Newborn green poop formula

All about baby poo | Pregnancy Birth and Baby

If there is one thing that will get new parents talking, it's baby poo. How often? What colour is it? What about the texture?

All babies are different. Some poo every time they feed; others can go days without a poo. This is all normal.

A lot will depend on how old your child is, whether they are breast or formula fed, or whether they have moved to eating solid foods. But certain kinds of poo can be a sign that your baby might be sick or that something is missing from their diet.

As your newborn settles into a routine, it won't take long for you to recognise patterns in their feeding, sleeping - and in how often you need to change nappies.

New parents are usually quite surprised by the variety of colours they find in their baby's nappy!

Baby's first poo

You might be a bit shocked by what comes out of your baby the first time they do a poo. It’s a sticky, greenish black poo that looks like tar but is perfectly normal. This is called 'meconium' and is the by-product of your baby being in the womb for 9 months. It should only take a day or two for this to go away and for the next colour poo to arrive. If your baby continues to have black or very dark poo after 4 to 5 days, speak to your doctor.

Baby poo guide

Your baby's poo can tell you a lot about their health.

The first 6 weeks

During their first 6 weeks of life, both breast-fed and formula-fed babies will have generally have poo that is either yellow or green. Breast-fed babies tend to have softer, runnier poo while formula-fed baby poo is a little bit firmer.

In the next few weeks, you can expect the colour and shape, as well as how often they poo, to change.

Breastfeeding mums might find a bit more variety in the nappy because your diet and any medication you are taking can affect your baby's poo.

Why is my baby's poo green?

Parents sometimes find varying shades of green in their baby’s nappy.

Breast-fed babies can produce bright, frothy green poo, usually because they are getting too much foremilk or because mum is swapping from breast to breast during feeds. Try feeding from just one breast at a time until the breast is drained to make sure your baby is also getting the rich hindmilk.

If your formula-fed baby’s poo is green, it could just mean they are getting a lot of iron in their feed. Check the formula to see if it contains an iron supplement and speak to your child health nurse or doctor about possibly adjusting which formula you use.

Moving to solids

At around 6 months, when you start to introduce solids to your baby’s diet, you’ll notice a change both in colour and texture. The colour tends to be more of a greenish brown to orange, although the type of food your baby eats will affect it. Many babies start off eating pureed carrots, pumpkin and sweet potato, so don’t be surprised if their poo is almost the same colour!

Most babies will go through about 6 to 8 nappies a day - that can be almost 3,000 in your baby's first year!

Listen to Dianne Zalitis, midwife, talk about baby poo on the podcast Feed Play Love.

Constipation versus diarrhoea

Because babies can’t tell you when they are sick, it’s important not only to check their nappies but to take note of other behaviours that could be a sign your baby is unwell.

Constipation

Many parents often think that their baby might be constipated, either because they haven't passed anything for a few days or because they might look like they are straining when they go.

As long as your baby's poo is soft, it's perfectly normal to go for a few days without doing one. You will also find that babies often strain, make noises, go red in the face and even cry when they are doing a normal poo.

Signs of constipation include:

hard and dry poo
poo that is firm and pebble-like
your baby being upset
a small streak of blood

Seeing a streak of blood might be alarming, but if they are constipated, they might have a little tear in their anus. You should see your doctor or child health nurse to have them checked out.

Fully breast-fed babies shouldn't get constipated. Even if they are not feeding as often, their poo should still be quite soft. Constipation is more common in babies who are formula-fed, so it's important to follow the directions on the container to make sure the mix of powder and water is correct.

Diarrhoea

When it comes to diarrhoea, baby poo is already quite soft and runny, particularly before the baby starts on solids. But if it becomes more runny and more frequent than usual, it could be diarrhoea.

Some signs to look out for include:

poo that is quite watery
doing more than usual
your baby is being unwell, especially if they are vomiting
your baby not wanting to feed

If you think your baby has diarrhoea, speak to your doctor or child health nurse since babies can easily become dehydrated if they don't get enough fluids.

What's

not normal

Although you can expect to see many different colours of poo in your baby’s nappy, there are some colours that indicate there might be a problem.

White, chalky poo is never normal and could be a sign your baby has jaundice or a problem with their liver. You should see your doctor immediately if you notice that your baby’s poo is white.

