19.03.2017
How to help a baby with constipation - almost all parents have encountered this problem. What you need to know about constipation in newborns, so as not to be taken by surprise? In this article we will consider the most necessary information that can come in handy in practice.
In infants, constipation is a fairly common phenomenon, especially in the first months of their life, since the work of the intestines has not yet been properly debugged, it is not stable. Starting from the very first days, breastfed babies go to the toilet up to 8 times a day in accordance with the number of feedings, and artificial babies - up to 4. Gradually, with growing up, the number of emptyings is reduced. It should also be borne in mind that this process is a very individual phenomenon. Not all babies have a bowel movement every day. Since at this age the child is under the constant supervision of adults, it will not be difficult for them to notice any changes in the frequency and quality of the baby's stool, taking into account the individual characteristics of their baby.
If more than 1 and 2 days have passed since the last emptying, and at the same time, the baby’s appetite and sleep have disappeared, he constantly screams, gets irritated or pushes for no reason, grunts strongly, jerks his legs, pulls them to the tummy, arches, and the tummy becomes more dense, swollen and, as it were, hardened, which means that the baby has constipation. At the same time, the stool masses are also subject to changes, they become more viscous and compacted. When a child cannot go to the toilet, he is faced with unpleasant internal pain sensations that give him anxiety, outwardly manifested in his behavior. He sleeps poorly, refuses food, constantly cries and is naughty, which in turn leads to disruption of sleep and the rhythm of the parents' life. In such situations, mothers often resort to folk remedies at home, but they can be unproductive.
If the frequency of recurrence of constipation is high, be sure to consult a pediatrician in order to accurately determine the cause of the problem, and taking it into account, take further active steps to help your baby.
Organic constipation (Hirschsprung's disease) is a rather rare phenomenon associated with congenital pathological abnormalities in the structure and functioning of the infant's intestines, which is found even in the maternity hospital. Simply put, the child cannot and does not know how to poop. The problem of such constipation is solved only by surgical intervention.
Functional constipation is a more common occurrence associated with retention of baby stools. The problem of such constipation can be solved both with drugs and non-drug means (massage, enema, beetroot juice). For the correct choice of the method of treatment, it is necessary, first of all, to establish the cause of constipation in a timely and correct manner.
The digestion of a baby directly depends on the composition and quality of mother's breast milk, that is, on what and how a woman eats. Excessive consumption by a nursing mother of foods such as meat, rice, muffins, tea, coffee and others can provoke constipation in a baby. The mother's diet should be approached carefully and selectively, with some restrictions. She should eat more foods containing plant fiber. In addition, if the mother took antibiotics, the newborn has a violation of the microflora, which can also cause difficulty in defecation.
The body of the child, configured to digest the required amount of food, in case of a shortage due to a lack of milk from the mother, gives a reaction in the form of constipation.
Often with a change in baby food, for example, when switching from breastfeeding to formula, the baby's digestive system does not have time to rebuild and malfunctions in the form of constipation.
Often, mothers are in a hurry to give their child a taste of ordinary adult food, which causes disturbances in the child's digestion. Pediatricians recommend introducing complementary foods to babies no earlier than six months of age. Sometimes, after the baby reaches the appropriate age, mothers overdo it with the amount of complementary foods. Children's digestive system can not cope with such a volume of new food.
The lack of water is most often experienced by children who are bottle-fed. Also, in hot weather, the child may increase the level of sweating, which, in turn, can lead to dehydration and hardening of the stool. To avoid problems with difficult emptying of children, it is necessary to provide sufficient and regular supply of moisture to their body throughout the day. In summer, it is necessary to humidify the air in the room.
This natural, inevitable, but such a painful process is often accompanied by side accompanying symptoms, such as a decrease in immunity, an increase in body temperature, and even constipation.
Constipation can be triggered by the inactivity of a small person, in order to avoid which parents should definitely do physical exercises with their babies. In such cases, it is useful for children to crawl more on their tummy.
Stool retention in infancy can also be caused by disturbances in the psycho-emotional state of the child, for example, during prolonged separation from the mother.
Constipation in infants can be a symptom of diseases such as dolichosigma or lactase deficiency, so if you encounter this problem, the child is strongly recommended to see a doctor.
Laxative is contraindicated for newborn babies! First of all, you should consult with a specialist.
