Constipation in infants: causes, what to do, prevention

Causes of colic in children

The causes of colic in babies differ; only a doctor can determine what exactly triggered the spasm. Most often, unpleasant symptoms are associated with the physiological characteristics of the infant’s digestive system.

The appearance of colic is influenced by:

• Lack of necessary enzymes to digest food.
• Immaturity of the nervous and endocrine systems that regulate the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Disturbances of intestinal microflora.
• Incorrect feeding technique, which causes the baby to swallow air.
• Food allergy to components of mother's milk or formula.

In some cases, spasm can be triggered by stress. In addition, it is important for a nursing mother to follow a diet and quit smoking.

If sharp abdominal pain and bloating torment a child for more than 3 hours in a row, they can be caused by complications in a small body - intestinal infections, lactase deficiency. At the same time, only 5% of colics become a consequence of more serious diseases, but to make an accurate diagnosis you need to consult a specialist.

Symptoms that urgently require the help of a pediatrician:

• elevated temperature;
• increased regurgitation;
• diarrhea;
• lethargy;
• coughing;
• allergic reactions on the skin;
• noticeable pulsation of the fontanel.

The pediatrician will help determine the cause of colic, if necessary, write a referral for tests, and prescribe the necessary medications.

Prayer for lack of mother's milk

Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos for the sake of Her Mammal Icon*

Audio:

2:25

Accept, Lady Theotokos, the tearful prayers of Your servants who flow to You. We see You in the holy icon, carrying and nourishing Your Son and our God, the Lord Jesus Christ, with milk. Even though you gave birth to Him painlessly, the mother bears the weight of sorrow and infirmity of the sons and daughters of men. With the same warmth falling upon Thy whole-hearted image and with tender loving affection, we pray to Thee, All-Merciful Lady: we sinners, condemned to the pains of giving birth and to nourish our children in sorrows Ours, mercifully spare and compassionately intercede, but our babies, as well as the one who gave birth to them, are suffering from a serious illness and deliver from bitter sorrow. Grant them health and prosperity, and their nourishment will increase from strength to strength, and those who feed them will be filled with joy and consolation, as even now, through Your intercession from the mouth of babes and those who piss, Lord Let him fulfill his praise. Oh, Mother of the Son of God! Have mercy on the mother of the sons of men and on your weak people: quickly heal the illnesses that befall us, quench the sorrows and sorrows that are upon us, and do not despise the tears and sighs of the slave in Yours. Hear us on the day of sorrow who fall before Your icon, and on the day of joy and deliverance receive the grateful praise of our hearts. Offer our prayers to the throne of Your Son and our God, that He may be merciful to our sin and weakness and add His mercy to those who know His name, as we and our children may glorify m Ty, merciful Intercessor and faithful Hope of our race forever and ever, Amen .

Translation: Accept, Lady Mother of God, the tearful prayers of Your servants who resort to You. We see You on the holy icon in your arms, carrying and feeding Your Son and our God, the Lord Jesus Christ, with milk. Even if she gave birth to Him painlessly, you know the sorrows of a mother and you see the infirmities of the sons and daughters of men. Therefore, falling warmly to Your celibate image and kissing it with contrition, we pray to You, All-Merciful Lady: we sinners, condemned to give birth in illnesses and in sorrows to feed our children, mercifully spare and compassionately intercede for our babies, also those who gave birth to them, from a difficult deliver from illness and bitter sorrow. Give them health and prosperity, so that those nourished from strength will grow in strength, and those who feed them will be filled with joy and consolation, so today, through Your intercession from the mouths of babies and nursing children, You will arrange Your praise (Ps. 8:3). O Mother of the Son of God! Have mercy on the mothers of the sons of men and on Your weak people: quickly heal the illnesses that overtake us, quench the sorrows and sorrows that oppress us, and do not neglect the tears and sighs of Your servants. Hear us on the day of sorrow who fall before Your icon, and on the day of joy and deliverance accept the grateful praises of our hearts. Offer our prayers to the throne of Your Son and our God, may He be merciful to our sins and infirmities and continue His mercy to those who know His name, just as we and our children will glorify You, the merciful Intercessor and True Hope of our generation forever and ever, Amen .

