Ask My Little Buddha

August 16, 2007 | Print

My six and a half month old started eating solids about a month ago. He’s been eating with gusto, but has started getting constipated. Do you know of any natural remedies that could help his digestion?

Here is the complete question with our answer below: His bowel movements take some effort and are pretty solid. Weeks ago I backed off trying new foods and have stuck mostly with soaked and pureed prunes and dried apricots with the occasional other fruit like peaches and pears.

I’ve also been mixing bran flakes into some of the meals and giving him very diluted prune and apple juice in a sippy cup or bottle. Nothing seems to work.

Do you know of any natural remedies that could help his digestion?

It’s normal for babies to get constipated when they start solids. Their bodies are just beginning to produce the stomach enzymes they need to digest their food, and this process is not complete until around eight months. Surprisingly, fruits sometimes can be constipating to young stomachs. You may want to try a small amount of winter squash, sweet potatoes or yams.

You can also add ground organic flax seeds (easy to grind in a small coffee grinder or some health food stores sell ground) to his food once a day and see if the additional fiber helps him. Start with a teaspoon of the ground flax and see how he does. You can increase the ground flax to 1-2 tablespoons a day as he gets older, around 10 months to one year old.

Babies this age may do well with a small amount of oatmeal, a baby oatmeal like Earth’s Best or your own pureed for softer consistency. You can add a little prune juice to the oatmeal to aid digestion.

Epsom salt baths (Kelly’s tried and true whenever her kids are constipated) and gentle massage can help too. For massage, move your hand with gentle pressure in a counter-clockwise U on his abdomen.If these ideas don’t seem to relieve him, you might consider consulting with a naturopath who specializes in nutrition.

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