What to do if a newborn does not poop - a manual for mothers

You have given birth to a child, and you closely monitor his condition, not missing even the most important little things. Thus, regular bowel movements become one of the criteria for the child’s health and his current condition. Therefore, if a newborn does not poop for more than a day, the young mother begins to sound the alarm and look for the reasons for such deviations from the schedule. Is it worth it? Should I just wait?

It turns out that a violation of regular bowel movements in newborns is far from an indicator of deviations from the norms and ongoing disorders in the child’s body. The baby may not poop for several days, even though he eats quite well, does not skip meals, and does not act up when pressure is applied to his stomach. Most pediatricians say that the child should not be touched until he becomes whiny and begins to “talk” about abdominal pain - until the baby is bothered by constipation, he should not be touched. But young mothers have a different opinion, because they believe that it is better to prevent the problem in advance, rather than treat an already advanced disorder. How the baby poops and how many times a day will be discussed in more detail in the article.

How long can a newborn go without pooping?

A breastfed or formula-fed baby may poop differently. It all depends on the composition of the food consumed. In the first two months, a breastfed baby can poop up to 6 times a day - and this is normal. The feces are liquid, sometimes acquiring a characteristic yellow tint.

Since the baby's gastrointestinal tract is just developing in the first months, it will not be surprising that the baby stops pooping and the lack of bowel movements continues for several days.

This is important: Mother’s breast milk is so universal and “miraculous” that such a lack of emptying does not harm the baby. During the period of absence of feces, the formation of the intestines occurs, as a result of which all the beneficial properties of milk are used - at this time, complete absorption of food occurs.

The situation seems much more dangerous when the child does not poop for several days, and previously only consumed formula milk. Even the most expensive formulas cannot be absorbed in the child’s body, so the baby must poop every day - the formed toxins and accumulations of undigested elements are necessarily released in the form of feces. If, during artificial feeding, a newborn baby does not poop for several days, it means that a dysfunction has occurred in the body, and parents should show the baby to a doctor or resort to an independent solution to the problem. Of course, we are talking about newborns - a child up to 3 months old. Subsequently, the baby begins to poop less often - up to 2 times a day when breastfeeding and up to 3-4 times a week when bottle-fed (optimal fecal excretion is daily).

What should be considered constipation in an infant?

It is understandable that the lack of stool in a baby causes concern for parents and often becomes the reason for unnecessary self-medication. On the other hand, lack of basic knowledge about the proper frequency of bowel movements in children sometimes leads to delays in necessary treatment and complications. Therefore, first, let’s figure out what constipation is.

According to generally accepted opinion, constipation in babies under three months of age is considered to be a delay in bowel movements for 2-3 days. If difficulties with bowel movements persist for two or more weeks, they speak of chronic constipation.2,3. At the same time, the frequency of stool decreases (in comparison with individual characteristics3), the feces become dense, fragmented, and acquire an unpleasant putrefactive odor.

To empty the intestines, the child strains hard and for a long time, his face turns red, his legs are drawn up to his stomach. Sometimes the contents of the rectum are so hard that they injure the delicate mucous membrane and cause painful cracks to form. In this case, the baby cries, and a strip of scarlet blood appears on the surface of the stool.

Constipation affects the general condition of the baby. He experiences pain and bloating in the abdomen, popularly called “colic,” he eats poorly, becomes lethargic and moody.

It is the appearance of common symptoms of constipation in a breastfed newborn that serves as a guideline for diagnosis4. If they are absent, the child eats well, does not spit up, gains weight normally, the condition is considered to be “pseudoconstipation”, which does not require any intervention4.

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When to sound the alarm?

As mentioned above, if a month-old baby has not pooped for a long time and has not changed his usual behavior to be more capricious, parents should not worry. When artificially feeding, it is enough to give the baby an infusion of prunes - this will help with further bowel movements, since prunes soften the stool and they will pass more easily. The child should be shown to the doctor if whims begin - the baby has become more whiny, nervous, and when slight pressure is applied to the stomach, the child begins to cry a lot.

