Is your newborn baby healthy? What do you need to know about a newborn when going to the hospital?

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Healthy newborn: general information, birth weight, concepts of premature and post-term newborn

If a child was born at 36 weeks and 6 days or earlier, he is considered premature, if more than 42 full weeks - post-term. Gestational age is calculated from the first day of the woman's last menstrual period and is measured in weeks. Conditions of prematurity and postmaturity are often associated with many different diseases, including life-threatening ones, so such children must be observed by an experienced neonatologist.

Children weighing less than 2.5 kg at birth are small, and those weighing more than 4 kg are large. Even if the baby was born on time, its weight may not be normal. Such children also require closer attention and in-depth examination.

Height, circumference of the head and chest of the newborn

Normally, the height of a newborn at birth is 45-56 cm. On average, about 50 cm. It is logical that premature babies have a shorter height - this is not a sign of inharmonious development.

The circumference of the chest is measured with a measuring tape, which is placed behind the corners of the shoulder blades (the lowest point of the shoulder blades), and in front above the nipples. Normal values ​​for the chest circumference of a full-term newborn are 33-35 cm.

To measure the circumference of the head, you need to place a measuring tape at the back of the most protruding point of the back of the head, and in front, hold it directly above the eyebrows. Normally, this figure is 33 - 37.5 cm; it should not exceed the chest circumference by more than 2-4 cm. Measuring the head is an indispensable procedure in diagnosing diseases of the central nervous system. During the first week of life, the head must be measured every day. Normally, during the first month of life, the head grows no more than 3-4 cm; if the head grows more intensively (more than 0.3 - 0.5 cm per day), this indicates the development of hydrocephalus, a very serious disease. This rule does not work for children in the first days of life. During the first 24 hours, the circumference of the head may increase by 1.0 - 1.5 cm - this is the head regaining its normal shape after passing through the narrow birth canal.

Newborn's first cry

Apgar score

Newborn's first meeting with mother: skin-to-skin contact

Newborn's first feeding

Newborn body temperature

Newborn skin color

Head shape and fontanel

Just above the forehead, along the midline of the head, a newborn has a soft, pliable area - a large fontanel. In this place, the cranial vault has not yet completely ossified. The normal size of a large fontanel is 1-3 cm. A larger fontanel can occur in premature, immature children, as well as with increased intracranial pressure (in this case it also bulges). Children with a small fontanel usually develop normally, only in some cases it leads to the development of a neurological problem. Some neuropediatricians prescribe such children to “cry for 5 minutes – 3 times a day.” During crying, intracranial pressure increases and the bones of the skull “diverge,” promoting the growth of the head.

Newborn breathing

The concept of newborn tone: “fetal position” and hypotonicity

Sleep and wakefulness

First stool and urination

Sometimes meconium passes prematurely in the womb. In this case, gynecologists talk about “dirty amniotic fluid.” This often occurs with intrauterine infection of the fetus and if the mother received narcotic painkillers or “medicated sleep” during childbirth.
This is a rather dangerous condition, since meconium can enter the respiratory tract and disrupt the breathing activity of the newborn.

In the first 3 days, the newborn urinates rarely, 2-4 times a day. The first urination usually occurs between 12 and 24 hours of life. Gradually, the number of urinations increases, reaching 20-25 times by the 7-10th day of life.

What if the newborn is sick?

Health – what is it? Definition of health according to WHO.

From the moment of birth, the most key signal for a child until he learns to speak normally and explain himself in words is crying. At an early age, it belongs to the universal mechanism of communication; with it, the baby expresses the whole palette of his feelings and emotions, demonstrates his desires and emotions. It often happens that a newborn often screams and cries, giving no peace to himself or his parents. What could be causing sleep problems and his cries? How to recognize a child’s signals and promptly eliminate their causes?

Development of crying and sleep problems

For a newborn baby, crying is a way to signal any unpleasant, uncomfortable or painful sensations.