Archpriest Dmitry Sokolov. The purpose of a woman according to the teaching of the Word of God.

Prevention of intestinal colic:

• Follow feeding technique: monitor the baby’s position when feeding so that the baby does not swallow air along with food. If the baby is bottle-fed, you can change the formula only after consulting with your pediatrician. After feeding, it is recommended to raise the baby to an upright position and wait for burping.
• Do not overfeed your child. Mom must adhere to a feeding schedule. If your baby is bottle-fed, it is important to follow the rules of preparation and dosage of food recommended by your doctor.
• Place on the tummy before feeding - this will strengthen the abdominal muscles and improve digestion. You can start with a couple of minutes and gradually increase the time.
• A nursing mother must follow a diet. It is important to exclude potential allergens (chocolate, citrus fruits, eggs, seafood, milk, etc.), spicy and fatty foods, as well as laxatives and gas-inducing foods.
• Create a calm atmosphere. For the best results, it is important that the baby is calm. The mother can talk to the child, sing a lullaby, play a recording with monotonous quiet sounds (the sound of the surf, the rustling of a fan, the beating of the heart) or calm classical music.

To relieve gas, 30-60 minutes after eating, you can lightly stroke your tummy clockwise. After the massage, bend and straighten the baby’s legs several times. In some cases, warmth helps relieve an attack of colic: consult your pediatrician; perhaps a bath with soothing herbs or a warm diaper placed on the tummy will help your baby.

Appeal to the Mother of God "Mammal"

The Icon of the Mother of God “Mammal” reveals the sacred sacrament of feeding a baby, which is why young women turn to the saint for help in feeding their child.

Orthodox people turn to the Mother of God, asking for health and healing:

• diseases associated with female breasts;
• from gynecological ailments;
• serious illnesses of the child.

Prayer in front of the “Mammal” icon gives the expectant mother an easy and successful birth. Mothers with children receive powerful protection from the Virgin Mary.

From time immemorial, the Saint has been giving happiness to mothers and their little angels.

They also turn to the Mother of God for help if disputes, swearing and misunderstanding arise in the family. In this case, people say, the Saint gives “milk of the soul” to those praying. Then the couple finds peace and mutual understanding.

What does thrush look like in a child?

Any part of the oropharynx can be affected: tongue, lips, corners of the mouth, gums, mucous membranes of the cheeks, palate, pharynx, tonsils. White grains (spot coating) appear, reminiscent of curdled milk, or a film (solid coating) of a cheesy appearance. These elements are easily removed by scraping with a spatula, revealing a bright red base, sometimes with a bleeding surface. As a rule, the course of the infection is painless and has only local manifestations. General health is not affected.

Breastfeeding and the mother-child bond

1 Klaus M. Mother and infant: early emotional ties. Pediatrics. 1998;102(E1):1244-1246. — Klaus M., “Mother and Child: The Birth of Emotional Bonds.” Pediatrix (Pediatrics). 1998;102(E1):1244-1246.

2 Gómez AP et al. Kangaroo method in delivery room for full-term babies. An Esp Pediatr. 1998;48(6):631-633. — Gomez A.P. et al., “Kangaroo Mother Care for Term Babies in the Delivery Ward.” An Esp Pediatrician. 1998;48(6):631-633.

3 Crenshaw JT. Healthy birth practice #6: Keep mother and baby together—It's best for mother, baby, and breastfeeding. J Perinat Educ. 2014;23(4):211-217. — Crenshaw J.T., Physiological Childbirth Practices #6: Mother and baby should be together - it's better for the mother, for the baby and for breastfeeding. Zh Perinat Edyuk (Perinatal education). 2014;23(4):211-217.