While a single streak of blood in your baby’s poo could be a sign of constipation, if you discover more than one streak, you should see your doctor immediately.

It’s also a good idea to take your baby’s nappy, or a poo sample, to show the doctor.

The bottom line

Most babies will go through about 6 to 8 nappies a day - that can be almost 3,000 in your baby's first year! And whether you use cloth or disposable nappies you'll be spending a lot of time looking at what comes out of your baby. Just remember that all babies are different and you will soon settle into a routine of feed, poo, sleep, repeat.

If you are unsure whether your baby is unwell, visit your doctor or call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436 to speak to a maternal child health nurse.

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Baby Poop Color Chart - a Stool Type Guide by Similac®

Questions about your baby’s health? Her diaper may be full of answers.

If your baby seems fussy or sick, or if you simply aren’t sure if all is well, check her diaper for clues about what’s going on.

To begin, choose the stool below that looks most like your baby’s.

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Greenish-black and sticky baby poop

AKA: Meconium

Looks like: Licorice or tar

A thick, dark substance that fills your infant’s intestines before birth and is eliminated as stool after birth.

What does it mean?

Meconium stools are the first stools your baby will have after birth, and it is perfectly normal. It appears greenish-black because it contains bilirubin, a yellowish-green breakdown of red blood cells. The colostrum in your breast milk acts as a laxative and helps your baby pass the meconium in about 3 days.

What should I do?

There is no need to worry. This stool is normal, healthy, and temporary. (If it lasts more than 3 days, check with your doctor. He might want to check to make sure your baby is getting the feedings she needs to move this through her system.)

The information in this section was derived from the following:
Abbott Nutrition. Parents Guide to Infant Stools. March 2009.
McGrail A, Metland D, Murray L, et al. The BabyCenter Essential Guide to Your Baby's First Year. July 2007.
Nathanson LW. The Portable Pediatrician. September 2002.

Yellow and seedy baby poop

AKA: Breastfed-baby poop

Looks like: Yellow, curdled milk

Your breastfed baby's stools will look like this until you supplement with formula or begin feeding your baby solids.

What does it mean?

This stool is normal. Breastfed babies' poop has a mild smell (and might come with loud sound effects).

What should I do?

Don’t worry. Your baby's poop is standard. Breast milk has the ideal nutrients to help your baby stay healthy and grow strong.

Tan and thick baby poop

AKA: Formula-fed-baby poop

Looks like: Hummus

This is the result of feeding your baby formula, either as her full diet or as a supplement to breast milk.

What does it mean?

Your baby's stools are normal. You should only be concerned if your baby's poop is watery or becomes hard (especially small hard balls of stool).

What should I do?

There is no need to worry. Your baby's stool is normal and healthy.

Greenish-brown baby poop

AKA: Introduction-to-solids baby poop

Looks like: Leftover guacamole

A mix of table foods, this poop is normal.

What does it mean?

Greenish-brown poop is typical and normal when your baby starts eating solids, but you might see this color in your baby's diaper before then. If your baby has other symptoms that concern you, contact your healthcare professional.

What should I do?

Do not worry. This stool is normal and healthy.

Frequent watery, brown, and loose baby poop that is not typical for your baby

AKA: Diarrhea

Looks like: Watery with chunks

Frequent, loud, and loose stools could be diarrhea.

What does it mean?

The occasional loose baby stool is no cause for alarm. But if it occurs regularly for 2 days or more, it could be diarrhea. Diarrhea in babies can cause dehydration, and also might be a sign of infection. Usually these infections are not dangerous, but the dehydration that can result is a concern.

What should I do?

Call your healthcare provider if the problem persists for more than 2 days. The younger the baby, and the more frequent the diarrhea, the greater the concern for dehydration. Do not give your baby anti-diarrhea medication unless advised by your healthcare professional. Your healthcare provider might advise giving your baby an oral electrolyte solution, such as Pedialyte^®, to help prevent dehydration.

Contact your healthcare professional right away if you see:

Blood or mucus in stools
Fever
Vomiting
Irritability
Refusal to eat
Decreased or dark-colored urine
Decreased activity

Dry, brown, and hard baby poop

AKA: Constipation

Looks like: Dirt, clay, or pebbles

Hard, pellet-like stools could mean your baby is constipated.

