Chair with artificial feeding how many times. Note to nursing mothers and new parents. Fecal masses of green color and foamy consistency - a sign of pathology or a variant of the norm

Frequent stools in a newborn baby are a sign of health. As a rule, the child poops with mushy masses, while the color of the feces is yellow or green, you can observe the presence of particles of processed milk or a mixture. Such a picture is common occurrence and parents don't have to worry. If the baby poops with increased frequency or does it very rarely, experiencing discomfort from bloating or colic, gaining weight poorly and eating without appetite, this is a signal to go to the pediatrician for a consultation.

Age norms for stool frequency

For breastfed babies

Let's talk about what are the norms of defecation in a newborn. Young parents should know that the color, consistency and amount of bowel movements of the child during breastfeeding are not always the same.

The quality of the chair is influenced by many factors: the amount of water and the type of food, the time of day and the characteristics of the child's body. Emotional background And physical state breastfeeding mothers also affect the number of bowel movements.

Features of the chair of children up to 2 months

Let's list age-related changes stool frequencies:

1 day. Meconium - the original stool, tarry and black, is characteristic of all newborns. Children on the first day of life may defecate one or even more than six times a day.
2-7 days. Meconium may have already stopped, but its presence is also quite normal. The original feces accumulate in the children's intestines during the period prenatal development. He needs to completely go out in order to be replaced by ordinary feces. For this age, stools in the amount of one to three per day are characteristic.
2 weeks (we recommend reading:). For a newborn during this period, an irregular bowel movement is quite acceptable (more details in the article:). The number of bowel movements for each baby will be individual, depending on the lactation of the mother. The constant change in the composition of breast milk during the first month due to the establishment of lactation affects the quality and quantity of the baby's stool. At this age, the baby may begin increased gas formation and possibly colic.
3-5 weeks. Mom's milk acts as a laxative, so frequent stools are often observed - up to 10 bowel movements per day. The number of bowel movements directly depends on the number of feedings. A small number of bowel movements in 1 month (less than 4 times) indicates that the young mother does not have enough milk.
Starting from the sixth week. During this period, parents may notice a sharp decrease in the number of bowel movements. Lack of bowel movements can be observed for a day, two or even three. What is the reason? The enzyme crisis is to blame. The renewal of breast milk provokes the appearance of new enzymes, to which the small organism is now getting used. The process of adaptation can take up to several weeks - during this period, you can notice both an increase in the desire to suck on the breast, and the rejection of mother's milk.

After 6 weeks, the children have an enzymatic crisis - the baby's gastrointestinal tract is completely rebuilt on the mother's breast milk resulting in the production of new enzymes

Number of stools after 2 months to a year

We continue to study the change in defecation:

2 months. Individual rhythm of work gastrointestinal tract starts at this age. Bowel movements at this age are no longer so frequent. Pediatricians note that each two month old baby may have their own characteristics and the amount of stool: some poop once or twice a day, while others do it still intensively - up to six times. Both options are considered normal.
6 months. Prepared body of a 6-month-old baby and a large number of enzymes allow the introduction of complementary foods to begin. The quality of the stool changes even before the start of complementary foods: the appearance of a specific smell is noted, the density of the feces increases, and the number of bowel movements decreases.
A one-year-old baby can poop one to three times a day.

There are no clear norms for the number of bowel movements for children infancy. The presence of a chair after each feeding is a completely normal picture. A child who poops a lot can be weighed more often, starting from the second week, since the first week of life is characterized by weight loss, and the second - the beginning of a set of treasured grams. No matter how many bowel movements a day your baby has, a weekly increase of 150 g is a sign of normality.

By the year the child's stool is set at a frequency of about 1-3 times a day, its consistency and smell also change. This is due to a change in diet and the beginning of the use of "adult" food.

For formula-fed babies

It is noted that children artificial feeding they can poop with the same intensity as babies, but still, in most cases, an artificial baby poops less often. This difference is associated with longer absorption adapted mixture compared to mother's milk:

Number of feedings = number of bowel movements. For a child on artificial type feeding is characterized by the same principle as with breastfeeding. The baby receives the mixture every 3.5 hours, which means that the number of bowel movements will also decrease.
Thickness of feces. The feces of formula-fed babies are denser, which affects different time bowel movements and their regularity. The long passage of feces through the intestines leads to its hardening and possible constipation.
Stool retention. A sign of stool retention in an artificial baby is the absence of defecation during the day, which would be quite normal for a breastfed baby.

