Baby poop after solid food

FAQ: Introducing Your Baby to Solid Foods | Patient Education

When will my baby be ready to start solid foods?
Why does my baby need solid food?
What foods should I offer my baby first?
How do I introduce my baby to solid food?
Can I put the cereal or baby food into my baby's bottle?
What are the next foods I can give my baby?
What should I look for when buying baby food?
Can I make my own baby food?
What foods should I not give my baby?
What are the signs my baby is allergic to a food?
How will my baby's stools change once I introduce solid food?
How often should I feed my baby?

When will my baby be ready to start solid foods?

Most babies grow beautifully on breast milk or formula for the first 6 months, and do not need any solid food before this age. Also, before 6 months of age, most infants have a reflex that causes them to push their tongue against a spoon, making it difficult for them to swallow solid food properly. Introducing solid foods before 5 to 6 months of age may also increase the baby's risk of developing food allergies and obesity.

Your baby will show readiness to eat solids in several ways:

Your baby's physical development allows him or her to sit without support. When babies can sit easily, they have usually lost the tongue thrust reflex.
Your baby watches you eat and demonstrates an interest in food.
Your baby is able to reach out and grab objects.

Why does my baby need solid food?

By 6 months of age, your baby has outgrown the amount of iron he or she received from you before birth. Now your baby needs an additional iron source to prevent anemia. Eating solid food also helps your baby learn many new things, including how to swallow food and, eventually, how to feed him or herself. It also exposes babies to many new tastes and textures.

However, between 6 and 9 months of age, most of the calories your baby needs to grow will still come from breast milk or formula. So, always feed your baby breast milk or formula before offering solid food.

What foods should I offer my baby first?

Since babies need extra iron, their best first food is an iron-fortified baby cereal. Once solid foods are introduced, babies do not absorb as much iron from breast milk — another reason to make sure that your baby's first food is a good source of iron.

How do I introduce my baby to solid food?

Choose a time when you and your baby are both relaxed and ready to enjoy mealtime.
Prepare an iron-fortified baby cereal, such as rice, barley or oatmeal infant cereal. Mix several tablespoons of dry cereal with formula, water or breast milk. The cereal should be the consistency of cream of wheat — smooth and semi-liquid.
Sit your baby in your lap or in a highchair.
Use a small spoon to feed your baby.
Your baby may look a little confused at first, and most of the first feeding may end up on his or her face, hands and bib. Don't worry. Your baby will gradually become more comfortable with feedings. Try talking gently to your baby to help him or her relax.
As your baby begins to enjoy mealtimes, increase the consistency of the cereal so it is like oatmeal. You can also gradually increase the amount of food you offer.
If your baby spits out the cereal, cries or isn't interested, stop the feeding. You can try again in a few days.

Can I put the cereal or baby food into my baby's bottle?

Please don't put cereal or baby food in a bottle. Your baby needs to learn the difference between liquid and solid foods. Babies need to learn how to move solid food around in their mouth, how to take bites from a spoon and rest between bites, and to stop eating when full. These are all experiences that help babies develop good eating habits.

What are the next foods I can give my baby?

You can give plain baby cereal for several months, but most parents enjoy offering their baby a variety of new foods.

After you've given your baby several different types of cereal, consider offering a vegetable or meat. Chicken or turkey is a good source of zinc for breast-fed infants. After your baby is enjoying several different vegetables, you can then try fruit.

After introducing a new food, wait four to five days before giving your baby any new foods, so you can watch for signs of an allergic reaction.

Be aware that cereal, applesauce and bananas can cause constipation. If your baby becomes constipated, you may try giving him or her an ounce or two of diluted prune or pear juice. You can mix your baby's cereal with prune or pear juice. Or, try offering extra fruits like plums and peaches.

What should I look for when buying baby food?

Choose single-item foods, like squash or bananas.
Always read labels. Make sure there is only one ingredient, and look for any added ingredients that can cause allergies, such as orange juice.
Avoid mixed baby foods, like baby dinners. They have less nutritional value and aren't a good value for the money.
Don't give your child "baby desserts." They add extra calories without being nutritious.

Can I make my own baby food?

Certainly. If you do, please remember:

Do not add salt, sugar or seasonings to your baby's food.
You can freeze extra food in ice cube trays, and defrost small portions later when needed.
Know that some vegetables, such as carrots, beets, spinach, collard greens and turnips, can contain nitrates, a chemical that can cause an unusual type of anemia. Don't cook these foods for your baby. Store-bought baby food has had the nitrates removed and is fine.

What foods should I not give my baby?

The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends giving peanut-containing products to infants at "high risk" of developing allergies between four and 11 months, in countries where peanut allergies are common.

