What foods to avoid if baby is constipated?

Inhaltsverzeichnis Show

Plenty of water
What should my child avoid eating or drinking if he or she is constipated?
Symptoms of constipation in children
Should you see a doctor about constipation in children?
Treatment for constipation
Constipation in babies
Foods That Can Cause Constipation in Babies
Foods to Help Relieve Constipation in Babies:

Have your child eat enough fiber. Have him or her drink plenty of liquids to help the fiber work better.

Fiber

Depending on your child’s age and sex, he or she should get 14 to 31 grams of fiber a day.2 Fiber guidelines are not available for infants less than 1 year old. Your child’s doctor can tell you what kinds of foods your infant should eat and whether you can try making changes to his or her formula or breast milk.

Talk with your child’s doctor to plan meals with the right amount of fiber for your family. Be sure to add fiber to your family’s diet a little at a time so everyone gets used to the change.

Good sources of fiber are

whole grains, such as whole wheat bread and pasta, oatmeal, and bran flake cereals
legumes, such as lentils, black beans, kidney beans, soybeans, and chickpeas
fruits, such as berries, apples with the skin on, oranges, and pears
vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, green peas, and collard greens
nuts, such as almonds, peanuts, and pecans

Plenty of water

If your child is dehydrated, have your child drink plenty of water and other liquids, such as naturally sweetened fruit and vegetable juices and clear soups, to help the fiber work better.

Drinking enough water and other liquids also helps avoid dehydration. Staying hydrated is good for a family’s overall health and can help avoid constipation. Ask your child’s doctor how much liquid your child should drink each day based on his or her size, health, activity level, and the climate where your family lives.

Have your child eat enough fiber and drink plenty of water and other liquids.

What should my child avoid eating or drinking if he or she is constipated?

To help prevent or relieve constipation, your child should avoid foods with little to no fiber, such as

chips
fast food
meat
prepared foods, such as some frozen meals and snack foods
processed foods, such as hot dogs or some microwavable dinners

Reference

[2] U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015–2020. 9th Ed. Published December 2020. Accessed July 15, 2021. www.dietaryguidelines.gov.

This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. The NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by the NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.

Constipation happens for several reasons.

It can happen when children hold poos in. They might hold poo in because they:

are too busy playing
have pain when they do a poo (or has hurt before) and they’re afraid to go to the toilet
don’t want to use the toilets at preschool or school.

Constipation might also happen because children:

aren’t eating enough fibre
have been sick and have been eating and drinking less.

These situations can all lead to a build-up of poo in the bowel. When this happens, the poo gets too big or hard to push out easily.

There are some underlying medical conditions that might cause constipation in children, but these aren’t common.

Symptoms of constipation in children

A normal poo should be easy to push out and look like a sausage.

But if your child is constipated, poo becomes hard to push out. Your child might feel pain and discomfort when doing a poo or trying to do one. This might make your child avoid pooing, which can make the problem worse.

Hard poo might overstretch your child’s anus and cause small tears on the surface, which might lead to pain and bleeding.

Your child might also have tummy pains that come and go. Some children might show ‘holding on’ behaviour like rocking or fidgeting, crossing legs or refusing to sit on the toilet. They might also seem generally cranky.

If your child has been constipated for a long time, they might poo in their pants without meaning to. It might be a small or large amount of poo, and it might happen at any time of the day. This is called soiling or faecal incontinence.

Some children poo 2-3 times a day, and other children poo twice a week. This range is normal.

Should you see a doctor about constipation in children?

You should take your child to the GP if your child:

needs a laxative more than a few times a year
has constipation that doesn’t get better after you give them a laxative
hasn’t done a poo for seven days
poos in their pants without meaning to
has constipation and also fever, vomiting, blood in their poo or weight loss
has painful cracks in the skin around their anus
has constipation and you’re worried they aren’t eating or drinking enough.

Treatment for constipation

Your child needs healthy bowel habits to avoid constipation.

Diet
The first step towards healthy bowel habits is diet. A healthy diet with enough fibre helps to prevent constipation. Foods that are high in fibre include wholegrain breads and cereals, fruit and vegetables.

Regular toileting
Sitting on the toilet regularly and pushing can help with constipation. For example, try encouraging your child to sit on the toilet for five minutes about 20-30 minutes after eating breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Regular toileting can help your child learn to be aware of and respond to their body’s urge to poo. One way to do this is by starting a sticker or reward chart to praise your child for going to the toilet.

Laxatives
Some children might need a laxative to pass hard poo without pain.

Prune juice is a mild natural laxative that works in some children. If this doesn’t work, you should see your doctor.

Possible laxative medications include:

osmotic laxatives like lactulose, Movicol® or OsmoLax®, which increase the water in your child’s poo and soften it
liquid paraffin oil, which softens and lubricates the poo
stimulants like Senekot® or Dulcolax SP® drops, which stimulate the bowel to get rid of the poo.

