Can You Give Prune Juice For Baby's Constipation?
How do prunes prevent constipation?
Can you give the baby prunes for constipation?
When can babies have prunes?
How much of prunes is required for preventing constipation?
How long do prunes take to cure constipation?
Will prune baby food help prevent constipation?
How to make prune juice and puree?
Prunes are an excellent source of natural fruit sugars. They have laxative properties, which mean they loosen the stool and help in their comfortable passage. Therefore, prunes are often used to relieve constipation. But can a baby with constipation enjoy the benefits of prunes? MomJunction guides you on the usage of prunes for a baby’s constipation and how much is okay to use.
Prunes contain complex sugars that are not efficiently absorbed by the small intestines. The sugars remain in the intestine and draw water from the inner intestinal lining. The water, along with prune sugars, pass into the large intestine, where they soften the hardened stool and help in its easy passage out of the body (1). It works well in adults, but let’s see what happens in the case of babies.
Can You Give A Baby Prunes For Constipation?
Yes. You can give prunes when a baby suffers from constipation. Prunes can be fed as a puree or juice. For older infants, you can chop prunes into smaller pieces and give it as finger food.
However, do remember that prunes cannot be given at any stage in a baby’s life.
Prunes: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends giving solid prunes only after the baby is six months old, when he can have other solid foods such as fruits and vegetables (2). It means you can safely introduce solid prunes to the baby once he is six months old.
Prune puree: Purees are nearly semi-solid due to their thicker consistency. Pediatricians recommend waiting for the baby to turn at least four months before giving him fruit purees (3). Thus, you can feed prune puree after your baby has crossed four months of age.
Prune juice: You can even give prune juice to a newborn, who is at least a month old. Pediatric experts do not recommend fruit juice for infants below the age of six months, except when they are constipated (4).
Thus, if babies are severely constipated, then prunes can be given after the baby is a month old. But, there should be a cap on the amount of prunes you give your baby.
How Much Prunes Is Required For Preventing Constipation?
The AAP recommends giving no more than an ounce (30ml) of undiluted 100% prune juice every day to a month-old, constipated baby. As the baby grows, the ounces of juice per day become equivalent to the baby’s age in months. Therefore, a two-month-old gets two ounces a day, a three-month-old gets three ounces, and so on up to six months. The baby can have prune juice daily in the said quantity until the constipation is cured.
Once the baby is older than six months you can give him up to four ounces (120ml) of undiluted 100% prune juice over several servings in a day (5). Start with small quantities to observe the effects, but do not exceed four ounces.
Between four and six months you can also introduce a tablespoon of prunes puree a day. Once the baby is older than six months, the baby can consume about two to three tablespoons of puree twice a day till the constipation is cured (6).
Solid prunes can be integrated into the standard baby diet as finger foods. You can start with a couple of tablespoons of sliced prunes and increase it to four tablespoons once the baby is nine months old (7).
Remember, integrate prunes in the baby’s diet gradually to improve the chances of its acceptance.
The effect of prunes will depend on the severity of the baby’s constipation. Some babies respond better than others. Give prunes to the baby till you see improvement in the little one’s bowel movements. Do not overfeed the baby with prunes in your eagerness to cure constipation quickly. Instead, stick to the recommended quantity.
If there seems to be no change in the infant’s condition, then consult a pediatrician.
As mentioned above, prunes can be given to babies in many forms to cure constipation.
Yes. Prune baby food can help a baby with constipation, and you can give it a try. Always choose prune baby food that is suitable for your infant’s age. Also, select those made with 100% natural prunes and do not have added sugar, flavoring, and preservatives.
But, the best thing is to make prune juice and puree at home.
Here is how you can prepare prune juice and puree.
Soak the desired quantity of pitted prunes in warm water till they turn tender.
Sieve out the prunes and transfer them to a blender. If you intend to make the puree thinner, add some water during the blending process.
Boil five cups of water, add one cup of pitted prunes to it, and soak the prunes for about 12 hours.
After 12 hours, the boiled water cools down, so transfer the water along with the prunes into a blender and blend them.
Run the blended prunes through a sieve to remove solid particles. It should make about a liter of prune juice, which you can dilute by adding some water. You can also add some apple juice or pear juice as both relieve constipation. Once prepared, store the juice in an airtight container.
Prunes make good first foods and finger foods later in the baby’s life. However, they are also popular for their laxative benefits, which make them useful when your baby is going through an episode of constipation. Maintain the recommended dosage of prunes and your baby will feel relieved soon.
Have more ways of including prunes in the baby’s food? Then tell us in the comments section below.