Scientific evidence suggests that delaying the introduction of peanuts may be linked to a greater risk of developing peanut allergies.

However, babies who experience severe eczema, egg allergy or other related diseases in their first four to six months may benefit from seeing an allergist who can give patient-specific advice on early introduction of peanuts, the academy says.

Do not give your baby any honey for the first year of life. It can cause infant botulism, a type of food poisoning that can lead to death.

Also, remember that some foods can irritate your baby's digestive system. Avoid highly spicy or greasy foods. Also avoid foods that could easily cause choking, such as small candies, popcorn, raisins, grapes, or hotdogs cut in circles.

What are the signs my baby is allergic to a food?

If your baby as several episodes of vomiting after trying a new food, has diarrhea, develops a rash, or has swelling of the lips or eyes, he or she may be having an allergic reaction. Stop the feeding and call your baby's doctor.

How will my baby's stools change once I introduce solid food?

Your baby's stools may become firmer and may have a different, stronger odor. Some foods will appear in the stool undigested, and you may see peas, corn or tomato skins in your baby's diaper. Bananas often cause little black threads to appear in the stool. This is just the center part of the banana.

If your baby's stools become extremely loose, watery or full of mucous, the baby's intestinal tract may be a little irritated. Consider removing the new food from your baby's diet for a while. Irritation around the anus does not mean the baby is allergic to a food.

How often should I feed my baby?

Since most of your baby's nutrition still comes from breast milk or formula, you do not need to worry about how often you are offering solid foods. Feed your baby when it is fun, easy and convenient for you. Most babies enjoy eating once a day at first. Parents should let babies show when they are interested and how much they want to eat.

Used by permission of Jane E. Anderson, M.D.

Baby Poop: What's Normal, What's Not & How Baby's Diet Affects It

Bet you never thought you’d become someone that’s obsessed with poop, did ya?? Well, as a parent, this is just one of those things that we worry about and pay A LOT of attention to!

“Why’s my baby’s poop this colour?”

“My baby hasn’t pooped in days, is that normal?”

“My baby’s poop is really runny, is that diarrhea? How do I tell – it’s always liquid-like?”

These are just some of the questions I know swirl around in your head when you’re doing yet another diaper change. I know because I’ve been there!

And, while obsessing over baby’s bowel movements may not be the most fun thing to do, keeping track and knowing what’s normal for your baby is very important – so let’s go over everything you need to know about your baby’s poop!

WHAT DOES YOUR BABY’S DIAPER HABITS TELL US ABOUT THEIR HEALTH?

Since babies aren’t yet able to tell us how they’re feeling, we have to use certain indicators to collect information about their health and wellness – one of these is poop. We can use things such as the color of your baby’s poop, the frequency, and the texture, to determine many different things.

Including…

Illness – sometimes your baby’s poop can be the first, or only, indicator of an illness, such as a gastrointestinal bug.
Nutrition – certain colors can indicate issues with nutrient absorption, plus we can use the colors to tell us whether they’re taking in breast milk or formula, and later on, if solid food is being swallowed.
Hydration – sometimes constipation can be a sign that more fluids are needed.
Allergies or intolerances – there are certain signs to look out for that could indicate that your baby has an allergy or an intolerance to something they ate, and some of those signs show up in their diaper!

Knowing what is considered normal for your baby, based on what they’re consuming, is important so that you can determine when their poop is out of the ordinary, and then determine whether that change is to be expected, or warrants a call to baby’s doctor.

WHAT AFFECTS THE TYPE OF POOP MY BABY HAS?

There are a lot of different factors that could affect your baby’s poop, namely age, diet, and illness. So it’s normal to expect that your baby’s poop is going to continue to change as they grow. Newborn poop is going to look drastically different from a 6 month old baby’s poop, which will look different from your baby’s poop at 1 year old, in large because as their diet changes, their poop changes. And diet typically changes with age – you’ll notice changes between breastfed poop, formula fed poop, and poop when babies start solids.

Let’s review some major changes that happen.

Newborn poop

Newborns have black, sticky, tar like poops that happen in the first 24 hours following birth. Newborn’s poop is called meconium, and is basically a build up of ingested mucus, amniotic fluid, and other material from the womb. However, if they last longer than a few days, or go away and come back, you need to take your baby to their doctor ASAP. Black poops are not considered normal after the initial days following birth.

1-5 Days after birth

Typically, you’ll notice the meconium will change into what is referred to as “transitional poops”. These are a mixture of meconium and breastfed poop, or formula fed poop, that are expected once your baby begins to digest their breast milk or formula feeds.

