Does baby food cause constipation

Starting Baby on Solid Food | Longwood Pediatrics

General information

You should generally start solid foods between 4-6 months of age. Starting solids earlier than this will not cause your baby to sleep longer at night and may cause digestive problems. For your baby’s first year, breastmilk or formula is the most important part of her diet. As you introduce solids, make sure that she is still drinking adequate amounts of formula or breast milk.

Feed your baby all solids from a spoon. Putting cereal in the bottle is not a good idea, and part of learning about solids is learning to eat with a spoon. You may want to start solids at a time when your baby is hungry but not starving, such as after he has had a little formula or breast milk, but not after a full milk feeding when he is not at all hungry.

Try to introduce new foods with enthusiasm, but do not force your child to eat something. If your child is not interested in a new food, put it away and try introducing it again later. When introducing new foods, there should be an interval of 2-3 days between each new food so that you will know if your baby is having a reaction to a new food.

If your baby develops vomiting, rash, or diarrhea, please do not give that food again and discuss this reaction at your next visit. If your child develops hives or breathing problems, please call the office.

What foods to introduce

Feeding suggestions for your baby (download)

Somewhere between 4 and 6 months old, you may begin to introduce first foods such as infant cereals, pureed fruits, pureed vegetables, and pureed meats. Start with about one or two tablespoons of food once or twice a day. It is important to make sure that some of your infant’s early foods contain iron, which is important for all babies’ health. Iron-rich foods include iron-fortified baby cereals, meats, and beans.

Once your child is about 8 months old and sitting up well, you may introduce finger foods such as biscuits, Cheerios, pasta, soft bread/toast, small pieces of soft vegetables or fruits, and shredded chicken or meat.

A note on constipation: Sometimes when a baby starts on solid foods, he will become constipated (hard stools). If your baby becomes constipated, use whole wheat or barley cereal instead of rice cereal and avoid bananas and sweet potatoes, which are constipating. All the fruits which begin with “P” (prunes, plums, pears, peaches) will help soften your baby’s stool, so give them often if your baby is having hard stools. If your baby is constipated, you may also give him 1 ounce of prune juice mixed with 1 ounce of water every day or two.

Beverages

For the whole first year, breast milk or formula should be your baby’s primary beverage. Typical amounts are listed in the table at the end of the sheet. Fruit juice tends to be high in sugar and fills up babies so they eat less nutritious food. We do NOT recommend giving juice to your baby in the first year.

Food sensitivities and allergies

While food allergies seem to be more common among children than they were in the past, no one knows the reason for this. We do not recommend restricting any specific foods for babies because of concerns about allergies, but if you have food allergy questions or a family history of specific food allergies, please discuss this with your provider.

Citrus fruits and tomatoes may cause a rash around the mouth in young children, but this is not a true allergy and is not dangerous; if it happens, you may want to cut back on these types of foods and try them again at a later time.

Peanuts and peanut butter

Recent research suggests that early and continued eating of peanut products decreases the chance of developing a peanut allergy. Some children will still be allergic to peanuts, but introducing peanuts at 4-6 months can prevent peanut allergy for many children. If your child has other food allergies or severe eczema, (or if your family history causes you to be concerned), please discuss blood testing for peanut allergy before you introduce peanuts.

Other infants should begin eating peanut products at 4-6 months. You can mix a small amount of smooth peanut butter into your infant’s baby cereal or pureed food. Bamba, a peanut puff product (available online and in the Israeli or Kosher food section of some grocery stores) can be crumbled into baby cereal. Give a small amount the first few times, and if it is tolerated without hives continue to feed peanut containing products 3 times a week. Older infants and toddlers should continue to eat Bamba or smooth peanut butter (spread thinly on bread or cracker) 3 times a week.

Caution!

Nuts, whole grapes, spoonfuls of peanut butter, round slices of hot dog, hard raw vegetables, popcorn, hard candies, and ice are all choking hazards and should not be given to your child until at least 4 years old.
All foods you give younger children should be soft and in small pieces.
Do not give your baby honey until he is over 1 year old (honey can carry botulism spores that are dangerous for a young baby but not for older children or adults).
Do not home prepare beets, turnips, carrots, spinach, and collard greens while your child is an infant. These can be high in nitrates when prepared at home, but are safe if given as store-bought baby food.

Are There Baby Foods that Help with Constipation?

While parenting brings many surprises, one of them is likely how much you’ll think about poop, or lack thereof, especially during that first year. But here you are worrying about your baby’s digestive tract and convinced that they’re constipated.