The baby may experience constipation or suffer from frequent loose stools due to an improperly selected mixture. Consulting with a pediatrician will help solve this problem. Joint choice suitable mixture And smooth transition on it will help to adjust the chair.

Frequent change of the adapted mixture is harmful to the child's digestive system. A small organism must get used to the new composition of the mixture, and frequent or abrupt change food provokes an increase in the frequency of stools, or vice versa - greatly reduces it.

Get rid of constipation in 4 steps

This article talks about typical ways to solve your questions, but each case is unique! If you want to know from me how to solve exactly your problem - ask your question. It's fast and free!

Constipation in children who eat mother's milk is a rare phenomenon. You don’t have to worry if the baby poops on its own every three days, this indicates the correct assimilation of mother’s milk. A chair even once every 5 days for babies is considered the norm by pediatricians, provided wellness child.

If a mother notices frequent whims, increased gas formation, colic or refusal to eat, it is worth resorting to auxiliary means:

Lactulose syrup (we recommend reading:). Milk sugar - lactulose helps the active work of the intestines. Such a safe laxative can be purchased at any pharmacy without a prescription. Pediatricians advise to store it in individual baby. From side effects there may be an increase in the amount of gases in the first days of taking the remedy. It is necessary to start treatment with small doses, exceeding the amount is not permissible.
Baby glycerin suppositories(We recommend reading:). Such candles should be placed only when necessary. One candle, as a rule, solves the problem. Irregular stools and the inability of the child to poop on their own, the need to regularly resort to the help of candles is a signal to seek help from a pediatrician.
Enema or gas tube. These procedures are not recommended to be performed regularly. They should only be used as a life-saving remedy for severe bloating and the absence of stools for several days. About that, and an enema, read our article.
Gymnastics and tummy massage. Such physical activity will help the intestines to start working. In this case, there will be an active promotion of fecal masses and the discharge of gases.

Glycerin suppositories are an emergency remedy that allows you to quickly solve the problem of childhood constipation (for more details, see the article:). If their use becomes systematic, it is urgent to contact a pediatrician.

If three month old baby does not poop, perhaps the reason is the lack of mother's milk and the body simply has nothing to remove. To increase lactation, doctors recommend frequent application newborn to the chest.

The average number of daily bowel movements is from 3 to 10 times.
The absence of a chair for three days is the norm.

The frequency of the stool depends not only on the type of feeding, the age of the child, the well-being and intake medical preparations but also from genetic predisposition.

Young parents know little about the baby's feces, what it should be like in the future, if necessary, to come to the rescue in a timely manner. In this article, we will consider what types of feces are in newborns during breastfeeding, what determines its color, how to determine the pathology by its shade?

After the baby is born, parents should learn information about its development, the nuances of feeding, and the formation of stool. One of the important topics is the work of the intestines in infants and, consequently, the formation of feces.

Young mothers and fathers should be warned that the feces of a newborn may already form for 2-3 days.

The first days the mass is more liquid, after it becomes mushy th. The color of the feces depends on the age of the newborn, his nutrition and past diseases (or existing diseases).

In the early days, the mass of feces is more liquid.

As a rule, very young children go to the toilet in a lot of different ways. This can be 2-3 times or even 1 time in 5 days, if we are talking about children who are 2-3 months old.

3-4 months of life of a newborn

The consistency of feces and its shade can change by six months of the child.

From 3-4 months, the baby can empty no more than 1-2 times a day. It speaks of him normal development.

The consistency of feces and its shade can change by the age of six months when the child is planted. Mixtures and purchased baby food affect the baby's gastrointestinal tract, which indicates its normal development. At the same time, the number of trips to the toilet for the most part does not exceed 2-3 times a day with a normal balanced diet.

If the baby is emptied once a day, then there is no cause for concern.

What is the feces in the first days of a baby's life: green color pathology?

Young parents should be aware that newborns are emptied for the first time in their lives 2-3 days after birth. The stool in this case is dark, rarely black.

Feces for 2-3 days after birth has a green tint.

The mass is called meconium. It is a liquid that leaves the body of the child, and absolutely does not smell. There is absolutely no pathology in the dark and green color. Feces of this color indicate the normal development of the children's intestines.

