Baby Screams With Every Bowel Movement

Home

Contact Us

About us

Newsletter

What's New

Baby Help Line

Search This Site

Baby Screams With Every Bowel Movement

by Anonymous

I have a 9 month old son. He has been doing this for months and Dr. doesn't seem to know what is wrong.

He screams in pain every bowel movement. Soft or hard. Every time; some times twice a day. I need help finding out what is wrong.

Baby Help Line Response:

Hi dear mom!

Poor boy, this must be so hard for both him and you.

Has he ever been constipated? I know babies can sometimes develop a fear for having bowel movements due to it being hard and painful in the past. If that could be the case, and if you have started with solid foods, then maybe giving him foods that really prevent hard stools for a while could help him learn that passing stools is not dangerous. You might even want to give him infant glycerin suppositories during a week or so to really make sure that passing stools does not hurt.

It is really hard to know what is causing his discomfort and my top advice to you is to get a second opinion from another pediatrician.

Does you baby show any signs of illness, such as poor appetite and weight gain? He is not having any diaper rash that could cause him pain? Are there any variations at all in his reactions to pooping depending on what he has eaten, or if the stools are soft or hard etc? Try gathering as much information as possible about your son's situation and take him to a new doctor and make sure it is a pediatrician.

I really wish you good luck! And please let me know how things work out for you.

/Paula

The information provided on this site is not intended nor recommended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care professional regarding any medical condition or treatment. Nothing contained on this site is intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment.

Comments for
Baby Screams With Every Bowel Movement

Click here to add your own comments

Mar 21, 2008

hi Paula
by: Anonymous

Dear mom, this is something common with my son.
When he was around 7 months I started him solids, hard stool is becoz of some particular
food they eat, at times it may be becoz of insufficient water, so give him lots of water to drink, give him some fruit juices, avoid giving bananas, it might cause constipation for some kids, give little bit of prune juice diluted with water it will help to reduce constipation.
I use to give little bit of diluted prune juice for my baby after his lunch, one more thing is if the quantity of food is insufficient the baby will not pooph,
pls give sufficient liquids and juice to ur baby.. Good Luck

Mar 22, 2008

Going to specialist in two months
by: Anonymous

In two months Jonah(then 9 mth old) is to go to a specialist. It is not common constipation. We have tried everything from changing formula, soy(which he seems to be allergic to) Hoping to find something soon. Thanks for trying. Hope to tell you something soon.

Mar 23, 2008

Good with a specialist!
by: Paula

Hi!

I'm happy to hear that your son will get access to a specialist, although I can imagine that two months must feel like a million years for you! I really, really wish you good luck!

Please let us all know about his progress!

/Paula

Apr 05, 2008

Response to Anonymous
by: Anonymous

Anonymous,
I totally understand your concerns! We have the exact same issue. Extreme pain every time my 1-yr old has a bowel movement no matter if it is loose or slightly formed. Our doctor seems to dismiss it as a conditioned response to probably constipation. However, you know when your baby is in sheer pain and when she is just straining or scared to go - she is in pain. She goes at least twice a day as well. Most diapers are loose because we were put on Miralax b/c the constipation diagnosis is the only answer I can get.
We finally went to see a Pediatric GI doctor this past week. We are waiting on test results for Celiac Disease or possibly a build up on bad bacteria (from being on several antibiotics for ear infections months back).
I am not sure either fits us perfectly, but I am just happy to have someone listen to us and truct my mother instict that this "is not right"!
Have you all had any food sensitivies or allergic reactions?

May 28, 2008

Help!
by: Anonymous

Finally! I found someone who knows what me and my baby are going through! When my baby boy turned 6 months old he started SCREAMING with every bowel movement. He was diagnosed with a rectal fissure which healed completely in one week. The screaming continued though. He is now 10 months old. He has about 3 bowel movements per day(he will stop going because of the pain). I have been to two ped. docs and they say that he is afraid of pain and associates it with the recal fissure pain and will react to fear of it hurting. There is no question in my mind that he is in agony. It is NOT an issue of constipation, he does not have problems with that. I live in a very small town and do not have access to specialists. I do not know if I should take the MD's advice and "forget about it, he's fine" or go somewhere where there is a specialist. I would go wherever I needed to to get him help. Those who posted earlier and had testing done, what did you find out and do you have any advice for me?

