Constipation in newborns with mixed feeding

Breast milk is the best food for a newborn baby. It provides it with all the necessary nutrients and promotes the normal course of digestion. But not always at mum there is a possibility to provide the baby with necessary volume of thoracal milk. In this case, it is recommended that it be supplemented with milk formula. Such food is called mixed if the volume of breast milk is at least half. When switching to mixed feeding, many babies begin to have digestive problems, the most frequent of which is constipation.

Mixed feeding

After the birth of a child, all mothers are provided with recommendations for organizing breastfeeding. No one doubts that breast milk provides the baby with normal development and prevents many diseases. But it is not always possible to preserve breastfeeding in full. This happens for various reasons.

It is often necessary to switch to mixed feeding in such cases:

• the child slowly gaining weight;
• mother has little milk;
• a woman is required to take certain medications or she is sick with infectious diseases, while stopping breastfeeding is a temporary phenomenon;
• mum needs to go to work or she often excommunicated from the baby, and the expressed milk is not enough.

Mixed feeding is necessary after consultation with a physician. In this case, it is desirable for mother to save breast milk, to observe a special diet. If you have an infection or need to take medication, you need to decant so that the lactation process does not stop. If it is recommended simply to supplement the baby, it is desirable that the volume of breast milk is more than the mixture.

When mixed, it is very important to choose the right mix so that it is as close to breast milk as possible. So the baby's digestive system will be easier to adjust to unfamiliar food. To the child does not give up the breast, it is recommended to feed him from a spoon or choose a tight nipple on the bottle. With such nutrition, the child must additionally give boiled water. The milk formula is used to supplement the infant for about 6 months, then it is gradually replaced with vegetable or fruit purees, cereals, soups, meat, and dairy products.

When the mother can not permanently breastfeed for any reason, there is a need to switch to mixed feeding

The essence of the problem

Most often, the babies are constipated when they are fed. But even a small amount of the mixture can cause a digestive disorder. Breast milk is often digested completely. Therefore, the stool in infants can be observed 1 time in several days. If the emptying of the intestines does not cause discomfort in the child, and the feces are soft, then this is normal. But this condition can lead to a decrease in the tone of the intestine. Therefore, getting into the digestive system of unfamiliar heavy food leads to constipation.

But not always in the transition to mixed feeding there is constipation in the newborn. The presence of the problem can be determined by such symptoms:

• the chair of the baby appears less often than once a day;
• at feeding the child worries, often throws a breast or a pacifier, and then again it searches;
• he has flatulence, bloating, colic, regurgitation;
• the child does not sleep well, often cries, rubs one leg against the other;
• when emptying the intestine, he strongly strains, groans;
• feces of the child is dense, dry.

Reasons for constipation

Most often, constipation in infants with mixed feeding occurs when the choice of a premature formula is incorrect, or if the transition to a new type of food is too sudden. The mixture should be added gradually, and if this is not possible, preserve as much breast milk as possible. A sharp introduction of a food unfamiliar to a child can cause a digestive disorder. And, this applies both to the adapted mixtures, and to additional lure, which is recommended to be introduced no earlier than 4-5 months of age. And if the milk is enough for a woman, you can introduce the child to a new food after six months.

Constipation in babies may be accompanied by colic, bloating, discomfort when bowel is emptied

The appearance of constipation may also be due to improper selection of the mixture. If such food is inexpensive or not purchased in special stores, it may contain cow's milk, palm oil, various chemical additives. In order to maintain the normal digestion of a child, it is better to choose adapted mixtures for feeding it, which are the closest to breast milk. The doctor or breastfeeding specialist can help to choose the right mixture. Often, with such problems, it is recommended to use mixtures with bifidobacteria, for example, "Nan" or "Human".

In addition, there are other causes of constipation in toddlers who are mixed-feeding. Violation of the stool can be due to the peculiarities of the mother's nutrition. If she has a lot of carbohydrates in her diet, white bread, macaroni, fatty meat, a child may suffer from constipation. This problem also arises with the use of antibiotics, iron preparations, infectious diseases, dysbiosis. The tone of the intestine can be reduced because of a lack of calcium, limited mobility of the child, some congenital diseases.

Mothers often forget that the baby needs water. Her lack of an organism replenishes from the intestines, which leads to densification of fecal masses. Even infants who receive only mother's milk, it is recommended dopaivat, and with mixed feeding boiled vodichku offer a baby is always necessary. In addition, when introducing supplementary foods, it is very important not to overfeed the baby, as this too can lead to constipation.

Treatment

When a child suffers from constipation, not every mother can immediately figure out what to do. There are, of course, simple ways to relieve the child of discomfort, but it is best to consult a doctor. Most often with infrequent constipation, doctors recommend adjusting the diet, change the mixture and start giving the baby water. It is necessary to offer it between the feeds, in addition, to preserve breast milk, it is necessary to give the baby a breast on demand.

It is best to give babies a lactulose syrup for constipation, for example, Dufalak

preparation. To normalize digestion and facilitate the emptying of the bowels, some doctors recommend that instead of giving water, give the babies a decoction of raisins. Raisins enrich the ordinary water with potassium, which improves intestinal motility, as well as other nutrients. After 2 months baby can also give a broth of prunes, which will help cope with constipation. Useful broths of dill, fennel, chamomile.

If the stool is no longer than 3-4 days, and this is repeated often, more serious treatment is needed. To facilitate the emptying of the intestine, it is permissible to make microclysters with boiled water or microlax ready enema. Often this method can not be used, since peristalsis of the intestine may be impaired.

Therefore, doctors recommend better use of special glycerin suppositories that are safe for the baby. Improve the work of the intestine can and with medication. For babies with constipation, drugs with lactulose in the form of a syrup are used. They are safe, but you need to comply with the recommended dosage, as in the first days of admission they can cause increased gas formation.

It is slightly easier to cope with constipation in a child older than 6 months. At this age, you need to gradually replace the milk formula with vegetables and fruits. If the baby is predisposed to constipation, you need to exclude from his diet rice, bananas, cookies, carrots and potatoes. You can give oatmeal porridge, zucchini, cauliflower, pumpkin.

To prevent the appearance of constipation, the child must necessarily give water

Prevention

To prevent constipation with mixed feeding, first of all, you need to keep the lactation as long as possible. You must carefully choose the mixture, and include it in the diet in minimum quantities. With breast milk, the necessary enzymes and beneficial bacteria enter the baby's body to create normal intestinal microflora. It is advisable to switch to mixed feeding only on the advice of a doctor, the mixture should also be used better than the one recommended by a specialist.

To prevent constipation, you should also regularly lay the baby on his tummy, massage him. To do this, light baby movements around the tummy are carried out by light circular motions clockwise. It is also necessary to walk with the baby more often, do gymnastics, the "bicycle" exercise is especially useful. A warm bath with chamomile will help him relax. In addition, when you enter into the diet of supplementary feeding, it is obligatory to give the child additionally boiled water, this will help to avoid dehydration.

Constipation with mixed feeding is quite common. But with the right approach to this type of nutrition and when you follow all the doctor's recommendations, this problem can be avoided.