Hello dear readers! With the birth of a baby, parents add not only joy, but, unfortunately, worries and anxieties. Often parents, especially mothers, do not sleep at night because of the screams and crying of the child and do not know how to help him.

Reasons for crying can be malnutrition, the climate in the room, or pain. Today we will talk about pain in the tummy of a newborn and their main cause - constipation. Let's talk about how to help a newborn go to the toilet and how often he should do it, as well as how to relieve pain on his own.

Causes of abdominal pain in newborns:

• Colic;
• gases;
• Congenital diseases of the abdominal organs;
• Constipation.

If the baby is healthy, but restless and often cries, there is no stool for 1-3 days - this is constipation. Stool retention may be episodic or recurring. With frequent constipation, it is imperative to show the child to the doctor, perhaps there are deviations in the development of the intestine or the diet is disturbed.

If the newborn has a swollen and hard stomach, he does not poop and cannot pass gases - most likely he has colic. Treatment for colic is carried out independently by massage of the tummy and dill water, as well as pharmacy drops from colic.

When abdominal pain in a newborn is caused by gases, the baby often cries and farts. Increased gas formation is often accompanied by constipation.

The intestinal microflora of the newborn is gradually filled with beneficial bacteria that will help him digest food in the future. While the microflora is still sterile or not sufficiently populated with these bacteria, the baby suffers from colic and constipation, this is normal. Children under one year old always complain about this, that is, they cry plaintively or piercingly.

Moms, if the pediatrician did not suspect congenital malformations of the internal organs during the examination, you should not worry about pain in the tummy of the newborn, everything is curable:

2. Causes of constipation in newborns

The causes of constipation in newborns can be:

• Immaturity of the intestinal microflora (in premature babies, as well as if the mother had problems with carrying a pregnancy);
• Switching to artificial feeding;
• Reaction to complementary foods;
• Infectious diseases or teething;
• Malnutrition and dehydration;
• Diet and its variety;
• Insufficient activity;
• Low body weight and rickets.

Thus, there are a lot of reasons for constipation, but before treating it, it is imperative to find out why this happens. If the cause is a reaction to changing the formula or its introduction, you need to monitor the reaction of the child and his condition for several days. If constipation recurs more than 2 times a week, you need to see a doctor, perhaps change the mixture.

How much should a newborn poop per day? Normally, babies up to a year empty themselves after each feeding. If the baby cannot go to the toilet "by and large" for 2-3 days, then he has constipation. As for how many times a day there should be a chair, then this is purely individual. The norm is from 1 to 3 times.

3. Treatment and prevention of constipation in newborns

What to do if the child has constipation, he pushes and cries, but cannot cope? After you establish the cause of constipation (possibly with a doctor), you need to take some measures in the complex.

1. To prevent constipation in children who are breastfeeding and do not receive complementary foods, you can massage the tummy after feeding, after 30-40 minutes. Massage is carried out around the navel in a clockwise direction.
2. Toddlers on artificial feeding, in addition to simple dairy, doctors recommend feeding with fermented milk mixtures.
3. Babies 6 months old who suffer from constipation, you need to start introducing complementary foods from vegetable and fruit purees, cereals are introduced later. Babies who poop badly begin to empty more often, thanks to plant fiber.
4. Can be fed babies prone to constipation mashed prunes or beets.
5. Before feeding do gymnastics for the baby - press the alternately bent legs to the stomach, make the “bicycle” with the legs.

Constipation is treated with medications prescribed by a doctor.

Laxatives should only be approved for newborns, not for adults. It can be drops or glycerin suppositories.

But various objects that are inserted into the anus to facilitate defecation are recognized by civilized medicine as dubious methods that can harm the health of a newborn.

Dear moms, if your baby has constipation, try to eliminate its cause, and then treat it so that the process does not repeat itself. Do gymnastics, feed varied, including foods rich in vegetable fiber. Then your baby will feel good, and you will be calm.

And here you can watch a video on how to help a baby with massage:

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Many mothers believe that the baby's stool, its frequency, texture, smell and color are an indicator of the health of the baby. In part, the way it is, it can tell a lot, but you don’t need to pay too much attention to the contents of the diaper and examine it under a microscope. But so often, if the baby does not go to the toilet for several days, then mommy starts real tantrums and she is ready to go to the doctor. Do not panic, first of all, you need to figure out how often the child should go to the toilet and what are the reasons for poor bowel movements.

How many times a day should a baby go to the toilet?

Let's look at the frequency of stool in infants. It should be noted right away that each baby is an individual, so you should not equate the frequency of going to the toilet of one baby to another. In the first two days, a black-green viscous substance should come out of the baby, and after that the child begins to defecate in the usual color - yellow, light brown, mushy consistency.

