How often can you give an enema to a newborn baby for constipation?

In what cases is an enema given to a baby?

Reasons when it is necessary to give an enema to a baby:

Constipation
Administration of drugs
Preoperative manipulations

Constipation is irregular, hard stools that cause painful discomfort to the child during bowel movements.

Constipation in infants can be true or false. Breastfed babies often “suffer” from false ones. But this problem worries only the parents; the baby feels comfortable.

The reason for false constipation in breastfed children is the high digestibility of mother's milk. There is no “material” left for defecation and the baby does not poop, but at the same time urinates profusely and does not feel discomfort.

False constipation can last 2-3 days, sometimes up to 7 days. In this case, an enema is not needed.

True constipation in infants is accompanied by anxiety in the child. Touching the tummy causes crying, the baby squirms and is capricious. If constipation continues for more than a day, suffering can be relieved with an enema. If the procedure does not help, be sure to contact the clinic.

Only a pediatrician prescribes the administration of medications to infants using an enema. He will calculate the required dose and indicate the water temperature. You should not prescribe manipulations on your own, having found information on the Internet. The procedure is unpleasant, most often the problem can be solved in an easier and safer way.

Before giving your baby an enema, decide whether it is necessary. It is done on your own only in case of true constipation, in order to alleviate his condition. In other cases, consult your pediatrician.

Cases when an enema is allowed

Young parents are often interested in: in what cases is it recommended for a newborn to give an enema? Doctors say: the less often you seek help from the procedure, the better! If there is a possibility of doing without the procedure, it is better to do so.

Resorting to an enema is indicated in the following situations:

The child has a high temperature, nothing helps bring it down;
Frequent constipation that prevents the baby from sleeping: the child constantly cries, experiencing discomfort;
If poisoning occurs;
Administration of medications is required.

Constipation in an infant is possible as a result of hardening of the stool; as a result, there is no stool, causing pain.

You can't fight constipation on your own. It is recommended to monitor the child and contact a pediatrician. The doctor will give appropriate instructions. If a cleansing rinse is required, then it should be done on the advice of a professional. “Good” advice from friends and relatives should not be taken into action.

There are contraindications to the procedure for adults, especially for children. Also, adults are not recommended to use enemas frequently - there are side effects. The child’s body has not yet developed a stable model of functioning; it needs to be treated with care and gentleness. There is a high probability that the baby’s body will get used to frequent rinsing. If intestinal problems are caused by atony, then imagine what will happen when you get used to enemas. Evacuation will occur exclusively after the procedure. This is not at all the effect that is necessary for a child.

If it is decided that cleansing by rinsing is necessary, it is worth observing hygiene, certain precautions, and approaching the administration of the enema responsibly. Pay close attention to your baby's reaction to the procedure. Powder is used to eliminate skin irritation.

Basic requirements for the procedure

An enema is given to a child using boiled room water.

An enema is recommended for true constipation in infants

temperatures - 25-30 °C. It is not recommended to use a warmer liquid: in the rectum, water will begin to be absorbed along with toxins contained in hardened feces. Cold water will cause the sphincter to spasm or tighten, preventing it from relaxing.

Only the pediatrician prescribes a different enema liquid. This can be a decoction of herbs, saline or medicinal solution.

If your baby has occasional constipation, warm water will help.

The volume of fluid administered depends on the age of the child:

0-3 months – 50 ml
3-6 months – 75 ml
6-9 months - 100 ml
9-12 months – 150 ml

The rule for selecting the volume of liquid for an enema is: use the minimum amount of water at which bowel movements occur.

To administer liquid, use syringes with a soft rubber tip, which are marked with numbers depending on the capacity and manufacturer:

A No. 1 (Russian system of standards)—30 ml
A No. 7 (manufacturer Alpina Plast) - 70 ml
A No. 3 (Russian system of standards) - 90 ml

Pediatricians do not recommend using syringes with plastic tips for infants to avoid tissue injury.

