- With Mayo Clinic emeritus consultant
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
Jay Hoecker, M.D.
Dr. Jay Hoecker, an emeritus member of the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, brings valuable expertise to health information content on primary care pediatrics. He has a particular interest in infectious diseases of children.
He's a Fort Worth, Texas, native, certified as a pediatrician by the American Board of Pediatrics and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He was trained at Washington University's St. Louis Children's Hospital, and in infectious diseases at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He has been with Mayo Clinic since 1989.
"The World Wide Web is revolutionizing the availability and distribution of information, including health information about children and families," Dr. Hoecker says. "The evolution of the Web has included greater safety, privacy and accuracy over time, making the quality and access to children's health information immediate, practical and useful. I am happy to be a part of this service to patients from a trusted name in medicine, to use and foster all the good the Web has to offer children and their families."
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Question
Karo syrup for constipation: Safe for babies?
Is it safe to give a baby Karo syrup for constipation?
Answer
from Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
It isn't a good idea to treat infant constipation with corn (Karo) syrup. Although dark corn syrup was once a common home remedy for infant constipation, today's commercially prepared dark corn syrup may not contain the type of chemical structure that draws fluid into the intestine and softens stool — making it ineffective for infant constipation. In addition, for children younger than age 1, Karo syrup may be a potential cause of a rare but serious form of food poisoning known as infant botulism.
If your newborn seems to be constipated, contact his or her doctor for advice. If your older baby seems to be constipated, try simple dietary changes:
- Water. Offer your baby a daily serving of water in addition to usual feedings. Start with 2 to 4 ounces (about 60 to 120 milliliters). Try more or less as you gauge your baby's response to the water. Remember, though, the water doesn't replace normal feedings with breast milk or formula.
- Fruit juice. If water doesn't seem to help, offer your baby a daily serving of apple, prune or pear juice in addition to usual feedings. Start with 2 to 4 ounces (about 60 to 120 milliliters), and experiment to determine whether your baby needs more or less.
- Baby food. If your baby is eating solid foods, try pureed pears or prunes. Offer barley cereal instead of rice cereal.
You may also want to apply a small amount of water-based lubricant to your baby's anus to ease the passage of hard stools. Don't use mineral oil, laxatives or enemas to treat infant constipation.
Rarely, infant constipation is caused by an underlying condition, such as Hirschsprung's disease, hypothyroidism or cystic fibrosis. If infant constipation continues despite dietary changes or is accompanied by other signs or symptoms — such as vomiting or irritability — contact your baby's doctor.
Next questionTongue-tie: Does my baby have it?
- Ferry GD. Constipation in children: Etiology and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 21, 2009.
- Ferry GD. Prevention and treatment of acute constipation in infants and children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 21, 2009.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 12, 2010.
- Pickering LK, et al. Red Book: 2009 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. 28th ed. Elk Grove Village, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2009: 1. http://appredbook.aappublications.org. Accessed Feb. 12, 2010.
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