What exactly is constipation? Dorland’s Medical Dictionary defines constipation as “infrequent or difficult evacuation of faeces”; What is infrequent in a newborn? In a young baby (up to 6 months), “normal” frequency can vary considerably - anywhere from several times a day to as little as once a week. It is for this reason that infantile constipation is defined primarily as the passing of hard - rather than infrequent - stools.
1. GASTROINTESTINAL FLORA
A newborn baby’s gut is sterile. Until birth, the only substance that has passed through baby’s gut has
