(0-3 Years)
There are a lot of developmental changes that occur in the first 3 years of life. Infants, in particular, go through a lot of developmental growth in the first year of life. You will see many changes from rolling over, crawling and then possibly walking.
Infants gain knowledge by learning through their senses. They develop trust of their caregivers in this same manner using hearing and vision. Providing comforting sounds and touch during pouch changes can be beneficial. Using light up toys, soft music as well as a pacifier can be beneficial distractions. Remember to use a soothing voice to talk to them and comfort them during pouch changes. They are learning to trust their caregivers and those around them. They will also start exploring their environment and learning cause and effect. Infants respond well to distraction so having some favorite motion toys, mobiles or music on hand when changing the pouching system can be very helpful. Also having all the supplies prepared and ‘ready to go” can be helpful.
Now you have a baby with an ostomy. Pouching may be going well, but then you may quickly run in to problems such as more frequent leaking. This could be due to rapid growth or increases in your baby’s activity level such as rolling over, “belly crawling” or other changes in motor skills. As these changes occur, you can have periods of time when what worked before is now not working. If the pouching system is no longer working or you are not able to go 24 hours between pouching, contact your WOCN or physician for additional support, it may be as simple as using a different pouching product.
As your child grows you will need to have their pouching system resized. Each time your infant changes diaper sizes you need to consider resizing their ostomy system as well. An ostomy belt or pouch cover may be needed to help provide longer wear time.
It is ok to mix and match products from different companies (test to make sure they are compatible). Depending on the type of ostomy, infants don’t always have to be pouched. If you are having a lot of trouble keeping the pouch in place, this “non-pouching” method can be done if your child has a colostomy that was created lower in the colon. Since the stool will come out of the stoma directly onto the surrounding skin, it is important to protect that skin with barrier creams, just like you would protect the baby’s bottom from diaper rash.
Tummy time is beneficial for infants to help strengthen neck and shoulder muscles. This will help them to roll over, sit up, crawl and eventually walk. Before doing “tummy time” be sure to empty the pouch of stool and gas to ensure that the pouch is flat to the abdomen. It is ok for your infant to still have tummy time even with an ostomy.
It is best to establish a routine when you are changing the pouches, whether it is daily or twice per week (if the pouch lasts that long). This will help prevent “accidental leaks” when you are traveling.
It is always helpful to empty the pouch before naptime or bedtime to avoid leakage when lying down or on tummy.
United Ostomy Associations of America
P.O. Box 2293
Biddeford, ME 04005-2293
Call us toll-free at: 1-800-826-0826.
Our Information Line hours are Monday-Friday, 9am to 3pm EST. If you have an emergency, please dial 911 or contact your local medical professional.
Please understand that UOAA is a private, nonprofit, advocacy and informational organization. We are not a medical facility and we do not have medical or legal professionals on staff. Therefore, UOAA does not provide Medical, Mental Health, Insurance or Legal Advice. Visit UOAA Virtual Ostomy Clinic provided by The Wound Company for non-emergency, virtual ostomy support.