Don't miss the opportunity to talk to your pediatrician, who knows exactly what to do at home if your baby is constipated and will give you proven advice. Many doctors are not supporters of drug treatment of constipation in very young infants, but they can advise from drugs - Dufolac based on lactulose, which can be taken from birth, and in the future - Bifidumbacterin and Linex containing beneficial bacteria - probiotics to restore healthy intestinal microflora. There are safe and effective non-drug remedies that you can resort to at home.
With mild constipation, massage helps a lot. First, the small belly needs to be warmed up with a warm towel. The rule for performing such a massage: gently stroke the baby's tummy in circular smooth movements clockwise, slightly pressing on it; do not make strong and abrupt movements! You can also very carefully and gently hug the baby to you. The warmth of a mother's embrace has a very beneficial effect on the psycho-emotional state of the child. Also, in combination with massage, you can do some physical exercises with children's legs, such as scissors or a bicycle.
After such mechanical influences, gases will leave the intestines of the child, and long-awaited relief will come. Massage is an excellent preventive measure to get rid of stool retention in the future and improve the functioning of the children's intestines in general. Before starting a massage, you should also consult a doctor so as not to damage such fragile and not yet strong children's organs. It is better if the first massage is given by an experienced specialist and shows you how to do it properly.
Also, with mild constipation and as a prophylactic, beet juice can help, which improves the functioning of the children's digestive system, but with painful and prolonged stool retention, it may be ineffective. In addition, you can use this tool only if the child is already familiar with adult food.
One of the common parenting misconceptions is that the cure for constipation is an enema. This is not true! An enema should be resorted to only as a last resort and only with the permission of the doctor. At first glance, such an effective remedy has only a short-term effect, while washing out the natural microflora from the child's intestines with water, which exacerbates the problem in the future. When using an enema, constipation will recur in the future. True, there are neglected situations when an enema is indispensable.
In such cases, hands are thoroughly washed, a small enema (No. 1) is taken, filled with warm boiled water to a volume of 25 ml. The tip of the enema tip is lubricated with sterilized vegetable or vaseline oil using a cotton swab and very carefully inserted into the infant's rectum by 3-4 cm. Air should first be released from the enema. Water is released into the intestines very gradually, gently. After you remove the tip with one hand, with the other hand, hold the baby's buttocks squeezed for 3-5 minutes so that the water does not leak out. Such a procedure will lead to an early emptying and relief of the children's intestines. Sometimes in difficult cases, as an extreme measure, they resort to the use of suppositories of glycerin, butter or vegetable oil at the end of the pipette, which irritate the walls of the intestinal sphincter and soften the stool.
Regular prevention of constipation will save you from the need to treat this problem in the future. The following recommendations will help you with this:
If the problem of constipation in infants has not passed you, do not panic, do not resort to self-treatment, show the baby to the doctor. In order to choose the right treatment, and not harm the child even more, you need to know exactly the cause of the stool retention. It is also not worth delaying the solution of the problem, since untimely relief from constipation can lead to poisoning by food decay products and intoxication of the body.
How to help a newborn with constipation? Where did it come from? How to prevent the recurrence of trouble? We answer the most common questions of young mothers.
For breastfed newborns, bowel movements up to 6-8 times a day, according to the number of feedings, are considered normal. The defecation of the crumbs is closely related to its nutrition: during the activation of the digestive system, the smooth muscles of the intestine begin to work. And in diapers, just during lunch, mushy poop of a yellowish color with a sour smell appears.
In artificial babies, defecation occurs less frequently - up to 3-4 times a day. Therefore, many pediatricians tend to believe that the lack of bowel movements less than this amount per day is the main sign of constipation in infants. Although modern medicine does not always see this as a problem. If the baby poops once a day or even every other day, but at the same time cheerful and cheerful, then nothing bad happens to him. If, to the absence of poop, a piercing cry, refusal to eat and a dense, sometimes even hard stomach are added, then it’s time for you to decide how to rid the baby of constipation.
