Baby Constipation - It's heartbreaking to watch your little one struggle when constipated!
Always consult your pediatrician if you suspect your baby is having prolonged constipation issues. Prolonged baby constipation can be dangerous to the health of your baby!
Common causes of constipation in infants and children include:
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Introduction of solid food(s) - breastfed babies may tend to be more prone to constipation when solid foods are introduced. This is because their tiny tummies are used to processing the easily and highly digestible mother's milk
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Diets low in fiber
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Diets of excessive dairy products (yogurt, cheeses, milk)
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Foods such as Bananas, Applesauce, Cereals, Breads, Pasta and White Potatoes may contribute or cause constipation
A change in diet usually relieves a baby with constipation. The following tips may also help the constipated baby get things "moving"!
Tummy Massage - Gently massage and rub baby's tummy in a clockwise direction. Place your hands at baby's navel and massage in a circular motion, moving your hand(s) out and away from the center of baby's belly.
Warm Bath - Some medical professionals suggest giving your constipated baby a warm bath. The thought is that this may help relax baby and "get things moving" again. Give a tummy massage as you are drying baby.
Bicycle Legs - Place your baby on her back and lightly hold her legs in a half-bent position. Gently begin to move your baby's legs as if she is riding a bicycle. Alternate "Bicycle Legs" with Tummy Massage. *"Bicycle Legs" also may help to relieve a baby who is gassy.
Relieving Constipation in Babies Younger than 4 Months:
Try giving one to two ounces of diluted fruit juice such as grape, prune or apple-prune twice daily. (Always consult your pediatrician about the appropriateness of new foods/liquids to help alleviate constipation) Learn about Fruit Juice in your baby's diet.
Relieving Constipation in Babies 4 Months to 12 months +
Try strained foods that contain high fiber such as:
apricots
prunes
peaches
plums
pears
peas
spinach
In older infants who are just beginning solid foods, you may want to avoid baby foods such as rice cereal, applesauce and bananas as these may aggravate constipation!
Barley or oatmeal cereals, prunes, peaches, plums, apricots and most vegetables are preferred when baby has constipation.
Juices are helpful, especially apple or prune, but use in moderation, as they are not as nutritious for babies as formula or breast milk.
Recall the BRAT diet for treatment of diarrhea in infants - Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast. An easy and natural way to remember how to alleviate baby's constipation is to cut out the foods that contribute to it - rice cereals, bananas, and applesauce. If you ever forget which foods to cut out, remember BRAT!
Why can I give Apple Juice but NOT Applesauce?
There is a difference in the amount of sugars and pectin in apple juice and applesauce:
Apple juice contains more sugars and liquids so it helps relieve constipation.
Applesauce is the whole of the fruit. It contains a higher level of pectin - which firms up stools and may thus lead to constipation.
"Apple juice also has a mild laxative effect that may help provide relief from constipation commonly experienced by little ones. Apple juice fortified with vitamin C may help children absorb more iron, an important nutrient for growth and development." About Apple Juices
Apples contain pectin, which will add bulk to your stools, and their cleansing action will encourage bowel movements. They have a laxative effect yet are also used for to help people get back on a regular diet after suffering bouts of diarrhea.
The pectin in the apple fiber apparently is the healing factor, which explains why it is included in one of the popular over-the-counter diarrhea remedies. Also, that same fiber pectin is what dietitians have been telling us for decades is necessary to keep us regular and to prevent constipation.
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When it comes to bowel regularity, apples contain two types of fiber tackle the job no matter what it is. Both the insoluble fiber in apples and their soluble fiber pectin help relieve constipation (thus helping to prevent diverticulosis and colon cancer).
The insoluble fiber works like roughage, while the soluble fiber (pectin), which is found primarily in the skin, acts as a stool softener by drawing water into the stool and increasing stool bulk. On the other hand, because pectin firms up an excessively loose stool, it’s also used to treat diarrhea. One well-known over-the-counter diarrhea remedy, Kaopectate , actually contains an oxidized form of pectin. For more information see: US Apple Association
Are you wondering about Juice for Your Baby? Read our article to find out about juice and the role it may or may not play in a baby's diet!
Apples and Bowel Regularity
"Medically, eating apples makes sense--they're a good source of fiber.
Apples and other high-fiber fruits and vegetables are best for constipation, because the sugars in apples are harder for the body to digest. And what the body can't break down, it pushes out. So apples are a natural laxative. Which is why you shouldn't go overboard. "Eat one apple a day, not four or five," says Dr. Wilson, so you don't get diarrhea." Joanne A. P. Wilson, M.D. writing at MotherNature.com