At first, the baby may have stools several times a day, most often after feedings. It is still liquid and cannot be solid due to the fact that the baby eats liquid food. By the age of three months, the baby will begin to defecate less often - sometimes once a day, sometimes once every two or three days. There is no point in worrying about this if the child feels well, does not cry, is not naughty, does not raise his legs to the tummy, and the tummy itself is soft.

If the child still has it, then this can also be noticed by his painful condition.

Causes of poor bowel movements

Poor bowel movements in infants can occur for various physiological and psychological reasons. At such a young age, the digestive system is just beginning to form, the child consumes new foods, so it is not at all surprising if he has problems with stool.

• Improperly organized nutrition is the first cause of bad stools. If the child cannot adequately digest the incoming food, then he has difficulty in the activity of peristalsis.
• The baby should receive a sufficient amount of liquid (about 30 milliliters per kilogram of weight). If there is not enough liquid, the feces will become harder, and it will be difficult for the child to go to the toilet.
• If the baby has already had problems with stool, then the reason for the rare stool may be psychological. The child may have experienced pain with previous bowel movements and is now holding back the passage of feces with all his might in order to feel pain again.
• Another reason is an anomaly in the development of the intestine, or inflammatory diseases of the rectum and colon.
• Perhaps the child began to give complementary foods or suddenly switched to another mixture - all this can also make it difficult for the process of passing feces.

How to solve the problem? Proven funds

If the cause of rare trips to the toilet is malnutrition, then you should contact a nutritionist who will help you resolve this issue. He will prescribe appetite stimulants and make a special regimen for your baby.

It is possible to try or an enema. But it is recommended to do this only after consulting with your doctor.

There are several proven recipes that help to establish a baby's stool and at the same time they are absolutely harmless.

1. Boiled dried apricots. Take 2-3 pieces of dried apricots and a glass of water - boil for about ten minutes after the water boils. Let cool and then drain the liquid and give your baby a bottle to drink. It is necessary that the child drank the whole glass in a day. The effect will come in about 12 hours.
2. A child suffering from constipation can be given a decoction of oatmeal instead of a milk mixture. Of course, such a decoction is prepared longer than the mixture, but it is more useful and cheaper in terms of money. To prepare it, take two tablespoons of oatmeal, pour boiling water over them, cook a little, about ten minutes. After the water boils, add a teaspoon of sugar. If the child is not allergic to milk, then add a glass of milk, if there is an allergy, add water. Bring everything back to a boil, turn off and let the broth stand for half an hour. Then strain through a strainer or cheesecloth and cool to body temperature. Give the decoction to the baby in such an amount that is necessary for his age.

Most often, constipation in infants is not a signal for something serious. After all, his body is just beginning to get used to various changes, so such a reaction may occur. If the baby feels great, does not cry, then you have nothing to worry about. Most likely, in a few days the baby goes to the toilet perfectly. And in order to completely calm down and dispel all doubts, go for an examination and exclude the possibility of stomach diseases.

Discussion: 3 comments

I read the article with interest, thanks. And I realized that candles are best for small children. Only I will advise, in order not to divide these halves-quarters, use Glycelax. They have a special children's dosage, it is very convenient to use and gently weakens. We just used them.

Answer

As I remember, I shudder how much we suffered with these constipations in the baby, and they accompanied us from the first days of life! And they gave enemas, and I drank all sorts of decoctions and juices (prunes, beetroot juice) so that it would pass to the baby through breast milk, but only ordinary glycerin suppositories saved us! And only later, from about four months, when we already began to introduce mixtures (milk disappeared abruptly), and later complementary foods and everything got better with our stool, I realized that most likely the reason for all this was the insufficient amount of breast milk received by my daughter! So, moms, think about it, if your baby poops badly, you have tried everything, but there is no result, maybe the reason is in milk and he simply does not have enough?!

Answer

Yes, children's constipation is a serious problem and a test, both for the baby himself and for his mother! A tummy massage helps very well, you also need to give your baby more simple warm water to drink, and dill water helps a lot!

Answer

A baby in the house is not only joy and tenderness, but also a lot of questions and worries. Often parents worry that a newborn cannot go to the toilet. But is this a problem?

The digestive system of the baby has not yet been established, so failures in the bowel movement are the norm. In addition, a breastfed newborn may not walk large for up to three days. Breast milk can be fully digested and not left for processing. In this case, the child feels good: he is not naughty, he sleeps enough.

If the baby has not had a stool for three days, and he is restless, then this is constipation. This is indicated by crying, tucking legs, poor sleep, refusal to eat.