When a newborn is healthy and well-fed, nothing bothers him; he spends most of the time in the first weeks of his life sleeping. Therefore, for the most part, through crying, the child expresses his emotions, complains of poor health, and parents should not ignore such signals.

But young parents often do not understand why the child screams, sobs inconsolably and cannot fall asleep. Gradually, over time, they already distinguish the source of problems by the intonation and strength of the cry, its tone and the behavior of the baby. There are relatively simple and easily remediable causes of lack of sleep and crying, although more serious, painful and dangerous conditions are quite possible.

The main causes of crying in newborns

There are completely physiological and obvious reasons for crying in children, because of which he cannot sleep. These include:

When applied to the breast or when the baby is given a bottle of formula, he calms down and becomes quiet. Infants can also quench their thirst by latching on to the breast, and for this, breastfeeding babies need to be given water in a bottle. At first, until an approximate feeding rhythm has been established, the baby may often cry when he is hungry.

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It is important not to ignore the baby’s demands, waiting for a certain hour for feeding, otherwise the crying will turn into hysterics, during which it will be extremely difficult to calm and feed the raging baby. If the baby is immediately understood and fed on time, he usually falls asleep.

Crying and sleep problems when overstimulated

Most often, a child cannot sleep and screams or cries due to overexcitation. His nervous system is very vulnerable and immature; it often needs rest in order to restore efficiency, control the functioning of all organs and systems and develop.

Exhaustion of nervous processes occurs the sooner the younger the baby is.

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If, simultaneously with fatigue, the child received too many new impressions and emotions, this will lead to even greater fatigue of his nervous system. As a result, the child cannot sleep, although he is very tired, which is why he screams, cries and cannot calm down. As a result, hysterics are formed with choking screams and cries, which greatly frightens parents.

It is important to avoid overwork and hysterics, monitoring the condition and well-being of the baby. This can be achieved by observing a strict daily routine, where there will be enough time to sleep, all the necessary hygiene procedures and all the conditions for a comfortable stay and falling asleep. This is a cozy and clean room, well ventilated, with a comfortable temperature and humidity. You should not create crumbs of ideal silence for sleep from birth; he should sleep under normal family living conditions, this will help make sleep less sensitive and intermittent.

To prevent the child from becoming overexcited, doctors do not recommend his presence at noisy and public events, concerts and long trips. It is worth at least for the first time to protect him from a large number of guests and strangers. This will not only give the child peace of mind, but will also protect him from unnecessary encounters with infections, which can also disturb sleep and lead to crying.

If the child is tired after visiting guests, has not slept for a long time and has started screaming, you need to pick him up, put him to your chest, rock him in your arms and calm him down. Some children benefit from tight swaddling or wrapping in a blanket, while others benefit from a warm bath, which relaxes and soothes the baby.

Sleep problems and crying in bowel disorders

Often a child cannot sleep and constantly cries due to problems with natural needs - defecation or urination.

Many children may cry or whine before emptying their bladder, even if there are no health problems, simply not understanding what is happening to them and being frightened by this fact. In this case, there is no need to worry; usually there are light whimpers followed by wetness of the diaper. However, sleep disturbances and constant crying, wiggling of legs and screams when urinating, or strong straining before wetting your panties are an alarming sign. This may be a sign of abnormalities in the structure of the urinary tract, inflammation in the area of ​​the bladder walls, and in boys, problems with the penis and its structure.

If a child is constantly restless, the process of urine excretion leads to screaming, and the body temperature also rises, you should immediately consult a doctor and get tested (at least general tests).

Often, problems with bowel movements also lead to sleep disorders and crying with screams. Especially against the background of artificial feeding, which leads to incorrect selection of the formula, inaccurate dilution, or lack of fluid in the body. Defecation is especially unpleasant if there are cracks in the anus, due to straining and dense stool. In this case, the baby will toss and turn and groan, wince and scream loudly, especially against the backdrop of a long absence of stool. Because of screams and constant fruitless attempts, the baby sleeps poorly, his tummy is swollen, and it is important to consult a doctor to identify and eliminate the causes of constipation.