What does it mean?

Occasional constipation is normal, especially with formula-fed babies and when your baby transitions to solid foods. It could be a sign that your baby is not getting enough fluid or that he is losing too much fluid from the heat, an illness, or a fever. Occasional blood streaking on the surface of the stool can result when hard stools make tiny tears in the soft tissues around the anus.

What should I do?

In a very young baby, consult your healthcare professional, who might recommend giving your baby small amounts of extra water. Give older babies plenty of breast milk or formula to drink. If your baby is eating solids, offer foods that are higher in fiber, such as fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, and add puréed prunes to your baby's cereal. Check with your baby’s doctor about altering your baby's diet or using juices.

Contact your healthcare professional right away if you see:

Blood or mucus in stools
Fever
Vomiting
Refusal to eat
Decreased or dark-colored urine
Decreased activity

Pinkish-red baby poop

AKA: Artificially colored stools

Looks like: Partially digested food

What your baby eats comes out looking much the same as when it went in.

What does it mean?

Once your baby has started on solids, you will see bowel movements that can vary in color and texture after every meal. In addition to foods, some medications also can turn a baby’s poop unusual colors.

What should I do?

Watch what your baby eats to ensure there is a link between the color of the stool and what she is eating. Examples of foods known for turning baby poop shocking colors include carrots (orange) and spinach (green). If your baby’s stool is red for no apparent reason (no cherry Popsicle^®, Froot Loops^® cereal, or red gelatin), call your healthcare provider.

Contact your healthcare professional right away if you see:

Blood or mucus in stools
Fever
Vomiting
Irritability
Refusal to eat
Decreased or dark-colored urine
Decreased activity

Popsicle^® and Froot Loops^® are not registered trademarks of Abbott Laboratories.

Dark-green baby poop

AKA: Iron supplementation

Looks like: Thick, dark stool

If your baby's stool is dark green, it could be the product of iron supplementation in your baby's diet.

What does it mean?

In some babies, the iron sulfate in a supplement or iron-fortified baby formula can make dark-green stools, or sometimes even greenish-black. There is no need to be concerned with the color change, as it has no significance to your baby’s digestive system.

What should I do?

This stool is normal. Studies show that iron supplementation does not cause digestive problems or discomfort.

Contact your healthcare professional right away if you see:

Blood or mucus in stools
Fever
Vomiting
Irritability
Refusal to eat
Decreased or dark-colored urine
Decreased activity

Bright-green baby poop

AKA: Foremilk/hindmilk imbalance

Looks like: Green, frothy poop

Breastfed babies who get more foremilk than hindmilk sometimes have bright-green baby poop.

What does it mean?

When your breastfed baby nurses for short periods of time on each breast, he might get more foremilk, which is sweeter and thinner, and less hindmilk, which is richer and fattier. Your baby might need to nurse longer on each side in order to ensure enough hindmilk is consumed during each feeding.
Sometimes a virus will turn your baby's stools bright green. If your baby is fussy and seems uncomfortable, contact your healthcare provider.

What should I do?

Try to let your baby empty the first breast before you switch to the other side.

Contact your healthcare professional right away if you see:

Blood or mucus in stools
Fever
Vomiting
Irritability
Refusal to eat
Decreased or dark-colored urine
Decreased activity

Red-streaked baby poop

AKA: Bloody stool

Looks like: A hard stool streaked with blood or mucus

Bright-red blood on a baby stool could indicate that your baby has small tears, or rectal fissures, around the anus.

What does it mean?

Often the stools of constipated babies are streaked with red from rectal fissures, small cracks in the anus caused by pushing. You also might see streaks of mucus on the baby poop.

What should I do?

If your baby’s doctor confirms the bleeding is from a fissure, there is little cause for concern. Usually, once the constipation has resolved, the bleeding stops. If there is a large amount of blood (more than a few drops) or if the bleeding does not resolve with the softening of the stools, check with your doctor.

If you notice any of the following symptoms, call your healthcare professional right away:

Blood or mucus in stools
Fever
Vomiting
Irritability
Refusal to eat
Decreased or dark-colored urine
Decreased activity

Black baby poop

AKA: Melena

Looks like: Black, thick, or tarry stool

Melena is a thick black stool that could contain blood that entered in the upper GI tract.

