A small child often behaves uneasily, from which parents conclude that something is hurting him. If he was recently fed, watered, he is dry, then it means a problem with his tummy, that is how the whole spectrum of problems that a baby may have is classified most often. But they somehow do not remember that he still has a head and all other organs.
And what could be wrong with the tummy? There are two extremes: diarrhea or constipation. If the first is not diagnosed, then the matter is in the second. The problem is found, we will treat it, and quite often in these cases, young mothers put the child in the ass instead of a candle. How safe this tool can be considered , why it helps and what can be considered a worthy analogue, we will talk with you now.
What can be considered constipation
Every mom should start with this. Before giving the baby drugs or performing certain manipulations with him, you need to find out what is wrong with him. Maybe you are going to treat the wrong symptom at all. Soap in the ass can be put a little later, if it is really necessary. There are criteria and certain signs by which you can say whether everything is okay with the baby.
Main criteria
First of all, you need to evaluate the frequency of the stool. To do this, you can record in order not to panic ahead of time. It is normal for an infant to breast-feed naturally to empty its intestines once every 1–5 days. And here everything is individual. You need to monitor the condition and behavior of your baby. If he is cheerful, eats normally, his tummy is soft, then no additional measures need to be taken. As soon as a fecal sausage of sufficient size is formed, it will leave the intestine.
Constipation in a newborn with artificial feeding is a more frequent occurrence. At the same time, the terms of the act of defecation are from 1 to 3 days. Less often - this is an occasion for consultation with a doctor. The fact is that mixtures are absorbed worse, which means that there are more substances left for disposal. As we have already noted, everything is individual. If the child did not go to the toilet every other day, but at the same time he cries systematically, pushes hard, groans without any visible result, then this may well indicate constipation.
Additional factors
Even if you are strongly recommended by grandmothers and mothers, do not rush to put soap in the ass. Better evaluate the condition of your crumbs by the following criteria:
- The consistency of the chair - if you observe separate, solid lumps that are difficult to advance and it takes a lot of time and effort to appear each subsequent one, then this can be considered constipation. The second option is when the sausage is formed, but it consists of dense lumps. If at the same time the newborn is very worried, crying, then we can talk about constipation.
What to consider
Only a few of these factors indicate that the child has constipation. Therefore, if the stool appears in the form of hard balls, with a delay of 1-2 days and at the same time the baby cries a lot - this is constipation. If the emptying does not occur every day, but the consistency of feces is within the normal range and the child is groaning and pushing, this is normal. Most babies are severely knotted with legs and tense with their whole body, pushing feces out. For the first year of life, this is a normal variant, since intestinal functions are only being formed. Therefore, if a child behaves calmly and smiles, eats and farts regularly, then he does not need any additional stimulation, and even more so, he does not need to put soap in his ass.
Possible causes of constipation
In small and large intestines, the work of the intestine can sometimes be disturbed, as a result of which episodic constipation develops, which then also passes itself. In this case, the children look healthy, develop well and gain weight well. Changes in the nature of the work of the intestine, not associated with any diseases, can be caused by the following reasons:
- Not enough fluid. This moment is especially important for artisans. It is not for nothing that when complaining of rare acts of defecation, pediatricians recommend giving children more water.
- Maternal malnutrition. Sometimes the same principle forms the basis of baby food. From six months, the baby begins to receive semolina, rolls, rich, thick broths. The abuse of bakery products, rice, semi-finished meat products and refined products provokes constipation in children and adults.
- Taking medications. It can be antibiotics and anticonvulsants, antispasmodics and NSAIDs.
- Constipation in a newborn with artificial feeding can be associated with improper selection of a mixture that is not suitable for him.
Upholstered stool and constipation
Sometimes it happens. The child is constantly anxious, crying, but cannot go to the toilet. After stimulation, parents find that the stool is very soft and even liquid. Does the child have constipation and what to do? Yes, this happens with congenital diseases, intestinal defects, diabetes mellitus and adrenal insufficiency. This also includes disorders in the functioning of the digestive system, most often the pancreas and liver or gall bladder.
If the stool remains soft, and the child is apathetic and lethargic, and at the same time experiences difficulties during bowel movements, rickets and lactose deficiency, hypothyroidism and some other problems can be assumed. Do not forget that only a qualified doctor must issue a verdict that the child has constipation. What to do - it will be clear during the examination.
How can I help
Soap for constipation is a reliable measure, but long outdated. Today there are tons of much more effective methods that will help to cope with the problem. A pediatrician examination is the first thing you need. In parallel, try one of several ways:
- Frequent laying on the tummy.
- Massage the abdomen in a clockwise direction.
- Warm diaper or other compress.
- Breastfeeding upon request.
- Dosing between feedings.
- The introduction of vegetable foods from 6 months.
Emergency constipation
The first thing you must remember is to eliminate the cause, and not fight the consequences. A stool delay of more than a day, accompanied by anxiety and crying, should be the reason for calling the local doctor. All recommendations regarding the need to introduce soap in the ass of the child should be immediately rejected. At the very least, refer to the fact that you will first consult with a specialist.
The first help may be the introduction of a vent pipe. This is especially important if the baby’s tummy is solid and cramped. The tube mechanically irritates the intestines, helps get rid of gases, which greatly improves the condition of the child. Mommy sometimes slightly modify the same technique and take the usual cotton swab. Lubricating with oil or baby cream, the head is inserted into the anus and rotated lightly, which allows you to irritate the skin and achieve increased intestinal activity.
The Case Against Using Soap
Why, for several generations, has it been used to treat constipation? The reason is simple: getting into the intestine, it begins to dissolve and burn mucous membranes. Of course, the body tries to get rid of the irritant. How to do it? Push out what hit him. Therefore, if you insert soap in the ass of the baby, he will begin to push hard. Doctors give a number of weighty arguments that speak against such measures:
- Intestinal acidity is 7-8, this is a normal environment. Laundry soap is the strongest alkali, which leads to the formation of burns, ulcers. All this, not counting the painful, false urge to defecate in the complete absence of feces.
- Soap has a strong antibacterial effect. We recall that beneficial bacteria live in the intestines. Violation of microflora is what scares parents of advertising all kinds of drugs to restore it.
- Too big pieces of soap can cause a bowel sprain. As a result, receptors will respond only to a very large accumulation of feces, which will lead to aggravation of constipation.
- The probability of injury to the intestines and anus by sharp edges.
- Artificial stimulation of the bowel movement prevents the proper functioning of the intestine. For this, the mechanism "felt pressure - pressed, poked" should work. And if the mother, at her whim, decides when to put the soap, no sequence arises.
We hope that these reasons are enough for parents to understand: you don’t need to put soap in the ass from constipation. This is effective as a one-time stimulation of the bowel movement, but does not solve the cause of the problem, but also adds new ones.
Enemas and special solutions
These are also unnatural bowel movements that are only suitable as a one-time measure. Their systematic use leads to the fact that the intestine is unlearned to work independently. For an enema, only clean water at room temperature is taken. For newborns, 30 ml is enough, and up to a year this amount increases to 120 ml. Be sure to consult a pediatrician before use.
The most effective and safe method of combating constipation today is considered "Dufalac" ("Lactulose"). This prebiotic is a mild laxative, it increases the amount of mass in the intestine, and also contributes to its colonization of the correct microflora.