If you’ve recently introduced your baby to solid food, then your worries may be on target: solid foods can put a strain on your baby’s developing digestive tract and cause constipation. But there are things you can do to help!

Before you begin treating constipation you should determine if there is really an issue at all. So here’s the scoop on poop and how to tell if your worries are founded and your baby is constipated.

Breastfed babies

During the first few weeks, you’ll find yourself changing diapers with alarming regularity. Figure in every feed or so.

But don’t despair, because by the time your baby reaches 6 weeks old, they may have a bowel movement only once or twice a day. On the other hand, they may have one only every 7–10 days. (Yep, the frequency really can vary that much.)

The poop is yellow, soft, runny and sometimes lumpy and the smell isn’t unpleasant.

Formula-fed babies

A newborn, formula-fed baby typically poops up to five times a day. At about 6 to 8 weeks, this may decrease to around once a day.

Formula-fed babies have poop that is a camel to brown color with a thicker consistency, more like paste. Most likely, the less-than-aromatic smell means you’ll hermetically seal soiled diapers before you toss them into the garbage.

Signs that your baby is constipated

You’ve noticed that your baby’s tummy isn’t following the schedule that you got used to. Could it be constipation? Here are the signs that could confirm your suspicions:

You notice that they cry or fuss while they’re trying to have a hard bowel movement.
The poop, when it does come, is like hard pellets.
You notice streaks of red blood in the hard poop.

While it’s not easy for a baby on a liquid diet to become constipated, trouble can start when you start introducing your baby to solid foods at around 6 months. Here’s why:

New food types

Think of it as a learning curve: Your baby’s body is learning how to cope with a new kind of food to digest as they move away from their full liquid diet and you need to soften the learning curve. (Pardon the irresistible pun.)

Changes to fluid intake

Decreased fluids will make your baby’s poop harder and more difficult to push out. If they’ve started solids, they may need to up their fluid intake to offset the solid food. And if your baby is teething or feeling unwell, it can also lead to them taking in less fluid than usual.

Lack of fiber

Even though they’re just starting out, babies’ tummies work like ours. While initially the move to solids that have fiber (from breast milk or formula, which don’t) can cause temporary constipation, their tummies will adjust.

Make sure to monitor your baby’s fiber intake and pair it with plenty of hydration for a smooth ride the same way that you monitor yours.

OK, so you’ve confirmed that your baby is constipated. The next step is helping to alleviate the strain on their developing digestive system.

Remember that you can keep offering these foods as your baby develops into a toddler and beyond. In fact, there is little research or evidence to support specific foods (including high fiber ones) in treating or preventing constipation in infants. Most of these recommendations are based on evidence for older adults and children.

Keep in mind that good practice when introducing solids is to introduce foods as single ingredients. That way, if your baby is allergic to certain foods, you’ll be able to more easily trace the source.

If your little one hasn’t tried these foods before, don’t rush the process. Test out one at a time and then introduce combinations once you’re confident they’re well tolerated.

Back to basics. Give your baby’s digestive tract a break by feeding them mashed avocado or sweet potato purée. These are easy to digest and may give your baby the kick start they need.
B vegetables. Think broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and beans. Purée these for a meal filled with fiber.
P fruits. Your grandmother was right — bring on the prunes for quick work. A purée that includes a mix of prunes plus pears, plums, or peaches should work magic. Try subbing the prunes with dates for a change.
Bring on the fiber. If your baby is over 8 months, you can offer them whole grains like oatmeal, fiber-rich cereals, whole wheat pasta, and brown rice.
Water intake. Until 6 months an exclusively breastfed or formula-fed baby doesn’t need to drink water. Above this age, you can introduce small amounts of water.

Plums and pears with cinnamon

Cut 2 or 3 pears and plums into small pieces. Place in a saucepan with a small amount of water and simmer until soft. Add in a sprinkle of cinnamon. Blend thoroughly.

Sweet potato with apple and peach

Cut half a sweet potato, one apple, and half a peach into small pieces. Place in steamer basket and cook until tender. Blend until smooth.

Spinach and apple purée

Chop two apples into small chunks and cook in saucepan with about 1/2 cup of water. When they’re tender, add about 1 cup of spinach and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Purée until smooth. Can be seasoned with cinnamon and ginger.

Some sources suggest prune, pear, and apple juices help to increase the water content in poop and can ease constipation.

However, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends steering clear of fruit juice for children younger than 1 year old. You can stick with these fruits as purées for similar effects.

What is it about prune juice? The high levels of sorbitol and phenolic substances in prune juice and dried plums act as a laxative and diuretic properties. So if your child is over 1 year old, you can use small amounts of prune juice to encourage their system to run.