The following causes of problems with excretion of feces from the gastrointestinal tract of a newborn are identified:

• Taking medications - significant deviations from the norm can be observed while taking antibiotics.
• The stress experienced by the baby, fear, perception of the mother’s nervousness.
• The development of intestinal infections - in this case, the feces could previously have acquired a different color, and vomiting is observed. Also, an intestinal infection may be indicated by the presence of previous inclusions and other modified inclusions in the stool. In this case, you should not wait for constipation, but immediately consult a doctor.

You can preliminarily determine the cause of constipation in a baby yourself - here it is necessary to analyze his behavior earlier and now at the time of troubles with bowel function. It is better to show the baby to a doctor so that he can accurately determine the cause of dysfunction of the internal organ and prescribe precise treatment.

This is important: It is prohibited to give your baby any medications without consulting a doctor. It is also not allowed to give a child traditional medicine without consulting a pediatrician and allergist - there is a high risk of developing an allergic reaction to a certain component.

Deficiency of various enzymes - sucrase, isomaltase, etc.

Each enzyme is responsible for the breakdown of “its” food component (sucrose, fructose, etc.), and is necessary for normal digestion. Symptoms of enzyme deficiency occur when certain foods are consumed and are similar to lactase deficiency. However, this type of disorder is much less common.

The first symptoms of sucrose intolerance appear when regular sugar is included in children's diets (many try to sweeten complementary foods); fructose intolerance - when including honey and juices in the child’s diet, etc. Before visiting your doctor, try to remember if diarrhea has developed after introducing new foods to your baby or, if you are exclusively breastfeeding, after any changes in your diet.

Constipation is a common and pressing pediatric problem faced by parents around the world. In 90 - 95% of children with constipation, no organic cause has been found. Only 60% of children with constipation showed a positive effect when treated with laxatives. Even after a year of treatment, constipation disappeared in only 53% of children, and 52% of them continued to suffer from constipation over the next 5 years. Moreover, approximately 30% of children after puberty continue to struggle with symptoms of constipation, such as irregular and painful bowel movements or, conversely, involuntary passage of stool. Normally, depending on the age of the child, the periods between independent acts of defecation may vary.

What to do if your newborn doesn't poop

Having determined the reason for the child’s lack of feces, you should begin to eliminate the problem.

Here you should resort to the following actions:

• First, help the baby to have a bowel movement - perhaps the child simply cannot do this due to weak intestinal motility, which is often observed in newborns. To do this, massage your tummy - use your palm with light pressure to make circular movements clockwise. The child should not be in pain at this moment. After this, proceed to perform a simple exercise - “bicycle”.
• Colic and constipation can be eliminated by applying a warm diaper to the tummy - the intestines begin to work better, and the feces soften significantly.
• Review your diet if your baby is breastfed. When using a mixture, replace it with a special one designed to prevent colic and constipation.
• Lack of emptying can be eliminated by inserting a cotton swab pre-lubricated with petroleum jelly into the newborn’s anus. This remedy helps to lubricate the intestinal walls from the inside and soften the stool - this quickly removes the blockage, and the problem disappears naturally, without causing pain and suffering.

In advanced cases, when the means described above have not helped the child, the pediatrician may prescribe medication to eliminate the absence of feces. Here we can highlight the use of glycerin suppositories for insertion into the anus, as well as special laxatives, selected exclusively taking into account the individual characteristics of the newborn. Also, young mothers often resort to enemas, noticing that the absence of bowel movement has been going on for more than 5 days.

Important! Enemas are resorted to in extreme cases, since such assistance, on the contrary, often provokes a disruption of the intestinal microflora - this leads to the opposite result.

Even a specialist cannot answer the question of how many days a newborn baby can go without pooping - everything is purely individual and you should not worry about the lack of bowel movement in the first 2-3 months after the birth of the baby. Firstly, this is the time of formation of normal intestinal microflora, so constipation is far from uncommon. Secondly, the child feels the mother’s excitement and begins to get scared himself - and this again provokes constipation and other disturbances in the intestines. Monitor the child’s emotional state and do not resort to unknown methods of treatment without consulting a doctor.