May 29, 2008

Baby Screams With Every Bowel Movement
by: Anonymous

My son is now 17 months old. At one year, his too sudden transition from formula to whole milk resulted in constipation and then some very hard stools. This was agonizing for him. We reintroduced formula and began a much more gradual and nuanced transition to whole milk. This didn't seem to make much of a difference. Subsequently, our pediatrician recommended a stool softener - Miralax - which he has been taking for the better part of 5 months. His stools are all soft but each bowel movement - one or two daily - is preceded by some moaning and agitation and then the actual passing results in crying. He is suffering. It's time for a pediatric gastroenterologist. I will report back to this site on our findings hoping that they might be of some use to the others with this issue. Given the possibilities, a confirmation that this is our son STILL associating his b.m. with the trauma of several months ago would be something of a relief. However, i am not really buying it.

Jun 22, 2008

My baby is 8 months old with hard stools and rolling her stomach
by: Anonymous

Ive been to 3 ped gi doctors and they all say that i should give juice or MOM and now the new one is say to try caro syrup. If that doesn't work then a biopsy which i dont want to do. He mentioned Hirshsprungs but the other docs said probably not. I am so upset about this because she strains and turns bright red and cries. Her stools are like rocks and sometimes it just gets stuck adn she can't get it out all the way. I thought maybe the opening was too small but no one seems to want to chek that. Please help

Aug 21, 2008

My 7 month old son has the same bowel issue
by: A new mom, afraid...

I have been to the ped. 3 times for this and she put him on the Karo syrup and hot baths, then she told me to try Vaseline and a thermometer and stimulate his tush. We have tried everything even changing diet and trying only formula. Nothing is working!

The doctor just says he is constipated, I KNOW he is in pain and that things are not right he has always cried when he has a bowel movement but the last month it has turned to screaming in pain, red face, doubling over. I can't stand it any more and no one listens. So I am calling a specialist in the morning. I found this site tonight and am so glad I am not alone.

If anyone has advice or a comment please respond...

A new mom, afraid...

Sep 05, 2008

Baby Screams With Every Bowel Movement
by: Anonymous

My 6 week old baby does this too and he has never been constipated. His stool is loose. My doctor told me it might be a tear - a fisure (sp?). We are going to the hospital to get it checked out next week.

Sep 05, 2008

Going to Pediatric Gastroenterologists on the 11th
by: Anonymous

Well after two weeks of Emergency room visits and doctors offices(for lack of bowel movements), the hospitol called a Pediatric gastroenterologist because aparently there is no reason my son should not be pooing.

The P-GI thinks that there is something wrong and is doing an extensive work up to find the problem. We have tried prunes, kyro syrup, water, sapositories, enemas and manual pulling and my poor baby has been tortured.

So I am greatful that someone finally listened and didnt just think that I was an over concerned new mother. Thank you for you input and your comments. I will post what the doctor said after the apointment.

Sep 06, 2008

Great!
by: Baby Help Line

I'm so glad to hear that you are finally getting help! It takes the right doctor to actually listen, doesn't it!?

But a friend of mine who went to med. school some time ago told me that they were taught specifically that if anyone knows if something is wrong with the baby, it is the mother...

Let us know how things proceed.

Best of luck to you and your baby!

/Paula

Sep 23, 2008

My daughter is 9 months and also SCREAMS with every Bowel Moviment
by: Anonymous

I am glad I am not alone. I am really concern about her condition. Her stool is hard, but even soft she screams for 10 minutes until it is complete off. I don't know what to do. The pediatrician told us her condition is normal. I am giving lots of water and prunes, but it doesn't get better.

It is interesting lots of babies at the same age have the same condition, hein? But as a mother I am very frustrated. Seeking for other pediatrician. Looking forward hear from all of you and hoping always for a positive outcome.

