Karo Syrup in a bottle?

[momof3disneyholics]

Has anyone every heard of this to help constipation in a baby? I am getting mixed messages on this. Some sites I have read say this is ok, others say that Karo Syrup will kill your baby. Has anyone ever done this or heard anything about it?

 

[Christine]

Has anyone every heard of this to help constipation in a baby? I am getting mixed messages on this. Some sites I have read say this is ok, others say that Karo Syrup will kill your baby. Has anyone ever done this or heard anything about it?

I have heard of this too. I don't think it will kill your baby.

Any concentrated form of sugar will loosen up the stools. That's why prune juices or grape juices are given. Mineral oil can also be safely used--my friend had to use that on her daughter.

 

[Mkrop]

I always heard this was a no no due to botulism, not sure. Yet my GF's ped recommended it for her kid My ped ALWAYS recommended prune juice in their bottle or sippy cup, milk or juice, or give it to them like medicine is syringe. You dont need much to get things going. I might have only used like 1/2 teaspoon to start and then increased things if needed, or I fed them prunes in baby food form.

 

[belle&beast]

My DD's pediatrician recommended this to us. We used about a teaspoon of dark Karo Syrup in a 6 or 8 ounce bottle once a day as needed. It did help her at the time, but if the constipation continues for a long period of time, I would talk to the doctor.

 

[Christine]

This is from Dr. Greene's website. A parent wrote in to say she had given her child some Karo Syrup to help with constipation and then freaked out. Here's his response:

In the past, Karo syrup did contain botulism spores, but hasn't for years now. They changed to a new manufacturing process because of just those concerns -- even though no botulism cases were ever proven to come from the spores in Karo syrup (unlike honey, which should not be used in babies). A lot of people heard the alerts about *Karo syrup in the 90's, but never heard the quieter, less flashy, changed recommendations that followed, so the warnings will still circulate around the net for years to come.

I applaud your reading a variety of sources and comparing to find the truth, and am sorry for the worry this caused. All the best to you and to your baby.

*Note: Children under age 1 should not eat honey because of the risk of infant botulism. Today, corn syrups are manufactured under sanitary conditions to prevent this, but the manufacturers do not make any guarantees. Of course, neither can I. The 2006 AAP Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases states, "Manufacturers of of light and dark corn syrups cannot ensure that any given product will be free of boutlism spores, but no case of infant botulism has proved to be be attributable to contaminated corn syrup".

 

[XYSRUS]

How constipated are they? I would try prune juice or lots of water first. Kids usually get constipated b/c 1. They're afraid to poop on the toilet. or if they're older 2. Don't drink enough water. Good luck either way. Warm water works wonders if you can get it down them.

 

[Rachie0507]

My son's ped had us try this with him. In our situation it didn't really work, turned out to be a formula issue. I didn't like doing it because it was messy. Everything was always sticky and no matter how much I shook the bottle, it didn't blend well.

 

[Southern4sure]

Karo syrup is ok but do not give honey. Botulism comes from honey not the syrup.

 

[Deb in IA]

Karo Syrup for Constipation?
Please read our General and Medical Disclaimers
Pediatrics Expert Advice from Shari Nethersole, M.D.
Question: I heard that Karo syrup prevents constipation, but that it's not good for babies. Does it have some kind of bacteria in it?

Answer: Your statement is actually incorrect. Corn syrup (Karo) can be eaten by infants. The confusion may come from the recommendation to avoid giving babies honey. A number of years ago a concern was raised about whether corn syrup might contain the same bacteria that honey can have, and some physicians told parents not to let their kids have it. That concern, however, has been proven wrong.

Corn syrup has often been used by parents to manage constipation in infants, though it is not always necessary. Often, just giving the baby as much as two ounces of water once or twice a day is all that is needed to soften the stools. For infants who are already on solid foods (five months or older), pureed prunes are another good way to treat constipation.