Unusual color of feces acquires due to amniotic fluid that the baby swallowed in the womb. The appearance of meconium in the first days of a baby's life - good sign for young parents. If it is released within a week, then the child should be immediately shown to the pediatrician.

Grayish or grey-green stools

Starting from 3-5 days or at the end of the first week of a baby's life, the feces become grayish or gray-green.

On day 3-5, the feces become gray-green.

The mass becomes gradually thicker. Such a sign indicates a sufficient supply of breast milk to the child's body and the normal development of the gastrointestinal tract.

2 weeks of life

Starting from the 2nd week of life, the feces of a newborn become mustard or yellowish.

From the 2nd week of life, the feces become yellowish.

Consistency between liquid and mushy mass. There is not a very sharp sour-milk smell. The presence of mucus or white grains in the stool is allowed. Parents should see a doctor if the stool is too loose or hard.

It is worth noting that up to one and a half months, newborns who are breastfed go to the toilet very different . There are cases, with no pathology, that children empty up to 12 times a day, while for others it is quite normal to relieve up to 5-6 times a day.

2nd and 3rd month of life

Starting from the second and third months and life, feces come out less frequently. For some, it can be 3-5 times a day, for others 1-2 times a week, while this fact is not considered a pathology.

From the second and third months and life, feces come out less frequently.

Main, timely show the baby to the pediatrician and talk about the features of his stool so that the doctor announces his norm, taking into account the physiological characteristics of the baby.

Constipation in a newborn

Often parents worry if the baby does not empty for more than three days.

There is no cause for concern if the stool occurs in a period of 1 time in 5 days , while the child does not cry, behaves calmly, he has a normal temperature.

Do not worry if the baby does not empty for more than three days.

As a rule, after 3-4 months of life, the child is gradually accustomed to baby food, mixtures, cereals. Of course, the color of the feces and its consistency changes noticeably, it first of all becomes mushy, often similar to diarrhea.

What factors determine the color of bowel movements?

Taking antibiotics and medications can slightly alter the feces.

Young parents should understand that the color of feces depends on various factors. The main ones are:

baby age (the first days of life, meconium comes out, which has a dark green tint, then during the period of breastfeeding, the feces have a slightly greenish tint);

introduction of complementary foods also affects the color of the feces, which becomes slightly greenish, mustard or yellowish, which characterizes the normal development of the gallbladder;

digestibility of breast milk (the color of the feces may have a green or orange tint);

response to bilirubin (bile pigment) -;

taking antibiotics and medications may slightly modify feces, but in most cases this is not a concern;

dysbacteriosis gives feces light shade, which indicates an imbalance in the beneficial intestinal microflora;

can also lighten stools;

infectious diseases may discolor feces, which is an immediate reason for parents to see a doctor.

When should you sound the alarm?

It is not customary for young parents to see the feces of a newborn, as it looks different than that of an adult, which makes it difficult to determine pathologies in a baby. Many, out of inexperience, confuse normal children's feces and make inaccurate diagnoses although the child is actually healthy.

The development of infections and pathologies has the following signs:

very loose, watery stools;

frequent emptying - more than 10-12 times;

very sharp, bad smell;

strongly pronounced green or yellow color of feces;

increased body temperature of the baby;

irritation on the pope, anus;

the child is not gaining weight;

gagging;

stool may contain mucus, foam, or bloody streaks;

apathy in the mood of the child.

Elevated body temperature of the baby can be a symptom of the development of infections.

The combination of these symptoms indicates the occurrence of an inflammatory or infectious process in children's body therefore, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Mucus in the feces of a newborn

There are times when mucus is present in the feces of the baby. She can talk about:

improper attachment to the chest;

introduction of complementary foods ahead of time;

overfeeding;

inappropriate milk formula;

runny nose;

reactions to medications;

gluten or lactose deficiency;

dysbacteriosis;

dermatitis;

intestinal infection.

Improper breastfeeding can contribute to the formation of mucus in the stool.

Note to breastfeeding mothers and new parents

In order for the newborn to grow up strong and healthy, he had no problems with stool, closely monitor your diet.

Nursing mothers should eat properly and balanced, adhere to special diet for the formation of healthy and nutritious breast milk.

Nursing mothers should eat properly and balanced.