Some studies show that constipation may affect as much as 30 percent of children. If your child is part of the unlucky statistic, here are some foods that you may want to give them smaller amounts of until it passes:

bananas
dairy products such as cheese and yogurt
low fiber foods like white rice, white bread, and white pasta

If you’re like most parents, you’ll be up for whatever you can try to help your baby get comfortable fast. Here are a few tricks that you can use to ease your baby’s constipation:

Warm baths. These can relax those abdominal muscles and get them working.
Exercise. Lay your baby on their back and push their legs alternately as if they’re cycling a bike. Alternatively, hold their knees and feet together and push their feet towards their belly.
Massage. Use your fingertip to draw clockwise circles on your baby’s stomach.

If you see that despite your home remedies, your baby still is having hard stools or hasn’t pooped after 2 or 3 days from their last hard stool, then contact your pediatrician. Especially if you consistently notice blood in their poop or your baby is extremely irritable and appears to be in pain.

While dealing with your baby’s toilet issues may seem a tad unsavory, you’ll soon be so used to it, that you’ll find yourself sharing your insights over coffee with other parents. And don’t be shy about sharing the yummy food combinations you discover to keep things moving.

Infant formula for constipation: which one to choose

Tiunova Elena

Published: 01/15/2023

Reading time: 5 min

1661

Young parents have many sleepless nights and hectic days. And all because the baby is worried about something. Digestive problems are among the most common causes of yelling and crying. The gastrointestinal tract in newborns is just being formed, so there may be colic, flatulence, regurgitation and defecation disorders. Every fifth child suffers from constipation.

Childhood disorder of the gastrointestinal tract

More often, a violation of the gastrointestinal tract occurs in children who are on artificial or mixed feeding. This is due to the fact that the baby's digestive system in the first year of life is prepared by nature for the assimilation of mother's milk, and infant formulas are created according to the model of breast milk and are only as close as possible to its composition. However, sometimes it also happens that a violation of the gastrointestinal tract occurs in infants. There can be several reasons - from the mother's unsuitable diet to nervous disorders. What to do if a newborn has constipation? First of all, go to the doctor.

What is the normal frequency and consistency of stools in a child?

Breastfed	Formula-fed
stool frequency - from 1-2 to 5-7 times a day	stool can be 1-3 times a day
yellow	denser
homogeneous, mushy	darker
without pathological impurities (mucus, blood streaks)
sour smell
white lumps (blotches) are allowed

The stool of children of the first year of life changes and may be more liquid or more dense:

in the first weeks of life
when switching to artificial feeding
when changing milk formula
during the introduction of complementary foods.

Symptoms of constipation

Bowel emptying irregularly (less than once every 36 hours).

The stool is dry and hard, which means that later the child may try to hold on to the feces, since the last time a bowel movement caused him pain (relevant for older children).

The baby pushes hard, pulls his legs up to his chest, but his efforts do not give any results.

The baby is naughty, frowns, cries when trying to empty the intestines.

The child has trouble sleeping and refuses to eat.

There is bloating.

Other conditions can lead to similar symptoms, so you should always see a doctor to make a diagnosis.

Breastfeeding constipation

The quantity (and quality) of mother's milk is affected not only by mother's diet, but also by the state of her nervous system and lifestyle*. It is, of course, very difficult not to be nervous, but a parent can manage her lifestyle. A woman cannot breastfeed normally if she is in constant stress and nervous exhaustion. The less time a mother spends on household chores, the better for her, and therefore for the newborn. So all household duties can be safely delegated to the second parent, grandparents, other relatives, friends or hired nannies. It is important to pay attention to nutrition:

Be sure to include in the daily menu at least half a kilogram of various (preferably fresh) fruits, vegetables and berries, as well as other foods and dishes containing fiber.
No matter how trite it may sound, but drink enough liquid during the day (1.5-2 liters).

You can understand what kind of diet is suitable for a mother by the reactions of the child. If in doubt, but really want to eat something special, eat a little and see how the baby's digestion reacts. If the baby does not have reddening of the skin and rash, there are no problems with the stool, there are no colic and constipation, then the chosen dish is quite suitable *. But strict restrictive diets of a nursing woman without special need (individual allergic reactions to food and other food intolerances) are not allowed. For the prevention of nutritional deficiencies, both in her and in the child.

Causes of constipation

Immaturity of the digestive organs. Due to the fact that the gastrointestinal tract of a newborn is only adapting to new conditions, there may be various functional failures in its work.

