FIRST
BOWEL MOVEMENTS
During
the first few days, a baby's movements are composed of a greenish black material
known as meconium. Baby will pass these stools for the first few days when he's
in the hospital nursery.
BOWEL MOVEMENTS IF BABY IS BREAST-FED
Constipation, like thumb-sucking, is often a source of unnecessary worry to
mothers. The breast-fed baby is almost never constipated, but ordinarily has
frequent stools during the first month or six weeks. It is not unusual for him
to have a movement after each feeding—from five to six stools a day is normal
during this early period.
The stools are usually very soft and have an inoffensive odor. They may range
from light yellow to yellow-orange, occasionally may be green and contain curds.
(Green, because the bile hasn't had time to change from green to yellow, and
curds because the milk curds have gone through the digestive tract undigested.)
As Baby's digestive tract matures and his utilization of food improves, the
stools, especially the breast-fed baby's, will decrease in frequency. A baby may
have only one stool in two or more days and still be perfectly healthy.
Breast-fed babies often strain, groan, get red in the face while having a
movement.
Your doctor will assure you that there is seldom cause for alarm over the bowels
of the breast-fed baby. Always consult him, however, if you suspect something
may be wrong.
BOWEL MOVEMENTS IF BABY IS BOTTLE-FED
Depending on the type of formula, the bottle-fed baby's stools are firmer than
those of the breast-fed baby. They're usually yellow, but may be brownish, and
generally aren't as frequent during the first few weeks as the breast-fed
baby's. Baby may have from one to four movements a day at first, then, as he
grows older, cut down to one or two a day.
IF BABY IS CONSTIPATED
As long
as Baby's stools are soft and smooth, he isn't constipated, no matter how far
apart movements may be. But when the stools are so hard they're passed with
straining and difficulty, your baby is constipated.
The formula may not contain enough water, or it may not have enough carbohydrate
(sweetening). Check water content. An increased amount of sweetening may help.
Begin with an increase of a tablespoon of sweetening each day; work up to two or
three of the powdered sugar (dextrin-maltose), or one and a half of syrup.
Offer Baby cool, boiled water between feedings. Also, one or two teaspoonfuls of
prune juice or prune pulp may be given each day. Should you feel it necessary to
further alter the formula, consult your doctor.
Be slow to use suppositories or enemas, without the doctor's advice, as the Baby
might come to rely on them.
Sometimes stools are so hard to pass there is blood on the outside. If this is
just an occasional occurrence, there is no reason for undue concern, but the
formula should be altered to soften the stools. If the condition persists,
consult the doctor. Illness and fever, with resulting lack of appetite, may be
cause of temporary constipation.
DIARRHEA? CALL YOUR DOCTOR
If the
baby's stools have been of the same consistency—whether soft and smooth or
firm—and then suddenly become loose, watery, frequent, greenish, or contain
mucus, this is an indication that your baby has diarrhea.
Your baby may not tolerate the usual amount of sweetening in his formula. Reduce
the sweetening to see if this is the cause. If the condition continues, stop all
food, especially fruit juices. Give Baby small quantities of cool, boiled water
at frequent intervals or dilute, boiled skimmed milk. Diluted skim milk given in
small quantities will frequently help to control milk diarrhea.
If this simple measure doesn't correct the condition, call your doctor.
The danger of diarrhea lies in its rapid draining of the water from the tissues.
Dehydration of body minerals may result. |