These will continue to decrease in meconium, and change to what we expect breastfed or formula fed poops to look like, after a few days. We would expect babies to have 2 poops on day 2, and 3 poops on days 3-5. The color will change from black, to green, to brown, and after a few more days, will change to adjust to whatever poops are characteristic of their main diet – either breast milk or formula.

Breastfed baby's poop

If your baby is being exclusively breastfed, after those first meconium poops, they’ll have poops that are clearly identifiable as breastfed baby poop.

Color: Yellow – often bright or pale mustard colored. Sometimes it can be bright green and frothy if babies are nursing for only short periods of time on each breast, and getting more foremilk than hindmilk.
Texture – Loose. They’ll be on the runnier side, but not like what would be considered diarrhea either. May contain seed-like or lumpy pieces – you’ll most likely notice tiny white spots or clumps within the yellow poop. This is normal.
Frequency: Exclusively breastfed babies can go days without pooping, or they could poop with every single nursing session – both are considered normal.

Formula fed baby's poop

If you’re feeding your baby formula, their poops are going to look different than that of a baby exclusively drinking breast milk. This is because formula is digested differently than breast milk is, and it has different properties. So, if you’re exclusively formula feeding, your baby’s poops will take on the following characteristics listed below. It’s important to note that it may take 1-2 weeks after introducing formula exclusively for your baby’s diapers to change.

Color: Yellow-brown, green-tan, or brown. With formula there’s a bit more of a range as far as the color of poops, but any of these colors are considered normal.
Texture: Thick and firm – typically it has a consistency similar to toothpaste, which is thicker than the poop of a breastfed baby.
Frequency: Formula fed babies don’t typically poop after all their milk feeds (as is common for some breastfed babies) because formula takes longer to process through the digestive tract. However, they should be going at least once per day, maybe even every other day. Anything less than that could be a sign that they’re constipated. I’ll explain more about the other signs in a little bit, but this would warrant a call to their doctor.

Combination fed baby's poop

Some babies are given both breast milk and formula throughout the day, which is referred to as combination feeding. In these cases, your baby’s poop could vary and be seen as anything between the two types described above.

Baby poop after starting solids

Once you begin feeding your baby solid food, typically around the 6 month mark and once they’ve shown all the signs of readiness, your baby’s poop will change due to their new diet. After all, what goes in, must come out!

However, I want to note that this doesn’t mean that your baby’s poop will begin to look like adult poop – their poop will continue to have certain characteristics that make it very clearly baby poop.

Here are the main things to look for when poop is normal…

Texture: If your baby was exclusively breastfed, you’re probably familiar with the more loose stools they were used to having (note: not diarrhea, but loose for sure). Once your baby is eating solid food, you’ll see a pretty significant change in stool texture – namely, they’ll get way firmer. This might not be as obvious if your baby was exclusively formula fed before, but generally we want the texture of their poop to be like the texture of a cooked sweet potato – sort of pasty.

You might also notice bits of undigested food in your baby’s diaper after starting solid foods. Is this a concern? No, it’s actually completely normal!

See, your baby’s digestive tract is much shorter than an adult’s, and therefore there isn’t always enough time for their body to break down all of the food that they’re eating. This is especially true for foods higher in fibre, such as corn, carrots, blueberries, etc. It also can happen if your baby isn’t chewing their food a lot before swallowing, which is to be expected when they’re first starting out with solid foods. But hey, it’s a great indicator that they’ve actually ingested some food!

Frequency: Once you go from an all liquid diet to introducing solids, you’re usually going to see the frequency of bowel movements go down. This is because solids bulk the stool up, there is usually less fluid being taken in, and sometimes it can take a while for a baby’s digestive system to adjust.
Smell: Solid food produces a stronger odor. Babies on a milk only diet usually have milder smelling bowel movements, especially when they consume breast milk only.

Color: Before starting solids, your baby’s poop color was likely fairly consistent. A mustard colour if they were exclusively breastfed, a brownish or yellow-brown color if they were formula fed, and somewhere in between if they were…well…somewhere in between those two. Once your baby eats solid food, you’ll notice a broader variation in baby poop color, it may even take on the color of the latest colored food they ate!

Normal poop color changes after serving baby food and other new foods

Brown – this is kind of the standard color, and happens naturally when they begin eating solids.

Dark green – common when starting solids that are green in color, like spinach or peas. This can also happen if your baby is taking iron supplements, or eating a lot of iron rich foods (as is recommended for babies).

Blue – this sounds concerning but is a result of eating foods of this color. One main culprit for producing this color of baby poop is blueberries!

