Constipation Remedies for Babies

A new mother will soon get the knack to differentiate the grumps and grunts when her baby is passing stools. She will be able to guess quite correctly when her baby is feeling constipated and the leftovers in the diaper are not normal. Constipation in babies does not indicate the frequency of stools a baby passes but the consistency of stools. There are many home constipation remedies for babies that you can try to help ease the constipation problems in your baby. If you too are concerned about the constipation problems and want to know more about constipation treatment for babies, then read on.

What Causes Constipation in Babies?
There are several reasons for a baby to get constipated. A breast-fed baby will be less constipated than a baby who is fed formula milk. This is because it is harder to digest as compared to breast milk and causes the stools to become hard and bulky. A baby that is being introduced with solids can also get constipated. Their bodies are not used to the new foods and therefore, get constipated. A child that does not drink enough milk or water due to teething, infection, thrush, etc. may get dehydrated. This will cause the stools to get hard and lead to constipation. Congenital conditions like Hirschprung's disease, where the large intestine does not function normally can lead to constipation. Other congenital functions like anorectal malformation (abnormal formation of anus and rectum), spinal bifida and cystic fibrosis can also lead to constipation.

Is My Baby Constipated?
Many mothers often wonder, is my baby constipated? A baby may pass more than one stool in a day and the texture as well as pattern may change. But, to know a sign of constipated baby, you will need to keep an eye on the diaper. A constipated baby can be spotted with these signs:

• The baby cries or shows discomfort and irritation before passing stools
• The stools are dry and hard like pellets
• The baby has less than 3 bowel movements in a week
• The baby releases foul-smelling wind as well as stools
• The baby has a hard belly
• The baby shows loss of appetite

Constipation Remedies for Newborns
One should not neglect constipation as this can turn into a big problem. If your newborn cries incessantly and squirms a lot while passing stools, chances are he/she is constipated. When you are really sure your baby is constipated, you can try the following constipation remedies for newborns.

Constipation Remedy #1
You need to lie down your baby on a clean, soft surface on its back. Then you should hold its feet in the air and slowly move the legs in air. You can make one leg turn clockwise and other anticlockwise and change directions for both. This will help improve the digestive tract function and allow the baby to have a bowel movement.

Constipation Remedy #2
You should give your baby a warm bath and help him or her relax. You need to gently massage the baby's stomach in the bath and help him/her pass stools. You can even apply a bit of petroleum jelly around their anus area to ease newborn constipation.

Constipation Remedy #3
One of the other simple constipation remedies is to avoid feeding your baby formula milk and start breastfeeding. Breast milk helps keep the stools soft and is easily digested by the baby whereas there is often constipation in formula fed babies.

Constipation Remedies for Toddlers
As your baby is over 6 months old, you will start introducing solid foods in his/her diet. This new diet takes time to digest and causes constipation in babies after starting solids. There are many mothers looking for a cure for constipation in toddlers.You can try the following constipation remedies for toddlers that will help them pass stools easily.

Constipation Remedy #1
You should give your toddler one ounce of diluted prune juice once a day. This will help in treating toddler constipation.

Constipation Remedy #2
You need to feed your toddler with fibrous fruits and vegetables like prunes, pears, apricots, plums, grapes, blueberries, strawberries and ripe bananas. You can even add beans, peas, broccoli, high fiber breads to the babies diet. These prove to be a very good diet choice to help relieve constipation in toddlers.

Constipation Remedy #3
You should give your baby plenty of water and milk to drink. You can even add a teaspoon of flax oil in baby's cereal or bottle once a day. This will help in keeping the stools moist and soft and thus, easy to pass.

Constipation Remedies for Children
Children too get constipated and you see your child spend hours on the toilet seat. Constipation in children is very common due to lack of proper nutrients in a kids diet. A child who drinks too much milk or too less water and has an imbalanced diet can suffer from constipation. There are some constipation remedies for kids that will help ease their bowel movement. Let us see some of these home remedies for constipation in children.

Constipation Remedy #1
You should make the child drink a lot of water to prevent constipation. A few children who drink a lot of cow's milk get constipated. You should either cut down on the amount of cows milk the child drinks, or switch to soya milk. Soya milk is not only less constipating but also more nutritious.

Constipation Remedy #2
You should include a lot of fiber in the child's diet and cut down on bananas, yogurt, cheese, cooked carrots, etc. that are low in fiber. A child needs 5 to 6 grams plus their age in years of fiber in their diet everyday. This means a 5-year-old child needs about 10 to 11 grams of fiber. Sugar and sugary foods should be avoided as much as possible as they take away vitamin B from the body. This causes problems with the intestines functioning.

Constipation Remedy #3
Grapes are one of the best constipation remedies for kids. They contain cellulose, sugar and organic acids that makes them natural laxatives. You should give your child at least 150 grams of grapes every day to relieve constipation. You can even give them resins soaked in water, if there are no fresh grapes available. You can even try making your child drink hot water with sour lime juice with a bit of salt as an effective constipation remedy.

These were a few constipation remedies for babies. You should increase the amount of liquids in your babies diet as it helps make the stools soft. Before you begin with any of the constipation treatment for babies, make sure you speak with the child's pediatrician. Only after getting approval from the babies doctor, should you try out the remedies . In case of severe constipation, the doctor may suggest a glycerin suppository for constipation, that will help in stimulating the rectum and passage of stools. It is a very disturbing sight for a mother to see her child cry and sweat out while passing stools.