Pay attention to the time when you switch to the first complementary foods. On the advice of pediatricians, best time for input baby food is 6 months old.

conclusions

Unusual color of feces in infants - normal sign healthy development.

remember, that unusual color feces in infants - a completely normal sign of their healthy development. The alarm should be sounded only when the baby became lethargic, his temperature rose, trips to the toilet became more frequent, the feces began to smell unpleasant and changed their usual color. In this case, immediately consult a doctor.

Video about how a baby should have a chair

Even in the maternity nurses and pediatricians ask mothers during the round how the process of emptying the intestines occurs in a newborn. The fact is that the stool in the baby is one of key indicators the health of the child - moreover, both for those who are breastfed, and for those who are artificially fed.

Table of contents:

Why is it important to control stools in babies?

Why is it so important to control the baby's stool:

it will indicate problems in the work of the gastrointestinal tract;
it is possible to assess the level of nutritional value of the child;
by some changes in the stool, it is possible to determine the development of pathologies of organs and systems that are not related to the digestive tract.

A child in infancy poops daily, and even several times a day - this allows even parents without medical education to quickly respond to changes in the stool, pay attention to this moment of the pediatrician or patronage nurse. Of course, for this you will need to master at least minimal knowledge about what a baby’s stool should normally be, what can be considered deviations from the norm, and in what cases it is worth calling a doctor. All this information is laid out in the presented material.

Remember right away - the norm for stool in infants is a relative concept. Someone has a child pooping 3-4 times a day, and the stool is a yellowish slurry, and some children defecate 1 time in 1-2 days and this is the norm for them. How do you determine how well it fits in? normal performance breast stool?

Bowel frequency

On the 2-3rd day of life, the transitional feces begin to pass from the newborn - it has a yellow-green color, it can also be dark green of a semi-liquid consistency, which is absolutely normal.

On the 4th-5th day of a child's life, a bowel movement schedule is already established, and the frequency of stool in children fluctuates in a fairly large amplitude - from 10-12 times a day to 1 time in 2 days. It is noted that most newborns poop either during feeding or after eating.

Note:if a child poops once every 2 days, but at the same time behaves calmly, the act of defecation passes without screaming and strong straining, then such a rhythm of bowel movements can be considered an absolute norm.

As the child grows, the number of bowel movements also changes - for example, if in the first 1-2 months of life the baby pooped 8-10 times a day, then by 4-5 months the number of bowel movements decreases to 5-6 times a day, and by 12 months - 1-2 times a day. It is noteworthy that if a child, still in infancy, pooped 1 time in 2 days, then this frequency of stool persists in the future.

The amount of feces in a bowel movement

This indicator depends only on the diet of the child. For example, in the first 2-3 months of a baby, he will have very little feces - no more than 5 grams per bowel movement, but by 12 months this amount will be increased to 100-200 grams per day (about 60 grams per bowel movement) .

In general, it is considered normal stool in infants, when it is a mass of soft, mushy consistency. But even this indicator can be variable - for example, feces in the form of gruel with a small amount of lumps will also be considered the norm.

As the child grows older, the consistency of feces will also change - it will become more and more dense. But keep in mind - by 6 months of a child's life, the feces will already be completely formed, but will still remain soft.

Yellow with white lumps, dark yellow, yellow-brown, golden yellow and in general all variations yellow color for the feces of the baby will be the norm. But just keep in mind that as soon as the child is transferred to artificial nutrition or vegetable / fruit purees begin to be present in the diet, the color of the feces becomes darker, and by the age of 12 months the baby becomes dark brown.

Do not worry, and in the case of green feces in infants - this is also the norm, and green feces becomes due to the presence in it or biliverdin. You need to know that bilirubin with feces in infants can be excreted up to 6-9 months of age, therefore green tint chair in this age period may be considered the absolute norm. There is no reason to worry even in case of separation yellow stool, which then turns green - this means that bilirubin is released with stool in minimum quantities, in the air it simply acquires a characteristic shade.

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If the baby is on an artificial or mixed feeding, then his stool will have a dark yellow or brown tint, the frequency of bowel movements will become less than on breastfeeding, constipation or diarrhea may occur periodically, flatulence with difficult gas discharge.

Note:if the baby is fed mixtures with iron content (this is usually practiced for anemia in newborns), then the color of the feces will be pronounced green. And if the child is fed not with special mixtures, but cow's milk, then the feces will be different oily sheen, bright yellow and "cheesy" smell.

