Patient's question:
My child is almost 5 months old. She has had a bowel movement interval of 5-6 days since she was 3 months old, and her stools are not dry either. I have been exclusively breastfeeding her. Is this situation normal? First follow-up question: She also frequently passes gas. Is that normal?Doctor's answer:
Newborns cannot defecate on a fixed schedule because their defecation mechanism is not yet mature. As a result, their stools often accumulate for several days. When the nerves in the rectal wall sense the pressure from the expansion, they trigger reflexive defecation. This is why some infants only defecate every few days. Stimulating with a thermometer can also induce defecation because it can trigger a reflex.Children who are breastfed have less frequent bowel movements because breast milk is more completely absorbed. Some infants may even go several days without defecating, not necessarily defecating immediately after eating. Therefore, if a newborn does not defecate for several days, it does not necessarily mean they are constipated. The method to determine whether a newborn is constipated is to observe the stool characteristics. If the stool is normal, it is also normal for them to not defecate for several days.