Severe Constipation
by TEE TEE
(Brooklyn)
What remedy do you suggest for a 1 month old with severe constipation and please don't say prune juice, it has acid in it.
Baby Help LIne Response:
Hi Tee Tee!
There are other remedies than prune juice that you can try for your baby. However, for some of them, I think you should just talk to your baby's doctor first. Not because they're dangerous, but because a doctor might want to examine your baby if the constipation is severe to exclude any illness.
Below I've listed some natural remedies and some that you can also use - but talk to a doctor first.
Easy things you can do for your baby without talking to a doctor are:
- Switch to another type of formula and see if it helps
- Increase the share of breast milk in your baby's diet
- Offer some boiled water between meals
- Give your baby massage - there is a specific type of colic massage that is also very good for constipation in my experience.
- Put some lubricants on a cotton swab and carefully insert it into your baby's rectum about as far as you would insert a thermometer. Wiggle it just a little bit and then take it out. Sometimes this is enough to help the passing of stools start. Don't do it too often though, may be once a week.
- Also make sure you don't add too much formula powder when making the formula (don't pack the scoop).
Treatments you can give (after talking to a doctor in my opinion) are:
- A glycerin suppository
- Liquid glycerin (Baby lax)
- Nonprescription laxatives, such as 1 tea spoon of flax oil every day.
For more information about constipation in young babies, click here. Good luck with your little one!
/Paula
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