Constipation: 3 week formula-fed baby is constipated - Karo Syrup

I went through this with my oldest son, and after consulting with the doctor, we found out it was the iron in the formula. We switched to a low-iron formula and things were fine then.

My son did the exact same thing. I had to switch to a lactose free formula. It made a huge difference!!!

My son was that way- the doctor told me to give him watered down apple juice- it did the trick! I also would lay him on his back and push his knees into his tummy-

Karo syrup is just corn syrup, one of the main ingredients in formula this is actually part of the problem for your son. You will find, C., that finding the right formula for your baby is more challenging than just picking one and using it.

Babies are all different, which is why (you may have seen) there are so many different types of formula out there. Start by looking for one without corn syrup - these will be healthier for your baby in the long run.

Then, to eliminate constipation, give him ACIDOPHILUS. Acidophilus is 'good bacteria' that helps him to digest his food. You can buy it anywhere - even at Rainbow Foods. It comes as a powder or capsules. If you cannot find the powder, go ahead and buy the capsules, but the powder is what you want. Simply dip your finger in the powder and have him suck it off. You can do this a few times each day.

Incidentally, it is the corn syrup in baby formula that stunts the growth of good bacteria in baby's colons. This is why it is so important to get a corn syrup-free formula.

Hi C.! My daugher had the same issue. I don't know which formula you use, but I ended up switching my daughter to Enfamil Gentlease formula. It's a little bit more expensive, but it helped the problem. She was able to digest it better. I would go to BabiesRUs and purchase the formula in cases (4 to a case, I think)...it was cheaper to do that than to buy individually. Plus I went to Enfamil.com and had filled out a form to have coupons sent to me. That helped save money too. Just a thought! Good luck!! :)

P.S. I read some of the comments below, I think you should double-check with your doctor before doing some of those things (especially medications). Just to be safe...because 3 weeks is very small yet.

My son had this problem to at that age. i dont know what kind of formula you are using but we had to use nestle good start and once a day we would have to mix 1 oz of prune juice with an ounce of water (per his pediatricion)and that worked great. we noticed a big difference within a week. we did the prune juice till he was over 6 months old and started drinking more water, etc. He is now 1 and rarely gets constipated. you should check with his pediatricion and see what they say to. good luck.

You've gotten a lot of good advice here - my son was the same way and a little prune juice in every bottle kept him regular - we didn't switch formulas or anything (used Similac Advance) and didn't give him anything else (no extra water or apple juice or anything) until he was old enough for them. Also - keep in mind it takes about 3 days for what ever goes in to have any effect on what comes out! And I would always check with your baby's doctor before making any changes to his diet.

if you go the karo route, i think you need to use the dark - old wives' tale, but i think it works better than the light.

otherwise, i'd check with ped since your guy is so little, but our ped recommends splitting an infant suppository in half length-wise & inserting only half at a time.

you might also be able to try some diluted 100% prune juice.

good luck! constipation isn't fun for anyone! :)

my granddaughter had this problem at that age(now she is 4) I checked with the doctor first - he stated suppositories. they have small ones for infants & children. They sure helped her. - Ask you doc if this is ok. He/she may have something different in mind. Good luck

Our first was the same way even on the gentlease. Which Target makes the generic for that formula if you go that route. It was way cheaper than name brand. But we just did a an ounce or two of pear juice in one bottle a day. It kept her regular. And then when we started cereal we had to really limit it because that too constipated. We pretty much skipped the cereal and went to the baby food. Doctor said that was okay. But the pear juice was great because it tasted good and it seemed a tad more gentle than prune juice.

Sometimes Karo syrup doesn't. try giving him little prune juice in water.

J.
Black Creek

My son had the same problem when he was a baby. The nurse suggested giving him some white grape juice. It helped, but it wasn't a long term solution. I ended up switching him from similac to good start and constipation was never an issue again.

You are supposed to use Dark Karo syrup (which was HIGHLY recommended by my pediatrician, it does NOT have the same as honey. Honey is not pastuerized- it is an all natural product, that is why it poses the threat of botulism). It always worked like a charm for me. Light does not have the right ingredients. My friend with a new baby just did this and it worked for her too.
If not, try using a rectal thermometer to stimulate him. Only the very tip! That also works, but I prefer the syrup.
Ask your pediatrician about suppositories. I have heard that you could use a very small portion (like 1/4 of the whole) that is for children. Ask your pediatrician first.
I just read in Baby Talk mag, last night, also that babies have a hard time with passing stools until there bodies learn how to relax the pelvic floor, usually around four months.
Good Luck, hope everything comes out okay :-)

My daughter had the same problem when I was nursing and it was from milk protein intolerance. I just started her on Soy and it was gone.
Hope this helps,
J.
Mother of 5

Hi! We switched to Nestle Good Start (which supplimented breast feeding - I was hospitalized and couldn't feed him due to meds) and had him drink prune juice (which he still loves as a 3 yo!) and pear juice -- straight. We also used supositories, but he had some physical issues as well (esp. tight anus -- I know, I know, a "tight a**" LOL)which the ped stretched out a wee bit and we used supositories. Now we have no problems.

I would have to say that you need to change the formula. When my 6 yo was younger I tried about 3-4 formulas before ending having to use Nestle's Good Start. I don't know what kind you are using but that is what worked for me. My daughter would get really gassy and hold her knees to her chest before we used this formula. If things keep up then I suggest seeing your doctor for some suggestions.

My daughter had the same problem and her doc told us prunes and prune juice... and let me tell you it worked wonders... and plus it is safer then karo syrup. hope this helps

this is very common with formula. its super concentrated. dr william sears (www.askdrsears.com) has several books on baby care, but one "the baby book" mentions that formula fed babies should be fed also a bit of water every day to counteract the concentration of formula. dont worry about things that say dont give baby any water because what they mean is dont give baby TOO MUCH water, that can cause problems. a little water is great.