Immaturity of the nervous system. Insufficient maturity of the baby's nervous system prevents him from correctly recognizing signals about the need to defecate.

Somatic diseases. Rare pathologies include dolichosigma (an increase in the length of the sigmoid colon), lactase deficiency (absence or insufficient amount of enzymes for the breakdown of lactose), Hirschsprung's disease (accompanied by impaired innervation in the intestine). Colds and viral diseases can cause constipation, leading to dehydration of the child's body. Also, constipation can be one of the manifestations of hypothyroidism, rickets, liver disease, myasthenia gravis, and some other disorders.

Features of nutrition. If a child is breastfed, then the mother's malnutrition can affect the work of his gastrointestinal tract. Doctors recommend that lactating women exclude confectionery, fatty broths, cheeses, nuts from the diet. In artificers, constipation can be caused by a lack of fluid. Also, a sharp change in the brand of the mixture can lead to violations in this area.

Taking certain medications. Constipation may be a reaction to treatment of the mother or baby with antibiotics, anticonvulsants, and antispasmodics.

Psychological problems. Children often suffer from constipation, whose parents are constantly in nervous tension, often get irritated, violently solve some family problems.

Peculiarities of children's diet

All pediatricians in the world agree that there is no better food for a baby than mother's milk. Dr. Komarovsky gives such advantages of breastfeeding as:

optimal food temperature;

perfect purity of food;

minimal risk of allergic reactions, gastrointestinal disorders;

the presence in milk of additional useful substances necessary for the full development of the child's body**.

And the composition of mother's milk changes over time, and not for the worse. The older the child, the higher the percentage of fat content and the amount of vitamins. This food is perfect for your baby**.

Long-term breastfeeding will not only benefit the baby, but also the mother: a 2002 collaborative group study on hormonal factors in the development of breast cancer showed that breastfeeding reduces the risk of female reproductive system and breast cancer *** . However, not all women are able to breastfeed their babies. If the mother cannot feed the baby with her own milk, you just need to choose the right mixture for the newborn together with the pediatrician. Fortunately, the modern market offers a lot of options for artificial feeding.

Formula choice for bottle-fed and constipated

Constipation in a bottle-fed newborn is a fairly common problem that can be solved with the right formula (after consultation with a specialist).

Fermented milk mixtures. Such mixtures are prescribed for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. The laxative effect is given by the special composition of the mixture, which is obtained by fermenting it with lactic acid bacteria. Substances that are released during lactic acid fermentation cause increased intestinal motility and thus prevent constipation. An example of such a mixture is Nutrilak Premium Sour Milk. The product additionally contains a probiotic complex of live bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, which normalize the intestinal microflora and improve digestion.

Anti-reflux mixtures. These mixtures usually contain a natural ingredient - locust bean gum (natural thickener). Dietary fibers of natural locust bean gum, passing through the intestines, stimulate peristalsis and make the baby's stool soft and with physiological frequency. This ingredient can help eliminate not only constipation, but also regurgitation. Such mixtures may contain other components that aid in the digestion of food, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids and whey protein. An example of a mixture is Nutrilak Antireflux.

Remember that in the first year of life, a child is shown only special adapted milk formulas, which are almost identical in composition to human milk. They contain vitamins and minerals, which are selected taking into account the age and needs of the baby ****. You can choose the right mixture together with the pediatrician or on your own, carefully introducing the new composition into the baby's diet and carefully observing the reactions of the gastrointestinal tract. Most modern mixtures are created taking into account the characteristics of the child's body, enriched with probiotics and other beneficial substances, and therefore are easily absorbed. The main thing is to choose the right mixture, choose a natural and safe composition without the addition of preservatives, dyes and artificial substances.

*E. O. Komarovsky - The beginning of your child's life

**E. O. Komarovsky - 365 tips for the first year of your child's life

***Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer. Lancet. 2002

**** Elena Dobrova - Baby food. Recipes, tips, recommendations

Article author

Tiunova Elena

Pediatrician of the highest category, nutritionist, candidate of medical sciences, associate professor of the department of faculty pediatrics and propaedeutics of childhood diseases, Ural State Medical University

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Article content

Childhood GI disorder
Stool in infants changes and may be thinner or harder:
Symptoms of constipation
Breastfeeding constipation
Causes of constipation
Peculiarities of children's diet
Formula selection for formula feeding and constipation

Products from article

Nutrilak Premium Sour Milk Infant Formula

From birth

Nutrilak Premium Antireflux Infant Formula

From birth

Interested

Nutrilak Premium without palm oil
Milk fat in infant formula
Breastfeeding nutrition
Nutrition during pregnancy