There are 2 types of constipation in babies:
To determine how to cure constipation in infants, you should find out what exactly caused it. The reasons may be as follows:
Finding out the cause will help you understand how to help the baby with constipation. So when using unwanted foods, you should exclude them from the diet. If the artificial baby drinks little water, offer it to him more often. If you had to take antibiotics before giving birth, be sure to tell your local pediatrician about it. He will prescribe to the baby drugs containing beneficial bacteria (for example, Bifidumbacterin or Linex), which will form a healthy intestinal microflora of the child. However, this is all in the future, and now, while the baby is crying and experiencing pain in the tummy, you need to act. Take a look at yours, the composition of which should include:
Step-by-step instructions for setting an enema for an infant from a pediatrician.
If the baby has never tried adult food, and there can be no question of offering him products for constipation in infants. Neither beetroot juice, nor the pulp of an apple, nor other folk remedies will bring relief, and may even harm. Use safe modern ways to deal with the problem and be sure to consult with the local pediatrician on how to prevent it in the future.
A fragment of Dr. Komarovsky's program about constipation during breastfeeding.
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show moreGlycelax is a very good laxative. My younger brother could not go to the toilet normally for a long time, his tummy ached, he whimpered from this. Then, as prescribed by a pediatrician, my mother bought this drug. He quickly solved our little problem. And my mother and I are calm, and my brother frolics merrily, and there are no frustrations.
Reply
At the birth of a child, you need to be prepared for both constipation and diarrhea. No child can do without it. Of course, you need to try to identify the cause of indigestion, but first of all, you need to alleviate the condition of the child. My daughter had constipation after a few days of fever - the consequences of vaccination. I called the doctor, she said that for constipation, the surest and most harmless remedy is glycerin suppositories glycelax, which our mothers also used. To my surprise, they were very inexpensive, around 90 rubles. And the effect came after 1 candle, after 15 minutes.
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When we decided to transfer our boy to IV, we learned all the "charm" of constipation, so to speak. At some point, they even forgot what healthy sleep is. The son suffered terribly, as soon as they rubbed his tummy and gave him water with dill, everything was to no avail. And our pediatrician still eventually set us on the right path and prescribed glycelax candles) they are really inexpensive and one candle is enough for the baby to stop suffering)
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You need to look for the cause of constipation. It turns out that the mixture was to blame. Once I was in the "Ship" and bought a mixture of MD mil Goat there, there are no constipations from it. The child, as they changed, neither cries nor blushes, in general the mixture is clearly good, I am glad that we understood what was the matter.
At birth, the organs and systems of the baby are in the process of formation, they continue to develop throughout the first year of life. The imperfection of the gastrointestinal tract makes it vulnerable to various disorders. What to do if the baby can not go big?
To find out if the baby really has problems with bowel movements, it is necessary to monitor the frequency of the stool, the consistency and color of the feces.
So, the following signs speak of constipation: stool less than 1 time per day, while the baby shows anxiety, refuses to eat, cries, sleeps poorly.
There may be vomiting, bloating. In this case, the act of defecation is hindered by the high density of feces.
Before proceeding with the procedure, prepare everything you need:
How to give a baby an enema? Here are the detailed instructions:
The massage procedure should be carried out several times a day, one-time manipulations will not give the desired effect.
Training:
Massage when the baby is relaxed and in a good mood, in which case his abdominal wall remains relaxed and the effect will be most effective.
Simple manipulations can enhance the ability of the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract to contract, facilitate the removal of gases and feces. The duration of the session should not exceed ten minutes.
Follow the following sequence of actions:
Deciding to fight constipation with massage, you need to consider in which cases it is forbidden to do so as not to damage your health.
Massage should be avoided if:
With systematic stool delays, medications are prescribed. Therapy will be the same for both breastfeeding and artificial feeding.
It is important to remember that the use of drugs for constipation should not become regular. It is necessary to identify the cause of the disruption of the intestines and eliminate it.
Dr. Komarovsky gives some tips to help alleviate the condition of the baby. If these measures do not help, you should contact a specialist.
What to do if the baby has constipation?
Eliminating constipation requires an integrated approach. It is necessary to follow the recommendations of the doctor and give the child medications only under the supervision of a specialist. It is important to monitor the diet and the sufficient amount of fluid consumed to prevent intestinal disruption.
And some more information about constipation in newborns - in the next video.
