Hi,
My 11-month-old son, who is normally a happy baby, has started crying suddenly for no reason. This morning when I dropped him off at daycare he was sitting in the high chair eating bananas when he suddenly started crying as if he was hurt and cried for about a minute while I tried to calm him down. Then he went back to eating as if nothing had happened. He also has been nursing for a shorter period and even refusing his bottle or sippy cup. He has been constipated recently and (per the doctor's orders) we are still giving medicine every day for this. Is this normal behavior for an 11-month-old? He doesn't act sick in any other way and doesn't have a fever so his dad and I are very confused. I would appreciate any advice you can give me.
This sounds like a tummy ache from the constipation. Or perhaps a food allergy that is upsetting the tummy. Does his tummy get hard when he cries out like this? Try rubbing in a clockwise motion on his tummy around the time of the episodes, it should help.
Could be teething, could be the constipation or the process of working it through... one thing I tried for a short while when I went through this was Gripe Water....http://www.babysbliss.com/ It's a homeopathic drug that I believe started in England... the advertising was for colic, teething, constipation...but really it's for nearly anything that was, for lack of a better term, in need for an attitude adjustment. I never went through more than one bottle but it sure helped for those times like what you experienced that I just couldn't put my finger on it and of course he couldn't tell me what was wrong...it seemed to do the trick though. Good luck.
It sounds as tho he could be teething. You can get the Hylands teething tablets it will help soothe a fussy child while teething. They work wonders. When he cries is he pulling at his ears? If he is constipated he could be having tummy cramps like gas bubbles and being in pain, they come and go.
Since you mentioned constipation, it can very well be air pockets in his intestines. This can be very painful. The pain will come and go as the air moves through. Sadly there's not a lot you can do for this to comfort him. The doc has already gave him the meds to get things "moving" which will help speed things along. If he would start to have any other symtoms, ie:nausea/vomiting,swelling of abdomen,abdomen tenderness,painful crying call the doctor. Keep note of bowels as theses are signs of a blockage in the intestine. I would give the meds a few days to work and give him lots of water and see if that doesn't work. I would call the office if he is still having pains after a couple of days if he's not getting better and let them know what's going on. They can do a xray and see if there is a partial blockage of just an air pocket. I hope your little guy feels better soon. My older daughters had this and I know how painful this was for them.
He actually sounds like a pretty normal toddler to me. Aside from the teething which is likely to be an issue anytime, toddlers are emotional creatures.
Suzi
He may have bouts of gas or teething. They cut teeth for awhile and it may be cutting through the gums. I would also watch if he crys when a particular person that works there is around. children try to tell us things in there own way. If he is then I would pay attention to that persons behavior when around your child.
Sounds like an ear ache. The refusal to drink (especially a bottle) is a classic tip off. So is the sudden cry.
I would say this sounds like gas, considering it is sudden onset and brief duration. Watch his diet to see what foods create this pattern. You can always use anti-gas drops on occasion. Keep his diet hi-fiber so his bowels keep moving. Some hi-fiber foods cause gas, too. Good Luck!
If he's constipated, then that could be the problem. When the poop moves it could be painful. Also, gas can be painful also. Give him more fibrus fruit to eat, like apples, pears, peaches, etc. Bannanas tend to stop you up, they are great for diarhea. You can squeeze his tummy too. That will help move the poop/gas thru his intestines. We had to do this with the little one I took care of. It always made him feel better. Good luck and God Bless.
gale and suzi both have great advice. another thought i had (besides the ones they stated) was maybe he has a sore throat. my son was sick a few weeks ago and it was wierd because he seemed okay for the most part, not acting puny or whiny really, only symptom he had besides a mild fever was that he cried a lot for seeming no reason, then would just stop for seeming no reason. and i realized after a bit that it was more often when he was eating. then i noticed it was when he would cough too. sore throat! hope he feels better one way or another.
He might have reflux. My daughter had this and she did not throw up just cried.
