Karo Syrup for constipation

My babies Pediatrician told me to add 1/4 teaspoon in their formula for the constipation but I'm not sure how many times a day so far I have been adding it once a day. If anybody out there knows or has an idea please let me know.......Thank You!!!!

[kjbutcher]

my doc said to put it in every bottle.

[zaksmommy]

My dr said to try giving it once a day but with water or just water itself. You can also try rectal stimulation with a warm washcloth or a rectal thermometer.

From Dr. Greene's website: 1 tsp of light Karo syrup mixed with 4 oz of water

From Dr Hull: two measuring teaspoons in every formula bottle, regardless of size

[zaksmommy]

Here are the websites in case a mean mommy argues with me....

http://www.drgreene.com/21_1953.html

http://www.drhull.com/EncyMaster/C/constipation_infant.html

[JoyRenee]

Your child could get botulism from using Karo syrup. My ped. is on top of the latest news in pediatrics and we just spoke about this at our last appointment a few weeks ago. Karo syrup, molasses (something I've used before), and honey can carry botulism spores. She told me to give my baby a little apple juice and because my baby is a larger baby, she said 1-2 ounces of water would be fine. That worked wonders! Baths also help unclog baby.

I wouldn't give your little one the syrup. Botulism is very deadly. Dont' believe everything you read. I would get a second opinion if you're confused by what your ped said versus what mine told me.

[kjbutcher]

to state facts...there are over 4 million infants in the united states and less than 70 cases (16 in canada) of botulism in one year.  This is a .00175% chance of getting botulism.  If an infant is hospitalized for botulism the mortality rate is 3%.  That is 2 infants a year that were hospitalized die from botulism or .00005% chance of dieing from botulism.   3% of the cases are from honey, some are from wounds, and the majority are from people who can foods at home.
honey related botulism, 2 children (out of 4million) get botulism from honey each year (.00005% chance), .0000015% chance of a child dieing from honey related botulism.
signs of botulism
constipation, weak muscle tone, weak cry, weak breathing, flat facial expression, weak sucking, poor feeding, trouble swallowing excessive drool
I think from here, parents should be able to decide for themselves whether this is a lot or a little and worth the risk or not.

[JoyRenee]

I would definitely hate to be that percentage of parents whose child died, though it is low. But thank you for the stats, kjbutcher! I didn't know what the percentages were.

[boosty]

let me ask you a question. first of all, when i had my daughter, for the first year she had such bad constipation that i had to take her to the er many times . and that was before she was one years old . and i finally realized why shes so constipated. i was giving her the vitamnins that doctor told me to give her. i forgot the name. but i was getting the one with iron. as soon as i stopped getting that one, she was fine. see if theres a reason that your child has constipation first. the best thing is the safe mineral oils that my doctor told me to give her. a teaspoon of. or prune juice. i was also told that kero syrup is ok but i have no idea how much of it thats why i never tried it. good luck. i hope your child feels better.

[kjbutcher]

do you get mineral oils from like GNC or what?  This is the first I have heard of this.  I'd like to look into this.

[pertykitty]

i never had to deal with this, but my sis uses a suppository, is that not safe?? i know nothing about this just thought id put this out there.

[boosty]

glycerine suppository is safe for kids. i got my mineral oil at gelsons. but you can get it at any market like ralphs, vons, rite aid, i dont know what you have around you. the second i used mineral oil on my daughter, 30 minutes later, she went poo

[tazz00057]

does it matter that my babies are 3wks old?????

[pertykitty]

are they on breastmilk? i had an RN tell me when i was in the hospitol that newborns wont have constipation, but then again they arent always right.

[JoyRenee]

Newborns really aren't supposed to be constipated. Do you think they are constipated because they aren't going in their diapers every few days? It is common for babies to go every couple days, or if your little ones were preemies, they may have an intestinal issue that needs to be addressed.

Breastfed babies shouldn't be constipated. Formulafed babies are prone to round pebble-like stools because of the iron in their formula.

[boosty]

three weeks is definately too young for any of this. do not do anything for constipation at that stage. talk to your doctor.

[boosty]

let me tell you what my pediatrition told me. he is excellent. he said "its not diahrea unless you can turn the diaper upside down and it will drip off". its not constipation unless its been over four days the baby hasnt gone. my daughter never poopd everyday. but if youre giving your baby formula, constipation can happen at that age. but to help the constipation, be cautious what you give the baby cause pretty much not much is ok at that age. their stomaches cant handle it.

[Trialanderror]

Your little girls are only newborns as I realize now - another reason to find another pediatrician. Karo is corn syrup. This is calling for allergies later on. And if it can only be given with water - bad idea, because you don`t want to start skipping and replacing formula feedings with water
anytime soon. You are on the right track questioning your pedi. I am pretty sure that the thought by others here that iron in formula may have caused some form of constipation is correct. Just do without the iron for a while and see what happens.

[boosty]

i changed my formula to soy. it was great. my doctor says that soy formula is healthier too. sometimes just changeing the formula helps the constipation too.

[jd1419]

My youngest son was this way--when I stopped bf and switched to formula--he was not a happy baby in the tummy area.  I had to put the Karo syrup in every bottle until he was off of formula. I had to start at 9 weeks when we switched.  My doctor also told me to do this...and we did--if we forgot to put it in one bottle there would be tummy issues for that day or night.

[tosha1183]

Did anyone who used Karo find that it made their infant not sleep?  My little one is 2 weeks old.  The doc told us to use Karo in every bottle, and we have been doing it for 2 days.  But now it seems as though he does not want to sleep. Also how long does it take the Karo to kick in? He only has a bm when I give him the supposatory.  Otherwise all he does is grunt.

[Trialanderror]

Gee....I don`t know about doctors and infant care anymore these days....it gives me constipation....Karo is high fructose corn syrup and that is now suspected to heavily contribute to obesity and diabetes in the long run, in adults - so why should be experiment with our infants. Google Karo and fructose to get a broader view.

[nicole1226]

I actually got Botulism from having Karo syrup put in my bottles as a baby. I was only 2 weeks old and it only took one bottle with 1/4 a tsp in it. Please do not give your baby Karo syrup. I almost died from botulism. I was in the NICU for months. Dont listen to your doctor they dont know much about botulism and they rarely see it so they dont know how to diagnose it.