Human infants tend to pass stools after each feeding. However, as the baby grows beyond a few months old, the frequency of stool might reduce. This is quite normal and parents need not worry about this. However, if the stool appears to be hard and difficult to pass, your baby may be suffering from constipation. In this situation, you may try out some useful home remedies for baby constipation.
If your baby has begun ingesting solid foods, this may be a cause for constipation. Changing of one’s diet gives the stomach a new type of food to digest and many times, infants may take some time to develop the ability to digest more solid foods quickly and properly. In this case, it is recommended to avoid child formulas which have lots of rice in them and try some natural fruits. Bananas are also not recommended at this stage. Fruits that are not constipating, like apricot, pears and prunes, may be used as part of the diet to ease the condition. You should continue with the regular breast feeding of the child. This should never be stopped at the infant stage. Babies should also drink plenty of water and a good way of judging if your baby is drinking enough water is to examine the color and quantity of urine. If the baby is urinating a darker shade of yellow and less frequently, you need to increase the intake of water. Often, just doing this will cure symptoms of constipation.
A popular remedy for infant constipation is prune juice. Prune juice should be mixed in a 50-50 ratio with water and fed to the baby. While your infant may not enjoy the taste of the juice, the natural reflex of suckling will ensure that some amount of juice is consumed and this should have a beneficial effect on the condition. Please remember that prune juice is an addition to the infant’s diet and should not be used as a substitute for breast milk or formula.
It may be noted that babies fed on formula rather than breast milk tend to be more susceptible to constipation than their naturally fed counterparts. The infant’s digestive system is designed to work with breast milk and this is the natural and safer way of feeding your baby.
If you notice regular or excessive bleeding in the stools, please contact your doctor. This indicates severe constipation or damage to the intestinal system and must be treated as a medical emergency.