What does it mean?

A black baby stool might contain blood that entered the intestines in the upper portion of the digestive system.

What should I do?

If it’s not meconium (which passes during the first few days of life), call your healthcare professional immediately.

If you notice any of the following symptoms, call your healthcare professional right away:

Blood or mucus in stools
Fever
Vomiting
Irritability
Refusal to eat
Decreased or dark-colored urine
Decreased activity

Chalky and white baby poop

AKA: Abnormal Stool

Looks like: Pale, colorless, or white stool

A chalky white baby stool could be a sign of a lack of bile, which normally turns a stool brown.

What does it mean?

A white stool might be a sign of a liver or gallbladder problem. Bile is a digestive fluid made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Your baby's stool gets its normal color from the bile as it is excreted during digestion. If your baby's liver doesn't produce bile, or if the bile is obstructed, his stool will be white.

What should I do?

A white stool is very rare, but if your baby's poop is white, call your healthcare professional right away.

If you notice any of the following symptoms, call your healthcare professional right away:

Blood or mucus in stools
Fever
Vomiting
Irritability
Refusal to eat
Decreased or dark-colored urine
Decreased activity

Green feces - causes, in which diseases it occurs, diagnosis and treatment

Green feces: causes of occurrence, in which diseases it occurs, diagnosis and methods of treatment.

Definition

Greenish stool in people of any age can be both a normal variant and evidence of serious changes in the body.

Feces is a waste product of the body, formed in the large intestine, consists of 80% water and 20% solids. The dry residue includes undigested food (40%), almost completely non-viable intestinal microflora (30%), secretions of the glands of the intestinal wall (mucus) and dead cells of the intestinal mucosa (30%).

The composition and nature of feces are determined by nutrition, the state of the digestive system, intestinal microflora, and the presence of concomitant diseases.

The composition of the normal intestinal microflora includes a large number of bifido- and lactobacilli, E. coli, bacteroids. They are useful because they perform a protective function and inhibit the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms. Enterobacteria, enterococci, clostridia, staphylococci, streptococci, fungi of the genus Candida are present in a smaller amount in the intestine. With uncontrolled reproduction, they can cause unpleasant symptoms.

Varieties of green stool

Green stool occurs in normal and pathological conditions. With the pathological nature of the stool, the general well-being of the patient changes, the frequency of defecation, the consistency of the stool, its smell, impurities of mucus, pus, and blood may appear.

Possible causes of green stools

The most common cause of green stools without changing its other characteristics is the consumption of green plant foods - spinach, sorrel, lettuce, etc. , as well as foods containing green food coloring. In this case, the color of feces normalizes on its own within one to two days after stopping the use of these products.

Another normal variant is meconium, the first feces of a newborn. It is viscous, sticky, dark green in color, consists of dead cells of the intestinal wall, mucus, amniotic fluid, bile.

The intestines of a newborn baby are gradually colonized by microorganisms. At the same time, the composition of the microflora of a breastfed baby, despite the predominance of lacto- and bifidobacteria, is more variable than that of a formula-fed baby.

Some bacteria can change the color of stool and turn it green. With good health, appetite and the absence of other symptoms, these phenomena are considered a variant of the norm.

Persistent disturbance of the composition of the intestinal microflora (dysbacteriosis) is considered a pathological condition that affects the color of feces.

When taking tableted and encapsulated iron preparations, excess iron is excreted naturally, the feces acquire a dark, greenish, up to black tint.

Kal completely restores its characteristics after the end of the course of medication.

Possible causes of green stools include infectious and inflammatory diseases of the stomach, small and large intestines.

What diseases cause green stool

Lactase deficiency is a congenital or acquired condition in which the activity of the lactase enzyme and the ability to digest lactose are absent or reduced. Congenital lactase deficiency begins in early childhood and persists throughout life; transient deficiency develops against the background of immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of a newborn (occurs at 3-6 weeks of life and decreases as the child grows and develops). Secondary lactase deficiency is a consequence of a previous disease, accompanied by damage to the cells of the intestinal wall.

The main symptoms of lactase deficiency are severe bloating, intestinal colic, loose frothy stools after drinking breast or whole cow's milk.

