How often can "Microlax" for newborns be used? We will understand in this article.
Defecation problems are common in newborns. When breastfeeding, the absence of stool for two to three days is due to the almost complete digestibility of breast milk and is not a cause for concern. The situation is different for babies eating ready-made mixtures. The healthy stool of infants should be regular and soft so as not to cause problems with cleansing the body of processed substances. Constipation causes severe discomfort, so you need to gently, quickly and delicately help the child, without harming the fragile child's body.
How effective is Microlax for newborns?
Description of the drug
Such a delicate problem as constipation is extremely unpleasant even for an adult, and for a newborn child it can become a real torment. Defecation disorders can be caused by a variety of reasons: inappropriate feeding mixture, weak intestinal motility, immaturity of enzymes, microflora disturbances, neurological problems, weak reflex to bowel movements.
When a baby experiences constipation, parents, especially young and inexperienced ones, start to panic and often resort to traditional medicine methods, which are not only useless, but even dangerous. Such "grandmother's" ways to get rid of constipation, like a piece of soap, a thermometer or a cotton swab in the anus or an enema, can seriously harm the health of the child. Soap can cause an alkaline burn of the mucosa, any solid objects can damage delicate tissues, and frequent enemas disrupt the healthy intestinal microflora, as a result of which it is no longer able to cope with bowel movements on its own.
To help your baby deal with constipation, you should use proven medications from your pharmacy, such as suppositories or microclysters. Glycerin suppositories are uncomfortable in that they do not have children's dosages, and therefore enemas and sea-buckthorn suppositories "Microlax" for newborns will be a more suitable option. The drug has been actively prescribed by pediatricians for a long time and is used by parents for their babies. Although the drug is widespread and has a large number of positive reviews, you should familiarize yourself with it in more detail before applying it to treat constipation in an infant.
Release form
Mikrolaks is a modern medicine designed to gently eliminate the problem of constipation in newborns. This product is available in tubes with a long tip of 5 ml, which corresponds to a single dose of the drug.
Structure
The drug contains the following active substances:
- sodium citrate, which displaces water present in feces;
- sodium lauryl sulfoacetate effectively dilutes the contents of the intestine;
- a solution of sorbitol, necessary for fluid to enter the large intestine, increasing fecal volumes.
In addition, the composition contains auxiliary substances, for example, glycerin (necessary for the binding of all components), sorbic acid as a natural preservative, water.
Act
The substances that make up the enema soften the accumulated feces and provoke peristalsis of the rectum, irritating its walls. All this contributes to a soft and quick bowel movement. "Microlax" for newborns has only a local effect and is not absorbed into the blood, and therefore the negative effect on the children's body is minimized.
How to use microclysters for newborns?
One tube of the drug is a single dose for use in newborns.
The procedure for using microclysters in an infant:
- First of all, you should thoroughly wash your hands and skin near the anus of the child.
- Then you need to break off the tip of the tube with the gel and lightly press until the contents appear.
- The tip is carefully and slowly inserted into the rectum. It should be noted that you need to enter the enema tip up to half indicated by a special label.
- The contents of microclysters must be squeezed out gently, and the tube in a compressed state should be removed from the anus.
The instruction for Microlax for newborns is very detailed.
It is convenient to do an enema for the child, laying him on his back and raising his legs or laying him on one side and slightly spreading his buttocks. Before using the product, you must carefully study the instructions and consult with a pediatrician.
It is also important to remember that the product should not be used constantly, it is suitable as an emergency measure.
Indications for use
It is recommended to use Mikrolaks microclysters for newborns not only for constipation, but also for preparation for an X-ray of the gastrointestinal tract. The drug should be used if the delay in stool in a child is more than two days, and he obviously can not cope on his own.
Normally, bowel movement in newborns occurs several times a day. The chair should be soft, mushy, yellow or cream. If defecation does not occur for more than a day, bloating, gas formation and anxiety are observed, then this indicates constipation. Constipation can also occur as a hard and dry daily stool. Defecation in this case can cause pain and even injure the tissues of the intestines and anus. The use of "Microlax" will contribute to softening and easier, less painful discharge of feces.