Why is it so important to go potty early in the morning, and how dried fruits will help your intestines.

Constipation is a slow, difficult or systematically insufficient bowel movement. Constipation in children is a problem that parents very often face. The famous children's doctor, candidate of medical sciences, TV presenter Evgeniy Komarovsky talks about whether to worry if the baby rarely goes to the potty, in which cases it is important to see a doctor, and in which cases you can solve the problem yourself.

“If we are talking about children in the first year of life, then in one case out of several thousand, constipation may be a consequence of the so-called Hirschsprung’s disease,” continues Evgeniy Komarovsky. – This is a congenital disease in which nerve cells in one of the intestinal areas are not developed, which is why peristalsis is disrupted and feces accumulate in the intestines. In this case, there is only one way out - surgery.

In a word, constant problems with stool in a child should prompt parents to consult a gastroenterologist, who would rule out diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Lactase deficiency

If your child has frequent, watery, foamy stools with a sour odor, he or she may be lactose intolerant. Lactose is milk sugar, making up about 99% of all carbohydrates in any milk, including human milk. A special enzyme, lactase, is responsible for the breakdown of lactose. If for some reason the activity of this enzyme is reduced (so-called lactase deficiency ), excess undigested lactose leads to diarrhea.

The simplest and most accessible test for suspected lactose intolerance is to determine the amount of carbohydrates in the stool.

For proper treatment, it is necessary to find out the cause of intolerance, be sure to consult with a pediatric gastroenterologist and, possibly, an allergist. If a child has received breast milk, he is not deprived of this beneficial product. As a rule, it is recommended to express about 1/4-1/3 of the volume of one feeding and add lactase ( an enzyme that breaks down lactose) to the expressed milk. At the beginning of feeding, the baby should be given expressed milk with lactase , and then supplemented from the breast. The dosage of the enzyme is selected by the doctor individually.

If the child is on artificial or mixed feeding, then the adapted milk formula is either replaced with a low-lactose or lactose-free formula (it is also better to consult a doctor about the selection of a medicinal formula), or a lactase is added to the regular milk formula and incubated for some time before feeding.

As children grow older, the activity of the lactase increases and the symptoms of lactose intolerance completely disappear.

Retention of stool in infants is normal

Each baby has a different frequency of bowel movements, which depends on many factors. And here it is important to remember this:

“In infants, rare bowel movements almost always indicate that the food the child eats is of high quality, suits him perfectly and is almost completely absorbed,” says Evgeny Komarovsky. – And if the baby is fed breast milk or an adapted formula, if you introduce the correct complementary foods on time, but the baby does not poop for up to six days in a row, this is normal. Provided, of course, that this does not cause him discomfort and does not affect his well-being and development.

That is why most often the problem is not in the child, but in his environment.

“Grandmothers, having learned that the baby has not gone to the potty for two days, immediately begin to lament about this, advising to “treat” him with folk methods, and mothers worry and look longingly at the empty potty,” says Evgeniy Olegovich. – In this case, the cause of stool retention may be, for example, excessive mother’s care. Judge for yourself. Let's say mom has two potatoes. She can boil them in their uniforms and give them to the child, and he will absorb 80% of this dish, the rest will come out naturally. Or mom can boil them, peel them, mash them properly, add milk and butter. The result will be a liquid puree that will be absorbed almost entirely. There is simply nothing to leave the body!

Five rules for treating constipation

If your doctor is sure that constipation is not a symptom of something serious, you can try to cope with it on your own. What should you pay attention to?

1. The child should not have a fluid deficiency.

Lack of fluid is one of the most common causes of constipation in children. At the same time, the feces become thick, slowly move through the intestines, scratching its walls, which causes pain and colic. And the urge to go to the toilet arises only when the accumulated masses begin to put pressure on the walls of the rectum, but water helps to increase their volume, and the baby poops faster. So let's drink more and hydrate the nursery!

