A baby who has difficulty taking in enough nourishment for comfort and growth will sleep poorly because of hunger. Complicating this is the difficulty of emptying the bowel and this results in discomfort and fretfulness. A baby can swallow air with crying, fretting and feeding problems. A baby experiencing bowel discomfort may be less willing to eat. If appropriate, GI studies may be needed to help find the cause of bowel problems.
Enemas can deplete a baby of electrolytes and alter body fluids in children.
Enemas should only be used with caution under the guidance of a physician. Your pediatrician might refer your baby to a specialist for help with these medical problems. If surgical intervention is considered, a cardiac evaluation will be needed to determine the safety of doing the procedure. Further, your doctor might refer your baby to a physical, occupational, or vision therapist and a speech pathologist. Profound developmental delays affect children with trisomy 18 or 13.