How and what to feed a baby when teething

Teething symptoms

The body reacts to the appearance of chewing organs with discomfort and pain.

1. The baby cries, is capricious, puts everything in his mouth because his gums itch.
2. Profuse salivation appears. This can provoke coughing, even with vomiting.
3. Inflammation of the gums in a child is diagnosed.
4. Often there is a symptom such as an allergy. Redness is visible in the area of ​​the cheeks and chin.
5. Children's temperature rises and their tummy becomes hard.
6. The functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted. This manifests itself in the form of flatulence, diarrhea or irregular bowel movements. The child is constantly pushing.
7. The body's defenses are reduced.

The same symptoms have different causes. Therefore, you should not make a diagnosis yourself. When warning signs are noticed, it is better to seek the services of a qualified doctor. Parents should not ignore discomfort in the tummy, excessive straining during bowel movements, regular colic, and the appearance of dense feces in the form of separate fragments.

Symptoms of diarrhea with mucus

Diarrhea is not an independent disease, but a separate symptom. When it appears, it is important for parents to pay attention to the frequency of stool in the child, its abundance and consistency.

Normally, a child over one year old should have stool no more than 1-2 times a day. Feces are usually dark brown, shaped, and hard. There should be no visible impurities. With diarrhea, the stool becomes thinner, sometimes to the point where there are no solid particles at all13.

Diarrhea with green mucus most often occurs due to a bacterial infection3. When the large intestine is affected, stools are usually repeated, but not too abundant. In addition to mucus, it sometimes contains blood or pus2,7.

Food allergies can manifest as colicky abdominal pain, frequent loose stools with the discharge of glassy mucus11. The persistence of loose stools is a reason to suspect more serious problems, primarily of a non-infectious nature2.

With an intestinal infection, diarrhea is accompanied by abdominal pain - usually it is quite strong and cramping. It is painful for the child to go to the toilet, sometimes he has a false urge to defecate - tenesmus3.

The situation requires close attention from parents if loose, mucous stools are accompanied by additional symptoms7:

• Vomiting of undigested food debris or bile, sometimes mixed with blood;
• Increased body temperature – fever;
• Chills and weakness;
• Rare urge to urinate;
• Flatulence - bloating;
• Body aches, muscle pain;
• Skin rash;
• Loss of appetite;
• Drowsiness or, conversely, emotional excitement;
• The stool is black.

With severe diarrhea, children become dehydrated and complain of extreme thirst. Due to malabsorption of nutrients due to diarrhea, the child loses weight7.

If episodes of diarrhea with mucus recur and are accompanied by other alarming symptoms, it is necessary to show the child to a pediatrician7. The doctor will make the correct diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment.

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Causes of constipation

The appearance of irregular bowel movements can be affected by the introduction of complementary foods at 4.5 - 6.5 months. The rapid addition of juices, purees, cereals and the transition to artificial nutrition strengthens the stool. The more aggressively and quickly the diet changes, the more often the baby experiences constipation during teething. After all, the digestive system reacts difficultly to this process. But the cause of the problem may not only be related to this.

• Because of the tooth mucous membranes and pain, the baby loses his appetite. Therefore, there is simply nothing for feces to form in the intestines.
• During this period, some enzymes are actively produced, which changes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
• The child drinks little clean water, so there is not enough liquid for formed stool. It becomes hard and dry.
• When the first teeth appear, children begin to chew carefully and diligently, and food is better absorbed. This is a provoking factor for reducing stool mass.

Constipation during teething in a child occurs due to improper nutrition of the mother. When breastfeeding, mothers should not eat foods that have strengthening properties. Also, irregular stool occurs due to the passive behavior of the toddler due to a painful condition.

How to help your child with constipation

Constipation cannot be ignored, hoping that the baby’s digestion will improve on its own. This condition always causes discomfort to the child. Please note that constipation is not necessarily associated with infrequent bowel movements. A child may poop every day, but at the same time strain, experience pain, and his stool will be formed and hard - and these are already signs of constipation. But if a baby sucks the breast with appetite, sleeps soundly, actively plays and soils his diapers, for example, after a day or two, this is most likely not constipation, but a peculiarity of his digestion.

If you are not sure whether your child’s stool is normal, be sure to consult your pediatrician. There is no need to do an enema, much less use “grandmother’s” recipes involving soap and a thermometer for prevention – “just in case.” (By the way, there are no cases at all for a thermometer and soap; these methods are simply unacceptable!) To help a child with constipation, you need to understand which condition is no longer the norm and determine the reason why the digestion failed. By eliminating it, you will save the child from the consequence - constipation. For a breastfed baby, the norm is yellow, homogeneous, mushy stool from 1-2 to 5-7 times a day. There should be no admixture of mucus and blood in it, only inclusions of white cheesy lumps are allowed. The smell should not be offensive, but simply sour. In bottle-fed children, the stool is denser and darker; as a rule, it happens less often: 1-3 times a day.

