Is it safe to give a newborn prune juice??

Question

My 16 day old son is very constipated, he hasn't gone to the bathroom in days...and all he does is cry and strain and he sweats from crying so hard...so i'm thinking about putting a little prune juice in his formula...is that safe?? Please someone help!!!

Btw i have been giving him 1-3 doses of gas drops for the past 4 days and it's not helping. I already talked to doctor about it and she didn't help much. So, i need something else that i can do from home..he's miserable...

I am also breast and formula feeding him. The doctor already put him on soy formula....

The formula i give him is Similac Soy. So, maybe that is it, but the enfamil made him have diarrhea.

Answer 1

Call your doctor or take him in to urgent care. He shouldn't be having so much trouble maybe something is wrong with him.

Answer 2

First, take his temp rectally. That should get things moving, so to speak! Then, try 1/4 tsp karo syrup in 8 oz formula. That will make him go better. Offer him water in between feedings. He may or may not want it, but offer it anyway! If the problem continues, consult the pediatrician and consider changing formula. Some formulas don't agree with some babies. I would wait on the prune juice until he is 3 - 5 months old.

Answer 3

Take your baby to the doctor right away or to the ER. (Bowel impaction has occured & that's VERY serious!!!!!) I have no idea why you haven't done so by now. Don't you know how much pain this little baby is in? You do NOT give prune juice to a sixteen day old baby, but you do give him water. Back when my babies were that age, I boiled the water, let it cool, then put it in a couple little baby bottles. Ask your doctor about water & how to prepare it. So much has changed since mine were that little. Take some vaseline & put it on the outside of the rectum & this will help the bowel movement slide out a little easier in the meantime. (It may be hard & the vaseline will help) If you take him to the ER they will give him an enema & he will go. Then his pain will be over. Let your doctor know what's going on also, so this won't happen again.

Answer 4

I would not. I would advise you to talk to his pediatrician, he might have you give him a suppository or add a little bitty bit of flax seed oil to his formula. OR, if possible, try strictly breastfeeding him for a while. Since breastmilk is a natural laxative, it might help. If not, also try switching formula brands. Although you shouldn't switch around often, it might be the trick. This happened with my son when we were supplementing with Similac. There was a difference almost immediately when we switched to Enfamil.

One thing that helped my son was to bathe him in warm water, where the water was above stomach level. While relaxed, massage his tummy and see if that helps him go. He might actually go to the bathroom in the water, so don't be surprised if he does.

I agree with BusyMom, also try inserting a rectal thermometer. This sometimes helped my son.

Answer 5

Go ahead and try prune juice, its not going to hurt him. Gas drops are useless, they are a waste of money and theres pediatrician that told me they do no good. try kyro syrup and water as well. That will definitly make him go. About 2teaspoons in 2oz of water is what i was told and it worked. Apple juice i believe works better then prune juice but thats my opionion. Try a warm water bottle on his tummy, and try laying him on his back and moving his legs back and forth like hes riding a bike that will help pass the gas. Make sure you are burping him often to avoid trapped wind. It might be his formula as well...so keep that in mind....if you are on goodstart like most hospitals send babies home on, try talking to your pediatrician about changing formulas if it becomes a constant problem. They make formulas that are easier to digest like gentlease from enfamil, or nutramigen, or Alimentum. Those are all good formulas. But go ahead and try the juice!! and if that doesnt work try the kyro syrup in water its not going to hurt anymore than he hurts now right :)

Answer 6

Prune Drops For Babies

Answer 7

my sister had problems with my nephew with this - her doc to ld her no to the prune juice until he was older - her doc told her to put a little sugar in his formula - just a little bit. that seemed to help - but call the doc - if the doc doesn't give you any answer take him somewhere else - should make sure all is ok.

hope he is feeling better soon - so mom feels better too. and congrats!

Answer 8

I don't think it's safe to give prune juice at that age, but if he's really struggling you can always give him an infant-size (1 gram) glycerin suppository - it's entirely local in its effect and almost guaranteed to make him do a dooey in under 20 minutes.

Answer 9

Quit being so cheap and go to the hospital already! You said yourself that he's miserable and that your Doctor was no help. Quit trying to cure him with prune juice or anything else you might have around and find out whats wrong with your baby!

Answer 10

I gave my younest one 4oz bottle of prune juice a day (1/2 water) for the first month. The doctor suggested it for him. Every once in awhile he still needs some and he's two.

Answer 11

At 16 days old, he should still be having several bowel movements a day. Constipation is not normal for a baby that young. Call his pediatrician before you do anything.