A baby never cries for no reason. Crying is a signal to parents that something is bothering them. A well-established daily routine will help to understand what the child wants.

You need to deal with the problem of constipation in time, otherwise the consequences will aggravate the situation:

• Accumulated feces damage the intestinal mucosa and create microtrauma of the anus during emptying. After such an experience, the child will be afraid of the process and will postpone it on a subconscious level. What causes psychological constipation.
• With a long absence of stool, the body suffers from intoxication, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Such poisoning is dangerous for the life of the child.
• Perhaps the development of volvulus or acute intestinal obstruction, which require surgical intervention.

The consequences of constipation are frightening, but do not panic. You just need to carefully observe the child, notice the problem in time, provide first aid and consult a doctor.

The fact that the child cannot go “in a big way” for 2-3 days should alert parents. Constipation in young children is a consequence of a decrease in the motor functional activity of the intestine. When you try to empty it, feces are not excreted, which gives the child a lot of discomfort. Only a doctor can determine the cause of this condition after a series of laboratory and, if necessary, instrumental studies. The fact is that the cause of constipation is not only changes in the diet, but also diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Timely diagnosis of pathology allows you to detect it at an early stage and immediately begin treatment.

Children with constipation should only be treated by a pediatrician.

Symptoms

It should be immediately clarified that a prolonged absence of bowel movements is not always a sign of constipation. The frequency of bowel movements of a child is individual, varies depending on age and the presence of foods with coarse fiber in the diet. As you get older, the frequency of bowel movements also changes. If the norm for a newborn is the number of bowel movements from 5 to 7 times a day, then for a child of the 2nd year of life, this figure decreases to 1-2 times a day.

Disorder of peristalsis with constipation is accompanied by a change in the consistency of feces. They are dense, hard and, when discharged, often cause damage to the rectal mucosa.

Symptoms of constipation include almost all signs of flatulence:

• increased gas formation;
• feeling of heaviness and fullness in the abdomen and (or) intestines;
• aching paroxysmal pain in the lower abdomen.

When the temperature rises to subfebrile values ​​​​(38 ° C), nausea and vomiting attacks occur, convulsions develop. With severe bloating and the inability to release gases through the rectum, there is a high probability of developing a dangerous condition - intestinal obstruction. In this case, the child is hospitalized for medical or surgical treatment in an inpatient setting.

Tip: “Preschoolers can hide their bowel problems from moms and dads. A hint for parents can be: a decrease or complete lack of appetite, weakness, apathy, fatigue.

The severity of the clinical picture of constipation depends on the cause that provoked the disorder of peristalsis. The absence of stool for several days leads to general intoxication of the body. Due to a sharp decrease in the absorption of vitamins and iron, the skin of the child becomes wet and pale, redness and rashes of various localization and intensity appear on them. If the newborn cannot pass "in a big way", and then a small amount of stool is released with impurities of thick mucus and blood clots, then you should immediately call a doctor. There is a possibility that a deadly intestinal infection is rapidly developing in the baby's body.

Changes in the diet of the child will help normalize peristalsis.

Where does treatment begin?

Where exactly you can not start the treatment of constipation, so it is with the use of strong laxative drugs. Already after three times the use of tablets or drops, the intestines "get used" to such drugs, which provokes an even more severe disorder of peristalsis. Experienced parents are aware of the importance of visiting a pediatrician, even with a slight deterioration in the baby's condition. Adequate therapy always begins with establishing the cause of the appearance of difficulties with bowel movements in children.

Alimentary

Treatment of this type of constipation does not require the use of any pharmacological drugs. It is enough for parents to review the child's diet and exclude chips, salted nuts, rich and puff pastries from it. Your baby's daily menu should contain plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

neurogenic

The cause of constipation is increased nervous excitability or a strong emotional shock. Neurogenic constipation often occurs in children who have experienced a move, parental divorce, or the death of a close relative. In therapy, sedative herbal remedies are used.

hypodynamic

Constipation occurs due to low physical activity. Lack of physical activity leads to disruption of normal intestinal motility. Often, difficulties with defecation appear in children with disabilities or when the child observes prolonged bed rest. To eliminate this type of constipation, the use of prokinetics and (or) lactulose syrups is required.

medical

Constipation is not uncommon after taking pharmacological drugs - diuretics, acetylsalicylic acid, antispasmodics. If a preschooler or, then the reason for this may be antibiotic therapy for SARS or tonsillitis. In this case, the child is shown taking eubiotics or prebiotics.

