Why didn't the hospital do anything?(read for details)?

Question

My best friend has a 5 wk old baby and she hasn't been able to poop on her own since she was born, anyway she has to give the baby a suppository every time she needs to poop. Well last night the baby was screaming in pain so my best friend took her to the hospital and they did nothing and sent her home. If she can't poop on her own isn't there a problem and why wouldn't the doctor do anything.

She was on low iron formula but then the dr put her on Isomil.

Everything that she is doing the pediatrician told her to do.

She is unable to breastfeed do to medical problems.

The baby has had this problem since she was 1 wk old so her pediatrician is well aware of the situation.

Answer 1

I dont mean to scare anyone, but my daughter had this problem around 2 months. the only way she would go would be through doctor stimulation, or me giving her suppositories. They said it may be hirshprung's disease, its when the babies cant poop because the colon is not formed correctly in the womb. You may want to look into this. they said it is very common in babies who dont ever have a bowel movement since birth. My daughter went throught xrays and 2 biopsys but found out she didnt have it, i guess she sort of grew out of it. i just feel the need to share about this disease because i was certain my daughter had it. I know what your friend is going through and she may want to look into this or ask her doctor about it. If you have any questions you can email me. Hope this helps. Good Luck

Answer 2

She should feed the baby a wee bit of mineral oil and get her to drink some distilled and boiled water with a small dash of sugar.

Iron is not good for a baby. Breastfeeding is best and this is why but some formulas really constipate.

The suppositories should work but the baby has to keep them in her butt for the recommended time. It's best if mom puts on a plastic glove and holds it in place until the baby starts to poop. The suppositories once dissolved should get the baby pooping. It is very painful for the baby not to poop so the poor thing must be screaming all the time.

Mineral oil will soften the stool but just give a half spoon and wait a day and see.

Answer 3

Your friend should try adding a little water to the baby's diet.

Couple of ounces once or twice a day might do wonders.

She can also try a warm bath, and then light massage of the baby's lower abdomen.

And if her pediatrician is not listening to her concerns, she should find another doctor.

Finally, if the suppository IS working, that is why the hospital sent them home. If there was an urgent problem, the suppository would NOT work.

If she is that worried she should call her baby's doctor, most good pediatricians have some doctor on call to talk to you if the baby is sick. Have her call his answering service.

Answer 4

I know that the Isomil DOES cause constipation, my son was the same way and the did tell me that I sould give him a suppositoy, but...if he went longer that 7 days to bring him in and they would give him something stronger. It hurts the baby's tummy. My son would scream when ever you touched his tummy and after he pooped...he was fine. I would ask some friends if they know any good pediatricians and if no, just go to some one new in the area. The baby obviously needs something to stimulte the poop.

Also you can try to stimulate the anus by putting some vasolene on a qtip and GENTLY insert in to the anus and swirl it for a couple of seconds. This is what my doctor told me to do first. That and a bath. Good Luck and I hope the baby gets better soon :)

Answer 5

This happened to me when my son was about 2 and half weeks. I was also asked to give him a suppository and I'm sorry but those suckers are big(cut in half or not!). I hated to give it to him and she him cry. Sure it helped him poop some, but the problem for him was the formula. He was given Enfamil w/ iron and I had to switch this one to Prosobe( a soy milk).I had the same problem w/ my first
son, so I knew what the problem was. He did so much better w/ the soy milk and no longer had any problems. I explained to his doctor about the problem he was having and asked if the formula could be changed. I also am sick w/ an illness and could not breastfeed either. If your friend feels that she isnt getting advice from the doc/hospitals get another doc for her baby. Do what you feels right,whether they make you feel as if your overreacting or not. Dont stop until you feel as if your baby is getting the best care.

Answer 6

Whoever said the thing about iron was right. High iron makes it impossible for a baby to poop. Formula itself makes it difficult for baby to poop as it's just not what baby was meant to eat. The hospital probably thought that the mom was overreacting. If she is a young, first time mommy, she wont be taken very seriously.

She needs to find a doctor who is going to listen to her and take her seriously. Constantly giving the baby suppositories instead of encouraging him/her to poop on his/her own is going to do major damage to the baby's digestive system and....butt.

When my daughter was about 2 months old I had to put her on formula. The switch caused her to be constipated and I solved the problem by adding juice to her formula mixture. I started with prune juice and as she started becoming a bit more regular I switched to apple or pear juice. At first, tell your friend to use prune juice only. No water. As the baby begins going poo on it's own, she can gradually reintroduce water and switch to a lighter juice.

Make sure your friend understands how important it is that her child poop without help. I cannot stress this enough. She needs to seek out a doctor who is going to address this issue instead of just telling her to give the child a suppository. That would be okay for an isolated incident, but it damages the baby when used long-term.

Answer 7

Maybe the baby is addicted to the suppositories. When you have to have a suppository to have a bowel movement everytime, your body starts depending on the suppository to do the job. It does sound like maybe they baby is on the wrong kind of milk, but I believe that you can't keep switching a babies milk. Babies have to adapt to formula. I think that you should try one formula for a week before you can really know if it is working or not. So many doctors want to keep switching formulas so fast that it is hard for they baby's little tummy to adapt. She should see a different doctor and get a second opinion. Suppositories are okay for infants, but if she has to do that everytime their is something else wrong.

Answer 8

That is a huge problem! She should not have to give the baby suppositories every day. She needs to call her pediatrician immediately. The baby may be getting too much iron. He may suggest changing formula. She can also try massaging the belly.

Answer 9

They did nothing? Not even run some tests? The baby could have structural problem that would prevent the baby from passing stools properly. If there is another hospital in your area, preferably with a pediatrics department (like a children's hospital), I would take the baby there immediately. There are serious problems that need to be ruled out before one can just say "cut down on iron" or "soften the stool." It sounds like the other hospital was negligent and lazy.

Answer 10

Either the doctor is an idiot but they do tend to know what they are doing. They may think that the baby is simply consitpated..need to run more tests..need to book a surgery your friend cant afford..or believe the problem will correct itself. Your friends doctor does not sound very fitted to her needs as a mother though if she is completely confused and no one can rectify the situation so I would suggest your friend get a better doctor who can explain the situation to her. i know that doctors do not want infants to suffer on purpose so I cant see them just neglecting this baby at both the er and the family practice but if your friend is so confused with the doctor she has she is better off finding a new one.