2. The body must have enough potassium.

With a lack of potassium, intestinal contractions (so-called peristalsis) are sharply weakened, and this may well be the cause of constipation. The most potassium is found in raisins, dried apricots, prunes, and figs, which, by the way, can be added to compotes or simply eaten steamed.

3. A nutritious diet rich in fiber.

For constipation, foods rich in protein, such as chocolate, cottage cheese, and nuts, are undesirable. Yogurts, one-day kefir and yogurt are desirable. Brown bread is better than white bread. Apple juice is better than a whole apple. It is better to limit meat. In general, fiber is an excellent preventive measure for constipation. This means that the child needs to be given more fruits and vegetables, as well as cereals, preferably slightly undercooked.

4. Safe medications.

There are only two medications that can be used even in infants and without a doctor's prescription. The first is lactulose syrup, which is sold under different commercial names in any pharmacy. It increases the volume of feces, retaining water in the intestines, does not cause “addiction”, and can be taken for as long as you like. However, at the first dose, the baby may develop gas as a reaction to the drug, so it is better to increase the dose gradually. The second is suppositories with glycerin. Their advantage is that glycerin is not absorbed by the body, but is released along with the contents of the intestines, and such suppositories act much more gently than an enema.

If the cause of constipation is cracks in the anus (appearing, for example, after the passage of lumps of hard feces), due to which the child simply does not want to go to the potty for fear of pain, suppositories with sea buckthorn oil will help.

5. Daily routine.

It happens that there is an urge to go big, the child feels it, but ignores it - for example, he is very busy or simply does not want to go to the toilet in the garden or at school, preferring to wait until he gets home. If this behavior becomes systematic, then the rectum begins to stretch from excess feces, and in order to feel the urge to go to the toilet, the child needs more and more time. This leads to constipation, which takes a very long time to treat.

To prevent this, it is important to accustom your baby to systematic bowel movements from childhood. Better - at the same time and in the same familiar environment. Let him go to the potty before bed or after breakfast, before leaving the house.

If all of the above does not help, you need to seek help from a doctor. It is important to understand that specialists have a much larger range of constipation treatment regimens than parents.

From the literature on caring for a newborn, mothers know that the baby should poop after each feeding. If a newborn and infant defecate a yellowish mush, then babies who consume formula excrete feces that are denser. Their smell is specific, pungent. If the baby suddenly hasn’t pooped all day, parents worry and think about using a laxative. But moms and dads don’t know whether the baby really needs help.

The importance of identifying constipation early

At the beginning of our article, we mentioned some signs of defecation disorders (the baby’s stomach is swollen, gases are released, he is restless and cries). In addition, the baby develops intestinal colic, he may refuse the breast or, conversely, constantly seek it. The latter is explained not by a whetted appetite, but by a desire to find peace. Crying is typical, accompanied by pulling the legs towards the tummy. Constipation is often accompanied by an increase in body temperature and even vomiting, which is explained by self-poisoning of the body with unresolved toxins. Vomiting is a very alarming sign; it can lead to dehydration, which can lead to complications in the cardiovascular system. If measures are not taken, dysbiosis and serious pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract may develop.

It is clear that it is better not to bring the problem to such a development. Therefore, it is important to recognize constipation at the stage when it is just beginning to make itself known. The first signs are: the child has not had a bowel movement for two days, before defecation he strains for a long time, even to the point of redness, and the stool has a hard consistency (sometimes with blood). If a mother detects at least one of the above symptoms in her child, she must consult a doctor. It is possible that no special treatment will be needed and the problem can be dealt with on your own. But without doing anything on your own, following all the doctor’s instructions, while acting very carefully so as not to aggravate the situation. Below we will tell you about methods for treating constipation in babies at home.

Emptying regimen for infants

Nutritional habits help to understand why stool retention occurs in a child under one year of age. If the newborn is breastfed and does not receive any fluids or medications, the absence of stool will be considered normal even for a week. Some babies' bodies absorb mother's milk completely, so feces are simply not collected.