Buy an enema with a rubber tip in advance, even if your child's bowel movements are fine. Syringe No. 1 with a volume of 30 ml will be sufficient. The recommended volume of administered fluid is more than 30 ml, even for infants in the first month of life, but more often 30 ml of water is enough to induce bowel movements.

Water enema

The procedure is carried out with boiled water at 25-27 degrees. You need to take a measurement with a thermometer. The pear should be thoroughly disinfected. The amount of liquid administered, as in the case of a soap solution, depends on the age of the child. The dosage is similar.

This enema is good for colic in a baby. Place it if there are no results from other treatment measures. You can’t do it all the time, every day! The best option is to look for other methods of eliminating pain. The body must cope with the situation on its own.

So, constipation in infants is common. There's no need to panic. There are many known methods for relieving constipation. Enemas are the last resort. If your baby is constipated, it is not recommended to treat yourself. You should consult a doctor and act based on his recommendations.

The best option is not to use outside means so that the body can cope on its own. An enema is allowed when other methods have not helped the child. There are different types of enemas based on their physiological effects. The type of procedure must be prescribed by a doctor. If a baby is constipated, you need to give an enema carefully, carefully, observing the baby’s reaction. The frequency of use of rinsing is determined by the doctor in each specific case! You should not accustom your child’s body to the procedure. The processes must take place naturally, each organism has everything it needs. You should know and remember this before using extraneous methods.

How to properly give an enema to a baby?

Before the procedure, prepare everything you need in advance:

For the procedure you should purchase a special syringe

Syringe with rubber tip No. 1
Boiled water at a temperature of 25-30 °C
Vaseline or sea buckthorn oil
cotton wool
Oilcloth or diaper diaper
Pot

Important! Before use, the syringe must be boiled for 25 minutes. Be sure to make sure that there is no boiling water left in the pear. Getting too hot water into the rectum will cause burns!

The sequence of operations during the procedure is simple:

Using cotton wool, carefully lubricate the tip of the syringe with petroleum jelly.
Place the baby on his left side (if uncomfortable, on
Take a syringe, force the air out of it and draw in the liquid.
Place the baby on his left side (if uncomfortable, on his back) and tuck his legs toward his stomach.
Take a syringe and force the air out of it until liquid appears.
Spread the baby's buttocks apart and insert the enema tip into the rectum 1-2 cm.
Inject the solution by slowly squeezing the bulb.
Without opening the bulb, remove the tip.
Squeeze the baby’s buttocks for 2-3 minutes to prevent the liquid from leaking out.
After the time has passed, unclench your baby’s buttocks and wait for bowel movements. If your child can sit, sit him on the potty. For very little ones, an absorbent diaper (or a regular flannel one placed on an oilcloth to avoid leaks) is enough.
Wash your baby as usual after a bowel movement.

It is easier to give an enema to a child if your father or grandmother helps you.

Children do not like such procedures. Try to do all the necessary manipulations as quickly as possible. And for this, first of all, calm down - nothing terrible is foreseen.

How often can a child have an enema?

If your baby suffers from constipation, the first thing you need to do is

If you experience frequent constipation, consult a specialist

eliminate the cause. Keep track of what changes have occurred in your diet over the past week. Perhaps the new formula or complementary food product was not suitable for him. If the baby is breastfed, the mother needs to reconsider her diet.

The pediatrician may prescribe tests for the baby, with the help of which it is easier to find out the cause of constipation. This may be a lack of enzymes, intestinal immaturity, or more serious diseases.

By eliminating a symptom, you can trigger the disease that caused it.

Frequent use of an enema can lead to irritation of the sphincter and anus and increased constipation. The natural intestinal microflora is also washed out. Therefore, it is not recommended to use the procedure more than once a month.

If constipation recurs, contact your pediatrician. An enema does not cure the child, but only gives him temporary relief.

