30 Home Remedies for Constipation in Babies and Kids
30 Home Remedies for Constipation in Babies and Kids
Worried if your kid is pooping right or is your kid fussy about it? Understanding if your baby is constipated can help you help his/her little tummy better. Constipation in Babies can be overcome easily by these 30 home remedies.
Symptoms of Constipation in Babies and Kids
Constipation is when your kid has:
• Pooped Less than three times a week
• Stomach ache or bloating
• Pain while pooping
If you have noticed any or all of the above symptoms in your little one then the reasons for them can be:
• Low water intake: Watch how much water your baby or kid is drinking. It is important for a child to drink a sufficient amount of water.
• Any medication/vaccination: Check if you have vaccinated your baby or have given any medicines. The antibiotics can also constipate your little one.
• New Food: A specific food that you might have introduced newly can also constipate as the little tummy needs to cope with the new food. Especially when you are weaning or starting solids, a baby can suffer constipation. So make sure you also feed something that will help overcome constipation due to such food, like fruits.
Home Remedies for Constipation in Babies and Kids
Here are a few home remedies to help a baby overcome constipation. It is not always necessary to drug your little one to take out that poo from his/her stomach!
Over the body treatment (For babies below 6 months)
1.Exercises(3 months+)
Yes, even at such a young age, the baby’s body needs some sort of exercise. Probably when you give your little one a body massage you can exercise his limbs like you play so that the muscles get to move improving metabolism.
Read our article: 5 Amazing Tips for Baby Massage
2. Stomach Massage (2 Months+)
Stomach massage is very effective for treating constipation in babies. Using your fingertips gently massage the baby’s tummy in a clockwise direction. Massage helps in reducing the discomfort and pain and helps the baby to relax.
3.Warm Bath(4 weeks+)
A warm bath during bedtime can help increase metabolism during the night and your baby will poo well the next morning.
4.Betel Leaves (3 months+)
Traditionally Betel Leaves are known to improve digestion and hence will reduce chances of constipation. If you are breastfeeding, make sure you eat that pan leaf after your meal. This will ease your baby’s bowel movements. You can also heat betel leaves and place them on baby’s tummy for quick relief but make sure that the temperature of the leaf is warm and not too hot.
5. Asafoetida (3 months+)
Asafoetida or Hing is one of the most effective remedies for relief from gas and constipation due to its laxative properties. Make a paste of hing mixed with warm water and apply it around the baby’s navel and massage in a clockwise direction.
Fruits
The P Fruits: P is for poop and to poop it out give the fruits with P! Here are the fruits you can give to ease bowel movements of kids (above 6 months):
6. Prunes – Dried Plums (8 months+)
Prunes are by far the best food to relieve constipation in kids. It is rich in fiber and is a natural laxative. Dried plums are equally good as they are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber and also work as an antioxidant. If your baby is constipated you can offer Prune juice or Prunes Puree
7. Pear (6 months+)
Pears are rich in fiber and Vitamin C. Apart from this, it is one of the best natural laxatives to ease the movement of stool and in providing relief from constipation. You can either offer pear as a fruit or pear juice to your baby to ease the bowel movements.
8. Peaches (6months+)
Dried or fresh, peaches are one of the healthiest fruits for children. The fiber content is very high in the fruit, especially if you eat the fruit with the skin. Offer it in the form of puree to babies and juices to older ones.
9. Papaya (6 months+)
Papaya is one of the best fruits that work wonders in constipated babies. Papaya contains an enzyme called papain, which helps in digesting complex protein molecules and also speeds up the digestive process. Papaya is rich in dietary fiber and a natural laxative and vitamin C in papaya help in softening stools.
10. Pineapple (8 months+)
Due to its high fiber content, pineapple is considered one of the best fruits to cure constipation and irregular bowel movement. Pineapple has an enzyme called bromelain which helps to improve bowel function.
Other fruits which are the best home remedies for constipation are:
11. Banana (6 months+)
Kerala Banana is power-packed with carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins and helps to avoid constipation in babies. You can prepare Raw Kerala Banana porridge and feed your baby. Even our regular bananas make a great home remedy for Constipation. Try these recipes with Banana for Babies – Kerala Banana Powder, Banana Sooji Halwa, Kerala Banana Halwa, Instant Poha Fruit Porridge, Oats Banana Pancake.
12. Orange (6 months+)
Oranges are rich in minerals and vitamins and are extremely beneficial for kids. Oranges can help reduce the chances of constipation as it is high in fiber. If your baby is constipated, try offering orange as a whole fruit or juice.
13. Guava (8 months+)
Guava is rich in dietary fiber and helps in bringing down the symptoms of constipation in kids. Try to include one guava in your child’s diet every day.
Dried Fruits
14. Dates (8 months+)
The dietary fiber content in dates adds bulk to the stools and helps in smooth bowel movements. You can soak dates in water and consume or make dates syrup and include them in your child’s diet. Try these Dates recipes for your little ones like Dates and Walnuts Oatmeal, Carrot Kheer with Dates, Poha Kheer with Dates
15. Raisins (8 months+)
Raisins act as natural laxatives and are also a good source of insoluble fiber which helps stools to pass through the body by giving them bulk and a soft texture. Take a handful of raisins and soak it in water overnight. The next morning squeeze the juice out and have it on an empty stomach for great results.
16. Apricots (7 months+)
Apricots contain a soluble fiber called pectin which helps in the treatment of bowel syndrome and constipation. Besides this, they also contain beta-carotene, which is considered to be a powerful antioxidant. You may add a couple of apricots in milk porridge and feed your child.