Poor sleep and crying due to colic In the period from approximately three weeks of age to three months, when the intestinal wall gradually matures and the formation of microflora occurs, many children suffer from diseases that literally plague some children and deprive them of rest and sleep. Colic is not a disease, it is a temporary and transient phenomenon associated with the accumulation of gases in the intestines

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Signs of colic will be sharp crying and screaming with tucking in the legs and straining, redness of the face, bulging of the fontanel, sometimes with transitions into hysterics. The cry is sharp and loud, painful, with arching in the arms, tension in the abdomen.

It is important that parents know how to help their baby to alleviate his condition. You need to massage the tummy, bend the legs to help expel gas, carry him in your arms with his tummy down, rock him and soothe him. If colic has become daily and severe, sometimes you can help with medications that a doctor can recommend; they are selected individually; they do not always help and not all children.

Temperature disturbances as a cause of crying

If adults, having a perfect thermoregulation system and the ability to dress or undress according to the weather, do not suffer much from temperature fluctuations, then for newborns this is a serious problem. They are extremely uncomfortable both in freezing and overheating conditions, but they cannot unwrap themselves or dress warmer, and therefore they sleep poorly and cry. At an early age, hypothermia is dangerous, if it is severe and prolonged, and for this it is necessary for the baby to be undressed for at least half an hour in an extremely cool room, or even in the cold. In other cases, with mild freezing, children, by waking up, screaming and crying, actively moving their legs and arms, activate their metabolism and warm up. This is a defense mechanism. After they have calmed down and warmed up, sleep returns to normal.

But overheating for a child is much more dangerous than slight freezing, since in this case the protective mechanisms do not work, especially if there is thick swaddling or a large amount of clothing carefully put on the baby by mothers and grandmothers.

Overheating leads to inhibition of metabolic processes, suppression of the immune system and disruption of brain development.

During the newborn period and the first six months or so, the sweating mechanisms are imperfect, and the baby cannot fully cool the body. Then sleep suffers, the baby cannot fall asleep and screams, cries, and blushes. In the area of ​​skin folds, against the background of overheating, there may be diaper rash and prickly heat throughout the body, which only increases the discomfort and suffering of the baby. Itching and pain of the skin, redness and the risk of infection further disrupt sleep and constantly provoke crying. In this case, it will be constant and monotonous, on one note, with the transition to whimpers, or flow into hysteria.

Restless sleep and crying

Many parents are extremely concerned about their children's poor sleep, with constant waking up and crying in their sleep, after which it is difficult to put them back to sleep. This is due to several reasons, usually easily removable and not dangerous, but requiring the attention of mom and dad. This:

You should not wait for the baby to fully awaken and scream; you need to immediately respond to his signals by picking him up and calming him, putting him to his chest or giving him a bottle or pacifier. This will help you not go into hysterics and calm down, falling asleep peacefully.

External causes, discomfort and crying

If the baby is not hungry and not tired, and he cries and does not want to sleep, the reasons for this may be quite banal inconvenience from wet diapers, a leaky or overfilled diaper, or chafing seams of clothes. It is important to timely select diapers by size, so that they do not press or rub the delicate skin, and also change them in a timely manner so that stool and urine do not irritate the perineum and do not lead to painful sensations.

Painful Causes of Sleeping and Crying Disorders

They can cause poor restless sleep or difficulty falling asleep, as well as causes of hysterics and crying, the presence of skin diseases, or. Thus, against the background of skin pathologies and allergic rashes, severe itching of the skin usually occurs, which simply does not allow one to sleep, the child screams, rubs against the crib, worries, his condition can be alleviated by consulting a doctor and determining the cause of the skin lesion, using local or systemic drugs against inflammation and itching, allergies.

