Food to make baby poop solid
Baby Diarrhea Foods | Foods to Feed Baby with Diarrhea
| Diarrhea in infants can be a very worrisome occurrence as most parents fear dehydration and the worsening of painful diaper rash. When baby has diarrhea, many parents wonder what foods may help “bind” baby up and stop the diarrhea. What are the possible cause of diarrhea in babies?Children can have acute and chronic forms of diarrhea. Infection with the rotavirus is the most common cause of acute childhood diarrhea. Rotavirus diarrhea usually resolves itself within 3 to 10 days. Children who are 6 to 32 weeks old can be vaccinated against the rotavirus with a vaccine called Rotateq. Here are a few of the common causes of diarrhea:
If your child has diarrhea, do not hesitate to call the doctor for advice. What foods should you feed a baby when he has diarrhea? What foods should you avoid when baby has diarrhea?Please offer your baby small meals when he has diarrhea. Offering smaller meals will allow baby’s digestive system to work slowly. The tiny intestines and still fragile digestive system will take a bit of time to get back on track and healed. Don’t worry if it takes 3 to 4 days for your baby’s stools to get back to “normal”; healing takes time. B.R.A.T – When baby has diarrhea, remember B.R.A.T.Bananas – Rice – Applesauce – ToastThe foods that make up the B.R.A.T diet are those foods that will help cause the bulking and hardening of the stool.
Foods to Avoid with Infant DiarrheaAvoid any foods that are used to help alleviate constipation and certain fruits as well. Below is a list of foods to avoid when baby has diarrhea:
 Diluted Apple JuiceAs we mention on our page about Infant Constipation, please keep in mind that Applesauce is actually a binding food. Applesauce is the whole of the fruit. It contains a higher level of pectin – which firms up stools and may thus lead to constipation. Apple juice contains more of the sugars found in the apple and it also contains more actual liquid; hence apple juice is a good remedy to help relieve constipation. Learn More about Diarrhea at the National Institutes of Health Remember, always consult with your pediatrician regarding introducing solid foods to your baby and specifically discuss any foods that may pose allergy risks for your baby. Bring on the BRAT! Bananas, rice cereals, applesauce and bread are some great foods to offer your baby when he has a bout of diarrhea! It is important to always consult your baby’s pediatrician when baby has had diarrhea for 2 days(or longer) and his or her skin does not “spring-back” when gently pushed. SHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE ON PINTEREST |
These foods include grains, and certain fruits. Below are more foods that will help firm-up and bind baby’s stools when diarrhea occurs.
The inability of the skin to “spring-back” suggests baby may be suffering from dehydration.The Best Foods to Help Baby Poop (And a Few That Make It Worse)
Relieving your constipated baby can be as simple as feeding her the right thing. Load up on these foods to help baby poop (and avoid ones that worsen the problem).
1 / 11
SMarina/Shutterstock
Relieves Constipation: Prunes
No surprises here; prunes are one of the best high-fiber foods for a baby who’s having tummy troubles. If your little one is just starting solid foods, try cooking and mashing some prunes to feed her. You could also chop cooked prunes into small, bite-sized pieces—or use one of our other creative techniques for introducing new baby foods.
2 / 11
margouillat photo/Shutterstock
Relieves Constipation: Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are delicious just about any way you prepare them, and they are also magic for a baby who needs to poop.
They’re high in insoluble fiber, which will help your baby go right away. Try making your own baby food by cooking and mashing a sweet potato or roast fries in the oven for fun finger food.
This is how you know when to start feeding babies solid foods.
3 / 11
Mia Stern/Shutterstock
Relieves Constipation: Apples
An apple a day can keep constipation away! Apples (especially with the skin on) are high in fiber and can help pull water into your baby’s colon. This keeps baby’s poop soft and easy to pass. Try offering small pieces of cooked apple or pour some apple juice into a sippy cup to help get things back on track. Apples are a great stage 1 baby food. Learn more about what types of food to start feeding baby once they’re ready to go beyond formula or breastmilk.
