What to do if my child experiences constipation due to infant formula?
Children who receive infant formula often experience slightly firmer stools than children who are breastfed. Infant formula is digested more slowly than breastmilk. Most children produce soiled nappies every day, some less frequently. Nevertheless, children should produce soiled nappies about every other day. If the stools are soft, the child is not constipated, even if they strain a little to go. If the child is constipated, you can try switching to a different infant formula or mixing some malt extract into the infant formula. The ordinary malt extract dosage is 1 teaspoon in 250 ml of milk for 2-3 of the daily meals. Malt extract can be given to newborns. If this advice does not help, please ask the mother and child health centre for support. When weaning the child onto solid foods, start by introducing whole grain products, fruits, berries and vegetables and plenty of water.
What if my exclusively breastfed child rarely has a bowel movement?
Breastmilk is good for your child’s digestion. Children who are exclusively breastfed rarely experience constipation. Children who are exclusively breastfed, i.e. given only breastmilk and vitamins, should not be given prune juice, malt extract, etc. During the first few days, most babies pass only a small amount of faeces, which is dark and sticky and referred to as meconium. When your milk comes in properly, 2-4 days after giving birth, your child will have more frequent bowel movements. It is common for children to produce two or more soiled nappies per day during the first month. After the first month, some babies have less frequent bowel movements. For some children, up to 1-2 weeks can pass between each bowel movement. This can be normal, provided the child is following the weight curve. If the child is gaining weight as normal and appears happy, this indicates that the child is getting enough food.