My 7 Old Daugther Passes Stools Frequently And Cries

by Abrar Sayed
(India)

My daughter is 7 months old, and she started constipating about a month back, the stool had become very hard and in spite of her pushing and crying it did not help, finally we had to go to a doctor, who said we have to give her enema.

After giving her that, she passed the stools for 2 days continuous and was drained and she cried a lot, after that again she did not pass the stools for a week so we gave her enema at home and again she passed little stools every 5 mins for 2 and half days, after that she stopped for a day and after that she is frequently passing little stools every 10 mins and she cries every time she does I feel that she is having pain in her stomach, she groans a lot also and cries and then becomes normal after some time and again she starts the process why is she having the bowel movements again and again.

I am worried and I have been to almost, 7/8 doctors they have told to correct the diet, which I am doing. When will this passing of frequent stools stop and become normal, please advice, she is currently on formula milk and cerelac , we are trying to give her home made stuff that the doctor said but she won't eat it.

The doctor has also told not to feed the baby by the bottle because she is teething, feeding with a spoon is not helping her so please give your advice asap....



Thanking u
Abrar.India

Baby Help Line Response:

Hi Abrar!

Your daughter seems to be having some tough times... She is obviously constipated.

To start with, if you think back to the time right before these problems started, did you change her diet at all at that time? New foods, be it formula or solids foods, is a very common reason for constipation in babies. If you did change her diet, try if possible to go back to the diet she had before. For example, if that is when you started giving her solid food, just stop doing that for a few weeks.

If you switched from breast milk to formula at that time, it might of course be hard to go back if she has weaned by now, but it it is possible to breastfeed her a bit more for a while, it is likely to help a lot.

If you did start her on formula or increased the share of formula a month ago, consider trying another brand or type.

I don't know what formula you are using, but some babies are allergic to some of teh proteins in formula, wihch can cause dicomfort and constipation. Trying another brand or switching to soy based formula can really help. Yet another possibility is to look for a hydrolysate formula, such as Nutramigen. Such formula have had their proteins chopped into smaller parts, making the formula easier to digest.

Regarding the Cerelac, that could be another reason for her constipation, especially if she eats it a lot and if you have increased the amount of cerelac she is getting. In such case, cut back on the cerelac or at least combine it with 1 table spoon of prune purée or pear or kiwi purée at each feeding.

I think you should try to slowly introduce some of the fruits that soften stools in any case if you haven't, such as prunes, kiwi and pears. Prune and pear juice are also very efficient. But again, introduce them slowly, so that she doesn't get more tummy pain.

Finally, offer her water between meals.

And a last thing - I almost forgot - I've never heard of babies not taking the bottle for any longer periods due to teething. Maybe for a day or two. Give her what she prefers; bottle, cup or spoon!

Does this help you Abrar? I really do think that yor daughter's diet could be the problem. Please let me know of your progress and if there is any other way that I can help you.

/Paula



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