In most children, teething begins after six months, but some may experience this phenomenon earlier. Therefore, one of the leading problems in the second half of the year, which leads to hysterics, crying and sleep disorders, is discomfort in the gum area with itching, swelling and unpleasant sensations. Often the baby puts everything in his mouth, tries to chew toys and sucks his fists, he has a lot of saliva. In these cases, special cooling teethers, dryers, rubber toys, as well as the use of teething gels for severe anxiety can help.

What are the dangers of frequent crying and sleep disorders?

Many parents and the older generation do not see anything wrong with their children’s crying, letting them “scream it out” and making no attempt to calm them down. This is not a physiological method of dealing with crying, whatever the reason, especially if the child also sleeps poorly.

Crying loads and overstimulates the nervous system, threatening the development of “rolling” with periods of respiratory arrest and acute hypoxia of the brain.

This will have an extremely negative impact on the development of the child, leading to nervousness and anxiety, difficulties in learning and disinhibition of arousal processes.

Alena Paretskaya, pediatrician, medical columnist

How to understand why a recently born baby is crying?

Should I call a doctor urgently or can I cope on my own?

These questions are often asked by young mothers on forums and social networks.

The reason is ignorance of the rules of behavior. The baby learns to live in a new space. Parents have no experience communicating with a stranger. Find out how to understand your baby and what to do to relieve his suffering. Learn to adapt to each other.

Why might a one-week-old baby cry? Reasons and recommendations

Newborn children tend to attract the attention of others by screaming: they do not know how to express their needs in any other way. A baby's cry is a manifestation of the body's reaction to pain, hunger or fear.

It is more difficult to determine the cause of crying in a baby under one month. This is a period of active adaptation of the body to a new environment for a newborn child. The older the fool, the easier it is to determine the source of anxiety. After satiation, a one-month-old baby falls asleep for 1.5-2 hours. A fed younger baby often has other reasons for crying (for example, colic).

Depending on the character and temperament, each child shows dissatisfaction in his own way. There are temperamental children who react to minor discomfort with dozens of decibels of screaming. Being quiet is another matter. Patient little ones are focused on themselves and do not seek to capture the attention of people around them. A common reaction from introverts is to grunt and whine.

• Additional help - reading the "language" of the baby's body:
• flexion and extension of legs;
• waving arms;

movements of facial muscles.

Baby's crying: what to do to overcome hysteria?

Many mothers are concerned about the question: “Should we take our babies in our arms?” The answer depends on the baby's adaptability and the cause of the discomfort. If the source of discomfort has not been eliminated, it is useless to reassure the child.

A prerequisite for stopping screaming is an even mood. Parents are strictly prohibited from shouting, threatening or waving their arms. In this case, the baby’s natural reaction is increased crying, increased intracranial pressure and temperature.

Partial list of reasons for screaming:

1. hunger;
2. weather dependence;
3. overwhelm or insufficiency;
4. unsuitable conditions for sleep and wakefulness;
5. neglect of parental responsibilities;
6. inattention, fatigue and uncertainty of young parents;
7. baby sensations caused by painful manifestations:

• underdevelopment of some organs: gastrointestinal tract (GIT), foreskin;
• allergic reactions to the skin, cuts, dislocations, wounds;
• postpartum complications;
• heredity.

How to understand the reason by the sounds of crying of a baby under one month old?

There are several methods for studying the crying of newborns. Experts observed the behavior of the babies at home. Screams were examined for stability, duration, irritability, and frequency of sounds. An interesting observation: no characteristic differences were found in newborn boys and girls.

Types of Baby Cry

• whining: intermittent, monotonous; you can immediately see that the child is straining to make sounds;
• appealing: the nature of the tones is similar to whining, but the baby cries without visible effort;
• plaintive: quiet, continuous, hysterical, groaning sound;
• intense: powerful, loud, often starts with a low timbre, gradually moves to high sounds, often with choking.

The nature of the cry depends on the reason.