Some children with chronic constipation will need to keep taking laxative medications for several months. Your doctor will let you know about the best way to treat your child’s constipation.

It can be easier for your child to do a poo if they sit on the toilet with feet flat on the ground and knees apart, while leaning slightly forward. If your child’s feet don’t reach the floor, you can put a footstool or box in front of the toilet.

Constipation in babies

Babies might be constipated if their poo is dry and crumbly or like pellets, or doing a poo seems to cause them pain and discomfort.

If you think your baby is constipated, see your GP or child and family health nurse.

Breastfed babies
It’s rare for breastfed babies to be constipated. They might go up to five days without doing a poo.

Constipated breastfed babies might need more breastmilk. If your breastfed baby seems constipated, try feeding more often.

Formula-fed babies
Formula-fed babies might be constipated if infant formula isn’t made up correctly and doesn’t have enough water in it.

Getting the formula mix right and giving your baby extra fluids might help.

Babies who’ve started eating solids
Babies who’ve started on solids might have firmer and less frequent poos at first. This usually sorts itself out in a few weeks.

Adding more water to your baby’s solids might help.

Other causes of constipation in babies
If a hard poo has caused a tear in the rectum or anus, it might hurt to poo. In this situation, babies might instinctively hold poos in. The remaining poo gets hard and more difficult to push out.

October 30, 2020

Author: Regalo Baby

As new parents, we quickly learn that “poop” becomes part of one’s daily conversation. You start to calculate how much and how often baby poops. The doctor will ask you what it looks like and smells like.

When a baby is suddenly not pooping, we start to get concerned. Especially if he becomes cranky or cries while pooping. This can be a sign of constipation.

It can happen to breastfed or formula fed babies and often begins when switching to solid foods. When their digestive systems are only used to breast milk or formula, solid foods can be tough to digest.

The frequency of bowel movements, or the lack of, is not the only clue your little one might be constipated. If your baby’s poop is very hard or seems difficult to pass he may also be suffering from constipation.

There are certain foods that are more likely to cause constipation and discomfort. If you suspect your baby is suffering from constipation, read on. We will run through the foods that can trigger constipation and foods to relieve constipation in babies.

Foods That Can Cause Constipation in Babies

Yogurt
White bread
Pasta
Applesauce
Unripe bananas
Cooked carrots
Rice cereal
Cheese

These foods are known to trigger gassiness and constipation in most babies. But, it is important for you to keep track of your own baby’s symptoms related to what they are eating. What triggers constipation in one child may not necessarily be the same in another baby. To help avoid constipation in babies, you need to feed your little one foods that are high in fiber content or have natural laxative properties. Just some small dietary changes can make your baby feel better and get his digestion flowing more smoothly. By adding some of the following foods to your baby’s diet you will surely get the “poop talk” back to a more positive conversation.

Foods to Help Relieve Constipation in Babies:

Cheerios: High in fiber. Try the whole grain option for babies who are already eating finger foods.
Soy Products: This can be especially helpful for babies who are allergic to milk proteins. If mom avoids dairy and replaces it with soy products, her breast milk may become more favorable for baby’s digestion.
Berries: Berries of all kinds are packed with fiber and their natural sweetness is a favorite of children of all ages.
Prunes and figs: Packed with fiber and also a natural laxative. You can cut them into small cubes and allow baby to feed himself or serve as a juice or ice pop
Oatmeal and other whole grains: These are naturally high in fiber and energy. Oatmeal is available commonly as a pre-cooked baby cereal and whole grain bread is a good source of whole grain for your baby. **Try mixing the cereal with a little prune juice!
Beans: “Beans, beans the magical fruit, the more you eat the more you toot!” We already know that beans, of any kind, have a great mixture of soluble and insoluble fiber both of which help in digestion and help to promote more regular bowel movements.
Pears, Plum, and Apples: All are rich in fiber and are available to be purchased in baby food jars at your grocery store or can be served cubed to baby.
Sweet Potatoes: These are extremely rich in fiber, it’s best to have them with the skin on, however this can be difficult for babies to chew so consider a puree
Nuts: Most nuts are a great source of protein and fiber - but feed them in moderation because they are also high in fat. Most pediatricians recommend waiting until one year of age to serve nuts and tree nuts to children for the sake of allergies.
Water: Additional liquid into baby’s diet will help to keep stool softer. Offering water or diluted juice in a sippy cup will help with constipation. (However, always check with your doctor before adding water or other liquids to baby’s diet as babies younger than 6 months generally get all the water they need through breast milk or formula.)

Hopefully just some simple diet modifications will leave your baby pooping freely and feeling much more comfortable! Remember that every baby is different and their body will react differently to certain foods.

If simple diet changes don’t seem to make a difference please seek out the advice of your doctor so they can rule out any other serious issues.