Prune Juice for Babies

Constipation is a common occurrence in babies. The reason behind it is that the body of the baby takes some time to get accustomed to the consumption, as well as digestion of foods. Usually, when babies are fed with food, they end up passing stools after each meal. This happens in babies who are about a month old.

However, after some time, the babies might go without passing stools for days together. This is considered quite normal, unless certain constipation symptoms such as hard and dry stools, constant crying, irritability, and vomiting appear.

To treat constipation in babies, there are a number of things that one can undertake at home. These include massaging the tummy, exercising the legs, and feeding the child with natural laxatives such as prune juice.

Prune juice is considered extremely beneficial for the treatment of constipation, as it has a very high fiber content, and at the same time, is quite soft, thus making it ideal for babies. Before learning about the benefits of prune juice for babies, let us know the reasons why babies suffer from constipation.

Breast milk is mild and babies are easily able to digest the same. However, formula-based milk is not natural and could cause stomach problems, including pain and constipation in toddlers.

If the baby has not been given enough water, his bowel movement slows down since his digestive tract is not moisturized properly, thus resulting in constipation.

Prune juice is a commonly used natural treatment for constipation in babies. It is the perfect cure for constipation, however, it has to be ensured that the baby is more than six weeks old before feeding him/her the same.

It is extremely easy to make this juice at home―first, steam the prunes well and then make a puree with the help of a pulper. This juice is beneficial for constipation as it has a very high fiber content and is also a natural laxative, making it one of the most widely used baby constipation remedies.

Before feeding the juice, make sure that the puree has been sufficiently diluted with plain water. Make a mixture of one ounce water and one ounce prune juice and mix well. Do not add any sugar to this. Feed the baby with this mixture, twice a day. While feeding the baby with prune juice, ensure that his/her regular diet is not changed.

In case one is unable to prepare the juice at home, bottled versions of the same are available. These can be purchased as well. A regular supplementation of prune juice helps in loosening the bowels, and makes elimination of stools faster and easier.

Although prune juice is very effective for babies, this alone cannot help babies in getting rid of constipation. Massaging the tummy of the baby, making him do exercises such as leg cycling, including high fiber foods in his diet such as peaches, plum, pears, and, keeping him well hydrated by feeding him with water throughout the day, is equally important.

Disclaimer: This is for informative purposes only and does not in any way attempt to replace the advice offered by an expert on the subject.