1. Crying from hunger begins with the whimpering of a child. If there is no response, the volume increases and the frequency decreases. At the last stage, the scream turns into a continuous roar.
2. Crying from pain is plaintive, if the discomfort is mild, whining. Sudden onset pain has an intense timbre and volume. Sometimes the crying turns into a hysterical phase. An immediate response is required from parents if the crying suddenly stops - this is an alarm signal that requires parental response. It's better to call an ambulance.
3. Crying from fear begins with sounds in the upper register: loud, often immediately followed by choking.
4. Crying from discomfort not associated with pain is whimpering.

What to do when a newborn baby cries often?

In fashion - recommendations to adhere to a strict regime: get up by the hour, feed, walk, bathe. This is taught to young mothers in schools, advised upon discharge from the maternity hospital, and written in books and the media. There are many guides explaining the reasons for your baby's behavior. In practice, young parents are faced with ineffective recommendations.

The human body is a complex system, each person has its own characteristics. Recommendations from pediatricians are based on statistics. The behavior of a particular child differs from the actions of peers. Parents should take into account the findings of pediatricians, but make final conclusions taking into account the individuality of the baby.

How do most babies report hunger, poor conditions, diaper rash, colic?

Manifestations of hunger in a newborn baby

A common reason for a child's malnutrition is the parents' lack of experience. The body of a temperamental child with good heredity requires a lot of energy. In a sick and quiet baby, motor activity is lower and the need for breast milk is less pronounced.

The causes of malnutrition include poor milk production. It is important for mothers to identify the cause of crying in time by adding artificial formulas to the diet. Another source of crying is excessive regurgitation of milk during or after feeding.

The baby shows hunger by:

• makes sounds reminiscent of grumbling;
• begins to be capricious;
• turns into loud and almost continuous crying.

Characteristic signs of crying: a newborn baby opens its mouth and lightly smacks its lips.

There are two verification methods.

1. Place your bent little finger on the lips of the child lying in the stroller. If the baby is hungry, this will be indicated by his restless behavior, turning his head in different directions, and stretching his body following his finger.
2. When the mother takes the baby in her arms, the baby restlessly searches for the breast.

Climatic conditions

In adults, the skin is a barrier that prevents overheating or hypothermia. In infants, the heat exchange function is in the formative stage. Infants react sharply to any change in temperature.

Some babies tolerate heat well, but are sensitive to coolness, while others do the opposite. One of the “barometers” for determining temperature parameters is the wrist of a newborn baby.

Characteristic signs of hypothermia include: first - plaintive crying, then - the appearance of hiccups. The hiccups periodically turn into sobbing crying.

The appearance of the skin is pale. When you apply your palm, there is a noticeable cooling of the child’s skin.

A newborn baby who is overheated will have purple skin. Instinctively, a newborn baby kicks its legs and flaps its arms. If the baby is swaddled, it will begin to bend. Manifestations of overheating are loud, choking crying.

Some infants are weather dependent from birth. They react sharply to phenomena to which the baby, due to little life experience, has not adapted:

• thaw to frost;
• heat to cool.

Important indicators: wind force, pressure, air humidity.

Diaper rash in a newborn baby

A common cause of crying is wet diapers. The newborn baby reports the emptying of the stomach (or bladder) by grunting, which gradually turns into an intense cry. If parents do not react quickly enough, irritation occurs in the perineum, on the buttocks and folds of the legs. To relieve the itching, the baby reaches to the bottom and scratches the genitals.

A sign of wet diapers: the child bends and fidgets on the bed, trying to move to another place. If your hands are free, grab a fold or edge of the diaper.

• instead of reusable diapers, use gauze, cotton diapers, old sheets;
• after each emptying of the bladder (or stomach), lubricate wounds and diaper rash with a special cream or medicinal preparation.

If skin irritation is noticeable, but no wounds have appeared, use special diapers (with biological products) intended for night rest.

