One of the problems that occurs in babies under one year of age is constipation. Problems with diarrhea in infants appear a few days after birth. Failure to treat this pathological condition in a timely manner can lead to aggravation of the general condition of the baby.
Briefly about constipation
When the gastrointestinal tract is functioning normally, babies come in once a day. This process usually occurs in the morning and does not cause any discomfort to the baby and is painless. Because the fecal mass is soft, it can be excreted without any problems in children. If diarrhea is not observed every day and a person feels pain or tightness during this process, and the stool content is hard and dry, this condition is called constipation.
Problems with diarrhea can occur in people of any age. Often babies and young children suffer from this problem. They have no diarrhea for several days and have no results when they feel like going to the toilet, during which time they feel pain and discomfort.
In chronic constipation, patients often complain of feeling unwell and cracks in the posterior urinary tract. Cracks in the urinary tract, on the other hand, cause pain when a person goes to the toilet and prevent emptying, which further exacerbates the problem.
If constipation does not go away and it continues for a long time, it will cause intoxication of the body. This is explained by the absorption of residual substances in the intestines into the body.
Treatment of constipation is to eliminate the factor that is causing the condition. Therefore, if cases of constipation are observed, a general examination should be performed and the correct treatment should be prescribed only by a physician.
Causes of constipation in infants
The factors that cause constipation in infants are different. In most cases, the child suffers from constipation due to lack of water in the body. The reason is that the water softens and smoothes the bowels, making it easier for the feces to soften and come out.
In addition, the causes of constipation in children under 1 year of age may also include;
Presence of congenital anomalies in the intestine or colon;
Narrowing of the anus;
Hypothyroidism (disorder of thyroid hormone synthesis);
Incomplete development of nerve endings in the intestinal wall.
It can also cause constipation in newborns when taking certain medications. Constipation is more common in children, especially when taking antibiotics. Antibiotics disrupt the intestinal flora and cause dysbacteriosis. In such cases, it is necessary to undergo a pediatrician's examination, and by restoring the intestinal microflora, the problem of constipation is eliminated.
The main causes of constipation
Maternal malnutrition;
Early transition to artificial feeding;
Mixing of food species.
Sometimes constipation in infants also occurs due to the inability of the child's body to absorb the substances contained in artificial foods. The psycho-emotional state of children also affects bowel function.
Constipation caused by the baby being fed mixed food
Babies under 1 year of age should be breastfed. Therefore, constipation is more common in infants due to the mixing of nutrients.
The transition to artificial feeding is often caused by a lack of breast milk or poor quality milk. Sometimes babies are not satiated with breast milk because breast milk does not contain enough fat. In such cases, children become capricious, crying, sleep deprived.
The cause of constipation in a child as a result of food mixing is the artificial food itself. Such products are unusual for a child, and digestive organs take it with difficulty. In some cases, reflex bowel spasms in children due to the introduction of new products, which leads to constipation in the child.
In addition, the temperature of the food plays an important role in constipation in infants. The food the child eats should be neither hot nor cold. The best are foods that are given at the same temperature as breast milk. This will get rid of the problems that occur with diarrhea.
What causes constipation when breastfeeding?
Constipation is also observed when babies are breastfed, which means that the mother's body is producing less milk. Such constipation can be called "constipation caused by starvation." In such cases, constipation in infants is eliminated by supplementation.
In addition, the mother's diet and composition play an important role in the development of constipation in infants. After all, all the products consumed by the mother pass from her milk to the child. For this reason, doctors recommend restricting the following products to women who are breastfeeding:
Legumes;
Oily and fried products
Smoked products;
White bread and freshly baked pastries;
Banana;
Coffee;
Milk;
Sugar;
Bitter tea;
Meat and others.
All of the products listed above increase gas production in the body and cause constipation in children. Because of this, mothers need to follow a diet while breastfeeding their breastfed babies.
Symptoms of constipation in infants
Symptoms of constipation observed in infants depend on the factor that causes it. In general, constipation - the duration of the arrival of feces is prolonged, and the mass of feces becomes hard, dry. However, the following symptoms can be observed in children:
Anxiety and crying;
Whimsy;
Abdominal rest;
Refusal to eat;
Abdominal attacks (colic);
Redness of the child's face and a feeling of tightness during diarrhea;
Hardening of the abdominal wall.