4 Britton JR et al. Breastfeeding, sensitivity, and attachment. Pediatrics. 2006;118(5):e1436-1443. — Britton J.R. et al., Breastfeeding, Sensitivity, and Attachment. Pediatrix (Pediatrics). 2006;118(5):e1436-1443.

5 Kim S et al. Oxytocin and postpartum depression: delivering on what's known and what's not. Brain Res. 2014;1580:219-232. —Kim S. et al., Oxytocin and Postpartum Depression: What We Know and Don't Know. Brain Res. 2014;1580:219-232.

6 Uvänas-Moberg K, Prime DK. Oxytocin effects in mothers and infants during breastfeeding. Infant. 2013;9(6):201-206. - Uvenas-Moberg K, Prime DK, “Effects of oxytocin on mother and child during breastfeeding.” Infant. 2013;9(6):201-206.

7 Franklin A, Davies IR. New evidence for infant color categories. Br J Dev Psychol. 2004;22(3):349-377.https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.456.5409&rep=rep1&type=pdf - Franklin A., Davis I.R., " New evidence for color perception in infants." Br J Dev Saikol. 2004;22(3):349-377.

8 Hepper PG, Shahidullah BS. The development of fetal hearing. Arch Dis Child. 1994;6(3):F81-87. — Hepper P.J., Shahidullah B.S., “Development of hearing in the prenatal period.” Arch Dis Child. 1994;6(3):F81-87.

9 Lee GY, Kisilevsky BS. Fetuses respond to father's voice but prefer mother's voice after birth. Dev Psychobiol. 2014;56(1):1-11. — Lee J. I., Kisilewski B. S., “The fetus responds to the father’s voice, but after birth it prefers the mother’s voice.” Dev Sycobiol. 2014;56(1):1-11.

10 Partanen E et al. Prenatal music exposure induces long-term neural effects. PLoS One. 2013;8(10):e78946. — Partanen I. et al., “Listening to music during the prenatal period has long-term effects on the brain.” PLOS One. 2013;8(10):e78946.

11 Kirk E et al. A longitudinal investigation of the relationship between maternal mindfulness and theory of mind. Br J Dev Psychol. 2015;33(4):434-445. —Kirk I. et al., “A longitudinal study of the relationship between maternal orientation toward intellectual development and the child's model of mental state.” Br J Dev Psychol. 2015;33(4):434-445.

12 de l'Etoile SK. Infant behavioral responses to infant-directed singing and other maternal interactions. Infant Behav Dev. 2006;29(3):456-470. — de l'Etoile S.K., “Infant behavioral response to singing and other types of interaction with the mother.” Infant Behave Dev. 2006;29(3):456-470.

13 Moore ER et al. Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;5(3). — Moore I.R. et al., “Early skin-to-skin contact and its impact on mothers and healthy newborns.” Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Rev. 2012;5(3).

14 Doucet S et al. The secretion of areolar (Montgomery's) glands from lactating women elicits selective, unconditional responses in neonates.PLoS One. 2009;4(10):e7579. — Doucet S. et al., “The secretion of the glands of the peripapillary circle (Montgomery glands) in nursing women causes a selective unconditioned response in the newborn.” PLOS One. 2009;4(10):e7579.

15 Vaglio S. Chemical communication and mother-infant recognition. Commun Integr Biol. 2009;2(3):279-281. — Vaglio S., “Chemical communication and recognition in the mother-child pair.” Commun Integr Biol. 009;2(3):279-281.

Child nutrition

Simple carbohydrates are the main nutrient medium for fungal growth. Therefore, sweets, sugar, cookies, etc. must be excluded from the patient’s diet. Breastfeeding certainly continues.

If the child is bottle-fed or mixed-fed, then preference should be given to formulas containing probiotic microorganisms, which have the largest evidence base for their effectiveness. These are LGG and BB-12 from Chr. Hansen. It has been proven that LGG and BB-12 inhibit the growth of opportunistic microorganisms and fungi, protect against the development of caries and infections, and effectively prevent atopic eczema. Nutrilak Premium Comfort is enriched with LGG probiotic.