Self Care Articles

Is this your child's symptom?

• Can't pass a stool or pain when passing a stool
• Crying when passing a stool (bowel movement or BM) or
• Can't pass a stool after straining or pushing longer than 10 minutes or
• 3 or more days without passing a stool (exception: breastfed and over 1 month old)
• Caution: any belly pain from constipation comes and goes. Most often, it is mild. Use the Abdominal Pain (Stomach Pain) care guide if there is constant belly pain.

Causes of Constipation

• True constipation is uncommon in infants.
• Sometimes, it is caused by a formula-only diet.
• Infantile botulism is a rare cause of constipation during the first year.  More common symptoms are the new onset of a weak suck, weak cry and droopy eyelids.
• Lots of grunting during the first 3 months is often mistaken for constipation. See below.

Grunting to Poop During Early Months – Normal

• Grunting, straining and pushing to pass a stool is normal during the first 3 months
• They also become red in the face.
• They draw up their legs to tighten their tummy muscles.
• They are fussy but not in any pain. They usually don't cry.
• Straining even occurs with soft stools.
• After 5 minutes or so, they usually pass a poop. If not, they most often pass one after the next feeding. Unlike constipation, they pass several soft stools per day. They don't skip days.
• Doctors call this the grunting baby syndrome.
• It is normal, not constipation.

Cause of Grunting to Poop

• Some newborns have to learn how to relax their anus when their rectum is full.
• Reason: they spent 9 months in the womb with the anus tightly closed.
• They also have to build up their tummy muscles.
• This normal process takes longer in some babies than others.
• About 20% of newborns have the grunting baby syndrome.