What should I do if my one-year-old baby is constipated? Tips to teach you how to solve it
Cause analysis
There are many reasons for constipation in babies, including poor eating habits, lack of exercise, intestinal flora imbalance, drug use, etc. In addition, after breastfeeding or adding complementary foods, the baby\’s gastrointestinal system needs to adapt to new foods, which will also cause a certain degree of constipation.
Bad eating habits
Your baby\’s diet should be light and easy to digest, containing enough fiber and water. If the mother feeds the baby too much food containing sugar, fat, salt and additives, the baby will suffer from indigestion and can easily lead to constipation. Some mothers think that their baby\’s constipation can be relieved by drinking sugar water, chili water, etc. This is incorrect. Because these foods may irritate your baby\’s gastrointestinal tract, further aggravating constipation.
Lack of exercise
In the early stages, babies mainly lie down or sit. If they lack exercise, the functions of various organs in the body will be affected, and the gastrointestinal system is no exception. Intestinal peristalsis can help food be excreted, so if the baby lacks exercise for a long time, it can easily lead to constipation.
Intestinal flora imbalance
Normal flora in the gut is essential to helping the body digest food and absorb nutrients. If the baby has indigestion, the bacteria in the intestine will be affected, easily causing intestinal flora imbalance, leading to constipation.
Solution
Different solutions can be adopted for different causes of constipation in babies.
Adjust your diet
Mothers should provide their babies with easy-to-digest natural foods, such as some fresh fruits, vegetables, fiber-rich cereals and breads. If the baby has already added complementary foods, it is recommended to add some steamed sweet potatoes, pumpkins, carrots and other foods containing more than 50% starch to the meals. You can also increase the intake of vegetables and fruits appropriately, which can increase the baby\’s fiber intake. Take it in quantity to promote intestinal peristalsis and help defecation.
Increase exercise
As your baby grows older, crawling, standing, walking and other exercises can effectively promote gastrointestinal motility, increase your baby\’s amount of exercise, and help relieve constipation. Appropriate physical exercise can be added to the baby\’s daily life. The exercises for the baby to choose include jumping, crawling, lying down, etc.
Intestinal flora adjustment
If your baby\’s constipation is caused by imbalance of intestinal flora, your baby\’s probiotic intake can be appropriately increased. If the baby is breastfed, the mother can increase the intake of dietary fiber appropriately. For example, she can also eat some spoiled dairy products, soybean cultures, plant acid products, etc. in her daily diet. If complementary food has been added, it is recommended to give the baby some lactobacilli drinks or children\’s probiotic drinks to help promote the stability of intestinal microecology and solve the problem of constipation.
It is not advisable to use laxatives
Many parents are used to using laxatives to help their children defecate, but in fact this approach is not advisable. Because laxatives can cause irritation to the baby\’s gastrointestinal tract, and repeated useThe use of laxatives will make the baby\’s intestines habitually dependent, eventually leading to intestinal dysfunction in the baby.
Other notes
In addition to the solutions introduced above, you need to pay attention to the following points:
Leg raising massage
Bend your baby\’s legs every day and gently massage your baby\’s lower abdomen with your hands. This can easily promote gastrointestinal motility and relieve constipation.
Drink moderate amounts of water
Your baby should drink enough water every day and stay hydrated to avoid worsening of constipation. A one-year-old baby should drink between 800-1000 ml of water every day, and can replenish water through tap water, mineral water or juice.
Regular life
A regular routine in your baby\’s life can help your baby\’s various body systems develop normally. Adjust your baby\’s sleep schedule and help your baby develop good living habits, such as getting up, eating, and going to the toilet at regular times every day. This can effectively reduce the chance of constipation.
Summary
For the problem of constipation in one-year-old babies, the problem should be solved by adjusting the diet, increasing the amount of exercise, adjusting the intestinal flora, and not using laxatives. At the same time, it is also necessary to lift the legs for massage, drink appropriate amounts of water, and live a regular life, so that the baby\’s gastrointestinal system can be well maintained and developed.
