Constipation - Frankford,WV

Updated on October 25, 2015
P.S. asks from Rochester, NY
21 answers

What can I do to help my grandson (6 mo. old) have immediate relief for constipation?

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T.C.

answers from Minneapolis on

prune baby food if he's on it, and prune juice with water. Pears are good to. My kids have had constipation issues as babies and i had them on prune juice since a few weeks old a few times a week.

2 moms found this helpful
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D.K.

answers from Washington DC on

I had to change my post, for some reason I didn't see that he was 6mo. Don't know what's wrong with me.

Anyways, you need to talk to a doctor about this. In an infant, a doctor should be handling it.

More Answers

K.J.

answers from Nashville on

My daughter has had chronic constipation since she was 5 weeks old, so I am well versed in this. Here is what our doctor suggested to try first:

Ideas-
*Rub her belly in a clockwise motion. DO NOT rub counter clockwise
*Bicycle her legs
*Give her a warm bath
*Stimulate her rectum-Our doctor suggested a rectal thermometer. It worked for us a little. Be sure to use lube though!
*Use 1/2 (cut long way to make two long pieces instead of two short pieces) of a glycerin suppository a day. They are VERY cheap at Walgreens.
*2 oz of either white grape or prune juice with 2 oz water. You could also try 4oz water with 4 tsp Kayro Syrup instead

If this is a one time thing, these should help. They didn't help my daughter very much, so we eventually had to put her on Mirolax which she is still on today at 16 months. I hope some of this helps. Good luck!

3 moms found this helpful
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D.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

Pediatricians STRONGLY encourage parents not to stimulate the anus to help relieve constipation in preference for bringing the child into the office as our hands can have harmful bacteria on them that can actually cause more issues.

The best thing to do is to introduce more fiber into his diet via foods like pears, prunes, etc. It may not be immediate relief, though.

Massaging the belly and pulling his legs into his abdomen may help if he's straining. Increasing the volume of liquids should help, but you really should contact the pediatrician because of his age to see what they recommend. When both of our kids were that age (now 2 and 4), the pediatrician didn't want them having full strength juice.

Good luck. At that age, your best bet is a call to the doctor to make sure you're following current recommendations.
http://www.healthychildren.org/english/search/pages/resul...

3 moms found this helpful
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R.Q.

answers from New York on

Has he recently started rice (or other) baby cereals? If so, he's probably getting too much fortified iron. Stop the cereal; give him some warm baths (try adding a bit of epsom salts); rub his tummy in clockwise circles; some people suggest prune juice (I don't like juices for babies, but it's an option); squat him over a potty/toilet if he's trying to have a bowel movement (it helps everything move along); sometimes a bit of oil (olive oil, coconut butter, etc) massaged around the anus can help too. Consult your doctor before using suppositories or laxatives.

3 moms found this helpful
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E.M.

answers from Washington DC on

a little karo syrup in his formula. never failed me! recommended by my (award-winning) pediatrician.

1 mom found this helpful
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K.C.

answers from Washington DC on

add some prune juice to his apple juice:-)

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J.W.

answers from Washington DC on

Is he on formula? He needs to be seen by the doctor. Constipation in infants could indicate a serious problem! We need more info!
Also, whatever advice I would give you, I would suggest first that for a six month old, you need to see a doctor...
My daughter struggles with constipation. Apple sauce and bananas make them more constipated. Juice helps them go poop. There is a laxative called Baby Lax, but you really shouldn't use it until he's been checked by a doctor...

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B.P.

answers from Washington DC on

1 ounce each of prune juice and water

Hope you find this useful. That is great that you are so helpful with your grandchild!

Take care and God bless!

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L.M.

answers from Washington DC on

I had to take a few deep breaths after reading some of the responses.
Please do NOT give that baby Karo syrup for goodness sake!!
You didn't mention if he is getting breast milk or formula.
If he is getting formula, that could be the culprit. If it's dairy, that is tremendously constipating. Also, grains can constipate. Best to only be feeding veggies and fruit at this point. Goji berries soaked and pureed. They are healing for the intestines and will help stimulate him to poop.
Also how much water is he drinking. He could be dehydrated. Pureed grapes, or soft prunes, figs or figs are great. He could have sensitivity to a food or foods as well, which can cause constipation.

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J.D.

answers from Washington DC on

When my boys were infants, one was severely constipated and constantly crying and generally in pain. We tried a few things, but the doc told us to go to the drug store and get glycerine suppositories. She said to get the child size and then break one in half.

CAREFULLY, insert this half suppository (this is gross but you have to push it in just enough that it stays, if you don't push it in enough, it will pop right back out!). Anyway, within 20 minutes, my little guy was sooooo much better - meaning, he was able to poo!

We had to do this multiple times over a 2 week period, then finally had him checked and it turns out, he was allergic to milk. We switched to soy formula and within a couple days, no more constipation or cramping at all. We got lucky, by the time he was about 2 1/2 y/o, we were able to switch back to regular milk. Now, no problems with any of it.

Good luck
J.

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A.G.

answers from Norfolk on

Glycerin suppositories work wonders....stick one in, presto, poop!

Prune juice also helps, in addition to his milk/formula.

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A.B.

answers from Washington DC on

At first, I thought you were writing about a 6-YR old grandchild. Have you tried prune juice? How about sips of water? Have you checked with his mom and dad to find out if this is a new issue? They might already have a treatment plan in place for him. If not, ask if you can contact his pediatrician to be on the safe side. One other thing that helped was gently pushing the baby's legs up toward his stomach and massaging his belly. Then, hold him upright to help the stools move further down into the rectum. Not sure what type of formula you're using, but a pediatrician can let you know if you might have to thin it a little with more water. If this is a chronic condition, and you're using a milk-based formula, you might need to consider something like a soy-based or rice-based formula. Some babies have a hard time digesting milk-based formula.

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M.P.

answers from Washington DC on

give him some prune juice

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N.S.

answers from McAllen on

make sure to look carefully in the stool consistency if playdoug hard is to hard, is it is soft as cream or match potato is perfect, apple or prune juice could help with carefully following the stool consistency, also a glycerin suppositorium if in 24 hours do not see stool if abdominal pain is intense, vomiting or now weight gaining see your pediatrician.
www.childrenshealthexperts.com

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J.D.

answers from New York on

Enema

Updated

Enema

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C.W.

answers from Washington DC on

I don't know how immediate this will be, but we used to put several drops of dark Karo syrup in my son's bottle. It usually worked like a charm.

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I.U.

answers from Washington DC on

If on the spot treatment needed, use a glycerin suppository. but prune juice, pear juice are good juices. prunes and green beans are great fruits and veggies. and miralax is over the counter and helps as well.

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M.B.

answers from Dallas on

Baby yogurt (Like Stonyfield Yo Baby) and probiotics should do the trick.

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

the only thing that will bring IMMEDIATE relief is an enema. but don't do that. karo syrup, prune juice (even if you don't want babies having fruit juice, think of this as medicinal) and massage are your best bets.
khairete
S.

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S.C.

answers from Norfolk on

If you have started purees try applesauce or prunes. Prune juice (a little& dilute it with water). Talk with the pediatrician before using any suppository.

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