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Infants develop constipation after they stop breast milk and start on semi solid and solid food. Lack of adequate fibre and water in their diet are the most common reasons associated with constipation in infants.
When the infant suffers, most often, the mother too suffers and is tensed and frustrated as they do not know how to relieve the infant of the pain and discomfort. Discussed below are some mild and safe home remedies that are apt for your infant. Home remedies may take time, but are very efficient and safe for long term use.
Tips To Cure Constipation in Infants
Tummy Massage
Giving a gentle tummy massage may sometimes stimulate bowel movements and help the bowel to move down and get to the rectum. Most children with constipation find it difficult to push down as the hard stools can cause pain and discomfort and this can lead to phobia, which can only worsen the symptoms.
Give a gentle massage on the stomach in a clockwise direction while you put your infant for potty. This will stimulate the movement of the constipated stools downwards and will ease the entire process.
Flax Seeds
Rich in omega 3 fatty acids, flax seeds are good for loosening the bowels and also in preventing constipation in infants. This is ideal for kids above six months.
Grind a few flax seeds and include in his/her daily diet. A teaspoon of flax oil too can work wonders and help the colon to slide the stools down easily.
Licorice
Licorice tea can be given to the infant to ease the bowel movement. Take a teaspoon of licorice and add to one cup of boiling water. Steep for ten minutes and give this water to the baby two to three times until the bowel function is adequately regulated.
Ginger
Ginger tea too helps when the infant is constipated. Ginger reduces instances of indigestion and also helps in easing the bowel function. Take ten grams of ginger and add one cup of boiling water. Add liberal amounts of honey and give it in small quantities to the baby.
Apple Juice
The pectin that is present in apple juice is a soluble fibre and this helps in adding fibrous mass to the stools and makes it easy to be slid down from the colon. For constipated infants, a bottle of apple juice can be given every day so that the stools remain loose and constipation kept at bay. Pectin is found specially in the skin of apples and work by drawing water to the constipated stool and preventing constipation.
Prune Juice
Prune juice has laxative properties that can help in softening the stools. When prune juice is administered to the baby, it might increase the frequency of bowel movements and this will prevent constipation as well.
An ounce of prune juice can be diluted with equal quantities of water and given twice daily to prevent constipation. For infants who are older, the juice can be blended with their cereals to ease the bowel movements.
Baking Soda
Some doctors recommend a warm bath for stimulating bowel movements in infants and easing the pain and trouble associated with constipated stools. A warm soak in baking soda can stimulate the excretory system and aid in elimination of stools.
Fill the tub with warm water and add a few teaspoons of baking soda to this. Let the baby soak in this warm water for ten minutes. Baking soda soak helps in hydrating the stools and this can be repeated 2-3 times a week to keep the constipation under control.
Vaseline
Vaseline does not actually help alleviate the symptoms of constipation. But it helps to ease the pressure on the rectal canal and can also avoid rectal tearing. Applying Vaseline in the anal areas will also help the stools to slide through easily without much friction.
If your infant is always constipated, you can apply Vaseline in the rectum and anal areas so that the pain and the discomfort can be reduced tremendously. This however has to be teamed up with another stool loosening remedy for maximum benefits.
Dark Corn Syrup
A folk remedy that has been passed on to the current generation, dark corn syrup has complex sugar proteins that help in keeping the water content in the bowels, thereby making the stools loose. One teaspoon of dark corn syrup can be added to four ounces of breast milk or formula milk and given to the baby daily.
Once the bowel movements are regulated, intake of dark corn syrup can be reduced and finally stopped. The syrup can be given whenever the stools start becoming hard. Light corn syrup is not effective for this treatment. It is also important to check whether the dark corn syrup that you use for this purpose contains sugars and is not a refined one.
Also Read
Home Remedies For Constipation
Herbal Remedies For Constipation
Foods To Cure Constipation
Home Remedies For Constipation In Adults
Psillium Husk
Psillium husk is known for its laxative properties and can be used for infants as well. It can be blended with cereals or other food that is given to the infant for easing the bowel function. It is best to check with a doctor first to find out if there are any possible side effects with psillium husk.
Glycerine Suppositories
Sometimes, external stimulation is the key to aiding them in proper bowel function. Glycerine suppositories can be inserted in the rectal region in such cases so that the stools can easily glide through without causing any rectal tear and pain.
Extra Fluids
Constipation occurs due to lack of sufficient fluid intake. If your infant is faced with frequent constipation, you must assess the intake of fluids and add more fluids to his/her diet. 2-3 extra glasses of water or other fluids and fruit juices must be added to his/her diet to combat constipation and soften the stools.
Milk Of Magnesia
Milk of magnesia can help when your baby is constipated. A teaspoon can be given to the baby along with a bottle of milk to ease the movement of stools through the colon and aid in bowel movement. Milk of magnesia can be given twice a day and once the results surface, you must discontinue it.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.
Milk Of Magnesia sound cool
Can anyone help me in my prob? My DS is having bad constipation since last week and it’s getting me very worried. So pity whenever i see him crying when i tried to force him to poo. His stomach also start to bloat now. What shud i do??
Its true that children need to drink plenty of water to avoid constipation.. you can try out on those remedies but should also consider about long term solution for constipation… you can look for milk tat contains pre-biotic? its good for constipation.
I think you could feed them prunes. Prune is good for constipation, you could try. 🙂
@maryjanewong:disqus
I think Mamil will work well in solving ur probs. Bcos Mamil has the prebiotics ingredients and sucrose-free where it is important ingredients in preventing children’s constipation. I’ve used it since last year and I have no prob keeping my LO stools healthy. Mamil also has the highest DHA level in the market.. U can definitely see the results in a week.
