• Signs and symptoms
• Home care
• When to call your doctor

Signs and symptoms

• Painful passage of stools


• Firm or hard stools

It is very common for babies to strain, make noises and turn red in the face with bowel movements. This is normal as long as your baby does not cry with every bowel movement.

Some babies have a bowel movement after every feeding while some infants stool once or twice a week. It is very unusual for breast fed babies to be constipated since breast milk is a natural laxative.

Normal infant bowel movements can be yellow, green, brown or tan and should be softer than the consistency of peanut butter.
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Home care

For Infants Less Than 4 Months

• May try giving a few ounces of water per day


• May try 1 teaspoon dark (not light) Karo syrup once or twice a day, mixed with water


• May try taking a rectal temperature to stimulate nerves near the anus.


• The amount of iron in formula is not enough to cause constipation. Since babies need iron to make red blood cells, you should not switch to a low-iron formula.


• Your doctor may suggest switching to a different formula or trying a suppository or enema.

For Infants 4 Months to 1 Year

• Increase strained foods with fiber, such as peas, beans, peas, plums, pears, peaches, apricots, prunes or prune juice


• Avoid constipating foods, such as rice, bananas or cereal

For Children Older Than 1 Year

• Encourage fruits and vegetables, such as prunes, peaches, pears, apricots, beans, celery, broccoli, raisins, figs


• Increase fiber such as bran cereal, bran muffins, graham crackers, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, brown rice


• Decrease constipating foods, such as ice cream, bananas, cheese, milk, yogurt


• If toilet trained, encourage your child to sit on the toilet after breakfast every day until he/she has a bowel movement or for 15 minutes. Drinking warm liquids with breakfast (tea or hot chocolate) may help.


• If your child is over 6 years old, you may try a stool softener (such as Metamucil or Citrucel or mineral oil) which can be bought at a drugstore without a prescription. Give one to three teaspoons daily for one week or less.

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When to call your doctor

Immediately call for advice if:

• Your child is in extreme pain


• Your child has vomiting and his/her stomach is sticking out


• You see bright red clots of blood in the stool

Call during regular office hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) if:

• You see streaks of blood in the stool


• Using suppositories or enemas frequently


• Your child has been on the non-constipating diet without results


• Other questions or concerns

Please remember that this advice is for educational purposes and should only be used as a guide.
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