Kids Constipation

Babies or infants have their own pattern of bowel movements depending upon their foods, activity and digestion abilities. However, if your child gets constipation, you get to know it if s/he does not have a bowel movement in 3 or more days or has hard, dry stools that are difficult to pass. Treatment for baby constipation can be done by using certain home remedies. Here is a list of such constipation remedies for providing relief to your baby.
  • If your baby has just started taking solid  baby food, it might be a cause of constipation as these foods are low in fiber. Request your doctor to change the baby food brand that might help in constipation treatment of your baby.  With consultation of doctor, switch from rice cereal to barley or oat cereal, or you might add pureed fruits or vegetables to regular cereal.
  • If your baby crawls, motivate her to do a few laps and if she isn’t crawling, try pumping her legs gently. This will give her some exercise.
  • Dehydration can be one of the causes for your baby’s constipation. Increase the amount of fluid which will also keep her stools soft.
  • Give 1 ounce of prune juice diluted with equal amount of water, twice a day. Alternatively, give  apple juice to your baby.
  • Rub the area surrounding baby’s anus with a considerably warm cloth. This helps in relaxing the muscles and allows gas and other matter to escape.
  • Mix a capful of corn syrup in your baby’s food to get rid of constipation.
  • Soak 1 tsp Psyllium Husk or Isabgol in a cup of water. Feed 1-2 spoon of this liquid in the food that you give to your baby. This can even be used as a precautionary method for avoiding constipation in babies.
  • Avoid such foods as rice cereal and bananas as they may aggravate constipation. Instead give your baby prunes, apricots, or pears.