Baby Hard Stool

There are no rules when it comes to babies producing hard stools. While there is a faction of people who strongly believe that hard stools come about as soon as solids are introduced, there is another which believed that infant formula can lead to hard stools. The truth is an unknown entity, and probably lies somewhere in between. In any and all cases, there are some easy and harmless ways to take care of hard stools in infants and very small children as well. It is always good to go with the assumption that babies suffer from hard stools or no stools at all for long periods because they may be consuming less fiber. So the first thing to do is add fiber to the baby’s intake. Fiber is most richly found in fruits such as peaches, prunes, plums, papayas and pears. If possible, these may be given to the infant fresh in liquid form. If not, then the bottled or preserved version works just as well, and would not have any harmful side effects either. The best way to give these fruits to the child would be to puree them and feed as semi liquid. Please dilute them a little with water, as giving concentrated fruit may possibly cause excessive stools. You could add water in the ratio of one part of fruit to about half a part of water.

Babies and Constipation

If this method does not work, then you could also try some other things. Apply a fine film of castor oil on the baby’s tummy, around the navel area. Place your full palm on the oil. Leave it there for some time. Castor oil is an excellent laxative, but it may strictly not be given to children before the age of 6 years. Even after that, it should be recommended by a doctor. The slight warmth of your palm will allow the oil to penetrate sufficiently into the baby’s system via the navel. This can be done only once a day. You also need to ascertain that you are giving the water to drink. Sometimes, this is an excellent remedy. Even though doctors may tell you that there is no requirement for water for the first six months of the baby’s life, understand that giving distilled water is completely harmless. If you have begun feeding the baby with cereal, you can stop this for some time and see if it makes a difference.