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Disclaimer: We are not medical doctors. We are parents who have experienced the following with our children and wish to offer the helpful advice we received when facing these situations, as well as sharing what our own experiences have taught us. With any medical condition, one should ALWAYS seek the help and guidance of a practicing physician.
In infants under a year old - Stop here and call a physician for advice. There is nothing worse than seeing your baby or child struggle in pain and seeming to beg you for help, when there is so little you can do at a time like this. However, there are things you can do - both now, to get things going - and long term to keep this from happening again and to keep it from becoming a chronic condition. If we do not make alterations to diet and activities in the early stages, this can carry over for the long term and become an even more severe problem. When it comes to constipation in infants and toddlers, one needs to focus on diet. To keep them going regular, they need a lot of fiber and fluids and a small intake of dairy. One wants to treat this problem with a change in diet, so it does not become a vicious cycle with repeated incidence of constipation. With repeated incidence of constipation, they begin to notice a pattern of bowel movements bringing pain, so they will hold it back, causing it to happen again. (and again, and again ...) Some foods that are recommended are fruit (raisins, prunes YES bananas and applesauce NO), vegetables (brocolli and peas YES carrots and potatoes NO). Oatmeal - oatmeal cookies, graham crackers, shredded mini wheats for a snack, popcorn is great if they are old enough to handle eating it. Wholegrain breads, cereals, rice, muffins, YES. White bread, white rice, etc. NO. Things like spaghetti (pasta etc) are considered a neutral but if having problems with regularity, one should try to limit the consumption of these, to make room for the other recommended food items. If your child really likes pasta dishes, try mixing in the recommended vegetables with it. Stay away from dairy products as much as possible (milk, cheese, yogurt etc.) while they are constipated and limit the consumption of these if constipation seems to happen now and again. Sometimes it is easy to not even notice how much dairy they are taking in every day. Yogurt for a snack, milk in the bottle, then mac and cheese for lunch, another milk bottle ... and on and on ... it adds up. (and builds up inside). If they refuse to drink water or fruit juice (as my child does) they recommend diluting the milk with 1/3-1/2 water when constipated, just to increase fluid intake. Also continue to push water and juices, to see if they will give in from time to time. What I found that helped were freezer pedialyte/juice pops or popsicles. When they won't drink water or fruit juice, this gets juice (with electrolytes) down them in a disguised manner. DARK Karo syrup (1 TBSP mixed with water or blended in with food or drink) can help to loosen things up. A warm bath - to soak in a warm tub for 20 minutes can relax the muscles and help get things going. Massaging their tummy with gentle pressure with your fingertips can help trigger normal bodily functions - about 3 fingers width below their belly button, gently massage with a bit of continued pressure - Continue for about 20-30 minutes if they will allow you to. Helping them by lifting their knees to their chest, to enable the urge to push can help at times. However, if they are in a great deal of pain they may not want this - be sensitive to their needs when it comes to this. Keep them as active as possible. If they are sitting / lying down a lot - get them up crawling or walking - playing on the go as much as possible. This will help the body to stimulate the reflexes needed to start the process. Of course when constipation is causing a lot of intense pain, they will not feel like being active - they will want held, cuddled or walked in your arms. If the above items do not work - call your doctor for further suggestions. There are other steps one can take, but because they include OTC medications and/or minimal medical type procedures, we do not feel at liberty to discuss them, because you really need to have interaction with your physician before using any of these methods, to insure the health and welfare of the child. On call nurses / doctors can offer helpful advice if it becomes worrisome in the wee hours of the night. ~AND~ if any other symptoms develop or you feel that motherly instinct of "something is just not right" ... Seek Medical Attention. These can be so much more harmful than helpful. REMEMBER: Stay calm cool and collected - Talk calmly to them - be soothing, not emotional. Remain focused on the situation - pay attention to intensity, length of episode, what seems to help or hinder, previous 72 hr diet prior to onset, and stay in touch with the doctor if it does not seem to be correcting itself or if it intensifies or other symptoms appear, even slight. <<<- (2007) RETURN TO TOP |
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Disclaimer: We are not medical doctors. We are parents who have experienced the following with our children and wish to offer the helpful advice we received when facing these situations, as well as sharing what our own experiences have taught us. With any medical condition, one should ALWAYS seek the help and guidance of a practicing physician.
Teething is sometimes of great concern to new parents. While some babies seem to brisk through it without seeming to notice, others see to struggle with the pain and discomfort for what seems like eternity to a caring parent. Another twist is all babies seem to teethe at different times. Some begin the process in the first three months, while others seem to sport their first shiny new tooth near their first birthday. Because of this, some recommendations may not be practical for your teething wee one. Please use your own discernment about which things may work with your own child. COLD: Ice cube wrapped in a rag - (do not give to the child, as they may choke on the ice cube) but rub this on the baby's gums, to bring soothing comfort. COLD: Giving baby a cold, wet teething cloth or toy, will give them control of where they wish to chew for relief. (See KAMMI Doll in the Review Center, under Infants) MASSAGE: Rubbing their gums with your (clean) finger can bring a little soothing relief. MASSAGE: Teething rings provide relief, by allowing them to chew on a textured surface. (See Baby Buzzr Vibrating Soother in the Review Center, under Infants) MEDICATE: Teething ointments, available OTC can be of help. Check with your physician on how often this should be administered. MEDICATE: * If sporting a fever, you will want to call the physician to see which pain/fever reducer they may recommend, if any. If it is just discomfort, the following tips may prove helpful. WARNING: Do not let them chew on harmful objects. Even keys, which I remember my parents allowing babies to chew on, carry harmful bacteria and can seriously injure a child. Keep the keys for the door and the car, and purchase an inexpensive teething aide for baby. <<<- (2007) RETURN TO TOP |
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