Transcript

My baby has dry and hard stools, what can I do?

If your baby has dry and hard stool, it may cause tearing of the anal tissue when the stool passes through the anus, which is very painful. In order to avoid the pain, the baby will refuse bowel opening and the condition will worsen. To improve stool consistency, beware of the following points:

First, if the baby has just changed to follow-on formula milk, the stool will become harder. Follow-on formula generally has lower whey-to-casein protein ratio than infant formula, which takes longer time to digest. Thus constipation may be easier to occur. Actually, if your baby is feeding well on solid foods, you can continue feeding him with the more easily digestible infant formula.

Secondly, after introducing solid foods to your baby, you need to make sure that your baby is having enough water, in addition to fruits and vegetables for fibre intake. Mashed apple, pear, broccoli and spinach are good choices.

If you have tried all the methods mentioned above and your baby's condition still not improved, or if your baby is having abdominal distension or blood in the stool, you should consult a doctor. Finally, do not use any laxatives or enemas by yourself as these may cause adverse effects to your baby.