A problem such as constipation occurs frequently. Not all parents know how to behave in this case. The well-known children's doctor E. O Komarovsky recommends that young mothers not worry, but carefully monitor the condition of the child. Before taking any measures, you need to know exactly what symptoms are accompanied by Komarovsky, who believes that it is not always necessary to treat a baby with a rare bowel movement. In most cases, it is enough to adjust the nutrition and daily routine of the child. This is what Dr. Komarovsky teaches young parents.
In medicine, it is believed that a baby up to three months should empty the intestines two to four times a day. And constipation is a condition when there is no feces for more than two days. But here everything is individual. Sometimes it happens that a breastfed baby completely assimilates mother's milk. And he has a bowel movement every 3-5 days. Before panicking and giving the baby medication, the mother needs to find out what symptoms accompany constipation in the baby. Komarovsky says that if the baby develops well and gains weight, is cheerful and sleeps normally, and bowel movements do not cause him discomfort, then a rare stool is normal. You can talk about the disease when, in addition to constipation, the child has other symptoms: gas formation, pain, bloating, loss of appetite. In addition, it is very important to pay attention to the condition of the feces. In infants, it should be mushy, soft, yellowish. If the child has constipation, his feces will be dark in color, with an unpleasant odor, hard.
When do parents need to take action? It is considered that a child has constipation if the following symptoms are observed:
Only a doctor can determine if a child is sick or if this bowel movement is normal for him. Therefore, for any deviations in the behavior of the baby, you need to contact the pediatrician. After all, before treating a baby, you need to know what caused his constipation. This condition can be caused by many factors:
In such cases, only a doctor can treat constipation in infants. Komarovsky advises mothers to take some measures on their own if rare emptying is caused by other reasons:
After birth, the work of all the organs of the child is getting better for some time. In the first three days, the baby comes out with black-green plasticine-like feces - meconium. Then, up to a month and a half, the baby poops as many times as he eats - 8-12. His stools are mushy, yellowish in color, with a sour smell. But before the age of 3 or 4 months, the functions of the intestines have not yet fully formed in the child, many enzymes and beneficial bacteria are missing. Therefore, it often happens at this time that Komarovsky urges parents not to panic, but to try to improve the nutrition of a nursing mother or consult a doctor about choosing a milk formula. Normally, a breastfed baby should poop 4-5 times a day. And in artificial people, bowel movements happen less often - 1-2 times. Moreover, the feces should be soft, mushy.
A child who eats mother's milk may not poop for up to 3-4 days. This is considered normal if the baby is not bothered by anything, if he is cheerful and cheerful, sleeps well and gains weight. This means that breast milk suits him and is well absorbed. Only in rare cases does a real constipation appear in a baby. Komarovsky believes that measures should be taken if the baby does not gain weight, is restless and cries. But before using any medication, be sure to consult your doctor. In most cases, you can deal with the problem simply by changing mom's diet.
What rules should a woman follow in order for her child to have regular stools?
But even if the mother follows all the rules, sometimes there is constipation in the baby during breastfeeding. Komarovsky believes that this is due to lack of water. He recommends in hot weather to supplement the baby with clean water or a decoction of raisins. But it is undesirable to use a bottle with a nipple for this, so that the baby does not get used to it. You can water a child from a spoon or a special drinker, and you can give a little water from a syringe without a needle.
If, when breastfeeding, mothers rarely encounter real problems in emptying the baby's intestines, then this happens more often with artificial people. What to do to prevent constipation in a bottle-fed baby? Komarovsky recommends following the following rules:
Komarovsky recommends to feed the baby only with breast milk until 4-5 months. If the mother has enough of it, then the baby will receive everything he needs. Very often there is constipation in infants with the introduction of complementary foods. Komarovsky advises that to prevent this, start not with egg yolk or fruit juices, but with vegetable puree or dairy-free porridge. After a while, the baby's diet needs to be diversified so that he receives a sufficient amount of dietary fiber. Therefore, vegetable soups and mashed potatoes, cereals, especially not ready-made, but made by mother, are very important in the diet of children. After 7-8 months, you need to give the baby wholemeal bread, fresh fruits and vegetables.
Sometimes it happens that constipation appears in the baby after Komarovsky advises in this case to give either prunes puree, pumpkin, raisin decoction. It is advisable to include these foods in the diet if the baby is already 6 months old. Food for the child should be prepared immediately before use, it is undesirable to boil it well. By following these rules, constipation in the baby can be prevented.
