Four month old baby straining to poop

In the process of growing up, babies usually need careful care from their parents. In general, parents can judge the baby's health based on the baby's stool. Under normal circumstances, the baby's stool is golden or yellow. If the body is abnormal, the color and shape of the stool will change. Some careful parents have found that the baby always exerts force when defecating. What is going on?

Why does my four-month-old baby strain to defecate?

If the baby has to strain to defecate, it is probably due to constipation caused by internal heat. Let the baby drink more water and massage the baby's navel more often to promote digestion. You can also give your baby probiotics to regulate his stomach and intestines.

Symptoms of constipation in four month old baby

Symptoms include dry, hard or difficult stools, a significantly reduced number of bowel movements compared to before, etc. In addition, constipation can also cause symptoms such as abdominal distension, loss of appetite and disturbed sleep, affecting physical and mental health.

How to treat constipation in a four-month-old baby

Infant constipation is a common disease. The vast majority of infants suffer from functional constipation, which can be cured through conditioning. Breastfed infants are less likely to be constipated than formula-fed infants. If constipation occurs, add orange juice, sugar or honey while breastfeeding. If constipation occurs in infants fed with cow's milk, the total amount of milk can be reduced and the amount of sugar in the milk can be increased to 8%-10%. Orange juice, pineapple juice, jujube juice or cabbage juice can also be added to stimulate intestinal peristalsis. In addition, pregnant mothers should pay attention to adjusting their diet structure, eat a light diet and drink plenty of water.

In short, infant constipation is no trivial matter. During infancy, parents should observe the baby's bowel movements and help the baby develop good bowel habits and eating habits to reduce the probability of constipation in the later stage. Moreover, taking measures can effectively prevent it.

How to solve constipation in newborns?

1. Correct your baby’s diet

If the baby is breastfed, constipation caused by insufficient breast milk will often result in failure to gain weight, crying after eating, etc. For this type of constipation, the symptoms of constipation will be relieved as long as the amount of milk is increased.

2. Develop good bowel habits

Because the baby's intestinal motility speeds up after eating, the baby often feels the urge to defecate. Therefore, it is generally advisable to let the baby defecate after eating. This will establish a conditioned reflex of defecation and achieve twice the result with half the effort.

3. Enema for laxative

If the above methods do not work for infant constipation, you can use enema to relieve constipation. Enemas mainly contain glycerin and sorbitol, which can stimulate the intestines and have a laxative effect. Please note when using it. After the enema is injected into the anus, parents should clamp the buttocks on both sides with their hands to allow the enema liquid to remain in the intestines for a while, and then let the child defecate. This will have a good effect. At home, you can also use a soap head to insert it into the child's anus, which also has a laxative effect.

4. Traditional Chinese medicine treatment

Traditional Chinese medicine that clears away heat, detoxifies, and moistens the intestines and promotes bowel movements can be used appropriately. The medicine should be used under the guidance of a doctor. Be especially careful not to abuse laxatives. Frequent use of such drugs will make the intestinal wall dependent on the drugs, leading to even more severe dysfunctional constipation.

5. Massage

Properly massage the child's anus: this can induce physiological reflexes and promote defecation.