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Constipation in Babies

What Causes Constipation in Infants?

By Teri Brown

Pages: 1 2 3 4

Constipation can be a symptom of underlying problems, which is why it is important to discuss the matter with your pediatrician. This is especially true of constipation observed in the immediate newborn period.

"If an infant fails to pass stool within the first 24 to 48 hours, one must rule out Hirschprung's disease, in which a lack of neuronal innervation to a portion of the large intestine causes the bowel to have abnormal peristalsis and to retain large amounts of stool in a dilated loop of bowel," Dr. McCarthy says. "There are other causes of intestinal obstruction, which may present with constipation, including intestinal atresias or undeveloped areas of bowel. These diseases, however, would typically present with vomiting. Meconium ileus and meconium plug syndrome are other diseases which can present with constipation in the newborn period, and may be markers for more serious diseases such as cystic fibrosis."

If your baby is chronically constipated and a change in diet doesn't help, your pediatrician may refer you to a specialist.

Encourage your baby to exercise more. Another reason for tummy time!
Make sure he is getting plenty of fluids.
Try some type of cereal other than rice cereal.
Make sure you are mixing the formula correctly. Too strong of a mixture can increase the chances of your baby getting constipated.
Avoiding feeding baby too much rice bananas, applesauce or carrots.

Pages: 1 2 3 4

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