Managing constipation in infants
Dr. Rotimi Adesanya My daughter is three weeks old and she did not have a bowel movement for five days. She was miserable! I called my paediatrician and she told me this was normal for breastfed babies when they were going through a growth spurt. “She proceeded to tell me that if my baby seemed distraught by it, I should give her half of an infant glycerin suppository. Within 10 minutes of giving the suppository to her, she filled up the diaper with faeces and has been happy since.” — A concerned mother. I have also seen several mothers of neonates and infants with the same complaint of their babies’ inability to move bowel for up to 10 days. The babies are without any abnormality and they will start moving their bowels after rectal examination. This is partly due to the stimulation of the nerves innervating the rectum and they will not need any medication; while very few (about two per cent) may have an underlying medical condition and may need to be