Mechanical

This type of constipation is provoked by mechanical injuries, prolonged squeezing or severe bruising, as well as formed benign and malignant neoplasms. Parents should immediately show the baby to the doctor for a thorough diagnosis and prescribing medical or surgical treatment.

Endocrine

Peristalsis disorders often affect children with hormonal disorders. Constipation occurs due to a decrease in the functional activity of the pituitary gland, the cortical layer of the adrenal glands, and the thyroid gland. Complex symptomatic and etiotropic therapy is carried out under the supervision of a pediatric endocrinologist.

Toxic

Constipation of toxic etiology develops after the poisoning of the child with pharmacological preparations, poisons of plant and animal origin, heavy metals, household chemicals. In this case, after detoxification therapy, a course of treatment with eubiotics, prokinetics, defoamers is recommended for the child.

Warning: “Viral and bacterial infections, accompanied by sudden changes in temperature and vomiting, provoke the development of dehydration. Against the background of a lack of fluid in the body of a baby or teenager, constipation often occurs.

Pharmacological preparations in the treatment of constipation in children

After establishing the cause of the occurrence, the pediatrician prescribes drugs depending on the detected disease. Most often, difficulties with bowel movements develop against the background of dysbacteriosis.

Lactulose

A synthetic disaccharide that is not absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and is excreted unchanged from the body. This allows the drug to be used in the treatment of constipation, even in newborns. The undoubted advantages of drugs with lactulose include the absence of the effect of “addiction” of the intestine. Disaccharide is the active ingredient of such syrups and suspensions:

• Duphalac;
• Normase;
• Prelaks;
• Portalac;
• Good luck.

Lactulose is absolutely safe, practically does not cause side effects and quickly has a slight laxative effect. The use of such syrups has a positive effect on the intestinal biocenosis, enhancing the growth of beneficial microflora.

Probiotics and prebiotics

Difficulties with bowel movements in newborns and older children can be eliminated by taking drugs containing live cultures of beneficial bacteria:

• for kids;
• Acipol;
• /li>
• Bifiform.

Course treatment with probiotics restores the intestinal microflora, normalizes peristalsis, provides full absorption of biologically active substances and mineral compounds.

Defoamers

They develop due to the lack of beneficial bacteria in the intestines and insufficient production of digestive enzymes. After drinking breast milk or formula, newborns often suffer from symptoms of flatulence - bloating, seething, peristalsis disorders. In this case, pediatricians recommend giving Espumizan suspension to babies. The active substance of the drug simethicone has the ability to reduce the surface tension of gas bubbles, collapsing them. The only contraindication for taking Espumizan is intestinal obstruction.

Therapy at home

Mom or dad can give a massage so that the child goes to the toilet. With smooth circular movements without any pressure, you should stroke the tummy clockwise. You need to start from the navel, and then gradually increase the circle of rotation. Massaging should not last more than 5 minutes.

Realizing that the child has not defecated for a long time, the first thing parents think about is an enema. This is a really effective procedure, but you should not resort to it too often. The intestines “get used” to such easy emptying and constipation can become chronic. During the procedure, you need to use purified water at room temperature without additives that can cause allergies or inflammation.

Rectal suppositories with glycerin help to eliminate constipation in children:

• glycelax;
• glycerin.

When purchasing such candles, you should pay attention to the dosage and choose those that are intended for children. Recently, a new remedy for quick and painless bowel movements for children has appeared on the shelves of pharmacies -

A baby in the house is not only joy and tenderness, but also a lot of questions and worries. Often parents worry that a newborn cannot go to the toilet. But is this a problem?

The digestive system of the baby has not yet been established, so failures in the bowel movement are the norm. In addition, a breastfed newborn may not walk large for up to three days. Breast milk can be fully digested and not left for processing. In this case, the child feels good: he is not naughty, he sleeps enough.

If the baby has not had a stool for three days, and he is restless, then this is constipation. This is indicated by crying, tucking legs, poor sleep, refusal to eat.

A baby never cries for no reason. Crying is a signal to parents that something is bothering them. A well-established daily routine will help to understand what the child wants.

You need to deal with the problem of constipation in time, otherwise the consequences will aggravate the situation:

• Accumulated feces damage the intestinal mucosa and create microtrauma of the anus during emptying. After such an experience, the child will be afraid of the process and will postpone it on a subconscious level. What causes psychological constipation.
• With a long absence of stool, the body suffers from intoxication, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Such poisoning is dangerous for the life of the child.
• Perhaps the development of volvulus or acute intestinal obstruction, which require surgical intervention.

The consequences of constipation are frightening, but do not panic. You just need to carefully observe the child, notice the problem in time, provide first aid and consult a doctor.