17. Figs (6 months+)
Figs are a great source of fiber and can make the stool softer to easily pass stools. Figs consumed in any form like raw or dried can help cure constipation.
Add these ingredients while cooking baby food to help improve bowel movements:
18. Nutmeg (6 months+)
The fiber content in the nutmeg helps in bowel movement. Take a grinding stone and pour some milk on it and rub the whole nutmeg in a circular motion and make a paste. Offer a pinch or two of this paste to your baby. You may even add a pinch of nutmeg to the soup.
19. Ginger & Honey (1 year+)
Honey is a natural laxative and is beneficial in relieving constipation. For babies above 1 years of age, you can offer 1 teaspoon of honey and lukewarm water every day. You can even add grated ginger to this solution for better results.
20. Lemon (10 months+)
Lemon is rich in vitamins which help in treating indigestion. Have one glass of lemon juice to soften the stools and to improve bowel movements. Add lemon juice drops to any baby food you prepare to help them
21. Ghee (6 months+)
Ghee is a good source of butyric acid which helps with the proper digestion of food. A cup of warm milk with ghee is a great remedy for relief from constipation. For babies add it in porridge or serve their favorite finger food by applying ghee or giving ghee as a dip.
Also read: 10 Amazing Facts about Ghee for Babies
22. Flax Seeds (7 months+)
Flax seeds are one of the best ways to relieve constipation in babies. It contains soluble fiber and mucilage, which is a slimy, gum-like compound that provides a soothing effect and helps in digestion. You can sprinkle a spoonful of flax seeds into oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothie to ease constipation.
23. Brown Sugar (1 year+)
Because of the molasses content, Brown sugar contains nutrients like calcium, potassium, iron and magnesium. For babies above 1 year of age, you can give warm water mixed with brown sugar and a pinch of salt to improve bowel movements.
24. Ajwain / Carom Seeds (6 months+)
Ajwain is known for its efficacy in treating indigestion problems and constipation issues.
Give your child 1 or 2 spoons of luke warm ajwain water. Boil 1 cup of water with 1/4 tsp of ajwain and add a pinch of jaggery to it. Sieve the mixture and serve.
25. Cinnamon (6 months+)
Cinnamon being rich in dietary fiber is very useful in relieving the symptoms of irregular bowel movements. You can easily include it in baby or kid’s food by just sprinkling a little cinnamon powder on your baby’s oatmeal or cereals and enhance the flavor too.
26. Spinach (8months+)
Spinach or Palak is not only rich in fiber, but also an excellent source of magnesium. It helps to enhance regular bowel movement and aids in proper digestion. You can include spinach in your child’s diet either in the form of soup, khichdi, or mixed with lentils to get rid of constipation. Try these Spinach recipes for babies like Spinach Puree, Spinach Soup, Spinach Masoor Khichdi.
27. Vegetables Rich in Fiber(6 months+)
Vegetables such as broccoli, peas, carrot, beans, and cauliflower are kid-friendly vegetables that are high in fiber. Offer your baby varieties of Khichdi mixed with all these vegetables. Try these khichdi recipes for older kids Daliya Khichdi, Curd Oats Khichdi, or Sabudana Khichdi. For younger babies, you can offer Vegetable Purees.
Use these as a must in your baby’s food to reduce the risk of constipation:
28. Oatmeal (6 months+)
Oats are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber which helps soften stools. One cup of oatmeal provides 4 gms of fiber to your kid, so try to include oatmeal in the diet every day to relieve constipation. For younger babies try this 3 Oats Porridge Recipes. Older ones can be given these Carrot Oats Porridge, Spinach Oats Dosa, Instant Oats Pancake.
29. Barley (7months+)
Barley is rich in dietary fiber and helps in easy bowel movement. Consuming barley soup or water is one of the best ways to include barley in the daily diet. Try Barley Cereal, Barley Khichdi or Barley Apple Porridge for Babies.
30. Dalia (7months+)
The high fiber content in Dalia helps in digestion. It improves the consistency of the stool and helps relieve constipation. You can include a bowl of Dalia as a breakfast meal. Try these Dalia Recipes for Babies like Dalia Porridge, Daliya Paneer Khichdi, Daliya Khichdi with Moongdal
Foods to Avoid during Constipation In Babies
It is very important to watch the baby’s diet to find out what foods are causing constipation. Just like there are plenty of foods that help prevent or relieve constipation, similarly, there are also foods that have binding effects and which make constipation worse. Here is a list of foods to avoid constipation in babies.
• Rice Cereal: It is often the first solid food that parents feed their babies, but unfortunately it can cause constipation as rice is a binding grain.
• Cheese: Cheese can cause constipation in babies if taken in large quantities as it is low in fiber.
• Apple Sauce: It is better to avoid apple sauce/ puree as it contains pectin which hardens the baby’s poop.
• Bananas: Even though bananas are yummy but can cause constipation if they are not ripe, so be careful while picking them up.
• White Bread: White bread is low in fiber and it is better to avoid this during constipation. Also, avoid processed foods as they are high in fat and can make constipation worse.
• Fried Foods: Avoid fried foods during constipation as they stimulate the release of some hormones that slow down the digestion process.
When is it that you have to visit a doctor?
If your baby hasn’t passed stool and constipation lasts for more than 10 days, accompanied by fever, vomiting, and blood in the stool, then you need to seek medical care.
Video: 30 Home Remedies for Constipation in Babies and Kids
- Video in Hindi – कब्ज़ के लिए 30 घरेलू उपचार
- Video in Kannada – ಮಲಬದ್ಧತೆ ನಿವಾರಣೆಗಾಗಿ 30 ಮನೆ ಮದ್ದು
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