Crying from colic

Colic is pain in the form of spasms, to which a newborn baby reacts by crying. Typical for children from birth to 3-4 months. When feeding, the baby swallows air. The baby eats a lot: the enzymes do not have time to digest all the food entering the stomach. Gases are formed. As the body adapts, the quantity and quality of enzymes begins to correspond to the mass of food.

Each child has characteristic signs and period of onset of colic. For some children it is early in the morning, for others - during the day, for others - in the evening. With colic, most babies abandon the breast and begin to scream.

External manifestations of anxiety from colic: redness of the skin, loud choking cry. Freed from the diaper, the baby vigorously swings its legs and arms.

The method of calming is to find a position that brings relief to the newborn baby. One child calms down in the classic position: lying in a horizontal position in the mother’s arms. Others prefer the “column” position (when the baby’s head rests on the parent’s shoulder or rests on the chin).

A good result is to place something warm on the newborn baby's stomach, such as an ironed diaper or a warm heating pad. Alternatively, tie a woolen scarf around the body.

These are the most likely reasons explaining the constant crying of children under the age of 1-3 months. Parents need:

• study the developments of specialists;
• monitor the condition of the newborn baby;
• Consult your pediatrician regularly.

From the moment a child is born, a mother’s life changes dramatically. All her time will now be taken up with caring for the baby, his upbringing and development. But at the same time, the new mother does not cease to be a wife, housewife, and a woman in principle - in addition to caring for the baby, she has many more things to do, from which no one exempted her. Therefore, some of the most common questions asked to pediatricians in the maternity hospital are: how many hours does a newborn baby sleep (should sleep) during the day, what is his sleep norm, and what to do if a newborn baby, who is not even a month old, does not sleep or sleeps very little during the day?

Baby's sleep - duration of naps

Since the infant does not yet have a routine, this number of hours is evenly distributed throughout the day and night. Here, a lot depends on the state of health - this is the main indicator of the norm, or on the baby’s temperament. If the child feels well, he is not tormented by the unpleasant symptoms that occur in the first months of life, such as increased intracranial pressure, abdominal colic, then his sleep can continue continuously for a couple of hours in a row. This is followed by a period of wakefulness, and then sleep again.

During sleep, the baby may wake up for feeding, or may miss the next milk intake. If a child does not wake up to eat within four hours, this is an alarming symptom. Hunger in infants during the first months of life can be compensated for by sleep. Therefore, after 3-4 hours of sleep, if the baby has not asked for food, wake him up and feed him. It is preferable to offer feeding to the baby on demand rather than on an hourly basis. Then the duration of sleep will be longer, the child will sleep more calmly.

Note to moms!

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But the mother may encounter such a phenomenon as sleep disturbance in the child. If you notice that your newborn baby does not sleep all day, then you should pay special attention to this and try to understand whether the baby really has a sleep disorder.

Causes of sleep disturbances in a newborn baby

Let’s say right away that the opinion that a newborn should sleep constantly during the first weeks of life, interrupted only by feeding and bathing, is incorrect. From the first days of life, the baby learns about the world, and during periods of wakefulness he is curious, although he still does not distinguish all colors and the perception of objects is not at all the same as that of an adult. But these periods exist, and they should exist, so don’t be surprised if every half hour or hour the baby wakes up and groans, tosses and turns, and opens his eyes. It is worth talking about sleep problems in cases where:

• The total amount of sleep per day for a newborn baby is less than 15 hours ;
• The child is awake 4-5 hours straight without dozing and sleep;
• The baby is clearly overexcited, restless, has difficulty falling asleep and wakes up every 5-7 minutes .

Why does a newborn sleep poorly?

