Question
My baby has very dry stool and hasn’t had a bowel movement in two days. Even eating fruits and vegetables hasn’t helped. The child has a good appetite and eats everything, but the weight isn’t increasing. What could be the cause?
Answer
Constipation cannot be determined solely by the frequency of bowel movements but requires an overall observation of the quality and quantity of the baby’s stool, as well as its impact on the child’s health condition. Everyone’s health status is different, so the normal frequency of bowel movements also varies. For example, breastfed infants may have more frequent bowel movements daily, while infants fed with milk or other substitute milk products may have one bowel movement a day or every two to three days, as long as the consistency and quantity are normal, and the baby has no other discomfort, it is considered normal. When a baby has constipation, the stool is dry and hard. The hard stool can strike the anus, causing pain and discomfort. The baby may be afraid to defecate and not dare to strain, resulting in stool being unable to pass, which makes constipation worse. Long-term retention of stool in the body can also lead to toxin accumulation, affecting normal metabolism and leading to malnutrition and decreased resistance.