What to do if the baby can't poop?

Because babies eat and drink more often every day, their urination and defecation are more frequent than adults. If the baby does not poop for a long time, it must be caused by constipation. If the baby is still breastfeeding, the mother's dietary composition must be considered. If there is too much protein, it will directly lead to constipation in the baby. The mother can eat more vegetables to alleviate this situation.

Constipation is a common disease in infants. It means that the child's stool is dry and hard, and the interval between bowel movements is relatively long, and sometimes even bowel movements are difficult. There are many reasons for this, which can be generally divided into two categories. One is functional constipation, which can be cured through conditioning; the other is constipation caused by congenital intestinal malformations, which cannot be cured through general conditioning and must be corrected through surgery. The vast majority of infant constipation is functional.

Second cause

1. Inappropriate food ingredients

Constipation is closely related to the composition of food. For example, if the food contains too much protein and insufficient sugar, intestinal fermentation will be relatively reduced, affecting fermentation, making the stool alkaline and dry, leading to constipation. Food (such as milk powder) contains a large amount of casein, and the feces contain a large amount of insoluble calcium soap, which causes an increase in feces and easy constipation.

2. Long-term inadequate diet

When children eat too little, there is less residue in the intestines after digestion and the stool decreases; insufficient sugar in milk causes dry stools; insufficient diet for a long time leads to malnutrition, which makes the abdominal and intestinal muscles weak, lack of tension, and weak peristalsis, leading to stubborn constipation.

3. Bowel function problems

Due to irregular life and bowel movements, the defecation reflex is weakened or not formed; the intestinal muscles are relaxed and constipation occurs. Certain drugs or diseases that can weaken the intestinal wall muscle tone and cause dysfunction, as well as abnormal sympathetic nerve function, can cause constipation.

4. Abnormal development of the digestive tract

Congenital imperforate anus, congenital megacolon. 5. Genetic metabolic diseases: congenital hypothyroidism, congenital idiocy.

Three clinical manifestations

1. Normal stool

If your baby goes more than 2 days (48 hours) between bowel movements, he or she is constipated. Some babies have difficulty defecating soon after birth, and only defecate once every 1 to 2 days or 3 to 4 days. The feces are dry and hard, and the baby cries constantly during defecation. Because the stool is dry and hard, and defecation is difficult every time, the baby will develop a fear of defecation, leading to a vicious cycle. Constipation in newborn babies is usually functional constipation, which is often ignored by parents, leading to worsening of the condition. If the baby is constipated for a long time, symptoms such as loss of appetite, abdominal distension or even abdominal pain, and restless sleep may occur. In severe cases, symptoms such as rectal prolapse or anal fissure bleeding may occur. Therefore, parents must pay attention and observe closely. If constipation is found, it should be cured as soon as possible, otherwise it will cause serious consequences.

2. Meconium

If no meconium is seen within 24 hours after birth, one should suspect congenital malformation of the digestive tract causing fecal obstruction, which requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. If an older baby has a bowel movement interval of more than 36 hours and no meconium is passed or a small amount of abnormal meconium is passed, this is considered abnormal and attention should be paid to whether the baby has congenital digestive tract malformations or other diseases.