As a new parent, discussing the pooping habits of your baby must be a regular thing nowadays for you. The doctor also asks you about the color and the smell of the poop to understand the digesting condition of the baby. When the baby suddenly stops pooping or cries while pooping, this can be a sign of constipation. Constipation is a result of digestive issues. Typically a baby gets ready to eat solids at the age of 4 to 6 months. Starting solids before age may cause constipation in baby. Also, there are certain foods which can cause constipation in babies as they may put strain on your baby’s developing digestive tract. However, there are some foods that help babies with constipation and make pooping easy. Let discuss:-
Constipation signs in babies:
Baby’s poop timing can differ with the increase in age. You may find a newborn breastfed baby may poop in alarming regularity. Some breastfed babies usually poop up to 3 to 4 times a day while on the other hand a few babies may take several days with their bowel movements. Babies below 6 months are less likely to be constipated as they only consume breast milk or the formula milk only which easily gets absorbed and digested. Hence, it is tough to confirm that the baby is constipated.
So the best way to identify whether the baby is constipated or not is by looking at their stool and the time gap between bowel movements. A healthy baby’s stool is soft, while the dry stool indicates a sign of constipation. Further, a constipated baby may have a long time gap in bowel movement. This may go up to once in every 7–10 days. There are a few more signs which can help you understand that your baby is actually constipated.
- The baby may cry during the bowel movement.
- The poop may be dry and looks like hard pellets.
- The belly of your baby may feel hard.
- You may see some blood on the stool.
- The baby may arch back either to poop or to avoid.
Causes of Constipation in infants
There are 3 major reasons why constipation can happen:
Introduction of Baby foods:
This is the phase when babies start eating foods regularly apart from drinking breastfed or formula-fed milk only. Change in food habits put a strain on your baby’s developing digestive tract. This can cause temporary constipation in the baby.
Lack of Fiber:
Baby’s developing digestive system requires enough fiber to keep everything fine. Lack of fiber consumption can make the stool harder, which can cause a temporary constipation.
Dehydration:
A low fluid intake can cause constipation as this makes the stool dry and harder to pass.
Foods which can cause constipation in baby
Before reaching to the list of foods that relieve constipation in babies, let’s find out the names of those foods that can cause constipation in babies. Because avoiding those would help the baby to avoid constipation. Foods causing constipation in babies are usually low in fiber. Also it has been seen that formula-fed infants are more prone to constipation. Here is a list of foods that cause constipation in babies.
Bananas
Bananas are great for babies when they start eating solids, however bananas slow down the baby’s digestion which may result in slowing down of pooping.
Rice Cereal
If your baby has just started to eat Rice cereal then this may be a favorite food item for him/her. But Rice cereal can slow down the pooping as this absorbs water in the gut and makes the stool dry and hard. This may cause a hard time in bowel movements.
Dairy products and cow milk
Your child may be allergic to dairy products such as cheese and yogurt. Also as per many doctors babies may have allergy to the protein in cow’s milk. These may cause constipation in babies.
Processed foods
The processed foods are high on carbs and low on fiber. This may cause constipation in babies. Foods like cookies, crackers and white bread are high on carbs and can be hard for babies to digest them. Hence it is better to avoid or reduce the consumption of such foods.
Low-fiber foods
Low fiber foods such as white rice, white bread, and white pasta may cause constipation in babies as due to fewer fiber present in it, this can make it harder for babies to pass the stools.
Foods That Help Babies With Constipation
Since you know about the signs and the reason for constipation, it is time for you to help your baby to alleviate the strain on his/her developing digestive system by making some changes into their meal. Foods that help babies with constipation are either high in fiber or contain more water. There are some foods that can help babies to fight with constipation.
As per NIH a child should consume 14 to 31 grams of fiber a day which can help babies with constipation. Also, foods that can make the stool hydrated and loosen up are best for easy bowel movements. Here is a list of foods to relieve constipation in babies.
P fruits
This includes Pears, Plums, Peaches and Prunes which work as a magic to relieve constipation in babies. These fruits are high in fiber which can alleviate tummy troubles. Chop them or make a puree to help babies with constipation.
B vegetables
This includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and beans. They offer a high fiber intake and can loosen up the stool. Hence these vegetables are one of the best foods for babies with constipation. A small amount of bite-sized soft pieces would be easier for babies to eat and digest.
Fiber-Rich foods
Fiber rich foods provides an easy solution to make the stool soft and makes the bowel movement easy. Fiber rich foods such as fiber rich cereals, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, oatmeal are not only high in fiber but also nutritious.
Sweet potato
Sweet potato is not only delicious but also excellent in relieving constipation. It contains insoluble fiber which helps to make the stool soft. This helps in easy bowel movements.
Apples
Apples are a great source of fiber. This helps to make stool soft by pulling water into the baby’s colon. A small amount of apple juice can help babies with constipation. This helps to pass the poop without any painful straining.
Peas
Peas contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. The soluble fiber helps to keep the digestive system healthy and insoluble fiber helps to make the stool softer by attracting water into the stool. This makes the bowel movement easy and reduces painful strain on passing the stool.
Water
Apart from above mentioned foods that help babies with constipation there is one another thing which can helps babies to fight with constipation i.e. Water. Water gives a good flush to the baby’s system. Also water makes everything hydrated which helps to make the stool soft. Parents should start offering a good amount of water to their baby if the baby is over six months.
Please note that parents should not offer water to babies of below 6 months old.
Final Thought:
It’s obvious for parents to be concerned about their baby’s health. Constipation is one of the reasons why babies may feel uncomfortable all day. It can also put a pause to their natural development. Just like adults, babies also suffer from constipation. This may happen at the time of introduction of baby food. At the time of introduction of new foods babies are likely to experience digestive issues and irregular bowel movements. Managing it through the diet is the easiest way to keep the baby healthy.
Here, in the article we have discussed about the foods that cause constipation and also about the foods that help babies with constipation. Change in baby’s diet, exclusion of few foods from their meal that cause constipation and addition of the above mentioned foods may help baby with constipation and can give your baby a healthy life.
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