Sep 23, 2008

Update
by: Anonymous

I posted in May re: my baby boy. The Doctor started him on Mineral Oil in the beginning of July. I couldn't believe how much mineral oil he has him taking! We are slowly trying to take him off it. The doctor's thinking is that my baby is withholding BM's because he is afraid it will hurt....thus making himself constipated. The mineral oil has made my baby VERY "loose". But, he has not been able to hold back the BM and he has not cried with bowel movements since.

Something that I am concerned about is that as we are slowly taking him off the mineral oil, his stools are becoming more formed. If I go less then 1 tablespoon daily, he will start screaming again with every bowel movement.

I would have thought that 3 months would be a long enough break for him to "forget" about associating pain with BM's. I don't know if we are on the right track and just need to continue with what we are doing....or if something else is going on and we are just prolonging it.

Good luck to each of you!

Sep 23, 2008

Pediatric G.I.
by: A new mom afraid

well the pediatric gastroenterologist examined my 7 month old son and said that he has an extremely enlarged anus and rectum, when he eats the poo gets stuck and builds up in the enlarged area and gets hard and huge. Then when it starts to pass its so large it stretches and tears his rectum. (thats the screaming)

The Dr. said he was miss diagnosed with Colic when he was born and the meds and special formula he was put on have added to the problem not helped. So now with the rectum issue he is scared to gp as well.

We were told to put him on laxitive and get him to get all the old stuff out, (it has been in there so long it is toxic) aparently a baby his age should not have hard or smelly bowels.

After this week we are switching him to regular formula and no more meds. he has been on the laxative for two weeks now and is starting to have runny bowels. The Dr. said after a few months of this he should be ready to have normal bowels again and stop the laxative.

If the problem doesnt go away then we have to go back for more extensive tests.

THANK YOU ALL for you all for your comments and stories. It feels better to know I am not alone. It also surprises me that so many babies under a year have the same problem maybe the Dr.'s need to get to gether and find out why???

Thanks...

X Close Editor

Sep 23, 2008
Rating

Submitted by: A new mom afraid

Title

Comment
well the pediatric gastroenterologist examined my 7 month old son and said that he has an extremely enlarged anus and rectum, when he eats the poo gets stuck and builds up in the enlarged area and gets hard and huge. Then when it starts to pass its so large it stretches and tears his rectum. (thats the screaming) The Dr. said he was miss diagnosed with Colic when he was born and the meds and special formula he was put on have added to the problem not helped. So now with the rectum issue he is scared to gp as well. We were told to put him on laxitive and get him to get all the old stuff out, (it has been in there so long it is toxic) aparently a baby his age should not have hard or smelly bowels. After this week we are switching him to regular formula and no more meds. he has been on the laxative for two weeks now and is starting to have runny bowels. The Dr. said after a few months of this he should be ready to have normal bowels again and stop the laxative. If the problem doesnt go away then we have to go back for more extensive tests. THANK YOU ALL for you all for your comments and stories. It feels better to know I am not alone. It also surprises me that so many babies under a year have the same problem maybe the Dr.'s need to get to gether and find out why??? Thanks...

Cancel Delete Delete & Ban

throbber Updating Comments page...

Sep 23, 2008

Difficult bowel movements
by: Paula

I first posted many months ago about the distress and difficulty that my son was having with his bowel movements. This difficulty began at about 11 months as he was transitioning from formula to whole milk. There were a couple of factors which I now believe resulted in the difficulty.

First, the transition was not executed gradually enough for him. He has a twin sister and she made the switch without any issue but his constitution is different and the change over to whole milk resulted in dry, hard stools which were very difficult for him to pass.

Additionally, we traveled overseas for a few weeks at just about this same time and the time, location and schedule changes exacerbated the condition.