Factors influencing lack of sleep

1. The child feels discomfort. Check if the baby is fed and if his diaper is clean. Wet diapers and hunger are the first causes of sleep disturbance. There are patient children, but most feel very uncomfortable and let it be known.
2. The room temperature is abnormal. 20-23 degrees Celsius - this is the temperature that is considered optimal in a room for a newborn baby (). You should also dress your baby accordingly - do not over-wrap him, but also do not keep him completely naked. Active movements of the baby's legs and arms, sneezing will tell you that the child is cold. And an increase in body temperature, pink cheeks - that the room is too hot.
3. Sound background. In general, in the first weeks of life, the baby does not react too emotionally to sounds (). But when falling asleep, sudden knocks, noise, and loud music can interfere with falling asleep.
4. Too light in the room. Bright daylight irritates the baby and prevents him from falling asleep. Use blinds or shutters to darken the room.
5. Pain in the child's tummy (intestines). Colic and large accumulations in the child’s abdomen cause him pain and discomfort. To make your baby feel better, place a warm, ironed diaper on his tummy, a baby heating pad, or give him a light massage (?).
6. Loneliness. After birth, the baby experiences the first emotional shock. He no longer hears his mother’s heartbeat, he is no longer rocked by her steps and movements. And of course, he really needs affection and love. A baby will sleep comfortably and cozily in your arms, but there is also an excellent device - a sling. It allows the baby to feel calmer, and this miracle thing frees up the mother’s hands and gives her the opportunity to do business, while her beloved baby remains under close supervision.

What to do if the baby does not sleep during the day

• If you really feel something is wrong, seek advice from your pediatrician. It’s better to be on the safe side, because sometimes sleep disorders are a symptom of serious illnesses. These include diseases of the central nervous system (central nervous system), respiratory disorders, increased respiratory function, etc.;
• Provide your child with regular walks and sleep in the fresh air. The lungs are filled with oxygen, the baby easily falls asleep to the sound of leaves and the rocking of the stroller. Make it a habit to walk twice a day, avoiding only cold days and bad weather;
• Create all the conditions at home for a comfortable sleep. No nervousness in the family, a calm and relaxing environment will help the baby fall asleep;
• You can add healing herbal infusions to your baby’s bathing water. —

Why doesn't my baby poop?

Before a baby wants to poop, he experiences a whole series of peculiar sensations. The desire to poop itself arises when the sphincter located in the intestinal lumen begins to experience pressure from feces. After this, you should relax and promote the release of feces.

At this stage of life, the baby still has a weak intestine, and mother’s milk helps him get used to working independently. Thus, the intestine goes through a kind of formation period, as a result of which it is finally formed. Therefore, it turns out that the child may not poop for several days, after which he does it quite often.

Under no circumstances should you conclude that you are constipated if your baby does not poop for more than one day. One can draw a conclusion about its presence only if the baby, when he poops, begins to strain very much, since it is difficult for him to do this and at the same time the feces turn out to be formed and hard. Only in this case can we conclude that an infant has constipation, but not when he has not pooped for some time.

If his stool is rare, but has a normal, familiar consistency, apparently we are talking about the manifestation of some physiological quality of the infant.

At the very beginning of a baby’s life, only the beginning of the formation of well-known natural reactions of the body occurs. The emission of urine and feces are involuntary and occur when there is an extreme degree of pressure of excretory substances on the walls of the bladder and intestines. The gastrointestinal tract of an infant has its own specific functioning, and its vital functions differ significantly from the functioning of the body of an adult.

The baby's body is not yet able to independently produce certain enzymes necessary for digesting food, which are produced by the adult body. The normal condition of a baby is considered to be stool 2-4 times a day. His stomach still reacts poorly to the presence of food, its composition and quantity. The main food for an infant is mother's milk, the chemical composition of which varies depending on the foods the mother eats. In the first months of a baby’s life, his body learns to develop adequate reactions to all environmental influences.

If defecation is delayed for a day, you should carefully consider the condition of the stool. Intestinal disease can be identified by the presence of inclusions of hard, thick balls in a liquid substance. In this case, you should contact your pediatrician as soon as possible.

If after a daily delay the stool is in a normal state, then nothing bad has happened and the delay itself does not matter.

