What causes dry stools in babies? How to prevent dry stools in babies?

Newborns often have various problems that bother their mothers, especially when the baby is unwell, the mother always doesn't know what the cause is. The baby's stool state can show recent dietary problems. Why does the baby have dry stool?

1. Insufficient breast milk. If the mother's milk is insufficient, the baby will always be in a semi-hungry state and may only defecate once every two or three days. In addition to less frequent bowel movements, there are also signs of insufficient breast milk: feeding time longer than 20 minutes, no sense of satisfaction after feeding, slow weight gain, restless sleep, etc.

2. The protein content of breast milk is too high. The mother's diet directly affects the quality of breast milk. If the mother drinks protein-rich soups such as pig's trotter soup and chicken soup at every meal, there will be too much protein in the breast milk. After the baby eats, the stool will be alkaline, hard and dry, and difficult to excrete.

3. Milk powder is not easy to digest. The raw material of milk powder is milk, which contains a lot of casein and calcium salt. It is easy to clump under the action of stomach acid and is difficult to digest.

4. The baby's stomach is not adapted. Formula milk is made from milk, and various nutrients are added to it. Some babies' stomachs are not adapted to certain milk powders, so they can't defecate after drinking a certain brand of milk powder. This is generally related to the baby's stomach, and each baby's physique is different.

5. The baby eats too little. Some babies eat too little, and after the food is digested and absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, there is little food residue left, which does not produce much pressure in the colon, so there is no urge to defecate.

6. The baby is picky eater. Some babies eat too much meat and too little vegetables and fruits, so the food contains more protein and less fiber. If the protein content is high, the stool is alkaline and tends to be dry; if the plant fiber content is too low, the colon content is small, the intestine lacks stimulation, and it is not easy to produce the urge to defecate. Some children like to eat dry food, drink too little water, and the intestinal stimulation is insufficient, which is also prone to constipation.

7. Failure to develop good bowel habits. If you develop a habit of regular bowel movements every day, you will want to defecate as soon as the time comes. This way, the feces will stay in the colon for a short time, the stool will not be too dry, and it will be easy to pass out. Some babies feel pain because of dry stools, which causes anal fissures during defecation. Children are afraid of pain and dare not defecate. The longer the interval, the more serious the constipation.

1. Babies who are bottle-fed or mixed-fed for more than 4 months can drink some fruit juice or vegetable juice. For example, boiled radish, carrot, celery, etc., or squeezed orange, apple, and watermelon juice. If the baby is too young, he should drink 1-2 spoons at first, and then gradually increase the amount if there is no abnormality.

When the baby is 5 months old, you can gradually add complementary foods. It is best to chop spinach, cabbage, greens, shepherd's purse, etc., add them to rice porridge or oatmeal and cook them together to make various delicious vegetable porridges for the baby. The large amount of fiber contained in vegetables can promote intestinal peristalsis and achieve the purpose of defecation. You can also feed some fruit purees such as bananas and apples to promote intestinal peristalsis. For babies who are exclusively breastfed, it is best to breastfeed until they are 6 months old before adding complementary foods.

2. Exercise moderately and do baby gymnastics. Insufficient exercise can also slow down intestinal peristalsis and lead to poor defecation. Mothers can often help their babies do baby gymnastics; for older babies, they can be encouraged to practice turning over and crawling by themselves, or they can be given a ball and play with them.

3. Massage your baby's abdomen appropriately: Massage the lower left abdomen. If you feel a cord-like object, gently massage from top to bottom to encourage the stool to be discharged downward.

4. Proper massage of the baby's anus can also induce physiological reflexes and promote defecation.

5. If the constipation is severe, you can give your baby appropriate Chinese medicine for clearing heat, detoxifying, and moistening the intestines under the guidance of a doctor.

6. For babies who have already developed anal fissures, for mild cases, you can use warm water sitz baths to keep the area clean; for severe cases, you must seek medical treatment from a doctor.

1. Drink more water If the baby has dry stools, parents should let the baby drink more boiled water, which can clean the intestines and promote intestinal peristalsis. Babies over four months old can drink some fruit juice or vegetable juice. Parents can squeeze carrots, apples, oranges, and watermelons for the baby to drink, which can relieve the baby's dry stools.

2. Adjust the diet. For older babies, parents can let them eat more foods containing dietary fiber, such as sweet potatoes, which can promote their bowel movements.

3. Eat more fruits and melons. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the cause of baby constipation is the dryness and heat of the body. Therefore, babies with constipation can eat more melons and fruits, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, Hami melon, etc., to eliminate the dryness and heat in their bodies. Eating dark-colored fruits can prevent constipation and colds. For example, dark-colored fruits such as mango, yellow peach, kiwi, etc. are rich in vitamin C, which has a good effect on enhancing body resistance. Eating more fruits can promote gastrointestinal motility and prevent constipation.

1. Bananas Bananas are a fruit rich in vitamins and trace elements. They can promote gastrointestinal motility and treat constipation, and are especially suitable for babies with hot bodies. However, it should be noted that bananas cannot be eaten on an empty stomach, because eating bananas will promote gastrointestinal motility and blood circulation. Eating bananas on an empty stomach will increase the burden on the heart and easily lead to other diseases.

2. Pears are sweet and cool in nature. Eating them in moderation can prevent constipation and have the effect of moistening the intestines and relieving constipation. However, it should be noted that pears are cold foods. If the baby has a cold stomach or a cold, it is not suitable to eat them.

3. Apples Apples have always been the most recommended fruit. As the saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Generally, you can give your baby some apples every morning and evening, and you can eat them with the skin. After a few days, dry stools will be relieved. But be careful not to give your baby carrots or milk after eating apples, as other chemical reactions are likely to occur, causing physical discomfort.

4. Oranges Oranges are rich in cellulose and various nutrients. Eating oranges can help promote the functioning of the baby's digestive system, which can alleviate the problem of dry stools in babies to a certain extent. But you should also be careful not to eat too much, as eating too much will harm your oral teeth.