The stool of a baby of the first year may change, that is, become more liquid or denser, during transition periods when the child adapts to new conditions, in particular, to a new diet:

For example, constipation may be:

1. In the first weeks of life;
2. When switching to artificial feeding;
3. When changing formula milk;
4. During the introduction of complementary foods.

A variety of circumstances can cause constipation - from a simple mistake in diluting the mixture to congenital diseases of the digestive system. Among the most common reasons are:

• Lack of fluid, for example, preparing a more concentrated mixture than recommended by the instructions, or introducing thick complementary foods (for example, when preparing porridge, you took less water to dilute it)
• Physical or psychological discomfort associated with defecation, including irritation of the skin around the anus due to diaper dermatitis.
• Disruption of the intestinal microflora due to an infection or the use of antibacterial drugs can lead to slower peristalsis, that is, a slower movement of food through the intestines.
• Frequent uncontrolled use of enemas and certain medications, such as enzymes or laxatives. All this disrupts the natural course of digestion: it slows down peristalsis, teaching the child to defecate only after additional medicinal or mechanical influence.
• Diseases not directly related to the digestive system: rickets, hypothyroidism, iron deficiency anemia, etc.

Thus, to prevent constipation, a nursing mother needs to drink enough liquid herself: at least 2 liters per day. In the first month of a baby’s life, you need to feed on demand, and when a more or less stable regimen is established and before complementary feeding is introduced, breastfeeding should be given at intervals of no more than 3 hours during the day and 4-5 at night. For a bottle-fed baby, you need to dilute the formula according to the instructions, without violating the proportions of dry product and water.

After introducing complementary foods, regardless of the type of feeding, you need to offer additional water - a total of approximately one feeding per day, that is, 150-200 ml. If a child is prone to constipation, then the first complementary food should be vegetables, not cereal. Carefully monitor the baby's cleanliness: wash rather than use wet wipes when changing a dirty diaper, and if necessary, use diaper cream or baby powder. Do not force him to sit on the potty.

If a baby poops less than once every 36 hours, and a bottle-fed baby does not poop every day, if during the process the child strains or cries with effort, if the feces are formed and hard, contact your pediatrician.

The doctor will determine whether you are constipated or not and will advise you on how to regulate your drinking regime and nutrition in your situation, and if necessary, will prescribe procedures and medications.

It is important!

Do not self-medicate. Constipation is not a harmless disorder; it can lead to serious health problems for the child.

How to help your baby

All therapeutic procedures must be prescribed by a doctor. Self-treatment is dangerous for the health of the baby. Those recipes offered by traditional healers may not be suitable for a newborn baby. Pharmaceutical preparations for children are available in the form of pleasant-tasting syrups. Kids don't refuse them. By turning to pediatric dentistry, parents can be confident in the success of the therapy. When the symptoms of the disease begin to subside, you should not stop taking the medications. This is done with the doctor's permission.

Natural laxatives include fruit purees made from fresh apples or apricots. They are baked in the oven, peeled from the rough crust, and ground. This supplement is usually allowed to be introduced into the diet in small portions from 4.5 months. If the intestines “like” complementary foods, the dose is gradually increased. The pediatrician may prescribe mild sedatives. After all, the nervous system takes an active part in the formation of units.

The mother of the baby should also follow the diet. She can eat dried apricots, prunes, and limit starchy dishes from rice, pasta, and potatoes. Flour products should be consumed with stewed vegetables. After all, everything that a mother eats enters the newborn’s body with her milk. For children in this condition, play activities in the form of moving their legs, arms, and lightly stroking their tummy are useful. When artificial feeding, you need to replace wheat and rice mixtures with buckwheat or oatmeal. A special teether with rough spikes will calm the nervous system, which reduces itching of the gums.

What should be considered constipation in an infant?

It is understandable that the lack of stool in a baby causes concern for parents and often becomes the reason for unnecessary self-medication. On the other hand, lack of basic knowledge about the proper frequency of bowel movements in children sometimes leads to delays in necessary treatment and complications. Therefore, first, let’s figure out what constipation is.

According to generally accepted opinion, constipation in babies under three months of age is considered to be a delay in bowel movements for 2-3 days. If difficulties with bowel movements persist for two or more weeks, they speak of chronic constipation.2,3. At the same time, the frequency of stool decreases (in comparison with individual characteristics3), the feces become dense, fragmented, and acquire an unpleasant putrefactive odor.

To empty the intestines, the child strains hard and for a long time, his face turns red, his legs are drawn up to his stomach. Sometimes the contents of the rectum are so hard that they injure the delicate mucous membrane and cause painful cracks to form. In this case, the baby cries, and a strip of scarlet blood appears on the surface of the stool.

Constipation affects the general condition of the baby. He experiences pain and bloating in the abdomen, popularly called “colic,” he eats poorly, becomes lethargic and moody.