Baby hasn't pooped for 3 days

If an infant has not pooped for more than two days, it is necessary to pay attention to what he eats, which forms the basis of his daily diet, breast milk or formula. It is considered quite normal for a child to have no bowel movements for several days, if he is on pure breastfeeding, it is normal, even if this period extends to a week. Mother's milk is an absolutely unique, fully digestible product if the baby's body is healthy enough. This situation applies to those children who are breastfed only.

In the event that feeding is done from a bottle, the absence of stool for three days is a reason to seriously think about it and take action. The thing is that the feces of a bottle-fed baby have a specific smell and consistency; the mixture is not completely absorbed, so the body needs to be regularly rid of excess organic substances.

It is impossible to say unequivocally how many times a day an infant should poop. His intestines are still just adjusting their functions and in this situation, various malfunctions in its work are possible. One and a half month old children, as a rule, poop liquid 5-6 times a day, after which the feces thicken, but the child poops less often.

Bowel movement is caused by the following factors:

• formula consumed or mother's milk;
• taking medications by the child’s mother or himself;
• psychological discomfort or comfort of the child;
• existing intestinal disorders.

If the child does not poop for three days, there is no need to be overly nervous. If he feels fine and farts regularly, then you just need to wait. The truly alarming signs that require urgent intervention are:

• hardness in the baby's tummy;
• constant crying of the child and his excitability;
• knotting with legs;
• stagnation of gases.

The means of resolving this situation are individual. A massage of the baby’s tummy, performed clockwise with the whole palm, a warm bath, a heating pad on the tummy, and exercises from the “bicycle” series can help. The mother's diet is very important and may need to be reconsidered. For a bottle-fed baby, you may need to change the formula or purchase one that helps with constipation.

Baby farts but doesn't poop

If an infant farts but does not poop and remains calm, then there is no need to be particularly nervous, in general everything is fine. If your child has a lot of gas, it means he needs help because he is constipated.

The simplest thing you can do is massage your baby's tummy. Apply pressure with your fingers on the tummy carefully in a clockwise direction, in the navel area, making circular movements around it. Then the baby can be laid on his stomach - he can play or just lie down. After this, it is useful to give Plantex a drink - this helps remove gases and has a mild laxative effect, perhaps after this no further measures will be required. Another useful way to eliminate gases is glycerin suppositories. For an infant, it will be enough to insert half a candle. An effective remedy can be a gas outlet tube, which stimulates the rectum to empty and intensifies the removal of gases. You can buy such a tube at any pharmacy; you should insert it after lubricating it with Vaseline or sunflower oil. An enema should be used only as a last resort, when all methods have been tried and not one has justified itself. However, we must not forget that the use of an enema disrupts the intestinal microflora, which can lead to further deterioration.

How long can a baby go without pooping?

Children should not be compared with each other, since each child is individual, and what is normal for one baby may not be suitable for another. However, the same baby may initially poop ten times a day, and then go without pooping for several days.

The frequency of stool in a child largely depends on the type of feeding. Breastfed infants suffer from intestinal disorders less often than formula-fed infants. In the former, the frequency of bowel movements reaches seven times a day, the latter do it less often - about four times a day.

If the child poops little, there is no need to worry, since even for a baby who is naturally fed, one stool per day is considered normal. Another thing is if the child strains excessively and cries, this may indicate that he is constipated and it is necessary to use laxatives to solve this problem.

Thus, there is simply no single answer to the question of how long a baby can go without pooping - it all depends on its individual characteristics and diet.

Baby doesn't poop, what should I do?

The most important thing to do in a situation where the baby does not poop is not to panic. If the child behaves normally and does not cry, you should just wait; it is quite possible that nothing bad is happening. If the baby begins to show anxiety, then this is a signal to parents to take action. However, in any case, mechanical means that irritate the intestines should be avoided. It is allowed to provoke its emptying by using a sanitary stick, which is lubricated with Vaseline or cream for children. If this measure does not produce results, you can use a glycerin suppository or microenema. Well, the last resort is biphytobacteria and a laxative.