3 bowel movements per day. However, some babies may have 4 to 12 bowel movements. After this time, your baby’s bowel movements will become less frequent. |
Baby’s bowel movements will be more frequent after he eats solid food. |
| If the baby is formula fed |
A newborn baby may pass a stool called meconium within 24-48 hours after birth. It will change color to yellow-green by day 4. |
The color of the baby’s poop will be light brown or greenish. The correct number of times a baby poops is probably 1 to 4 times. After a month, the baby will poop every other day. |
1 to 2 bowel movements per day. |
Please consult your trusted pediatrician if you notice an irregular bowel movement in your baby. It is best to treat this immediately before it gets worse.
Republished with permission from theAsianParent Philippines