Komarovsky gives some advice on how to help the baby. After all, it is not always possible to immediately consult a doctor. But every mother is able to alleviate the condition of the child. And only if these measures do not help, you should definitely contact a medical institution. So, what to do if the baby has constipation? Komarovsky recommends the following methods:
It is necessary to call an ambulance or see a doctor as soon as possible if the child has the following symptoms:
It is not recommended to give babies any medication without consulting a doctor. Even the safest drugs that are approved for use from birth can harm the unformed intestinal microflora of a child. Therefore, only in extreme cases is it recommended to use medicines to cure constipation in infants.
Many believe that this is the only way to treat constipation in infants. Komarovsky also recommends using an enema only in extreme cases. Their frequent use washes away beneficial bacteria from the intestines and weakens its tone. How to do an enema for a baby?
But more convenient to use and safer for the child are ready-made microclysters, which are sold in pharmacies. For example, you can purchase Microlax. But do not do them often to prevent addiction.
Many mothers try to help their child with the help of recipes that their grandmothers used. They push a piece of soap, a cotton swab lubricated with petroleum jelly or a thermometer into the anus to the baby. So before, constipation in an infant was often treated. Komarovsky warns parents against using such funds. He believes that over the child. In addition, such drugs can injure the mucous membrane, cause irritation in the anus and further aggravate the problem.
From folk remedies, the doctor prefers decoctions that help to remove gases. It is best to brew dill seed, anise or fennel. Komarovsky considers it very useful. In addition to the laxative effect, this drink enriches the body with potassium, which is very important for the normal functioning of the intestines. There is a greater choice of funds if the baby is constipated for 6 months. Komarovsky recommends giving the baby juice, decoction or mashed prunes, including foods rich in fiber in the diet.
Everyone knows that it is better to prevent a problem than to look for ways to deal with it. Dr. Komarovsky talks a lot about constipation in infants, but the main thing he focuses on is the need to establish proper nutrition for the baby. What should be done to prevent constipation?
You need to treat constipation in infants on your own only if it is the only symptom. And when the baby experiences pain in the abdomen, he has increased gas formation and no appetite, it is urgent to see a doctor.
In the first year of a baby's life, parents have to deal with many troubles. The most common among them is a violation of the stool, which is more often manifested by constipation. The child cannot empty his bowels easily, on time and painlessly, as it should be normal. He strains, cries, but the desired result - the excretion of feces - is not. Statistics confirm that a quarter of newborns have this pathology from time to time. The situation is complicated by the fact that the baby, of course, will not tell about his condition, therefore it is not easy for young mothers and fathers to determine constipation in a child.
Fecal masses accumulating in the intestines due to constipation lead to intoxication of the child's body. It is important to identify and fix the problem in a timely manner. What signs should be guided by in order to recognize problems with the intestines in the crumbs and what to do if the baby has constipation? Let's try to find out.
Initially, they pay attention to how often a child has a natural bowel movement per day, what color and consistency the feces have. Another important characteristic that should not be forgotten is how easy it is for a child to have a bowel movement, whether it causes him painful, uncomfortable sensations.
The frequency of bowel movements per day in infants gradually decreases throughout the year. Newborns empty about 4 to 10 times. By the age of 1 year, the act of defecation 1 time / day is considered physiological, normal. The feces of the baby have a soft texture. In the first month of life, stools are mushy. In older children, the feces gradually become more formed.
The color of feces largely depends on the food consumed by the crumbs. Newborns have yellow stools. When weaning begins, the color becomes light brown or dark brown. Normally, emptying the intestines does not bring the baby unpleasant, painful sensations. The rectum is cleared of the contents easily, without intense attempts, the baby should not be naughty or cry during defecation.
If the baby has a good appetite, the baby looks perfectly healthy, while painless, easy to defecate, but rarely - do not worry too much. Such a state is an individual norm. You can watch the baby for a while. The fastening of the chair can pass on its own, without outside interference.
If there is a binding of stool in an infant, normal characteristics begin to change. An alarm should be sounded in the following cases:
It is generally accepted that babies do not disrupt the work of the intestines if the baby is fed exclusively with breast milk. It is not true. Constipation in children older than a year old, as in newborns under the condition of breastfeeding, is not so uncommon.
