5 Fruits to Give When Your Baby is Constipated
If your baby is constipated, try adding these fruits to his or her diet!
Constipation in babies usually happens when there’s a change in their diet—such as introducing solid food. However, some babies simply have a natural tendency towards constipation despite eating healthy and drinking enough fluids. If your baby is constipated, you can try rotating these fruits to help with digestion and bowel movement.
Best Fruits to Relieve Babies Who are Constipated
1. Papaya
Papaya has a range of health benefits including asthma prevention and even anti-cancer properties. Moreover, they contain an enzyme called papain that aids in digestion. It’s also high in fiber and water content—both of which help to prevent constipation and promote a healthy digestive tract. Papayas, especially after being refrigerated, are a popular fruit among babies learning to eat solid food because of their sweet taste!
2. Prunes
Prunes, or dried plums, are known to be a natural remedy for constipated babies. They’re rich in fiber as well as a natural laxative called sorbitol. Babies who don’t like the taste and texture of prunes may want to eat it as a prune juice ice pop or mixed with another fresh fruit juice to hide the taste.
3. Pineapples
Pineapple is another great fruit that helps promote digestion and ease bloating and constipation! It’s loaded with fiber and has natural laxative properties, so it works effectively in regulating bowel movement. While it is mildly acidic, it’s still considered safe for babies as young as six months old to eat. On the downside, the acidity may cause diaper rashes in some infants. If this happens, you can wait to try pineapple again when your baby is older.
4. Kiwi
Studies show that eating two kiwi fruits a day can help with chronic constipation. However, kiwi can be a little acidic. So it’s best to offer this to a baby once they’ve eaten other solid foods around seven or eight months. Again, some acidic foods can cause minor skin reactions in babies, thus try to observe how they react after eating kiwi.
5. Apples
Apples are an easy way to boost the fiber content in your baby’s diet and alleviate constipation. But it’s important to note that raw apples are a choking hazard for infants who are not used to solid foods yet. Experts recommend only offering pureed apples or applesauce until babies are 9 to 12 months old. After that, you can give your baby small piles of raw apples that have been shredded with a cheese grater.
Other Home Remedies if Your Baby is Constipated
Exercise
As with adults, exercise and movement tend to stimulate a baby’s bowels. But if your baby is not walking or crawling yet, you can help them! Gently move their legs while they are lying on their back to mimic riding a bicycle. Doing this may help the bowels function and relieve constipation.
Warm Bath
Giving your baby a warm bath can help relax their abdominal muscles and stop straining. It can offer relief for them, too.
Massage
Use your fingertips to make circular motions on your baby’s stomach in a clockwise pattern. Or you can gently stroke from the rib cage down past the belly button. It helps to add baby oil or lotion when you do this!
Constipation happens more often than you think. But if your baby has been constipated for more than a day or two and there’s blood in their stool, they’re fussy or irritable, and they appear to have abdominal pain, we highly advise calling your pediatrician.
More stories on healthy food to feed your baby:
5 Places to Buy Healthy Food and Snacks for Your Kids