It is possible to put microclysters without the appointment of a pediatrician only if the general condition of the child does not cause anxiety (the baby is active, the temperature is normal, there is no pain or bloating), and constipation is episodic. With systematic constipation or other gastrointestinal problems, you should immediately consult a doctor. In such a situation, the drug can be prescribed as part of complex therapy.
Contraindications
According to the instructions, "Microlax" for newborns is often called a universal remedy for constipation, which has no contraindications. Nevertheless, allergies and hypersensitivity to any component in the composition of the drug can never be ruled out. It is necessary to carefully monitor the reaction of the child's body to the first use of microclysters. If the medicine acts without causing any adverse reactions, then it can be safely used if necessary.
Side effects and its compatibility with other drugs
Mikrolaks enema for newborns extremely rarely causes negative adverse reactions of the body, which are most often associated with individual intolerance to the components of the drug. Such reactions include:
- allergic reactions, including in the form of a rash;
- diarrhea;
- abdominal pain;
- discomfort and pain in the rectum.
These unpleasant consequences can also be caused by an overdose, that is, the use of more than one micro-enema "Microlax" during the day by the newborn. How often you can do microclysters, all parents should know.
The simultaneous use of drugs that contain sodium polystyrenesulfonate is strictly contraindicated. Its interaction with sorbitol in the composition of "Microlax" causes necrosis of the large intestine.
That is why when solving problems with bowel movements in newborns, you should not use more than two medicines without consulting a pediatrician on this issue. Otherwise, drug incompatibility is possible.
What are the advantages of using Microlax for newborns?
Advantages and disadvantages of the product
One of the main advantages of the drug is a quick result - after 5-15 minutes after the use of the drug there is a soft emptying of the rectum. It is also important that Mikrolaks is not addictive, therefore, giving it to babies is completely safe. Often, the drug is more effective than non-drug methods such as massages, heavy drinking, or special exercises. Another plus is the almost complete absence of side effects with strict adherence to instructions. The gel acts only in the rectum and is not absorbed into the blood, which reduces the risk of negative reactions of the body.
However, this mechanism of action makes the drug ineffective in the case when constipation is formed not in the rectum, but in the large intestine. Then a full enema should come to the rescue.
The main disadvantage is its relatively high price. Often there is an opinion that there is no point in overpaying if ordinary glycerin suppositories give almost the same result.
Reviews about "Microlax" for newborns
Parents who have experienced constipation problems in newborns or older babies often choose this microclyster to solve a difficult problem. This is explained by the fact that Mikrolaks is suitable for use from the first days of a child’s life. As many women note, the drug is very convenient to use due to the small, single dosage. The small size of the tube allows you not to injure sensitive tissues of the intestines and anus of the baby, a small amount of laxative gel does not cause irritation and does not affect the natural intestinal microflora. Side effects are rarely noted by parents. In general, reviews about the drug are positive.
The inefficiency of Mikrolaks microclysters for newborns, which some women mention, is most often explained by the advanced form of constipation or the fact that only symptomatic treatment is performed without eliminating the cause of constipation. Another reason for the negative reviews of the drug is its high cost in relation to other laxatives. However, according to many mothers of young children, such a price is justified by high efficiency and the fact that this tool has no analogues produced in the same form.
Doctors reviews
The tool is recommended by pediatricians. According to them, microclysters are the best option for emergency care for constipation in a newborn in cases where difficult bowel movements are unsystematic. But even in the case of systemic problems with the gastrointestinal tract, Mikrolaks is prescribed to children as part of complex therapy to solve bowel movements.
conclusions
A mild laxative is suitable for eliminating constipation from the first days of life. Today it has no analogues that would be produced in the same form. Microclysters act much more delicately than full-fledged enemas, which also wash out the natural, healthy intestinal microflora.
The use of "Microlax" is safe for the baby's body, the drug is not addictive and practically does not give side effects. However, you should not use it too often. If constipation in a baby has become a frequent occurrence, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician, as this problem can be a sign of a serious illness.
We reviewed the instructions for use. The dosage of "Microlax" for newborns should be strictly observed.