- With Mayo Clinic emeritus consultant
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
Dr. Jay Hoecker, an emeritus consultant in the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, brings valuable expertise to MayoClinic.com in general and primary care pediatrics. He has a particular interest in infectious diseases of children.
Dr. Hoecker, a Fort Worth, Texas, native, is certified as a pediatrician by the American Board of Pediatrics and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He was trained at Washington University's St. Louis Children's Hospital, and in infectious diseases at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He has been with Mayo Clinic since 1989.
"The World Wide Web is revolutionizing the availability and distribution of information, including health information about children and families," Dr. Hoecker says. "The evolution of the Web has included greater safety, privacy and accuracy over time, making the quality and access to children's health information immediate, practical and useful. I am happy to be a part of this service to patients from a trusted name in medicine, to use and foster all the good the Web has to offer children and their families."
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Question
Infant constipation: How is it treated?
What are the signs of infant constipation? And what's the best way to treat infant constipation?
Answer
from Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
Infant constipation is the passage of hard, dry bowel movements — not necessarily the absence of daily bowel movements. Infant constipation often begins with the transition from breast milk to formula, or from strained foods to table foods.
If your newborn seems to be constipated, contact his or her doctor for advice. If your older baby seems to be constipated, try simple dietary changes:
- Water. Offer your baby a daily serving of water in addition to usual feedings. Start with 2 to 4 ounces (about 60 to 120 milliliters). Try more or less as you gauge your baby's response to the water.
- Fruit juice. If water doesn't seem to help, offer your baby a daily serving of apple, prune or pear juice in addition to usual feedings. Start with 2 to 4 ounces (about 60 to 120 milliliters), and experiment to determine whether your baby needs more or less.
- High-fiber baby foods. If your baby is eating solid foods, try high-fiber baby foods — such as barley cereal and pureed pears or prunes. Avoid rice cereal.
You may also want to apply a small amount of water-based lubricant to your baby's anus to ease the passage of hard stools. Don't use mineral oil, laxatives or enemas to treat infant constipation.
Rarely, infant constipation is caused by an underlying condition, such as Hirschsprung's disease or cystic fibrosis. If infant constipation persists despite dietary changes or is accompanied by other signs or symptoms — such as vomiting or irritability — contact your baby's doctor.
Next questionBaby Einstein: Can baby DVDs promote infant development?
- Ferry GD. Constipation in children: Etiology and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 19, 2009.
- Ferry GD. Prevention and treatment of acute constipation in infants and children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 19, 2009.
- Evaluation and treatment of constipation in infants and children: Recommendations of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 2006;43:e1.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 4, 2009.