In problems with the gut, children’s sleep is disrupted, they become passive. If constipation is caused by a serious illness, the following may be added to the main symptoms:
Nausea and vomiting;
Increased body temperature;
Allergic rashes;
Skin discoloration;
Blood and mucus in the stool;
Strong hiccups.
In such cases, the child should be taken to a pediatrician as soon as possible. Only a doctor can give accurate instructions on what to do when a child has severe constipation and how to restore the function of the organs of the digestive system.
What to do during constipation in infants?
First of all, if the child's diarrhea is prolonged - it is necessary to see a pediatrician. Laboratory and instrumental examinations should be performed to rule out serious diseases that endanger the child’s life.
What to do if no serious pathology is found in children that causes constipation? In this case, the factor leading to constipation is poor quality of breast milk, the transition to artificial feeding or disorders of nerve supply in the intestines.
In children, complex treatments are performed to restore normal bowel function, which include:
Massage;
The mother changes her diet;
Medications;
Enemas;
Laying a gas pipe.
Treatment of constipation in infants (Medication)
Medicomentosis treatment is carried out in children when constipation can not be eliminated by massage and diet. The following medications can be used to restore bowel function in infants and ensure easy bowel movements:
Espumisan;
Putting candles with glycerin;
Dufalak;
Plantex;
Make an enema.
Duphalac and Plantex increase intestinal peristalsis, Espumizan - eliminates abdominal relaxation. Rectal suppositories soften the accumulated feces and make it easier to pass.
As for the bowel cleansing enema, you will need to perform this procedure once a week. Otherwise, dysbacteriosis can occur in children, and vitamins and minerals are washed out. Clean warm water is used for the cleansing enema. Adding glycerin oil to it also softens hardened stools.
Mother's diet
What can be done to help children with constipation? What should mothers do for this? First of all, breastfeeding women should give up harmful habits and formulate a proper diet. The following may help to improve diarrhea in infants:
Dill and parsley;
Barra vegetables;
Add olive oil or vegetable oil to food;
Prepare and drink soups from vegetables;
Prune;
Boiled zucchini or beets;
Low fat yogurt.
In addition, women should also keep their water balance normal and of course it is recommended that babies be given fluids after meals or before feedings.
Therapeutic massages that improve diarrhea
The easiest, safest and most effective way to eliminate gas accumulated in the intestines and increase intestinal peristalsis is to perform therapeutic massages. If the baby cries or is upset when touched by the abdomen, massage treatments should be stopped and a pediatrician should be consulted.
It is necessary to massage the abdominal wall of children very carefully, it is necessary to do it as follows:
The boys' clothes are taken off and laid on their backs;
Apply some oil to your palms;
The child’s skin allergy to oil is investigated;
The area around the navel should be massaged clockwise for 5 minutes with a light motion;
At the end of the treatment, it is necessary to "push the masses in the intestine" with a light hand movement from the top to the bottom of the abdomen, that is, the hand is slid gently over the abdominal wall.
After the massage, procedures to increase intestinal peristalsis are performed:
The child is laid on his back;
Holding the legs from the bottom, bend and spread to the abdominal area several times (5 times);
The child is placed on his knees on his stomach and lightly massaged from the back with a circular motion from the shoulders to the waist.
In addition, doctors recommend placing babies in the abdominal area after feeding (for 3-8 minutes).
Vegetable oils
For the purpose of prevention and treatment, in cases of constipation, children can be given a few drops of vegetable oil, unless they are really allergic to the oil. Vegetable oils include:
Pumpkin oil;
Oblepixa oil
Vegetable oils are well absorbed by the baby’s body, they increase intestinal peristalsis, soften the bowel, improve fecal motility, and also play an important role in boosting babies ’immunity.
What to do if constipation is observed in infants?
Often, when constipation occurs in babies, women use household soap. If a piece of laundry soap is placed in the rectum, the child will feel better and will be able to "urinate".
This is a completely wrong idea and it is not possible to use such a method in babies! Laundry soaps have a strong alkaline environment, which disrupts the normal intestinal microflora. In addition, laundry soaps cause sores in the rectum, causing strong irritability.
If constipation is observed in the baby and you do not know what to do, you should go to the pediatrician without your own intervention. Because pediatricians spend their precious years caring for children’s health.