If you are going to give your baby corn syrup, the syrup should be put into water, not into the baby's formula, and just a small amount should be added. A teaspoon in two ounces of water is a reasonable amount. Corn syrup is sweet like sugar, and when it gets into the intestine it stimulates it to move the stool along. It also draws a little more fluid into the intestine, thus making the stools less hard. You don't want to overdo it though, because too much can cause diarrhea and change the balance of salt in the body very easily


http://life.familyeducation.com/baby/health/42327.html

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

I have. Its the dark Karo. It does work. My kids are adopted internationally, and they were constipated at first, all the changes in their diet. I didn't use Karo on a regular basis, but as needed when i noticed irregularity. My youngest son did require 2 supositories from our doctor.

 

[jsmith]

and something that Doctor Deb didnt say-but was my experince (disclaimer-my kiddos are now college age and things change) if you are feeding a soy based formula for some reason baby will be constipated til hes/shes off it or eating enough solids to give him/her enough fiber to counter act-and no ammount of karo syrup will cure it.

 

[floridafam]

We went through terrible constipation issues with our DD and tried everything that our Ped recommended.

We found that every Dr. said something different. One told us to use mineral oil. Another one said don't use mineral oil but use malt supex. A third one said no on the malt supex and use Karo syrup.

We discovered that very few things actually worked the way we thought they would. Our DD had an medical condition we weren't aware of at the time so if this continues I would certainly follow up with the Dr.

Our other DD has also had some constipation issues and we finally found something that worked. Our Dr. told us to try Miralax and we were very pleased with the results. She was only on it for a short time. It did make her urine smell a bit funny. We had to get it by prescription but I believe it is available OTC now. I wouldn't give it to anyone without consulting with a Dr. first as I don't know what the age recommendations are for it.

Best of luck to you. I hope the baby is feeling better soon.

 

[T1130]

My ped also told me to put prune juice in the bottle.

 

[MAKmom]

Find out why your baby is constipated. We had this problem with DD#3 & it took years but we now know she can not digest the protein in milk. She gets gas pains & constipation. BTW rabbit turds are considered constipation. She can handle cooked milk since the heat changes the protien in the milk. Ice Cream is made from a batter that is cooked, Pudding etc. A glass of milk or milk based formula was not good for her.

 

[StarLight StarBright]

I gave DD Karo in her formula per her Ped's recommendation. I did help AT FIRST...then I don't know if her body got used to it or what, but the Ped. then had to prescribe Miralax(sp?). Be careful though, she got used to the sweet taste, and she didn't really like plain milk after that.

 

[candlemakerw/twins]

Not sure how old your baby is from your question but I'm thinking along the same lines as jsmith. What is he/she drinking? Milk based formula, soy, nursing? We had a problem with one of my girls. She was nursing and drinking some formula.

I stopped eating milk products and put her on soy formula and that fixed most of her problems.

I know there is also either hi or low iron formula. I don't remember which but you might check the amount of iron in the formula b/c that can cause it too.

As always - ask you doctor... Wishing you a more comfortable little one.
L

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

I used it for my kids but it turned out that they have a milk allergy. I did help the constiption for 2 the 3rd needed Miralax even with a Hypo allergenic formula which you can now buy OTC.

 

[4greatboys]

My pedi recommended 2 tbs of Karo in a bottle when anytime one of my sons was consitpated. It worked like a charm.

 

[4greatboys]

I always heard this was a no no due to botulism, not sure. Yet my GF's ped recommended it for her kid My ped ALWAYS recommended prune juice in their bottle or sippy cup, milk or juice, or give it to them like medicine is syringe. You dont need much to get things going. I might have only used like 1/2 teaspoon to start and then increased things if needed, or I fed them prunes in baby food form.

That is honey that is a no-no.

 

[Mkrop]

That is honey that is a no-no.

Thanks yes I knew that too. But as someone else posted that there was a botulism concern with karo and this is what I heard as DS9 was born in the late 90s. I never heard the fact that they changed their processing. Like I posted prune juice cured all our issues with both boys.