There are two forms of stool fastening: atonic and spastic. Awareness of the difference between them helps to determine the tactics of helping the baby, treating the pathological condition.
With constipation, which is based on intestinal atony, the initial portion of feces is excessively dense, it has a large diameter. Fecal mass is difficult to excrete, the process causes pain. The subsequent portion looks like gruel, it is voluminous.
With spastic constipation, problems are associated with spasm of the intestinal walls. The main manifestation is “sheep” feces (it looks like separate, hard pellets). Its density is also significantly increased. The excretion of feces is accompanied by pain. Spastic constipation is characterized by pronounced bloating of the abdomen.
In infants, stool stiffness occurs for several reasons. Let's consider the main ones in order:
All the factors mentioned are functional in nature, with the exception of the first point. Functional constipation occurs against the background of an anatomically healthy intestine, only the functional ability of the digestive canal is impaired - due to spasm or, conversely, atony.
Serious diseases such as inflammation of the pancreas, biliary dyskinesia, rickets, liver pathologies, myasthenia gravis, brain tumors, lactose deficiency, allergic phenomena, hypothyroidism and many others can provoke prolonged constipation. In addition to constipation, there are other signs characteristic of each ailment.
What to do if constipation occurs in the baby? The very first action should be to find out the cause that led to constipation and eliminate the negative factor. If the trouble is in the mother's nutrition (during breastfeeding), it is necessary to correct, adjust the diet of a nursing woman. When the cause of constipation is the wrong selection of food for the baby, you should check with the pediatrician, nutritionist, what and how to feed the baby and immediately correct all errors. It is advisable to use vegetable / fruit purees prepared independently in accordance with all the rules. Store-bought products are not always, unfortunately, can boast of excellent quality.
Help your baby with different types of constipation:
Against the background of antibiotic therapy, constipation that has appeared requires the restoration of intestinal microflora. To do this, use special preparations containing beneficial bacteria (lactobacterin, bifidobacterin, etc.). Only they can improve the situation. Their doctor prescribes.
If constipation occurs in a functional baby, you can try to help the baby with medications. It is forbidden to use all laxatives, the action of which is based on irritation of the intestinal walls, for children in the first year of their life. Also, you can not resort to saline osmotic preparations that weaken the stool.
It is not advisable to do enemas either, they can be prescribed only in hopeless situations. The instructions for the modern local laxative "Microlax" for children indicate that it can be used for newborn babies and babies. This is a ready-made, viscous solution in consistency, intended for administration in the form of microclysters. The tip is immersed in the intestine only ½ of its length (the tip has special marks).
Without the risk of harming the health of the crumbs of the first year of life, you can use products that contain lactulose. Such a drug is "Duphalac", for example. It acts delicately, sparingly, and is not addictive. Some doctors advise starting with minimal doses and only if the desired result is not achieved, increase the dosage. After 6 months and for older children, the Forlax laxative medication is allowed for constipation, which also does not lead to addiction, it acts gently. Sometimes they put rectal glycerin suppositories.
It must be remembered that all these medicines should not be used constantly - you need to identify the root cause of constipation and try to eliminate it as quickly as possible. Moreover, even the safest pharmacological agent can cause harm if used uncontrollably, in violation of the age dosage, too often. There is no place for amateur performances, medicines are selected by a specialist.
Some mothers are trying to eliminate constipation in an infant with folk, non-traditional methods. With such recipes, you need to be extremely careful and it is better not to resort to them without the permission of the pediatrician.
It is much easier to prevent constipation in a baby than to fight an intestinal disorder for a long and painful time. What are preventive measures?
In time, it is necessary to treat the main causative diseases, manifested by the fastening of the stool. Correction of most of these pathologies requires hospitalization.
The doctor will help to correctly establish the work of the baby's intestines. He will examine the baby, identify the real causes of violations, recommend safe, effective therapeutic methods, effective medications.
It is impossible to delay going to the doctor, especially in situations where constipation in a baby is accompanied by a deterioration in the general condition, severe crying, and anxiety. In children of the first days / months of life, constipation can be a symptom of organic intestinal pathologies that can only be corrected surgically. Contact an experienced specialist, he will be able to exclude serious diseases. Do not endanger the health and life of your little miracle!