4 / 11
mama_mia/Shutterstock
Relieves Constipation: Broccoli
If your baby hasn’t tried broccoli yet, there’s no time like the present! Broccoli is a vitamin powerhouse and is high in fiber.
Try blending up cooked broccoli in a food processor or offering small, bite-sized pieces of soft, cooked broccoli. (Consider one of our recommended baby food makers.) If your baby is eating a variety of foods, try adding small pieces of broccoli to brown rice or scrambled eggs.
When he’s a little older, your kid will love these tasty broccoli side dishes.
5 / 11
nelea33/Shutterstock
Relieves Constipation: Pears
There is nothing more delicious than a ripe, juicy pear. Treat your baby to this seasonal treat to help relieve and even prevent constipation. Pears are one of the first foods babies can try and are high in fiber. They can be cooked, but are soft enough to be offered raw. Your baby can safely gum small pieces of ripe pear without teeth.
6 / 11
Sea Wave/Shutterstock
Relieves Constipation: Peas
If your baby is just starting solid foods, peas are usually one of the first options.
This is good news if your baby needs help in the pooping department. Peas contain both soluble and insoluble fiber to help keep your baby’s poop soft and moving along. This makes it easier and quicker to pass without painful straining.
7 / 11
nesavinov/Shutterstock
Relieves Constipation: Spinach
We usually save the fresh spinach for our own salads, but babies should be invited to the greens party, too. Spinach is loaded with fiber and vitamins that help make your baby’s poop easier to pass. Try blending up some fresh spinach in a fruit smoothie for both of you!
8 / 11
Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock
Causes Constipation: Cheese
Dairy products like small cubes of cheese or lightly flavored yogurt are easy foods for babies learning to eat solids. While safe and convenient, cheese is a low-fiber snack and can lead to constipation.
Try cutting back on the dairy products for a few days and see if your baby improves.
You may think these foods are dairy-free, but they’re not!
9 / 11
Paulo Vilela/Shutterstock
Causes Constipation: Bananas
Bananas are a great first finger food for babies (and a yummy way to cut calories when baking). Unfortunately, they can also slow down your baby’s digestion, and thus slow down their pooping. Take a brief break from bananas and use this opportunity to give some new fruits a try.
10 / 11
images72/Shutterstock
Causes Constipation: Cereal
Whether your child is just starting out with rice cereal or has graduated to carrying a bag of Cheerios with her wherever she goes, babies and toddlers cannot get enough of this favorite first food. Cereal can lead to more formed poop, which could slow down the number of poopy diapers each day.
Try cutting back on the amount of cereal and incorporating more fresh fruits and veggies.
Use up those Cheerios in one of these genius recipes.
11 / 11
Igor Dutina/Shutterstock
Causes Constipation: Processed foods
Processed foods like cookies, crackers and white bread are common snacks for growing babies and toddlers, but too much can quickly lead to constipation. While you don’t have to cut these foods out entirely, try to limit them if your baby is having tummy troubles. Or, try swapping out white flour for whole wheat. For example, brown rice is a tasty alternative to low-fiber white rice.
Originally Published: May 20, 2019
Carrie Madormo, RN
Now a freelance health and food writer, Carrie worked as a nurse for over a decade. When she isn't hunched over her laptop with a baby in hand, you will find her cooking her grandmother’s recipes, lacing up her running shoes or sipping coffee in the bathroom to hide from her three young children.
Constipation in children. Prevention. Diet therapy
home
Articles
Health
Sabitova Vasily Ilyasovna Gastroenterologist
06/21/2019
Constipation is widespread among both adults and children (5-30% depending on the diagnostic criteria). Symptoms become chronic in more than 30% of patients, not only cause discomfort and pain to the child himself, but also disrupt the quality of life of his family.