With insufficient processing of lactose in the gastrointestinal tract, the processes of fermentation and decay begin, which cannot but affect the composition of the microflora. With a pronounced imbalance of microorganisms, green stools may appear.

Violation of the ratio of normal and pathogenic intestinal microflora is called dysbacteriosis . This condition can occur against the background of a sharp change in nutrition, with insufficient consumption of plant foods and dairy products, due to inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, gastric and duodenal ulcers, infectious lesions of the small or large intestine, after taking a course of antibacterial drugs, against the background of a decrease in immunity .

Symptoms of dysbacteriosis include constipation or unstable stools, impaired processing and absorption of beneficial nutrients, bloating and pain in the abdomen.

Among intestinal infections, which are characterized by the appearance of green stools, dysentery, giardiasis, salmonellosis, and rotavirus are distinguished.

Dysentery is caused by bacteria of the genus Shigella, which are excreted in the stool by an ill person or carrier. Shigella enter the body through dirty hands, and after 2-3 days, the development of the disease begins. Bacteria multiply in the large intestine, irritating and damaging its wall.

Symptoms of dysentery are false painful urge to defecate, as well as frequent, scanty liquid stools of dark green color with impurities of blood, mucus, and pus.

The patient's general health worsens, he is worried about weakness, body temperature rises. At the same time, due to light stools, the risk of dehydration remains low, but perforation of the intestinal wall is possible.

Giardiasis is caused by protozoa - Giardia. The transmission mechanism is fecal-oral, infection is possible through direct contact with a sick person or through contaminated water and food. It takes up to four weeks from the moment of infection to the onset of symptoms. More often sick children and adults with low acidity of gastric juice.

The simplest cause symptoms of inflammation of the small intestine: nausea, bloating, pain in its upper and middle thirds, around the navel, frequent (up to 5 times a day) liquid, profuse, frothy, foul-smelling green stools.

Extraintestinal manifestations are also possible - skin rashes, pronounced allergic reactions.

Giardia

Salmonellosis is caused by bacteria of the genus Salmonella. They enter the human body through poorly thermally processed eggs, dairy products and meat. The period from infection to the onset of the disease lasts up to two days. The symptoms of salmonellosis include spasmodic pain in the upper abdomen and near the navel, nausea, vomiting (up to 3 times a day), as well as frequent (up to 15 times a day) plentiful, liquid, frothy, fetid stools of the color of marsh mud.

The disease is dangerously severe intoxication, dehydration, possible entry of salmonella into the blood and dysfunction of many organs and systems (sepsis).

Rotavirus is spread by food, water, airborne droplets, household. Perfectly preserved in the external environment, resistant to most disinfectants. For the development of the disease, it is enough for just a few viral particles to enter the mouth. It begins with symptoms of an acute respiratory viral infection - fever, redness and sore throat. Then frequent profuse vomiting and frequent (5-15 times a day) loose stools, which can be of different shades, including yellow-green, join. Against this background, dehydration quickly develops.

Which doctors to contact

If there are signs of an intestinal infection, especially in a child, it is best to call an ambulance team, which, if necessary, will take the patient to an infectious diseases hospital.

Otherwise, please contact therapist general practitioner, pediatrician gastroenterologist.

Diagnostics and examinations in case of green stool

To determine the causes of green stool, the doctor conducts a thorough interview and examination of the patient, clarifies the mode and nature of nutrition, finds out concomitant diseases and conditions.

For a more complete understanding of the picture, a number of laboratory and instrumental research methods may be required:

complete blood count with an expanded leukocyte formula;

What to do if green stool appears

You need to see a doctor, get an examination and follow the recommendations of a specialist.

To prevent the appearance of green stools, you should eat a balanced diet, observe personal hygiene, take care of the condition of the gastrointestinal tract.

Treatment for green stools

Treatment is not required only in one case - when the green color of the stool is associated with dietary errors.

Adults with lactase deficiency are advised to follow a diet low in whole and powdered milk. Breastfed children are prescribed lactase preparations, and artificially fed children are prescribed low-lactose or lactose-free mixtures.

With established dysbacteriosis, diet and medications that normalize the intestinal microflora are required. In rare cases, drugs are prescribed that inhibit the growth and development of a certain type of microbe.