Do not rush to give your baby an enema. If he hasn't had a bowel movement for 1-2 days and nothing bothers him, wait. Perhaps the food was digested or he ate too little. Despite the apparent safety, an enema is not so harmless, and if the cause of constipation is a serious illness, it is even harmful.

From the video you will learn how to properly give an enema to a newborn:

Noticed a mistake? Select it and press Ctrl+Enter to let us know.

Stool retention often occurs in children under one year of age. In the first months of life, the functioning of all systems of the baby’s body develops and its adaptation to new conditions occurs. “Swings” in nutrition while the mother develops persistent lactation, and the adaptation of the baby’s digestive tract can lead to irregular bowel movements. This does not always indicate pathology - it is simply a stage of adaptation. Is it possible to give an enema to a newborn with constipation? Can. This is one of the safest methods to solve the problem.

An infant does not need any extra drug load. During a laxative enema, no medications enter the body. The method is based solely on mechanical influences.

The injected liquid softens hard feces, breaks it down, lubricates and gently stimulates the intestinal mucosa, activating peristalsis (natural contractions of the intestinal muscles). The complex of these effects leads to comfortable defecation.

Causes of constipation in babies

The first thing you need to do in such a situation is to calm down. Parents must understand: nothing bad happened. Constipation can also occur in adults.

Sometimes a newborn has a bowel movement rarely: once every six days. Often the source lies in nutrition, its insufficiency. It's not about quantity, but about the quality of food. There is probably a lack of essential microelements and nutrients. In this case, it is worth enriching the baby’s diet with complementary foods. Preference is given to plant-based ones, which are guaranteed to provide regular bowel movements without delay.

Much depends on the mother: how a woman eats. You will have to reconsider your diet and include healthy foods so that your baby receives nutrients through milk. With proper nutrition, it is easy and simple to manage breastfeeding without using formula. Natural is better than synthetic. Adjusting the mother's diet will have a direct impact on the condition of the child's intestines - stool will normalize.

Constipation may be associated with insufficient work of the intestinal muscles and atony of its walls. Then abdominal massage and special exercises help. In addition to basic nutrition, the baby needs water.
Delayed bowel movements are likely due to intestinal spasms. Warm compresses applied to the stomach will help.

They resort to washing only in the last case, when other means have been tried.

Enema for a baby with constipation. How to do it?

A cleansing enema is done either with boiled water or with a sterile isotonic sodium chloride solution (can be purchased at a pharmacy). The liquid for such an enema should be slightly below body temperature to avoid excess absorption in the intestine.

For the procedure, a plastisol syringe of size A1 with a soft tip is used. It looks like a completely rubber product. The volume of the syringe is 35+10 ml, that is, it will actually contain 35 ml of solution.

How much water does a newborn need for an enema for constipation? The volume of water is calculated using the formula: per 1 kilogram of a child’s weight, 10 ml of water is needed.

The procedure must be carried out cleanly. Before manipulation, you need to wash your hands thoroughly and boil the syringe. Prepare two absorbent diapers 60ˣ60 or 60ˣ90 cm.

To lubricate the tip of the syringe before insertion, use Vaseline oil or fatty baby cream. This is necessary for comfortable passage of the product into the rectum.

Enemas with vegetable oil

Oil is often used for enemas for children: it gently and safely relieves irritation and inflammation of the intestinal tube. Various oils are used: hemp, sunflower, vaseline. When placed in the intestines, healing of cracks and damage occurs.

The oil is used heated, a sufficient temperature is 37 degrees, slightly above normal body temperature. Inserted internally using a bulb. This is a preventative procedure. Consultation with a doctor is required.

The procedure for performing a cleansing enema for an infant

Make sure that everything you need is ready: solution for administration, syringe, cream, absorbent diapers and sanitary wet wipes.