ALSO baby needs some fiber. if you add a tiny tiny bit of milled or ground flax to babys formula, it should help. sometimes a little more than a tiny bit. see how baby reacts to it. i have some flax that will not be sucked through a bottle nipple... so i dont know if there is a more thouroughly ground powdered flax, or if that is something you could do at home. but CERTAINLY when starting solids, that is something you can feed baby every day, even every meal.

this applies to adults too. we dont digest fiber, but it absorbs water, and that passes into our intestines, and keeps stool soft! healthy, the way it should be. KUDOS to you for noticing that this is a problem and that you should do something about it.

i dont know your story, and i dont know your situation, but im sorry that breastfeeding didnt work out for you. it was the best thing i ever did :D but its not for everyone i guess :(.
good luck and i hope it helps.

PS DONT START SOLIDS TOO SOON!!! if you can delay until 6 months you will be doing your child a HUGE favor!!

I had the same problem when my now 19month old son was on formula. But I have to say that I was nursing till he was 4 months old so I never had to deal with constipation that early. When he got constipated on forumula I used the Karo syrup as well about 1tsp in his bottle - make sure the bottle is warm so the syrup can mix better. I also gave him the magic PRUNE juice in a bottle (not mixed with milk of course)! Not a great taste but Gerber brought one out now that has prune and apple mixed- taste little better. It worked like a charm every time. Also the dr told me to use little more water when mixing the formula or if baby likes water give him water in a bottle. Good luck and I hope this works for you, I know how hard it can be to see them suffer trying to "go"!

I agree with the poster who suggested Nestlee good start...if you're not using it already, it seemed to be the formula the kept my kids from getting the hard constipating poopies...also adding some prune juice shoudl help too.

i had the same problem with my daughter-try putting a 1/2 teaspoon of molasses in formula.it worked great as a natural laxative.good luck..i see a few suggested prune juice-that is pretty strong for that age.molasses is all natural,an less cramping.i used similac,its pretty high in iron-thats why the constipating problems-also try giving the baby extra water-between feedings-really helps.

My doc had me give Milk of Magnesia to my daughter, just a small dose per day. He went by how much she weighed for her dose. I would ask your doc about it, it worked wonders for us!

Same thing happened to my daughter when she was little, my Dr. told me to get a cotton ball wet with the warmest water you can (not hot obviously), a few cotton balls, and have a towel and an extra diaper ready... then wipe directly on the anus. When I did this, it immediately worked, thank god my mom was there at the time to help me, it would have been a mess! We had to heep sliding new diapers under her butt, she filled them up quick. Doc said if that doesn't work you can insert a rectal thermometer for a few seconds and that should do the trick, but the cotton ball thing worked like a charm and was not uncomfortable for her at all. Hope this helps. Good luck!

My baby has this problem on and off. Giving him one ounce of apple juice mixed with one ounce of water once a day worked for him. You might need to repeat it for a few days in order for it to work.

Hi, I totally understand your plight!! My oldest had that problem until he was almost 1! We used Karo syrup as well, but are you using enough? our pediatrician recommended like 2 Tbs for a 4 oz bottle, he said it wouldn't hurt them, if you are using too much then they have the runs but nothing serious..... you can add until you see some change. We also switched him to a soy formula, which helped a lot. Also giving him a watered down bottle of juice did some good, that formula is just hard for some babies to process.. Hope this helps:)

I have major concerns with the use of karo syrup, especially in a 3 week old. I was told that Karo syrup has the same concerns as honey and should not be used. His little tummy can't handle the foods that's why they aren't introduced until later. He should only be on formula. I would talk to your doctor. There is a medicine called miralax but again I don't know if it is okay for such a young baby. If the stool is close to the rectum you could also use a rectal thermometer and just pretend you are taking his temp. A lot of times this will caues it to be pushed out. My son has a genetic condition that often has constipation as an issue. We so far have been very lucky and have only had mild issues.
Good Luck
~M.

My breast feed baby was constipated starting at 1 week. I used stimulate him all the time. Also when I started both my boys on formula i had them on low iron.

cow's milk can cause constipation btw.

ask the doc first, ,but switch or alternate to a low iron formula, extra iron makes them constipated, but they also need the iron (hence consult your doc). Also could try giving prune juice, I give that to my son now inbetween the ironfortified baby cereal feedings after going through a bout of constipation.
good luck..

I am breastfeeding my son and last month he got badly constipated. I tried lots of remedies and no poop. He was straining and pushing but nothing was coming out. I saw online help and found a natural tea supplement "babies magic tea". I worked all in one day and baby pooped for the first time with so ease after 10 days, I got completely satisfied.

Try giving him some water. That always worked for my kids. Goodluck

We had the same issue. I started putting a dropper full of prune juice in with each bottle and it seemed to help. Our pediatrician also recommended that we switch to Good Start Natural Cultures and that, along with eating oatmeal cereal now has turned him into a regular little guy. ; ) Of course your little one will not be eating cereal for a few months; hopefully the other things will help in the meantime.

Yep, I've been here. What worked for us: 1tsp of pear nectar per bottle until you get the "results" you want. After that, 1 tsp every other bottle or so for a day or two. It is important to get pear nectar not juice. Pear nectar is in the latin foods section of the grocery store.

Just a side note, it's a myth that iron in formula causes constipation; Baby 411 by Dr. Ari Brown pub. 2007. Low iron formula without a dr.'s supervision can be very dangerous, use caution!

Sometimes a change in formula to one more gentle on his system may help. Prune juice helps although you might ask the doc first. I think it's the dark Karo syrup that helps with constipation.