CONSTIPATION - a condition manifested by an increase in the intervals between bowel movements (compared to the individual norm) or systematically slow, difficult and / or insufficient bowel movements. Constipation also includes stools with “gruel”, but after defecation was absent for up to 3 days.
Constipation can be related to functional or organic causes (abnormalities, inflammation). In children, 90-95% of constipation is functional.
The peak incidence of functional constipation falls on 2-4 years, when they begin to accustom the child to the potty / toilet.
Main causes of functional constipation
- Pain
- Fever
- Dehydration
- Wrong diet of a nursing mother
- Insufficient drinking regime of a child with artificial feeding
- Insufficient drinking regimen of a breast-fed child with the introduction of complementary foods
- Early transition of the child to artificial feeding
- Fast transition of the baby from one mixture to another (less than 7 days)
- Irrational nutrition of the child (for a long time the child receives food with a large amount of proteins, fats and insufficient dietary fiber, abuse of drinks containing a large amount of astringents - tea, coffee, cocoa)
- Excessive use of baby hygiene products or the development of an allergic reaction of the skin of the perianal area
- Consequences of perinatal injuries of the nervous system
- Rickets, vitamin D deficiency
- Anemia
- Impaired thyroid function (deficiency - hypothyroidism)
- Food allergy, especially cow's milk protein allergy
- Forced potty training, period of adaptation to new conditions (nursery, kindergarten)
- Physical inactivity - a sedentary lifestyle
- Mental trauma or stress
- Systematic suppression of the urge to empty the bowels, associated, for example, with the beginning of attending a kindergarten, school, etc.
- Taking certain drugs
- Constipation in family members
Frequency of defecation in children of different ages
| Age | Number of bowel movements per week | Number of bowel movements per day |
| 0 – 3 months breastfeeding artificial feeding | 5 - 40 5 - 20 | 2.9 2.0 |
| 6 - 12 months | 5 - 28 | 1.8 |
| 1 - 3 years | 4-21 | 1.4 |
| 4 years and older | 3 - 14 | 1.0 |
In addition to the frequency of the chair, you should pay attention to its nature. For a more objective assessment, the “Bristol fecal shape scale” is convenient, since it is the shape of the feces, and not the frequency of the stool, that is more consistent with the time of intestinal transit.
Bristol stool chart
In accordance with this scale, 3 and 4 form of feces is regarded as normal, and 1 and 2 indicate delayed transit (constipation). Quite often, in practice, there are situations when a child has a bowel movement frequency within the normal range, but the stool is dense, fragmented, in a meager amount. These signs indicate incomplete emptying of the bowels and are considered as manifestations of constipation.
The consistency of the stool in newborns and infants should be mushy. From 6 months to 1.5 - 2 years, feces can be both formalized and mushy. From the age of two, the chair must be decorated.
Signs and symptoms of constipation
- abdominal pain, often bursting, aching, sometimes colicky
- bloating
- change in the shape and consistency of the stool
- excessive flatulence
- unpleasant smell of flatus and stool
- may have pain during bowel movements
- straining during bowel movements
- there may be blood in the stool - on the surface of the feces or in the form of traces on a napkin (indicates an anal fissure)
If you do not eliminate constipation and do not establish bowel movements, then there is a risk of coprostasis (formation of fecal stones) and fecal intoxication:
- loss of appetite
- lack of energy
- general malaise
- depression, irritability
- nausea, vomiting
- skin symptoms - dryness, rash, peeling
- fecal incontinence, stool spotting
- urinary retention and incontinence due to pressure from a crowded bowel on the bladder
- bleeding from fissures, hemorrhoids
The treatment of constipation involves the following goals:
1.