It is better to draw the solution into a syringe before picking up the baby, so as not to disturb him again. Squeeze the syringe tightly, releasing as much air as possible. In a compressed position, lower the tip into the prepared solution. Slowly release the syringe reservoir so that the liquid is drawn in slowly. If you open your fingers too quickly, excess air will be drawn in.

Lubricate the tip of the syringe with cream or petroleum jelly prepared for this purpose.

Place the baby on one of the prepared absorbent diapers. Two positions are suitable for the procedure. Preferably - on the left side, with the legs slightly bent towards the tummy. This is the optimal position for enema. You can also put it on your back, lifting your legs up with one hand and also slightly pressing it to your tummy.

Take the syringe with your free hand and tilt it slightly so that the solution inside flows to the spout. Using the index finger and thumb of the other hand, spread the baby's buttocks. The tip of the syringe is inserted into the anus at a distance of 1.5 - 2 cm.

By gently squeezing the syringe reservoir, the solution is slowly introduced into the intestines.

Remove the syringe carefully, in a compressed state.

After administering the solution, keep the child’s buttocks tightly closed for 1 - 2 minutes so that the liquid does not spill out immediately.

Cover the baby with a second absorbent diaper and wait for the effect. Typically, defecation after an enema occurs within 5 to 15 minutes.

Ready-made microenemas

If the mother is still afraid to perform the enema procedure on her own, there is a ready-made drug called Microlax. Available in the form of disposable tubes with 5 ml tips.

Microlax is a combination drug based on sodium salts and sorbitol. The big advantage of the drug is that the components are not absorbed into the blood and do not have a systemic effect on the baby’s body. Absolutely safe - can be used in children from birth, pregnant and lactating mothers.

The only thing worth paying attention to is the release form. There is Microlax with a standard tip length. This is suitable for both adults and children, but for children from birth to three years, the tip is inserted half the length to the mark. There is also a shortened version - especially for the little ones. When using this option, the tip is inserted to its full length.

The saline solution contained in these enemas breaks down solid feces and gently stimulates the intestinal mucosa. The result is comfortable defecation 5 to 15 minutes after use.

Neonatal enema for constipation is not recommended as a regular measure. The baby's intestines are easy to injure. Frequent washing can disrupt the microflora. Enemas can become addictive. If a child experiences systematic stool retention, you should consult a pediatrician.

Every young parent has a question about how to give an enema to their newborn baby. If this problem has become relevant to you, then it is better to delve into this issue as much as possible.

Many women, preparing for motherhood, see enemas on the list of necessary things. Any mother, considering that it is necessary, will of course buy this device, but when the question arises about its actual use, many get scared.

At the first constipation, it is advisable to use an enema under the supervision of a doctor. If you do not know how, you can damage the baby’s delicate skin, and causing even the slightest harm to the baby can practically break the mother’s heart. Having sought the help of a specialist for the first time, then you will be able to do it yourself and without fear of consequences.

It would seem like a fairly simple action, but it needs a serious approach. Due to the fact that the child is a newborn, you need to follow certain instructions and be as careful as possible. For the first months of a baby's life, it is quite difficult to cope with him, especially if the child is deprived of breastfeeding. Artificial feeding leads to inevitable intestinal colic, which can provoke both diarrhea in the baby and severe constipation, which is no less terrible in its manifestation.

Types of enemas for babies

There are four types, differing in specificity:

Siphon. Rarely used, in exceptional cases. Conducted by a specialist in a medical facility. Represents a large burden on the body of an adult. When it is placed for the first time, the presence of a doctor is required during the placement. Do it carefully.
Cleansing. Plain water is used as a rinsing agent.
Oily. Using oil. Safe, mild enema. Use vegetable oil, castor oil, and Vaseline.
Medicinal. The solution is prepared from a decoction of herbs (for example, chamomile) and medications. Microlax is popular today.