Complementary foods are considered a new type of food for babies, the digestive system will begin to adapt to it and produce specific enzymes for digestion. In the first days of complementary feeding, the mother may pay attention to the fact that undigested pieces of food and an increased amount of mucus appeared in the baby's feces. If such a change in the stool does not lead to a change in the well-being of the baby (the baby does not scream, the feces pass freely), then you need to continue to feed him, carefully monitoring the amount of feces excreted, the frequency of bowel movements and the nature of the stool.

There are some foods that can cause a laxative effect - for example, boiled carrots. Moreover, it is not even digested, but comes out unchanged with liquid feces. If the parents did not have the task of correcting the stool, getting rid of constipation in the baby, then with such “complementary foods” it is necessary to cancel the introduction of carrots into the child’s diet and switch to more gentle vegetables - for example, potatoes, zucchini. And if you introduce rice porridge into the baby’s diet, then the stool will certainly be fixed. It is necessary to take into account such features of the influence of various products on the functioning of the digestive system, so as not to worry and not to take any drastic measures at the slightest change in the stool.

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In general, the following changes in the stool with the introduction of complementary foods are considered the norm:

feces become more dense;
stool color changes from yellow to brown;
fecal masses become heterogeneous;
diarrhea or constipation may occur.

Knowing which baby stool can be considered the norm, it will be easy for parents to find out how healthy the baby is. If changes are detected that can hardly be called physiological, it is necessary to call the doctor at home and describe to him the full clinical picture- this will guarantee the timely detection of pathology and appointment effective treatment if necessary.

Tsygankova Yana Alexandrovna, medical observer, therapist of the highest qualification category

Many young parents worry about whether their baby is developing normally, whether he is worried about any diseases. Mothers whose newborn child eats many times a day are interested in whether he has enough milk, whether he is full. One of the indicators of the normal functioning of the child's digestive system is his stool. Should its frequency correspond to the frequency of feeding, how much should the baby poop, as indicated by too frequent or rare stools, is this normal? Let's talk about this in our article.

What feces should the baby have?

The feces of a newborn baby depend on what kind of food the baby receives. In children who are breastfed, feces also depend on the mother's diet. Since most of the substances used by the mother for food, along with breast milk, later enter the baby's body.

Babies who are exclusively breastfed poop a little more often than artificial ones. They may have feces various shades yellow color. If there are a lot of plant foods rich in fiber in the mother’s diet, then the baby’s feces will be greenish in color.

In formula-fed babies, the color of the feces is darker, brown, and has a more pronounced odor. The reason for this is the incomplete assimilation of the components of the milk mixture in the intestines of the baby, although manufacturers are trying to adapt them as much as possible to the still unformed digestive system newborn.

The feces of a newborn baby, regardless of the method of feeding, should ideally be of a mushy, uniform consistency, without hard lumps or mucous inclusions. The appearance of bloody traces in the feces is unacceptable, in which case you should immediately consult a doctor.

How many times a day should there be a chair?

Not a single pediatrician will give a single answer to the question “how many times a day a baby should poop”. The rules just don't exist. The number of bowel movements depends on the amount of feces that form in the baby's intestines and put pressure on the walls. The frequency of stools in breastfed children can reach 7-10 times a day, that is, almost the same as the frequency of feeding. Artificers poop a little less often, about 3-5 times a day. Since the baby's gastrointestinal system is still being formed, bowel movements during this period may be irregular.

Children, in whose body breast milk is completely absorbed, may not poop even up to 5-7 days.

A situation is possible when the baby will not poop for a day or several, and then starts to poop very often. This is also perfectly normal, as long as the baby feels good and does not show signs of constipation during the absence of a stool. As long as the baby has a soft tummy, good mood and well-being, excellent appetite, no reason to worry about the temporary absence of stool.

Why can a newborn not poop for several days?

Stool frequency is a very individual indicator for each child. And how many times a day one baby poops cannot be the norm for another at all.

Signs of constipation

In connection with the restructuring of the intestines, many children of one month of age experience delays in bowel emptying. Most likely, after a while, the child's stool will be restored and he will again begin to poop. In this case, attention should be paid to the fact that after a break in defecation, the baby's feces remain soft. This will be confirmation that the crumbs do not have digestive problems, but just a physiological break in bowel movements.

If the baby has hard feces or the child strains during bowel movements, defecation is difficult, which means that the baby is suffering from constipation.