It is the appearance of common symptoms of constipation in a breastfed newborn that serves as a guideline for diagnosis4. If they are absent, the child eats well, does not spit up, gains weight normally, the condition is considered to be “pseudoconstipation”, which does not require any intervention4.

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What not to do

First of all, don't wait for the problem to go away on its own. Repeated and prolonged bowel movements in infants always require consultation with a pediatrician.

In addition, it is not recommended:

• feed the baby strictly according to the clock - the baby himself “knows” how much milk he needs and when; feeding on demand promotes normal bowel function and, in addition, stimulates lactation in the mother;
• supplementing breastfeeding after regurgitation: this is a normal act that helps the baby get rid of air and excess food trapped in the stomach;
• supplement the baby with formula or completely switch to artificial feeding, believing that the baby does not have enough milk - the guideline for the fact that he has enough food should be good sleep and normal weight gain;
• frequently use a gas tube, resort to enemas and other methods of stimulating bowel movements;
• use traditional methods of stimulating the rectum, for example, inserting a piece of soap into the anus: soap irritates the mucous membrane and can cause a chemical burn; the laxative effect can be achieved using gentle means, for example, MICROLAX® microenemas;
• take medications without consulting a doctor - all of them can enter the child’s body along with milk and affect his body in general and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract in particular.

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What to do for constipation in a newborn while breastfeeding

You need to act based on the cause of constipation. When organic constipation is diagnosed, treatment for the underlying disease is prescribed by a doctor. Solving the problem leads to normal bowel movements.

For functional constipation, doctors recommend:

Breastfeed2.

Breast milk, containing the mother’s immune factors, provides the baby’s natural protection from infections, promotes the formation of his intestinal microflora and the development of the digestive system as a whole2. In case of weak lactation and lack of breast milk and unstable stool with a tendency to constipation in a child, doctors recommend supplementary feeding with adapted milk formulas with the addition of prebiotics2. They help maintain intestinal microflora, on which digestion partly depends2.

Follow the diet of a nursing mother

The composition of breast milk directly depends on the mother's nutrition, therefore, by changing nutrition, you can influence the baby's diet4. For the functioning of the baby’s gastrointestinal tract, it is important to maintain a water regime, vegetables, fruits, cereals, wholemeal bread eaten by the mother, that is, foods high in fiber4. You should limit the consumption of foods that provoke increased gas formation: cabbage, onions, tomatoes, rice, legumes, black bread, pears, grapes, mushrooms, pickles, smoked meats and spices3.

Prunes, dried apricots and simple boiled beets will help as a natural laxative during breastfeeding for constipation in a newborn - you just need to include them in the diet.

Fermented milk products are useful for maintaining intestinal microflora2. But if a child is diagnosed with intolerance to cow's milk, the nursing mother will have to completely abandon dairy products made from it4.

Keep your child physically active

A well-organized daily routine and physical activity are the most important factors in the treatment of constipation in a child2. Physical activity is selected individually according to the age of the child2. For newborns and infants during the first 5 months of life, their natural activity and special gymnastics are sufficient2. It is very important that clothes do not restrict the child’s movement and allow him to independently improve his motor skills in the process of exploring the world.

Do a belly massage

First of all, after feeding, you must keep the baby in an upright position so that he burps air, and then lay him on his tummy.

Abdominal massage involves lightly stroking the tummy in a clockwise direction, that is, in a circle, starting from the right iliac region and ending with the left iliac region. In this case, the child should lie on his back. At the end of the procedure, you need to hold the ankle joints and press the baby’s legs one by one to the tummy. This stimulates the passage of gases and bowel movements.

Use gas-reducing products wisely

A large amount of gases stretches the intestinal walls, weakens its peristalsis and leads to colic. Dill water, light fennel tea, and simethicone-based medications can relieve symptoms associated with constipation4.

In some cases, means that help mechanically remove gases from the intestines are useful, for example, a gas tube or enemas4. However, their frequent use aggravates the problem of constipation: the baby’s gastrointestinal tract begins to “become lazy” and ceases to independently perform its functions3.

Microclysters MICROLAX®

In the complex treatment of constipation in breastfed newborns, microenemas occupy a special place. They promote bowel movements and thereby alleviate the baby’s suffering.

MICROLAX® for children from 0 years old was created for the smallest children, equipped with a special short “spout” and can be used from birth to 3 years6. The drug contains sodium citrate, which displaces water from the stool, sodium lauryl sulfoacetate, which thins the contents of the rectum, and sorbitol, which stimulates the flow of water into the intestines6.

By enhancing each other's action, MICROLAX® components are able to soften stool and facilitate bowel movements6. In this case, the effect of the drug can begin in 5-15 minutes6.

It is important that the effect of MICROLAX® is limited to the final intestine. It is not absorbed, does not enter the general bloodstream and therefore does not affect the functioning of other organs and systems6.

For ease of use, MICROLAX® is available in the form of a disposable microenema equipped with a shortened spout tip6. It is enough to break off the seal and the microenema with 5 ml of the drug will be ready for use.

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