In intestinal infections, the main task is to maintain water balance (if necessary, fluid is administered intravenously) and to remove intoxication.

If there is a drug that specifically affects the causative agent of a particular disease (antibiotic, bacteriophage, etc.), it is recommended to be taken. At the same time, measures are taken to restore the intestinal microflora.

Sources:

Clinical guidelines "Salmonellosis in adults". Developed by: National Scientific Society of Infectious Diseases. – 2021.
Belmer S.V. Lactose insufficiency: origin and ways of correction // The attending physician. - No. 2. - 2018. - S. 41-46.
Clinical guidelines "Salmonellosis in children". Developed by: Euro-Asian Society for Infectious Diseases, Association of Infectious Disease Doctors of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. – 2021.

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section should not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, only the attending physician should prescribe diagnostic tests. For diagnosis and proper treatment, you should contact your doctor.
For a correct assessment of the results of your analyzes in dynamics, it is preferable to do studies in the same laboratory, since different laboratories may use different research methods and units of measurement to perform the same analyzes.

Child's stool color - what does light, green or black stool indicate?

The characteristics of the baby stool are influenced by such indicators as age, type of feeding, developmental features of the baby. At the same time, a change in the shade, consistency of the stool, the appearance of an unpleasant odor may indicate the presence of a particular pathology. Let's talk about which stool changes are a variant of the norm, and which are a cause for concern.

Peculiarities of the child's nutrition

Having noticed an unusual color of feces in a child, parents should also pay attention to the color of the urine and the general well-being of the baby. If the urine has not become more saturated, and the child is active and cheerful, then the changes are most likely associated with the food eaten the day before.

If we are talking about a baby who feeds on mother's milk, then it is the mother herself who should analyze the diet. In formula-fed babies, stool changes may be due to the fact that the parents decided to introduce a new formula.

In older children who eat at the same table with adult family members, unusual stools are also most often associated with eating certain foods. Calcium-rich food contributes to the staining of feces in a light color, increasing its viscosity. For example, many kids love cottage cheese with sour cream. Eaten the day before, such a snack helps to lighten and increase the viscosity of feces - it becomes like clay.

The cause of green stool in a child may be eating a large amount of green vegetables, as well as lettuce leaves. Brick-red staining is often due to the fact that the child went too far with red berries or tomatoes. Blackcurrants and blueberries can cause very dark stools.

Other causes

Pediatricians say that the appearance of light-colored feces in a child may be due to the eruption of milk teeth. The exact causes of this process remain not fully understood, but the fact remains. Young mothers should remember about this feature of the child's body. However, if you are in doubt about a change in stool color, it is best to consult your pediatrician. Remember that the period of teething is often accompanied by an increase in susceptibility to various infections, including enteroviruses.

Also, if the child's stool color changes, parents need to remember whether they gave him any medication the day before. Some drugs stain the stool: for example, the use of iron-containing products is associated with the appearance of greenish-black stool.

Finally, healthy children's feces may darken and lighten periodically. If the baby’s well-being does not suffer at the same time and the color of the feces returns to normal within a couple of days, then you should not sound the alarm.

The child's stool color has changed - maybe something is wrong?

Features of feces often indicate certain pathological processes. And sometimes a change in color, smell and other characteristics are the only symptoms that prompt a pediatrician to think about the correct diagnosis.

Dysbacteriosis

Dysbacteriosis is a disorder of the intestinal microflora. The shift in the species ratio of bacteria towards symbionts, which are normally present in small quantities, cannot but affect the properties of feces. In children suffering from dysbacteriosis, the stool becomes watery, with an admixture of a mucous character, lighter than normal. In severe cases, the feces can become frothy, acquire a sharp unpleasant odor.

These symptoms are often accompanied by pain in the abdomen, increased gas formation - the general condition of the child suffers. To solve the problem as soon as possible, you need to see a doctor.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis in children and adults may present with characteristic grayish discolored stools. In order to exclude the presence of hepatitis in a child, when light stool appears, parents should pay attention to the color of the urine. Discolored stools, caused by a malfunction of the liver cells, are always accompanied by the release of saturated urine (the so-called "beer-colored" urine).

