Question
My son hasn’t had a bowel movement in five days, but he looks the same as usual, eats well, sleeps well, and only hears his stomach rumbling. The feces are not very smelly. What should I do? He has had constipation twice before, after eating two spoonfuls of rice porridge, which took three and four days respectively for him to have a bowel movement. This time, he also ate rice porridge, and it’s already been five days. I am really worried.
Answer
Some babies may experience a situation where they only have bowel movements once every three to five days, which is known as “holding the bowels.” As long as the baby does not show any other abnormalities such as fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, lack of energy, or reduced milk intake, you can observe the situation. If other abnormalities occur, it is necessary to go to the hospital for a check-up to rule out infection and for a digestive ultrasound to check for other issues. At the same time, avoid contact with people who have colds and prevent catching a cold. If the mother is breastfeeding, she should avoid eating greasy, spicy, or irritating foods. If you feel the baby has a desire to defecate but cannot, you can try using an enema; if necessary, undergo a digestive ultrasound examination.