:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/dad_holding_out_baby_in_diaper-17c2681a30c444e18e8e80c0b158c659.jpg "Understanding Baby Constipation: Causes and Remedies")
- Knowing your baby’s poop patterns can help you spot constipation early
- Watch for signs like hard stools and trouble pooping, which may indicate constipation.
- Simple changes, such as adjusting the diet, can often relieve baby constipation.
New babies can’t tell you if they’re feeling healthy and comfortable, so you have to look for signs—in their facial expressions, their body movements, and yes, in their diaper.
When your baby is pooping regularly, it’s likely a sign that they’re taking in enough food and disposing of the rest, says Jennifer Shu, MD, an Atlanta-based pediatrician and co-author of Heading Home With Your Newborn: From Birth To Reality.
On the other hand, a baby who passes hard stools, seems bloated, or even just seems crabby, may be constipated. Luckily, baby constipation remedies can help get your little one’s system back on track. Keep reading for a lowdown on baby constipation symptoms, causes, treatments, and more.
Signs of Constipation in Babies
Babies tend to poop a lot. From the end of their first week, after they’ve established a regular feeding pattern, newborns can have up to five to 10 bowel movements a day. Breastfed babies tend to poop more frequently than formula-fed babies at first, and then less often as they grow older.
However, infrequent poops aren’t necessarily a sign of a problem. If your little one hasn’t had at least several bright, yellow (not dark brown or green) poops around day 5, they could need more to eat, says Jane Morton, MD, a clinical professor of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine. After that, some babies may only poop once every few days and be perfectly happy and healthy.
A better indicator of constipation is how firm their poop is. “Consistency is key,” says Dr. Morton. If your baby is passing hard, clay-like stools, they may be constipated.
Other Signs of Constipation in Babies
Some other signs of constipation include:
- Excessive fussiness: They may be especially cranky when making (or straining to make) a bowel movement.
- Refusal to eat or spitting up more than usual: If nothing’s coming out, a baby might feel so uncomfortable that they won’t take any more in, says Dr. Shu.
- Swollen, firm belly: This can be a sign of accumulated stool and gas.
- Traces of liquid stool in the diaper: Liquid stool may leak out around backed-up poop.
- Blood in their diaper: Straining can cause small tears in their anus.
What Causes Baby Constipation?
Exclusively breastfed babies don’t often get constipated, even if they may not poop every day. Exclusively formula-fed babies are more likely to have trouble with constipation, Dr. Morton says. This is because formula can firm up poop much more than breast milk can, Dr. Shu adds.
Common causes of constipation in babies include:
- Introducing formula or solid foods
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Some medications
Though less common, a cow’s milk protein allergy can cause a host of symptoms in babies, including constipation. These proteins can pass through breast milk and be found in formula and dairy products. About 5% of infants with a cow’s milk allergy have constipation as a symptom.
An even rarer explanation for constipation is a medical condition affecting bowel motility. Consult with your health care provider if you’re concerned something bigger might be at play.
Remedies for Baby Constipation
There’s no reason a baby should struggle with constipation. Several preventive steps and treatments can help a baby have more regular, comfortable poops.
Switch up their liquid diet
A change in a breastfeeding parent’s diet or formula can sometimes help combat constipation in babies who might have a sensitivity or allergy that’s causing poop problems.
However, before switching your baby’s formula, be sure to consult a pediatrician or other health care provider. Sometimes a switch isn’t necessary, so you can save yourself the time, effort, and cost.
Introduce solid foods slowly
Dr. Shu says that when babies start eating solid foods, often the cause of constipation in babies 6 months and older, diet changes can also help move things along.
Certain foods, such as pears and broccoli, can get things back on track. So can fruit juice (in moderation). Other foods to try include stone fruits (peaches, plums, prunes, nectarines, cherries, and dates).
Increase their hydration
Dehydration can cause back-ups in kids and adults alike. Make sure your newborn drinks enough breast milk or formula as directed by their health care provider, and don’t withhold liquids when they have a bout of vomiting or diarrhea.
Once your child starts solids, they need plenty of water every day. From 6 months to 1 year, babies should drink 4 to 8 ounces of water daily in addition to breast milk or formula. Older babies need about 4 cups of fluid daily.
When To Call a Health Care Provider
It’s always important to talk to your child’s pediatrician or another health care provider if you suspect your baby is constipated. They can work with you to identify whether your baby truly is constipated (or just an infrequent pooper) and suggest safe solutions if they are.
When Constipation Is Concerning
Always seek medical attention in the following situations:
- When an infant who is not exclusively breastfed goes three or more days without pooping
- When an infant younger than 2 months experiences signs of constipation
- When an infant is not passing stools and is also vomiting or irritable
- When there is blood in the stool
A health care provider may perform tests, like blood work or abdominal x-rays. They might suggest gentle rectal stimulation using a cotton swab or rectal thermometer. Dr. Shu says this usually produces a bowel movement within several minutes of stimulation.
Another possibility is a glycerin suppository, which usually causes a baby to poop within an hour, Dr. Shu says. Other suggestions may include a gentle laxative.
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