Normalization of stool consistency (soft, painless stools)
2. Regularity of bowel movements (prevention of re-accumulation of feces)
The treatment of constipation is a sequential, complex, individual process and consists of several stages:
- child and parent education
- correction of nutrition and drinking regimen
- elimination of existing coprostasis with the help of medications
- maintenance therapy
It is necessary to exclude factors that provoke and contribute to constipation (normalization of motor and nutritional regimen, discontinuation of medications that can cause constipation, identification of a food allergen, exclusion or confirmation of neuromuscular disease, celiac disease, etc.).
Lifestyle normalization includes:
- development of a conditioned reflex
- active lifestyle
- gymnastics
- light abdominal massage training
- for small children - laying out on the stomach, bending the legs to the stomach.
Education is the first step in the treatment of functional constipation. It must be remembered that episodes of fecal smearing and encopresis (fecal incontinence) are not arbitrary and should not be blamed on the child, who may already be frightened and disoriented. In some cases, when the intra-family situation is difficult, the help of a family psychologist may be needed.
It is important to understand that the treatment of functional constipation can be lengthy, based on trust, partnership and requires patience. Modern laxatives that are legal in children will not make the intestines “lazy”, will not cause “addiction”, they enter the bloodstream in minimal amounts or are not absorbed at all and are safe for long-term use.
Correction of the behavior of a child with constipation is based on the development of a routine of visiting the toilet, in order to achieve regular defecation. Defecation should be every time at the same time. The urge to defecate is based on the gastrocecal reflex, which manifests itself in the morning 1 hour after eating.
A child with constipation needs to spend 3-10 minutes in the toilet (depending on age). It is necessary to plant the child on a potty or offer to visit the toilet after each meal.
A prerequisite for effective defecation is to provide a good support for the legs (a low bench on which the child can put his feet), which helps to increase intra-abdominal pressure.
If the defecation is not successful, the child should never be punished and vice versa. The daily frequency of bowel movements can be noted in a diary, which can be analyzed at a scheduled visit to the doctor.
Treatment of constipation should begin with lifestyle changes, which include dietary modification, drinking regimen and physical activity.
Calculation of fluid volume for healthy children
Children under the age of 1 year should drink at least 100 ml of water per day.
For healthy children weighing 10 to 20 kg the water requirement is calculated using the formula:
100 ml (volume of water for children under 1 year old) + 50 ml per kg for body weight over 10 kg.
For example, with a mass of 12 kg: 100 ml + 2 x 50 ml = 200 ml.
A child weighing 20 kg should drink water: 100 ml + 50 x 10 = 600 ml
For children weighing over 20 kg the following formula is suggested for calculation:
600 ml (volume of water for a child weighing 20 kg) + 20 ml for each kg over 20 kg.
For children over 3-5 years old you can use the calculation of the amount of water: 30ml / kg of weight
Principles of diet therapy for constipation:
- satisfaction of physical needs for nutrients and energy
- exclusion of excessive consumption of proteins and fats, which can inhibit intestinal motility
- enrichment of the diet with dietary fiber
- normalization of intestinal microflora with pro- and prebiotics
If the child is breastfed, then the mother's nutrition is corrected (restriction of products that promote gas formation). With artificial feeding, special mixtures are shown.
For constipation associated with an allergy to cow's milk protein, therapeutic mixtures are prescribed if the child is bottle-fed. If the child is breastfed, cow's milk and products based on it are completely excluded from the mother's diet.
After the introduction of “thick” complementary foods, boiled water is necessary for all children, regardless of the type of feeding.
For older children, it is recommended to eat foods rich in vegetable fibers. It is not recommended to “smear food”, puree, “snacks”, “eating on the go”. Food should be crumbly, meat / poultry / fish - “piece”. A “bulk” breakfast is required to stimulate the “gastrocecal reflex”.
The main source of coarse-fiber vegetable fiber, containing a large amount of dietary fiber, is cereal bran, rye bread, as well as a number of vegetables and fruits. According to the principles of evidence-based medicine, a statistically significant increase in stool frequency and improvement in its consistency was demonstrated with the use of fiber compared with placebo.
