Do you have any questions about the effectiveness of using olive oil to treat infant constipation during the first month? This article contains the solution.
The number of stools that newborns and infants pass can differ from one child to the next depending on his age and the type of food he consumes. Constipation is not a common condition in infants, but if they do, what is the reality of treating it with olive oil during the first month of life? In the article that follows, we will learn the solution to the following:
What is the truth about treating constipation in infants in the first month with olive oil?
Olive oil is a natural laxative and many believe that it is safe to use, but in fact it is forbidden to take olive oil to treat constipation in infants and children, and therefore if you want to treat constipation in infants in the first month with olive oil, you should avoid feeding it to the child, but it can be used to do an abdominal massage to help the child The way we do that is as follows:
- A simple tummy massage can help relieve constipation.
- Warm olive oil is used by applying it to the hand, then distributing it to the infant's stomach, and massaging in a circular motion, clockwise, with the addition of light pressures.
- Olive oil is relatively safe for infant massage, as it is non-toxic, contains antioxidants and vitamin E , and does not often cause an allergic reaction on the baby's skin.
Methods of treating constipation in infants in the first month
After learning the truth about treating infant constipation in the first month with olive oil, you might be wondering if there are any other treatment options available. We stress the importance of consulting a doctor before beginning the use of any laxative medications because it is illegal to give them to children without a prescription. The following are some other options:
- Taking a warm bath for the infant and helping him to relax, as it can help stimulate a bowel movement.
- Doing light exercise for the infant, the most important of which is foot-moving exercises with a movement similar to riding a bicycle, as it can help stimulate bowel movement.
- The use of suppositories that contain glycerine in some special cases after consulting a specialist doctor and for a specific period, as it is generally forbidden to use them without consultation.
When should you see a doctor?
After we got to know the truth about treating constipation in infants in the first month with olive oil and other treatments, we note the importance of seeing a doctor if the child does not improve after a few days of trying various home remedies. Additionally, if any additional constipation-related symptoms manifest, you should see a doctor right away. comprised of the following
- stool that appears to be bloody.
- observing the bloating of the infant's stomach and experiencing nausea, constipation, and diarrhoea.
- Constipation-related severe stomach pain is being experienced, and the baby can be seen crying and raising his feet in the direction of his stomach.
General advice on infant constipation in the first month
Following our discovery of the truth regarding the use of olive oil to treat infant constipation during the first month, we would like to share with you some considerations and advice. They are as follows:
- It's possible that babies who are breastfed exclusively have a few days where they don't need to be taken out.
- Parents may notice that newborns have trouble excreting during the first month. The reason for this may not be due to their constipation, but rather because the stomach muscles are still weak, and the outside stool can be observed to know this, as the soft stool often indicates that it is not constipated.
- Constipation can, in rare circumstances, be a symptom of other diseases like Hirschsprung's disease, infantile hypothyroidism, or cystic fibrosis, so you should see a doctor if other constipation symptoms accompany and last for a long time.