Mamil in this case is killing two birds with one stone i guess. Highest DHA level which can help in child’s development and growth. Then prebiotics which helps in constipation. I think i should ask my wife to change also la, just incase my current formula dont help preventing baby’s constipation.
There’s alot comparison between Mamil and Friso. If u ask me, i would prefer to go for Friso Gold, my DS have no probs with his bowel at all.
Imho, I think Mamil is better because it contain no sucrose which can benefits to children health.
Not all children can try the same thing, everyone has a different stomach sensitivity one la.. So better don’t try those unproven remedies.. You might ended up sending your kid to hosp, trust me! Happened to me once.. Pity my DD and I was also so foolish to let her try it.. ask for advise before trying anything.
My little boy used to face constipation frequently. Every time he have different symptoms during constipation period. Sometimes he has foul smelling wind and poo, but sometimes he has less active and easy to get irritated because of stomach ache. Also, the main symptoms was the bowel movement has been decreased per week. I need a solution that can solve my boy’s constipation issue entirely and I found that some formula milk can really help in preventing constipation. But I’m not so expert in formula milk. Can someone suggest me any other brands that can help in preventing constipation issue?
my little angle, Mia got constipation before and i gave her mamil as her drink. this is because my friend suggested me to used mamil. he said mamil was good because it contained no sugar and got high level of dha. i think so because after that, mia’s stool became more soft than before. and after a week, her constipation prevented. for me, mamil was good to prevent constipation
I strongly recommend you Mamil formula milk. Mamil did prevent kids constipation, it works on my kid. My kid never encounter any constipation after i switched Mamil for him, even until now he is 9 still drinking Mamil because Mamil formula is suitable for kids from one to nine years old. Mamil contains prebiotics oligosaccharide that helps maintain a good intestinal environment. Also, it has the highest level of DHA compared to others brands. I know that mothers can redeem a free trial pack from Mamil, log in Mamil website to check for more. Mamil will surprise you after you switched for you kids, believe me!
Enfamil and Friso are not bad. My children drink both of the brands previously.. Their price are affordable too.. thats why i purchase it. think about it.. hope this helps you
why not Mamil? my neighbour’s children faced constipation when her children are drinking 1 of the formula milk brand. After switched to Mamil, her children no longer suffer in constipation anymore.. thats why i strongly recommend to you guys.. believe me!
My nephew was having the same problem previously but once my SIL switched to Mamil for just 7 days, no more constipation problem! Because it contains no sugar and high DHA! Also, the pre-biotic in Mamil helps to solve constipation problem.
My Lo is so picky, so it doesn’t surprise me when I got to know she is constipated. I have tried ginger tea and she refuses to take it. Tummy massage 3 times per day, still no effect, but she complained that her tummy is pain when I push it and It is hard. Finally, she willing to take dark corn syrup and fruit juice when I mix it with formula milk and feed her. She passes stool at the next 2 days, but I realized that her stool is hard and small in size. This cause me really headache….
At least, it did helps your children to pass stool. My suggestion is to encourage your children to take more fruits like fresh papaya, peaches and grapes, If your daughter is old enough to take these fruits or you can use juice instead. This works great for my child.
Children constipation is always happening when changes in diet because this situation could affect the bowel habits. This is properly your children are still not used to solid food, try to give your children semi solid from the beginning and then slowly move to full solid. Other that trying remedies, you should have to give some toilet training for your children to make it as a routine and teach your child to establish a proper position when pooping. I have been giving my daughter toilet training when she was 2.
If your remedies are proven or is from some experienced expert than it is fine to follow, but if you are gathering from certain old webpage then I would not encourage to try out. As certain webpages are not updating the remedies and it is no longer working.
I give my baby drink Similac as is one of the FM that is known to give babies soft poo! You could give it a try.
I have plans before to go for Similac but after I read some review on the internet and I have seen the majority of the comments mentioning that it will cause gas issues for children and that’s holding me back. After that, a friend of my hubby recommended we move to Mamil as it has the same benefits which can help in soften stools and it contain no sucrose which able to prevent constipation.
My 3YO son is suffering from terrible constipation issue and it’s not the first time. I sent him to hosp for twice but the problem seems has not been solved yet. What else can I do for him to get away from constipation issue? Millions of thanks
Just send your son to the hospital once he had constipated. Dont waste your time on finding pointless sources. Or maybe you can seek for pediatrician to get some advises, but first please send your son to the hospital since he is suffering now.
The thing is I send him to hosp for couple of times but the issue will still be back. I totally have no idea what caused him constipate! One more thing is, I dont prefer kids rely on medication.
Why dont you try prunes? Prunes works really good in preventing kids constipation. My kids having prunes all the time, I guess this is the reason why they seldom constipate. You can try it
Not only prunes. You can also buy the FM which able to prevent kids constipation. If I’m not mistaken, they are many FM brands that contain this function.
That’s true. I bought for my kids Mamil as the consumption of FM brand. Mamil works fine in preventing kids constipation. It also contains high level of DHA and 0% of sucrose.
My DD used to suffer from constipation issue but once I switched to Mamil, she seldom constipate because Mamil helps to softer stools and increase good bacteria. Besides, it helps to promote a better bowel movement, that’s why kids wont get easy to constipate.
Hi all, my LO was badly constipated since he was just one month old. I tried different remedies including tummy massage but he wasn’t going for BM. Thank God, before I end my wits, a natural home remedy worked. This was babies magic tea.