If the baby is switched to a bottle and the mother notices that he has not pooped for 2 days or more, this is already a problem. The mixture is an artificial product that cannot be processed in full. Its remnants must leave the body regularly.

The frequency, quantity, and type of bowel movements depend not only on the type of feeding of the child. Before 12 months of age, these indicators are influenced by several factors:

• mother’s nutritional habits if the baby is breastfeeding;
• composition of human milk (fat slows down the movement of feces);
• type of mixture (the factor works when transferring the baby to artificial feeding);
• weakness of intestinal motility and anterior abdominal wall.

Why does the intestine have difficulty defecating? The fact is that food gruel is slowly transported through the thick part of the tract and loses all its nutrients. Vitamins and water remain in the masses, gradually filling the lower part of the organ. The intestine stretches, the feces dry out and become voluminous and heavy. Since the baby does not have sufficiently developed muscles, the intestines cannot get rid of feces. The process of defecation becomes painful and unpleasant.

When to contact a pediatrician?

Newborns and older babies report problems with bowel movements using certain symptoms. Caring parents will definitely notice the following deviations:

1. vomiting;
2. lack of gas;
3. poor sleep and appetite;
4. increased nervousness;
5. anxiety during feeding;
6. twisting legs due to bloating and pain in the tummy (possibly hard).

Fecal masses in the presence of these anomalies are characterized by increased density. The color of feces changes from yellow to dark if the baby is switched to formula. The reason for contacting a doctor is both the strange consistency and shade of stool, and the general condition of the child with problems with stool and passing gas.

For example, if a baby does not poop and has difficulty passing gas, this condition poses a danger to the body. The combination of symptoms indicates intestinal obstruction. If the baby farts but does not poop, he is not in danger of obstruction. Moderate gas formation against the background of rare bowel movements indicates normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

How to make your baby's stool easier?

In the absence of nutritional problems, treatment of problematic bowel movements is carried out by eliminating spasmodic phenomena occurring in the intestines. When the baby cannot poop, he needs to massage his tummy with a clockwise movement of his hand. It will be useful to bend your legs while pressing against your stomach (similar to riding a bicycle). Exercise stimulates intestinal motility and accelerates the elimination of processed food.

If your newborn is concerned about air trapped in the tract, you can try placing a gas tube. The device irritates the walls of the rectum and forces them to contract involuntarily. When the tube is pushed out, the gases come out along with the feces.

In the absence of a medical instrument, the use of an enema is permitted. Indications for the procedure are bloating, the baby's unsuccessful attempts to defecate, and anxiety. Enemas are done with clean water or Microlax. The rules for setting up microenemas are described here: https://lecheniedetok.ru/gastroenterolog/mikrolaks-instruktsiya-po-primeneniyu-dlya-novorozhdennyh.html

If the baby eats formulas, cereals, juices, but does not defecate for 3 days in a row, parents should give him warm boiled water to facilitate the expulsion of feces. Let the baby consume a sufficient amount of liquid - she will not allow stool retention. You can try feeding the baby a different formula or switching to a special food that prevents colic and hardening of stool.

Previously, mothers alleviated the suffering of children with mechanical stimuli. They inserted a piece of soap, the tip of a thermometer, and a hygienic stick in cream or Vaseline into the anus. Today these methods are not welcomed by pediatricians. If a child poops poorly despite everything, he is prescribed rectal glycerin suppositories https://lecheniedetok.ru/gastroenterolog/glitserinovye-svechi-dlya-novorozhdennyh-instruktsiya.html

How to help a child?

Before thinking about what is best to do and how to help the child, experts recommend observing the nature of bowel movements. There are 2 options:

Bifidumbacterin for newborns for constipation and reviews about it

• atonic - the baby screams and strains, the initial portion of feces comes out with difficulty and with pain, it is formed feces like in adults, then liquid feces are released;
• spastic - feces come out in “sheep” portions, dense, the stomach is swollen, defecation is painful.

