#AskTheExpert Session with Dr Ng Yi-Ki, Consultant Paediatrician, Baby and Beyond Child Clinic

Hi Wen Xiao. Your concerns are legit and be encouraged that you are not alone in this. How old is your baby? Infrequent passing of stools is only normal if the baby is fully on breastmilk (not on formula), haven't started solids and does not show any signs of discomfort. It is true that formula milk can be a cause for the constipation and we paediatricians may advice to have a trial of specialised milk and there are a few. Now, extensively hydrolysed milk can be very difficult to find. So, it is generally recommended that we can try partially hydrolysed milk (you may find the acronym HA for hypoallergenic on the label) formula or rice-based formula. There are various brands that carry this product line in Singapore and shouldn't be too hard (or too expensive!) to find. You can also try to give probiotics that contain L. reuteri to help with overall gut health. Hope this helps.

some really good replies on this thread. a recurrent theme is fibre rich fruits and leafy vege. however, I disagree that sweet potato helps. it didn't for my daughter! haha. adequate water intake is important.

Hi. I have just replied about this in your other similar post/comment. Hope it answers your question. 😊

Never dilute milk under any circumstance.

Babies who are fully breastfed may not pass motion every day and that is normal as long as they are not straining excessively or showing discomfort.

It's actually important to be sure if a newborn is actually having constipation or not and the possible cause before being able to derive to a solution. I would see a paediatrician in this case.

Changing formula milk is not the ultimate or most important solution in a 2 year old with constipation. More likely we should be looking into the type of diet the toddler takes.

Hi. A healthy bowel habit consists of two factors: frequency and more importantly consistency of the faeces (poop). Other than newborns who are exclusively breastfed, babies typically should have bowel movements 1-2 times every 1-2 days. Consistency is soft and pasty when on milk alone but when solids foods are introduced, the consistency will change to become more firm. If you look up Bristol Stool Chart, a Bristol Type 3-4 is considered normal. Bristol Type 1-2 denotes constipation while Type 5-6 is too loose. Hope this helps. 🙂

If it's a recurrent constipation problem or a chronic one, best to see a paediatrician to tease out the cause. Most are due to diet but there are medical conditions that we look out for where constipation (especially stubborn constipation that doesn't respond to conventional treatment)is a symptom of.