Infant constipation often begins when a baby starts eating solid foods.
7 week old baby with constipation.
It s also about how tough it is for them to do it.
If your baby seems to be straining or if her diaper is filled with hard pellets that s a sure sign things that your baby or infant might be constipated.
You can give your baby water once he begins eating solids.
Less commonly constipation can be a sign of a medical condition such as problems with your baby s digestive system sood 2018 try not to worry though this affects less than five per cent of babies and it s usually easily diagnosed by a doctor sood 2018 it s much more likely that your baby s constipation is caused by one of the above issues and can be easily treated.
However once a baby is between 3 and 6 weeks old they may only pass a large soft stool once a week and sometimes even less.
As a rule of thumb you can give 1 ounce a day for every month of life up to about 4 months a 3 month old baby would get 3 ounces.
Some doctors recommend using corn syrup like karo usually around 1 to 2 teaspoons per day to soften the stools.
If your baby seems constipated consider simple dietary changes.
If your baby is between 1 and 4 months old talk to your doctor before offering juice.
The introduction of cow s milk protein and an allergy or intolerance to it is probably the largest contributor to baby constipation says santo domingo.
Some foods that may be constipating include.
Your baby may be sensitive to something you re eating which could be causing the constipation though this is uncommon.
Offer your baby a small amount of water or a daily serving of 100 percent apple prune or pear juice in addition to usual feedings.
Formula fed babies tend to pass stool more frequently than breastfed.
Water or fruit juice.
For the most part breastfed babies don t experience constipation until solid foods are introduced around the time they re 6 months old.
If your baby or infant is suffering from chronic constipation or if you ever find blood in your baby s stool contact a doctor asap as these can be signs of a serious condition.
If your baby is 4 months or older you can offer 2 to 4 ounces of juice per day but for no longer than a week or two.
Diet more often than not a change in diet is the likely culprit causing baby constipation whether it s because you re shifting from breast milk to formula transitioning baby to cow s milk or introducing solid foods.