Microlax

A safe drug that has a laxative effect immediately after placement. Gently, carefully, smoothly frees the intestines from blockages. It is easy to rinse using the drug. It is not addictive; the side effects include individual intolerance. Approved by doctors, often prescribed to treat defecation retention in adults and children. Prescriptions are also possible for infants. Presented in the form of a thick liquid.

Advantages:

Children tolerate the procedure using the drug remarkably well;
There is no pain or spasms during use;
Convenient modern packaging makes it easy to use at home;
The insertion depth is marked on the applicator;
Having an effect on the intestines, it does not interact with other drugs.

Microlax is a drug recommended for use in infants from the first days of life. Despite its safety, you should first consult a doctor for advice: how often to take the medication, in what quantity.

When is an enema necessary?

There are not many reasons for using an enema, but almost all of them occur in the lives of children. It can be used in cases:

Severe constipation, more than three days, hard stomach;
Purgation;
For administering medications;
For urgent bowel cleansing.

Without her help, none of the above problems can be eliminated, no matter how hard the child’s parents try. But some problems can be avoided. For example, if a newborn’s stool is quite rare and tight, this is a sign to think about it. If the child is bottle-fed, then perhaps it is not suitable for him. During breastfeeding, the mother needs to reconsider her diet, because all her nutrition comes with milk to the newborn.

When administering medications, slightly different enemas, one-time production, are used. In other words, the medications themselves are small enemas or suppositories. This method is much simpler, but more necessary depending on the situation, that is, in case of illness.

Types of enemas

It would seem such a simple device, but it has five different types. They are somewhat similar and some can even be replaced with each other, but still, each has its own purpose.

Cleansing enema. The most common of all enemas, it is done with plain warm water, without any additives. It is used for constipation, poisoning, or when administering medications through the intestines. The main thing when using it is not to confuse the water temperature. It should be neither hot nor cold. It should be done at approximately room temperature.
Medicinal. Medicines dissolved in water should be at a temperature slightly warmer than the cleansing temperature, it should bring about an absorption effect. It is done about thirty minutes after the cleansing.
Oily. It is also needed for constipation, but it is advisable to do it at night, because the result will be only after 10 hours. The oil must be heated until warm.
Hypertensive. It is given to newborns for atonic constipation. The child needs to lie down after taking it, and the effect should be expected after half an hour.
Siphon. It should only be done by a medical professional . The only difference from the usual one is that it introduces a larger amount of water.

We give an enema to a baby

The most important thing in this process is accuracy. By following simple tips, you can do this with ease.

Firstly, you need to control how long the child has not pooped. You can do an enema only if there is a long absence of stool, a hard tummy and restless behavior of the baby;
Be sure to boil the enema;
Prepare a small amount of water (about 150 ml of water), at a temperature of no more than 30 degrees ;
Wash your hands and prepare the area for the procedure;
Force the air out of the enema;
Lubricate the tip of the enema with cream or Vaseline for easy insertion;
You need to carefully insert it into the baby’s butt, about 1-2 centimeters, squeeze out the water and, without unclenching your hands, bring it back out;
Hold the newborn's bottom for about thirty seconds to absorb the liquid.

How often can you give an enema to a newborn?

Doing this procedure too often is strictly prohibited . The intestines of newborn children are still very weak and its regular use can not only be harmful, but also cause addiction. Water that gets inside a child can remove microelements useful for the body along with unnecessary substances, and this can already be dangerous.

Enemas can be done no more than once a month, and preferably only as needed.

This process brings unpleasant sensations to a newborn and therefore should not be abused. Doctors' advice boils down to one thing: resort to this method as little as possible. It is worth listening to them and, if possible, then use massages, pressure on the tummy, and so on. These methods are less effective, but can also help the child cope with colic. Naturally, they will not help when using medications.

A newborn baby needs little. If nothing bothers him, then he sleeps peacefully as long as he wants. You need to take care of your baby, feed regularly, and if possible, do not give up breastfeeding. If this is not possible, then select nutrition according to the recommendations of your pediatrician.