Constipation is measured by the consistency of a stool and not the frequency. Not all babies need to have a stool every day, they can skip days in between.
Depending on your baby's diet, the stools may be formed as long as they do not become visibly hard and difficult to pass.
Breast-fed babies
Babies who have purely breast milk and no supplement feeds or medication do not become constipated although they may at times appear to.
Let's explain...
From a very early age breast-fed babies tend to have a stool with or after every feed. The frequency of the stools diminish in time until many reach the stage were they skip a day then two and may not have a stool for a week or even longer.
Many moms worry unnecessary when this happens. This is a normal pattern for many breast-fed babies. Remember that constipation is measured by the consistency of a stool and not the frequency.
Should your baby however appear to be uncomfortable after a few days of not passing a stool:
- Increase your own fluid intake: start by drinking more water
- Drink fruit juice
- Only if this makes no difference, offer your baby cooled boiled water.
Formula-fed babies not having solids
Formula-fed babies are sometimes prone to becoming constipated. Always double check that the formula is being made up correctly.
Start with the mildest form of treatment:
- Offer them extra cooled boiled water, as little as 25ml may be enough.
- Offer a clear fruit juices, like apple juice. Start with 10 to 25ml or dilute it with the same amount of cooled boiled water.
- Prune juice, diluted the same way.
- You could increase this slightly provided your baby still drinks the required amount of formula in 24 hours.
Should the juice or water affect your baby's appetite or should your baby refuse it, make up one bottle of formula per day with 25ml of prune juice included in the total amount of water
If your baby is drinking 100ml per feed, use 75ml water and 25ml prune juice when making up the bottle. One could offer two such bottles a day if necessary.
It would be preferable to use this method regularly rather than resort to medication.
Add ½ teaspoon of brown sugar to one bottle a day, only until your baby has a soft stool this is not a long-term preventative measure.
To prevent constipation accuring when changing from one formula to another always change gradually.
For example, offer one bottle of the new formula on day one, two bottles on day two, and so on.
Babies on solids
Some babies may become constipated when solids are introduced. Here are some reasons why:
- Introducing solids before four months
- Weaning from breast to formula or from one formula to another as mentioned above
- Giving too much cereal
- Insufficient fruit and vegetables in the diet
- Certain medication
Prevention and treatment
- Offer less cereal, healthy babies need cereal once a day only
- Add fruit puree or juice to the cereal
- Offer vegetables and fruit for the other meals
- Offer clear fruit juices, concentrates, rooibos or honeybush tea blends and fruit juice blends between meals
- Prune juice can be used on a regular basis.
- In some rare instances toddlers may become constipated due to voluntary withholding of stools. It would be necessary to seek medical advice in such instances.
Should your baby still be constipated in spite of following the guidelines mentioned, please send us the details with a description of your baby's diet for further information.