If warning symptoms appear, you should not panic - the diagnosis of hepatitis can only be made by a specialist. But there is no need to delay visiting the pediatrician. The doctor will prescribe a diagnostic plan and give the necessary recommendations.

Pancreatitis

Many people think that only adults suffer from pancreatitis. But, unfortunately, inflammation of the pancreas can occur at any age. Cal at the same time acquires a grayish tint, an unpleasant odor. In chronic pancreatitis, the total amount of excreted feces is increased, and it itself acquires a kind of oiliness, it is poorly washed off.

In a classic attack of pancreatitis, abdominal pains of girdle nature (or localized in the umbilical region) are also observed. There are also symptoms of dyspepsia:

loss of appetite;
nausea and vomiting;
increased gas formation.

Children may also experience mild fever, pale skin, and dry mouth. An attack of pancreatitis can be triggered by excessive consumption of chocolate, cocoa, carbonated drinks, fresh vegetables.

Bent gallbladder

Bent gallbladder is a fairly common congenital anomaly. The bend of the gallbladder may be asymptomatic. Manifestations of pathology can appear after heavy consumption of food, especially fatty. Children are worried about vomiting with an admixture of bile, pain in the right side.

The bending of the gallbladder is characterized by alternating periods of constipation and diarrhea. With a pronounced inflection, the feces may become lighter than normal.

Rotavirus infection

This viral infectious disease is accompanied by intoxication (its signs are weakness, fever, general malaise) and symptoms of gastrointestinal lesions. The latter include pain, nausea, repeated vomiting, rumbling in the abdomen. At the same time, the child's stool is plentiful, it becomes watery, frothy, has a greenish-yellow color and a pungent odor. As a rule, pathological impurities are absent or there is a small amount of mucous inclusions.

Vomiting and diarrhea in children can cause severe dehydration very quickly. This condition is extremely dangerous for children, therefore, if the above symptoms appear, seek medical help immediately.

Whipple's disease

This rare infectious disease is accompanied by damage to the lymphatic system of the small intestine and articular syndrome. Whipple's disease occurs with marked fever, abdominal pain, flatulence, nausea, and vomiting. The stool is liquid, defecation occurs up to 10 times a day, the stool has a grayish tint and a pungent odor.

Is it necessary to go to the doctor if there is a change in the color of feces in children?

Since a change in the characteristics of the stool in a child can often be a variant of the norm, parents should act according to the circumstances of the particular case. Attentive mothers and fathers can easily notice the connection between a change in stool and a previously eaten product or medication the day before. Even if the nature of the feces has changed for no apparent reason, but the child feels normal, it is worth observing him for 1-2 days. Perhaps the stool will normalize on its own.

In all other cases, when a change in the color and other properties of feces is accompanied by abdominal pain, fever, nausea, pallor of the skin and any other pathological signs, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician as soon as possible. Acute diseases in children can progress at a very high rate, so refusing to consult a specialist can be deadly.

Foamy stool in an infant

Foamy stool in an infant is a sign of a deficiency in the normal intestinal microflora. Without the right amount of beneficial bacteria, the physiological process of digestion becomes impossible, and the consistency of the stool changes.

Microflora imbalance may be temporary, transient. In this case, the condition is normalized without special treatment. In more serious cases, the doctor may prescribe drugs from the group of pro- and prebiotics. Finally, dysbacteriosis in combination with foamy stools is often one of the symptoms of an intestinal infection, especially if the child complains of abdominal pain, fever, and deterioration in the general well-being of the baby.

Diarrhea in infants

Newborns have loose stools due to infectious and non-infectious causes.

Diarrhea of an infectious nature has the following features:

pronounced unpleasant odor;
foaminess;
increase up to 8-10 times a day;
combination with nausea and vomiting, fever.

Causes of non-infectious diarrhea in an infant include:

lactose intolerance;
violations of the diet by a nursing mother;
reaction to unusual complementary foods.

Constipation in infants

A baby's stool is normally soft, but constipation may occur as early as the first month. If a child of the first year of life (and especially the first four weeks) has difficulty passing feces, parents should consult a pediatrician. Constipation in an infant may be a sign of one of the pathologies:

Hirschsprung's disease. In this disease, there is a violation of the innervation of the rectum. The main symptoms of the disease are increased gas formation and recurrent constipation, the appearance of which is not associated with a change in the nature of nutrition.
Anal fissure, irritation of the perianal zone. In this case, each act of defecation gives the child severe discomfort, therefore, at the psychological level, the baby can be restrained - constipation forms.

