Baby strains during bowel movements but is not constipated: reasons
Disease description:
The baby has been born for over a month. I've noticed that he seems to strain when pooping these past two days, but there's no constipation. What could be the reason for an infant straining during bowel movements without being constipated?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Xie Zixing
An infant may strain during bowel movements without being constipated, possibly due to insufficient breast milk or high protein content in the breast milk. In cases of breastfeeding, if the mother's milk supply is low and the baby isn't getting enough milk, the infant may remain hungry and have fewer bowel movements—sometimes only once every few days—leading to straining during defecation without actual constipation. Additionally, if the mother consumes large amounts of greasy or fatty foods, the breast milk may become richer, causing the baby's stool to become drier and harder to pass, resulting in straining even though the infant is not constipated.
