the most common causes of infant constipation are

8/13/2019 The Most Common Causes of Infant Constipation Are

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The Most Common Causes of Infant Constipation are:

Introduction of solid food(s) - breastfed babies may be more prone to constipation when solid foods

are introduced. This is because their tiny tummies are used to processing the easily and highly

digestible mother's milk

Diets low in fiber

Diets of excessie dairy products (yogurt! cheeses! milk)

"oods such as #ananas! $pplesauce! %ereals! #reads! &asta and hite &otatoes may contribute or

cause constipation

$ change in diet usually reliees a baby with constipation. The following tips may also help the constipated

baby get things moing.

emedies and *ow to Treat %onstipation in #abies

There are many things you can do to help reliee baby's constipation. +ou can change baby's feeding pattern

and,or engage in some physical exercises.

xercises to *elp eliee Infant %onstipation include

Tummy /assage - 0ently massage and rub baby's tummy in a clockwise direction. &lace your hands at

baby's nael and massage in a circular motion! moing your hand(s) out and away from the center of baby's

belly.

Warm Bath - 1ome medical professionals suggest giing your constipated baby a warm bath. The thought

is that this may help relax baby and get things moing again. 0ie a tummy massage as you are drying

baby.

Bicycle Legs- &lace your baby on her back and lightly hold her legs in a half-bent position. 0ently begin to

moe your baby's legs as if she is riding a bicycle. $lternate #icycle 2egs with Tummy /assage.

3#icycle 2egs also may help to reliee a baby who is gassy.

Relieving Constipation in Babies Younger than 4 Months:

Try giing one to two ounces of diluted fruit 4uice such as grape! prune or apple-prune twice daily and

practice some of the aboe exercises. ($lways consult your pediatrician about the appropriateness of new

foods,li5uids to help alleiate constipation) 2earn about ruit !uicein your baby's diet.
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/juiceforbaby.htmhttp://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/juiceforbaby.htm


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Relieving Constipation in Babies 4 Months to "# months $by %hanging the "ood Diet

Try strained foods that contain high fiber such as

apricots

prunes

peaches

plums

pears

peas

spinach

In older infants who are 4ust beginning solid foods! you may want to aoid baby foods such as rice cereal!

applesauce and bananas as these may aggraate constipation.

#arley or oatmeal cereals! prunes! peaches! plums! apricots and most egetables are preferred when baby has

constipation.

6uices are helpful! especially apple or prune! but use in moderation! as they are not as nutritious for babies as

formula or breast milk.

If +our #aby is %onstipated! emember the #$T diet.

The BR%Tdiet is used for the treatment of diarrhea in infants - BR%Tstands for Bananas! Rice!

%pplesauce and Toast. $n easy and natural way to remember how to alleiate baby's constipation is to cut

out the foods that contribute to it - rice cereals! bananas! and applesauce. If you eer forget which foods to

cut out! remember BR%T.

Why can I give %pple !uice but &'T %pplesauce (hen baby is constipate)*

There is a difference in the amount of sugars and pectin in apple 4uice and applesauce


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$pple 4uice contains more sugars and li5uids so it helps reliee constipation.

$pplesauce is the whole of the fruit. It contains a higher leel of pectin - which firms up stools and may thus

lead to constipation.

$pple 4uice also has a mild laxatie effect that may help proide relief from constipation commonly

experienced by little ones. $pple 4uice fortified with itamin % may help children absorb more iron! an

important nutrient for growth and deelopment.About Apple Juices

$pples contain pectin! which will add bulk to your stools! and their cleansing action will encourage bowel

moements. They hae a laxatie effect yet are also used for to help people get back on a regular diet after

suffering bouts of diarrhea.

The pectin in the apple fiber apparently is why whole apples will firm up bowel moements. Think of

7aopectate - a popular oer-the-counter diarrhea remedy. 7aopectate ! actually contains an oxidi8ed form of

pectin. $lso! that same fiber pectin is what dietitians hae been telling us for decades is necessary to keep usregular and to preent constipation. hile it will help preent constipation by helping to keep the bowels

regular! it will not help alleiate constipation.

hen it comes to bowel regularity! apples contain two types of fiber9 insoluble and soluble. The insoluble

fiber works like roughage! while the soluble fiber (pectin)! which is found primarily in the skin! acts as a

stool softener by drawing water into the stool and increasing stool bulk. #ecause pectin firms up an

excessiely loose stool! it:s also used to treat diarrhea
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the most common causes of infant constipation are

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