Feeding a nursing mother with constipation in a child

0004 Nutrition of a nursing mother with constipation in a child

Contents

Classification of constipation in newborns and infants
Causes of constipation in infants
Importance of maternal nutrition in constipation in the infant
Recommended products
Products not recommended
Maternal and child feeding rules to avoid constipation
Nursing mother's menu for several days

Breast milk allows the baby to receive all the nutrients necessary for its growth and full development, and saves the mother from worrying about the correct selection of milk formulas, the temperature of the prepared baby food, etc. But there is a nuance in breastfeeding: the quality of the baby's digestion directly depends on the mother's diet. Therefore, quite often women turn to the doctor with the question of what to eat for the mother if the child has constipation, and how to normalize the stool of the newborn by correcting the diet of the mother.

Classification of constipation in newborns and infants

Classification by course

Stool retention in children can have an acute and chronic course.

Acute course

Occurs once or occurs periodically, but with large intervals between episodes.

Chronic

In a chronic condition, this problem is present for a long period: the symptoms of constipation are observed continuously for several weeks or months.

Types of constipation

In addition to classification by flow, constipation is divided into atonic and spastic.

Atonic

Peristalsis is sluggish and weak, and the excreted feces are dense and voluminous.

Spastic

In spastic constipation, there is excessive peristalsis in one part of the intestine, which leads to a temporary "blockage" of feces and its difficulty in moving. Feces with spastic constipation are heterogeneous, divided into small, dry and hard lumps.

Causes of constipation in infants

The most common causes of constipation in infants are:

Improper maternal nutrition

Maternal nutrition for constipation in a breastfed infant should be considered first.

It is the mother's dietary disturbances that often lead to the child's stool retention. The diet of a nursing mother with constipation in a baby often includes foods that have a fixing property.

Features of the nervous system of the newborn

A kind of immaturity of the mechanisms responsible for innervation (that is, the supply of organs and tissues with nerves that ensure their connection with the central nervous system) of the intestine can cause constipation due to an insufficient response of receptors to irritation by fecal masses.

The mother takes medications

A number of medications necessary for the treatment of various diseases and conditions in a nursing mother give side effects in the form of a decrease in intestinal tone, slowing down peristalsis, etc. Therefore, when prescribing drug therapy, a woman should inform the doctor that that she is breastfeeding.

Importance of maternal nutrition in constipated infants

Nutrition of a nursing mother in constipated infants is much more important than it might seem at first glance. So, the lack of liquid in the diet leads to an increase in the fat content of milk, which can cause a delay in stool in a child. Consumption of a large amount of sweets and baked goods can change the chemical composition of milk. It also negatively affects the functions of the intestines in the baby. And the lack of plant products in the menu - vegetables and fruits, vegetable oils, etc. - reduces the amount of vitamins and minerals in breast milk, which can provoke not only constipation, but also other medical problems.

Foods that are not recommended

The presence of laxative and high-fiber foods in the diet is not the only condition that the diet requires for constipation in infants.

It is equally important to exclude foods that have a fixing effect from the mother's menu. These include rice, semolina, pasta, muffins, sweets, pears, pomegranates, strong brewed tea, coffee, cocoa, chocolate.

If constipation in a baby is accompanied by intestinal colic and increased gas formation, all legumes should also be excluded from the diet, and vegetables and fruits from the recommended list should be consumed only in processed form (soups, mashed potatoes, stews, etc.).

Laxative products during breastfeeding should also be limited if the baby has unstable stools - alternating constipation and diarrhea.

Maternal and child feeding rules to avoid constipation

Maternal nutrition in constipated infants is of great importance. But the diet and food hygiene mean no less: they help eliminate a number of factors that have an undesirable effect on the mother's body and, as a result, on the quality of breast milk.

Observe the hours of eating and feeding

A clear regimen will make mom's digestion more efficient and therefore improve nutrient absorption.

And eating small meals 4-5 times a day will ensure an even supply of nutrients to the milk. Feeding the baby should be based on the same principle. Teach him to eat at strictly allotted hours according to his age - a "disciplined" digestive system is much less prone to constipation.

Take care of feeding hygiene

In addition to traditional hygiene procedures before feeding (washing hands, wiping the nipple and areola), it is necessary to ensure that the child correctly grasps the nipple.

When sucking, he should not swallow air - this can provoke disturbances in the digestive tract. To ensure better hygiene and to make the mother feel more confident during breastfeeding, we recommend using JOHNSON’S® Baby breast pads.

MICROLAX® has prepared a visual material especially for mothers of babies prone to constipation: