Constipation occurs in babies because of lack of enough liquids and fibres in their food and also inadequate exercise. Sometimes mental anxiety caused during the potty training period can also result in painful bowel movement. Here are some effective home remedies to help your baby during these times.
Tips To Help the Baby
Foods that ease bowel movements
- Sprinkle a little ground flaxseed or powdered linseed over your baby’s food.
- Juice of an apple, pear, prunes, kiwis or blueberries in an undiluted form work well.
- Give your baby a few spoons of mashed papaya.
- Boil a few pieces of guava with the seeds and blend it well. Give your baby a few sips of it.
- Give a few spoons of coconut water to the baby.
- Boil some pieces of Indian gooseberry and give that water to the baby.
- A toddler more than two years old can be given a few spoons of boiled and mashed plantain.
- High fibre foods like barley, brown rice, bran flakes or vegetables like sweet potato, tomato, beans, carrots or spinach act as natural laxatives.
- Boil water with crushed raisins and some fennel. Once cooled, give your baby that water.
- Rub the seed of a harthaki (Terminalia chebula) on a stone with a little bit of water and give the paste of it to the baby.
- Give the baby a few spoons of rock salt water every morning till the constipation eases.
- Keep warm drinking water in a copper vessel overnight and give a few spoons of the same to the baby in the morning.
- Toddlers who are around three years old can be given half a teaspoon of a mixture of warm ghee (clarified butter) and sugar.
- For toddler older than two, blend a date with a little milk and give her sips of it.
- Mix a few drops of almond oil to warm milk and give your child a few sips of it.
- Some foods cause constipation in babies. So be a little careful while giving those to them. For example, unripe bananas, eggs, excess of cow’s milk, some dairy products like cheese and ice cream.