Review the mother's diet if the child is breastfed. She should eliminate products that increase gas formation, and also check if the drugs she uses have a fastening effect.
Formula-fed babies should change their formula. Most formulas contain palm oil, which can cause constipation in babies.
Consult with a pediatrician and develop a set of measures that will help eliminate the problem of constipation in a baby. You may be able to cope with constipation with a massage of the abdomen and a warm heating pad, or you may have to select bifidum preparations and prescribe glycerin suppositories or an enema. It should be remembered that the enema negatively affects the intestinal microflora, which can subsequently aggravate the problem of constipation.
effective in this case there will be the use of laxative products, such as beet juice, vegetable oil, decoction of flax seeds. The dosage should definitely be discussed with the doctor, usually it is enough to give a few drops of the decoction two to four times a day.

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Loose stools - a norm or a disease?

Parents should not only monitor how many times a day the baby poops, but also pay attention to the consistency of feces in order to notice in time possible diarrhea. Although frequent stool during the day and is considered normal for a newborn baby, while the feces should be mushy. If, along with frequent bowel movements, the child's feces are very thin or even watery, there are traces of foam in it, sharp uncharacteristic smell or green color, then, most likely, the baby has diarrhea. It's pretty dangerous disease, which can lead to dehydration of the body, so you should immediately consult a doctor. Moreover, diarrhea is usually accompanied by elevated temperature and is most often caused intestinal infection.

Too much liquid stool in a newborn child, it can be caused by the use by the mother of any products with a laxative effect that entered the baby's body along with breast milk. Diarrhea can also be caused by individual lactose intolerance in a child. In any case, the cause of diarrhea should be determined by the doctor, who will prescribe the most effective method treatment.

A pediatrician who monitors the growth and development of the baby will definitely be interested in how many times a day the baby poops, what color and consistency his feces are, whether the newborn is worried about the defecation process. Be sure to pay attention to these points so that the doctor can correctly assess the condition of the child.

The first year of a child's life is perhaps the most difficult for both him and his parents. The slightest deviations in the state of health of the baby cause great anxiety and even panic among newly-made mothers and fathers due to the lack of the necessary knowledge and experience. One of the problems they may face during this time period is constipation in the baby. Difficult defecation in newborns and babies up to one year old in most cases is associated with the peculiarities of their nutrition and the immaturity of the digestive tract.

However, there may be more serious problems which include congenital malformations of the intestine, disorders nervous system and other diseases. Wherein important point is that the absence of stool in baby within a few days does not always indicate constipation and may be quite normal.

The norm of the number of bowel movements for infants

The number of bowel movements per day for children under one year old depends on the type of food and age. There are no universal indicators of the norm by which one can judge the presence or absence of problems with bowel movements in absolutely any child.

In the first days of life, the newborn excretes the original feces, which is called meconium. It is digested intestinal cells, amniotic fluid, mucus, bile, water. Meconium is dark green or black in color and is viscous and sticky. The number of bowel movements per day in babies during this period varies from 1 to 3.

In the subsequent time, the baby's stool changes depending on the type of feeding chosen (breastfeeding, mixed or artificial) and remains until the introduction of complementary foods.
With exclusive breastfeeding, the stool in babies has the following features:

liquid mushy consistency;
yellow or yellow brown tint color;
slightly sour smell of overcooked milk;
the number of bowel movements individually for each child (from 8 times a day to 1 time in 3–5 days).

Important: The frequency of bowel movements is highest in children in the first weeks after birth and can reach 5-8 times a day. As the baby grows older, the daily number of bowel movements is reduced to 1-3 times.

With artificial or mixed type breastfeeding stools tend to be thicker in texture, foul-smelling, and darker, closer to brown, in color. In this case, bowel movements should occur at least once a day, otherwise it is considered that there is constipation in the baby.

Feces from constipated infants pass in the form of separate hard lumps (type 1) or in the form of a dense, lumpy sausage (type 2)

During the period of introduction of complementary foods, the feces of the baby gradually change and begin to resemble the feces of an adult. They become formalized, acquire Brown color, dense texture and characteristic odour.

What are the symptoms of constipation in infants?

