A 10-day-old baby has not had a bowel movement for two days

For babies, if they have a normal diet, they will have bowel movements every day. However, some mothers noticed that their 10-day-old babies had not defecated for two days, so they were worried whether there was something wrong with their babies’ health. In fact, this situation is very normal. But if the baby does not have a bowel movement for a long time, then parents should pay attention. Why do you say that?

Normally, for newborns and infants, if they do not defecate for more than 3 days, it is due to dry stool or stool retention. It is also normal for infants and young children to not defecate for only 2 days. It is recommended to drink more water, exercise appropriately, do abdominal massage, swim, etc. Breastfeeding mothers should eat more vegetables, fruits and crude fiber foods, and take Mommy Love and probiotics when necessary, and the symptoms will improve.

Whether a baby is constipated cannot be determined solely by the frequency of bowel movements. Instead, it is necessary to make an overall observation of the quality and quantity of the baby's stools, and to see whether it has any impact on the child's health. Each child has different physical conditions, so the normal number of bowel movements per day is also different. For example, a baby who is exclusively breastfed may have more bowel movements per day, while a baby who is fed with milk or other milk substitutes may have a bowel movement once a day or once every 2 to 3 days. As long as the nature and amount are normal and the baby has no other discomfort, it is normal.

Functional constipation is most closely related to diet. If the baby's diet is too fine and the fiber intake is insufficient, the intestinal wall will not be stimulated enough, which can easily lead to constipation. Excessive intake of high protein can easily lead to a relative reduction in intestinal fermentation bacteria, affecting fermentation and causing the stool to become dry and dense. When the food intake is insufficient, constipation can easily occur due to less residue in the intestines, insufficient tension in the abdominal and intestinal muscles, and weak peristalsis.

1. The normal color of meconium: black green or dark green. Many parents may not understand meconium. Newborns will excrete meconium within 24 hours after birth and will be completely excreted within 3-4 days. Meconium is black-green or dark green, sticky, and odorless. It is composed of desquamated epithelial cells, concentrated digestive juices, and amniotic fluid swallowed during the fetal period. If the baby is fed adequately, the stool will turn into normal baby stool after 2-3 days.

3. The normal color of artificially fed babies’ stools: khaki. Unlike breastfed babies who have frequent bowel movements, formula-fed babies have less frequent bowel movements, which are usually drier, rougher, and slightly harder like paste. But as long as they are not difficult to pass and do not resemble sheep feces, it is fine. If there is no problem with digestion, it will usually be earthy yellow or golden yellow with a slightly sour smell, about 1-2 times a day.