Bran, as the main source of vegetable fiber, is recommended to be added to the second and third courses, after pouring boiling water over it and settling for 20 minutes. Bran can also be used in between meals, drinking plenty of fluids. For school-age children, the total amount of fluid when taking bran should be at least 1.5-2 liters per day, otherwise they mainly act as sorbents, absorbing fluid from the intestines, thereby increasing constipation. The dose is selected individually, it is recommended to start with 1 teaspoon 2-3 times a day, with a gradual increase to 40 g per day. When the effect is achieved, the dose is reduced and limited to one dose.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (2009) recommends a fiber intake of 0.5 g/kg/day (maximum 35 g/day) for all children. Fiber intake below the minimum recommended value has been shown to be a risk factor for chronic constipation in children.
However, long-term intake of a large amount of plant fibers due to fermentation by intestinal microflora is naturally accompanied by bloating and flatulence.
Children with constipation are shown to take cool liquids on an empty stomach (drinking and mineral water, juice, compotes, kvass), to enhance the laxative effect, it is possible to add honey, xylitol or sorbitol. It is very beneficial for bowel function to increase the intake of juices containing sorbitol/sorbitol, such as juice from plums, pears, apricots, peaches and apples,
With “sluggish” bowel function (hypomotor constipation), cool mineral water of medium and high mineralization is used, such as Essentuki 17, Batalinskaya, Arzni, Donat Magnesium, etc.; with spastic constipation (hypermotor constipation, stool form more often type 1) - warm and low mineralization (Essentuki 4). Calculation of mineral water - 3-5 ml / kg per day.
It is necessary to limit milk in its pure form and in dishes, as flatulence may occur with the appearance or intensification of abdominal pain. It is better to replace whole milk with sour-milk products - kefir, acidophilus, yogurt, yogurt, etc.
The diet of children with constipation includes dishes rich in vegetable fiber - salads from fresh vegetables, greens 2-3 times a day, baked apples, stewed vegetables, diluted vegetable and fruit juices with pulp. Food is cooked mostly unground, steamed or boiled in water.
It is preferable to take raw vegetables and fruits (in the absence of contraindications). Especially recommended are tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkin, carrots, beets, lettuce, cauliflower, apples. Dried fruits (prunes, dried apricots, figs) are given in soaked form and as part of cooked dishes. White cabbage, young green beans, green peas are allowed with good tolerance. Parsley, dill, celery are good to add to various dishes and salads.
If after reading the article you still have questions or you do not understand how to apply the recommendations in your particular case, we invite you and your child to be examined by a pediatric gastroenterologist at the DDC. For the convenience of parents, you can make an appointment with a pediatric gastroenterologist at the Children's Diagnostic Center on a weekday and on Saturdays.
We will be happy to help!
Who gets a tan, who gets a blow!
If a child has a fever, what should I do? 9Ol000
- Classification of constipation in newborns and infants
- Causes of constipation in infants
- Importance of maternal nutrition in constipated infants
- 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 from maternal 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 of the sections 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 insufficient response of receptors to irritation by fecal masses.
The mother takes medications
A number of drugs 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.
The importance of maternal nutrition in constipated infants
The 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.
Recommended products
What to eat with constipation for a nursing mother, you can choose from the list of recommended products:
Cereals
Wheat, oatmeal, corn, buckwheat, whole grain bread, wholemeal or bran bread.
Vegetables
Beetroot, pumpkin, zucchini, cucumbers, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes in the form of fresh or boiled vegetable salads, side dishes, independent dishes (soups, stews, casseroles, etc.).
Meat products
All types of lean meat boiled, baked or stewed, soups in weak broths.
Dried fruits
Dried apricots and prunes are the best laxative foods, but should be limited to 3-5 pieces. per day, as if consumed in excess, they can cause diarrhea.
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 the traditional hygiene procedures before feeding (washing hands, wiping the nipple and areola), it is necessary to ensure that the child correctly grasps the nipple.