Our return home, and the commencement of a much more subtle transition made a difference in the constitution of his stools but the trauma associated with each BM did not change. After visits with a few different doctors - inclusive of a pediatric gastroenterologist - to confirm that there was no physiological problem, the diagnosis was that he was having "functional constipation" that is to say, a reluctance to have a BM due to the memory of the trauma. This is, as I understand it, not simply a psychological issue as the body has it's own version of memory.

The treatment for this was/ has been to be certain that to keep the stools themselves as soft and unchallenging as possible. We feed him foods which aid this and avoid foods which do not. Also, we've used, on-and-off, a gentle laxative called MIRALAX (1/2 capful in each of his 6 oz morning bottles). This has been a long process. We've gone through periods of weeks without Miralax and any incident of difficulty but they do recur, never with the initial severity, but they do.

His sister remains asymptomatic and the model of BM ease and perhaps without that example, our son's "issue" is so diminished that we'd likely not even know it exists.

I am sorry that this is such a long post but my point is that my son is now 20 months old and although it required a lot of patience and some trial and error he really is doing quite well now.

X Close Editor

Sep 23, 2008
Rating

Submitted by: Paula

Title

Comment
I first posted many months ago about the distress and difficulty that my son was having with his bowel movements. This difficulty began at about 11 months as he was transitioning from formula to whole milk. There were a couple of factors which I now believe resulted in the difficulty. First, the transition was not executed gradually enough for him. He has a twin sister and she made the switch without any issue but his constitution is different and the change over to whole milk resulted in dry, hard stools which were very difficult for him to pass. Additionally, we traveled overseas for a few weeks at just about this same time and the time, location and schedule changes exacerbated the condition. Our return home, and the commencement of a much more subtle transition made a difference in the constitution of his stools but the trauma associated with each BM did not change. After visits with a few different doctors - inclusive of a pediatric gastroenterologist - to confirm that there was no physiological problem, the diagnosis was that he was having "functional constipation" that is to say, a reluctance to have a BM due to the memory of the trauma. This is, as I understand it, not simply a psychological issue as the body has it's own version of memory. The treatment for this was/ has been to be certain that to keep the stools themselves as soft and unchallenging as possible. We feed him foods which aid this and avoid foods which do not. Also, we've used, on-and-off, a gentle laxative called MIRALAX (1/2 capful in each of his 6 oz morning bottles). This has been a long process. We've gone through periods of weeks without Miralax and any incident of difficulty but they do recur, never with the initial severity, but they do. His sister remains asymptomatic and the model of BM ease and perhaps without that example, our son's "issue" is so diminished that we'd likely not even know it exists. I am sorry that this is such a long post but my point is that my son is now 20 months old and although it required a lot of patience and some trial and error he really is doing quite well now.

Cancel Delete Delete & Ban

throbber Updating Comments page...

Sep 27, 2008

My 8 month old is having the same problem
by: Anonymous

I don't know what to do? We have tried 2 ped.dr.'s and they both says the same things. Increase his liquids, give laxitive, give prune juice, more water and none of this is working. I think my next step is visiting a ped. gast. My question is do i have to be referred to this ped. gast. by his ped. dr. or do i just make an appt. myself. please help a lost and concern mother!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sep 28, 2008

ped. GI
by: Anonymous

I would call and ask some GI's in your area if they require a referal first. The GI we went to did. My sons doctor was so slow at getting stuff done that when we were in one of our many ER visits I asked the dr there to fax a referal and he did. If you call your doctor and tell them you want a referal they will give it to you. Thats what We did. I hope every thing goes well. GOOD LUCK. And always trust your mommy instinct. You know your baby best!

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Baby Help Line

Want More Baby Tips?

For more information about the ezine, click here.

NEW at Easy Baby Life!

How to choose the best baby costume for your infant (and you).
The best places to go with a baby, says MOM and DAD
Visit our Blog to get updated on all our new baby tips!

We Recommend...

Take Better Baby Pictures A book to help you get THAT picture of your cutie!
Online Childbirth Education Helpful classes to prepare for giving birth naturally.
Baby Sleep Tonight Practical baby sleep tips to help your darling sleep through the night!
Raise A Smarter Baby - Here's How