In the first case, it is necessary to stimulate intestinal contractility, in the second - to relieve spasm. Abdominal massage helps a newborn with constipation. With atony, it is necessary to increase muscle tone. To do this, exercise with the baby: in a supine position, bend the legs at the knees and bring them to the chest, then straighten them. The exercises are repeated several times a day when changing the diaper.

The development of the abdominal muscles is promoted by laying on the stomach for 10 minutes before each feeding. Stroking massage movements with your hand along the stomach in a clockwise direction will help get rid of cramps. In this case, you can apply light pressure. They use a warm diaper on the stomach, bathing in the bath, pressing and warming the baby's tummy to the body of the mother or father.

The following measures are recommended to stimulate stool:

• massage with two fingers of the paravertebral zone from the lower back to the sacrum;
• insertion shallowly into the anal passage of a cotton swab lubricated with baby cream and scrolling movements inside;
• sometimes a gas tube helps, first a gas plug comes out, then feces;
• grandmothers effectively used sticks cut from soap; you cannot use “Household” because of the presence of alkalis, it is better to take “Children’s”;
• It’s more convenient to purchase rectal suppositories with glycerin at the pharmacy; 1/3 of a part is enough for a child, it easily enters the anus, then you need to connect and hold the buttocks, usually stool appears after 10–15 minutes.

How to give an enema?

For infants, a 30 ml rubber bulb is suitable. The water should be at room temperature (warm water is sucked in and does not come out). You can use chamomile decoction. The tip is washed with soap. Then lubricate with Vaseline or baby cream. The depth of insertion into the rectum should not exceed 1 cm. Water is injected gradually.

A modern option is Microlax, a ready-made microenema with glycerin and a water-salt solution, the result appears after 5–10 minutes

Dietary recommendations

Following a diet by a nursing mother is one of the main approaches to treating constipation in infants. It is recommended to eat vegetables, fruits, a few dried apricots, figs, and prunes. Among baked goods, rye bread with bran is preferred. You should drink at least 2.5 liters of liquid. The baby should be given pureed apples, pumpkins, peaches, and apricots in complementary feeding. To restore the balance of intestinal flora, fermented milk drinks with bifidobacteria or probiotic preparations are recommended.

Treatment with laxatives

Medicines in the treatment of constipation in children are used in extreme cases, if it is not possible to get results from massage, the mother’s diet and correction of the baby’s diet. Lactulose-based laxatives are used for infants. Other means are prohibited for up to a year.

Duphalac is the most convenient drug in syrup. Infants are given 5 ml once a day in the morning, for children under 6 years of age the dosage is increased to 10–15 ml. Sometimes even this dose causes diarrhea and bloating. It can be taken by a nursing mother when she has stool retention. At 6 months, pediatricians allow another drug - Forlax, which is given to the child daily for three months. Used in the initial treatment of organic constipation, in preparation for surgery.

Bowel preparations

Doctors suggest medicinal treatment of children for intestinal problems using mildly effective means:

• Plantex;
• Normaze;
• Duphalac;
• Gutalax;
• Vita-plant;
• Prelax.

If defecation delay is caused by dysbiosis, intestinal treatment is aimed at restoring the flora. For this purpose, the baby is prescribed bifidobacteria - Bifidumbacterin, Bifidum, Trilact, Probifor, etc. It is better to give the baby probiotics in liquid form, because they act immediately in the body. Infants can obtain beneficial bifidobacteria from special fermented milk products. Therapeutic nutrition and medications are selected individually.

1. Laxative tea for newborns is the easiest remedy to use. Give your child water to prevent bloating, colic, and stool retention. Healthy drinks are made from raw materials of fennel, chamomile, and thyme.
2. Nursing mothers can improve the activity of their children's intestines if they themselves begin to eat boiled beets, peaches, prunes and any foods enriched with fiber. Rice porridge, everything sweet and starchy, as well as strong tea must be removed from the diet.

If the doctor prescribed bifidobacteria for your baby, use the medications regularly. Dilute dry forms with cool boiled water according to the instructions. Give the solution to the baby either half an hour before feeding, or the day before breastfeeding.