Even newborn babies are not exempted from getting constipated. According to medical sources, children, older people, and women are more prone to constipation than others. It is the condition wherein feces or stool becomes hard and difficult to excrete. Also, a person may be constipated if he moves his bowel for less than three times a week, the ideal being bowel movement on a daily basis.
What are the causes of constipation? How can constipation be treated? Are these causes and remedies the same for babies? Constipation is caused by the lack of water in the diet. Since water is used as a lubricant and dissolver during the food digestion process, having little amounts of it in the body can cause stool to harden. There are also some vitamins that have been linked to causing constipation, as observed in persons taking supplements for iron, calcium, and magnesium.
Constipation can be treated by following changes in diet and by drinking more water and fluids everyday. Some medications or drugs, like laxatives, help assist the bowel movement, but are not necessarily recommended for all people as they may cause dehydration.
Newborn constipation is not a rare occurrence. However, if the condition is not remedied right away, it can cause much discomfort and pain to the baby. Your newborn baby may be experiencing constipation if you can observe his face becoming red, and he puts his feet up when he feels like defecating.
Some experts believe that newborn constipation can be highly attributed to the kind of milk that the baby drinks. The reason why breastfeeding is more recommended by many experts as compared to baby formula is that there are less chances of having digestive problems for the baby. If you have been breastfeeding your baby for a few days or weeks, then you switched to formula, this may cause the constipation.
If you will continue feeding formula to your newborn, try giving it in smaller amounts, but more frequently during the day. You can also try to immerse your baby in warm water up to his waist, and massage his belly gently. See your pediatrician immediately if your child remains constipated for a long time.
Constipation Tip #1
Watch your Diet. Constipation is often caused by people's diets. This is not to say you must eat healthy all the time, but instead to make sure you are getting plenty of water into your body as well as eating fruit and green vegetables to help clean out your insides.
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Constipation Tip #2
Don't Forget about the Fiber. The human body needs the fiber that comes from grain products to help digest and allow your body to have natural bowel movements. Often time's constipation is caused by a lack of fiber in the body. Fiber pills or powder can be taken as a supplement if needed.
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ConstipationTip #3
If you are having trouble going number 2, then you can try some basic stretching to loosen up the bowels. First you can twist side to side, this triggers the energy points in your intestines and will get things moving. Next you can squat down for a few minutes to stretch out your colon and help get things moving. Sounds funny, but it works.
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