In addition, excessive use of microenemas and the gas tube can lead to constipation. Sometimes parents, sincerely caring about the child, trying to relieve him of constipation, use special assistive devices almost every day. However, such actions can irritate the delicate skin of children in the anus, which indirectly can further aggravate the problem of constipation.

Occult blood in the stool

The presence of a significant amount of blood in the stool is not so difficult to recognize. Bleeding from the lower gastrointestinal tract (with anal fissure, ulcerative colitis) is manifested by bright red streaks. If the source of bleeding is higher (esophagus, stomach), the stool turns black.

Occasionally, stool may be normal in color and consistency, but may contain microstreaks of blood. This condition must be identified and treated, as the child regularly loses blood (even in microscopic amounts), which can provoke the development of iron deficiency anemia.

A pediatrician orders a fecal occult blood test, mainly because of a suspected gastrointestinal food allergy. The intestinal mucosa in young children is very delicate, so it is easily damaged by allergens. Especially frequent appearance of blood microveins in the feces is associated with the action of such generally recognized allergens as soy, chicken egg, wheat, seafood, cow's milk protein, peanuts.

Stools with mucus and strong odor

Mucus is a lingering secretion produced by the mucous membrane of the intestinal wall. With the help of mucus, the intestines are protected from the aggressive effects of the external environment, the pH of which differs from the norm in the acid or alkaline direction.

Few people know that reduced mucus content in feces can also lead to problems - cause constipation. However, parents are more concerned about the high content of mucus in the feces of the child.

The appearance of a mucous admixture may be one of the signs:

Acute respiratory infection. Young children, who are not yet able to blow their nose and cough, swallow nasal mucus and phlegm. This mucus is excreted along with the stool.
Teething of milk teeth. At the same time, saliva is actively secreted, which can also contribute to the appearance of mucous secretions.

Mucus in a child's stool should not be of great concern to parents, since most often this sign does not indicate serious health problems.

Pieces of undigested food in the stool

Pieces of food in the stool of a child also often cause anxiety in parents. The logic of mothers and fathers is simple: if the baby could not digest the food to the end, then perhaps he has problems with the work of the stomach and he does not receive enough nutrients. However, such judgments are not entirely correct.

The causes of the appearance of undigested food particles can be:

Physiological (age-related) deficiency of enzymes. Some periods of a child's development are accompanied by a temporary deficiency of enzymes. But this does not mean that the child does not receive enough proteins, fats and carbohydrates. As you get older, your enzyme levels will normalize and your stools will become smooth.
Eating foods that, in principle, cannot be completely broken down in the human body. So, individual elements of fiber, which are rich in many vegetables and corn, are always excreted unchanged with feces. Small seeds of berries and some fruits (such as bananas) are also not digested in the gastrointestinal tract of children.

Bad smell

A child's feces may acquire an uncharacteristic odor in the following cases:

intestinal infection - the stool has a sharp, fetid odor;
enzyme deficiency - putrid odor associated with changes in stool consistency;
constipation: stool that passes after a stool may have a different smell and texture.

What can I do to get my baby's stool normal?

To summarize. Treatment of stool disorders in babies depends on the causes of their occurrence.

If the mother clearly sees the connection of the changes that have occurred with too early complementary foods or the use of certain foods, it is only necessary to normalize the diet. With a high degree of probability, after 1-2 days, the child's stool will return to normal.

Do not require treatment and changes in feces caused by teething, taking the necessary medications. The exception to the rule is antibiotics: they cause dysbacteriosis. Prevention of this condition with the help of pre- and probiotics should begin from the first day of taking antibacterial drugs.

In all other cases, it is best to consult a doctor. Especially "dangerous" options for staining feces in a child are grayish-white, black and with bright red streaks of fresh blood. Also, babies with any changes in the stool in combination with signs of an infectious disease need an urgent visit to the doctor: fever, weakness, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

If you have even the slightest doubt about the nature of the change in feces in a child, it is better to consult a specialist.

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