Lifestyle, nutrition and the whole body of children under one year old, and even more so of a newborn, have significant differences compared to adults. In this regard, the assessment of any violations in the state of their health, including the work of the gastrointestinal tract, is carried out taking into account age and physiological characteristics. For example, if after an act of defecation an adult has a feeling of insufficient emptying of the intestines or is generally observed complete absence stool for 3 days, these signs clearly indicate the development of constipation. While in a baby who receives only mother's milk, the absence of bowel movements for 3 or even 5 days, may be a variant of the norm.

This feature of the intestines in some children is due to a high degree digestibility of breast milk and, as a result, the minimum formation of undigested residue, insufficient for the urge to defecate. In this case, the bowel movement of the child occurs after the accumulation required amount stool masses.

The main signs of constipation in infants include the absence of a full stool for more than two or three days in a row, which is additionally accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms:

the allocation of small portions of feces of a very hard consistency;
anxiety, moodiness, frequent crying;
loss of appetite;
slow weight gain;
reddening of the face and tightening of the legs when feeding;
great tension, crying and restlessness when trying to empty the bowels.

Important: If a breastfed baby has rare bowel movements that are not accompanied by a change in behavior, poor health or mood, then they are not symptoms of constipation in the baby.

Causes of constipation in children under one year of age

The occurrence of difficulties during defecation in infants is caused by the most various reasons. Constipation in children may appear periodically or be present constantly. In most cases, periodic delays in defecation are due to some kind of nutritional problem that leads to disruption of the intestines. Causes chronic constipation babies may have serious pathologies nervous system, birth defects development of the colon and other factors. Also irregular stool in children under one year of age may be associated with physiological features structure of the digestive tract at this age.

Causes of constipation in children under one year of age related to nutrition

The most common causes of constipation in infants are eating disorders. At the same time, stool retention is temporary, and after the problem is eliminated, normal bowel function is restored by itself.
These reasons include:

changing habitual nutrition (switching from breast milk to formula or replacing formula milk);
unsuitable formula for formula-fed babies;
malnutrition of a nursing mother, containing a lot of products that help fix the stool or cause increased gas formation (Fig. White bread and muffins, black tea, carbonated drinks, fatty meats, whole milk, cabbage, legumes, etc.);
too much early introduction complementary foods when the child's gastrointestinal tract is not yet ready to digest the new food offered to him;
insufficient amount of fluid entering the baby's body;
a high content in the diet of the baby during the period of introduction of complementary foods that cause constipation in infants.

Important: Usually, as a result of the introduction of complementary foods in most babies, the stool normalizes and becomes regular. This is due primarily to the beginning of the intake of fruits and vegetables rich in plant fiber into the baby's body.

Constipation in newborns during breastfeeding is observed quite rarely, since the mother's breast milk is optimal in composition for the normal functioning of the child's gastrointestinal tract

Diseases that cause constipation in children under one year old

Irregular stool or its prolonged absence in infants may be associated with a number of pathological conditions. Among them:

congenital anomalies in the development of the intestine;
disorder of the nervous system caused by severe course pregnancy or childbirth;
lactase deficiency;
hypothyroidism;
rickets;
hyperparathyroidism;
diabetes mellitus, etc.

Frequency congenital anomalies development of the intestine, as a result of which constipation occurs in newborns, is about 5%. Wherein chronic delays bowel movements develop gradually and progress as the child grows.

Intestinal malformations include:

elongation of the sigmoid colon without changing the diameter and thickness of the walls (dolichosigma) or with the expansion of the lumen and thickening of the intestinal wall (megadolichosigma);
Hirschsprung's disease - a violation of the innervation of individual fragments of the large intestine, as a result of which the affected area is constantly in a spasmodic state;
narrowing or absence of the anus;
doubling of the colon;
intestinal diverticula.

Important: If the child has congenital anomalies in the development of the intestine or other serious illnesses, accompanied by a long absence of bowel movements, constipation is far from the only symptom of such pathologies.

Other causes of constipation in infants

Bowel dysfunction in infants, manifested in the delay of bowel movements, may occur periodically under the influence of certain provoking factors. These include:

reception medicines(antibiotics, antispasmodics, iron preparations, etc.);
high temperature (for example, with infectious diseases);
teething period;
insufficient motor activity;
allergic reactions;
deliberate delay in defecation due to psychological reasons.

Recommendation: In case of prolonged absence of stool in infants, the child should be shown to the pediatrician. Only he will be able to determine the cause of such changes in the functioning of the intestine and determine whether such a condition is a variant of the norm or a pathology.