Orange – again, this could be from eating foods of this color. Remember that baby’s digestive tracts are shorter, with less time to digest the food in its entirety, so it is easier to tell what they ate by looking at their poops. In babies that haven’t started solids, this can also happen because the poop absorbs pigments from the digestive tract, which is also considered normal.

Red – you may notice a deep red color if they ate something of that color recently, for example beets (I will say, from experience, it can look like a deep red, almost maroon color!)

WHAT TYPE OF POOP DO WE NOT WANT TO SEE?

DIARRHEA

Diarrhea can happen when your baby is sick with a virus, bacteria, or perhaps taking antibiotics.

The key change in stools you’ll see is in the consistency – watery, loose and possibly mucousy – and the frequency – 3 or more of these watery, loose stools in a row.

I know your baby’s poop is naturally liquidy if they’re exclusively breastfed, and so it may seem difficult to distinguish diarrhea from their normal. But that’s why we need to observe their normal, because I’m telling you, you’ll know diarrhea!

I’ve changed a diaper that was best described as colored water, it pooled in their diaper and the diaper couldn’t even soak all of it up fast enough, so when I opened it, there was a literal puddle (not a pleasant image I know!). It may not be that drastic, but a watery poop explosion up your baby’s back, is another good sign.

Basically, my point is that you’ll know, you’ll open the diaper and say: “Uh-oh, that’s not normal!”, and if you find yourself doing this, don’t second guess, your instinct is probably right!

If your baby is experiencing diarrhea, it’s not necessarily an emergency, but your main goal is going to be to keep them hydrated! You need to ensure that they’re drinking enough formula or breast milk. If they’re older and eating solids, try to serve foods with a high water content, such as watermelon or cucumbers, along with encouraging them to drink water from an open cup with meals.

If your baby is also experiencing fever, irritability, or appears to be in pain, seek medical attention right away. Babies can dehydrate much faster than adults do, and it’s best to get them seen at the onset of these symptoms.

Also watch for other signs of dehydration, particularly if the diarrhea is ongoing and lasts for several days. The other signs you need to look for are:

Decreased tears or crying without tears
Lack of saliva
Sunken eyes
Sunken fontanel (soft spot on your baby’s head)
Excessive fatigue
Less playful than usual

Finally, if diarrhea is recurring, it can also be a sign of a food allergy (most likely cow’s milk allergy or lactose intolerance), so be sure to speak with your doctor if you suspect that.

CONSTIPATION

Constipation is not simply a reduction in the amount of dirty diapers. The more important factors to look at to see if your baby is constipated is if they have…

Extremely hard and difficult to pass poop
Poop that appears pebble-like and is in small pellets or marbles
Poop that is a thicker consistency than toothpaste (specifically for younger infants)
Pain when pooping

Note: a red face while pooping is not a sign of constipation in young infants. They simply haven’t learned how to activate the correct muscles to push their poop out, most babies have this happen and as they get closer to 1 year old, many parents notice this doesn’t happen as often, if at all.

A baby constipated could be due to dehydration because they aren’t taking in enough fluids, or it could be because they aren’t getting in enough of the right types of fiber, or they have an imbalance in their gut bacteria. You can learn more about my strategies for managing constipation here. And if you’re unsure about what types of food to serve your baby in order to ensure they’re getting what they need, and how to safely introduce solids and finger foods – my Baby Led Feeding course is for you!

WHEN TO SEEK HELP

Here’s the thing, poop is going to vary with each baby, and you are going to notice changes in consistency, frequency, and color fairly frequently, especially as their diet changes with introducing solids. The key to remember is that their poop should be soft, your baby should be gaining weight and eating well, but frequency will vary with each child.

However, there are certain times when I want you to seek help from your pediatrician right away. If you notice…

Red or black poop

Generally, we don’t want to see red in your baby’s diaper as this indicates bleeding of some sort, somewhere along the digestive tract. Bright red blood in the diaper typically indicates some bleeding somewhere closer to the end of the tract. It could be an infection, an anal fissure from excessive pushing due to constipation, a milk allergy, or sometimes flecks of red appear in a breastfed baby’s diaper if their mom has cracked, bleeding nipples. And once a baby begins solids, it may happen from ingesting certain red-colored foods.

However, we really want to err on the side of caution with red poop. So if you cannot say with 100% certainty that your baby’s poop has a red tinge due to eating a lot of beets, it’s best to call their doctor and discuss it. They may have you wait to see if the next poop is the same color, or they may want to check it out right away.

Dark red and black poops indicate a very serious problem – specifically internal bleeding, as this is digested blood. So, if the poop is at all borderline, as in you’re having a difficult time deciding if it’s the color of beets or a dark red/black color, it’s absolutely best to get your baby checked out, just in case.

White or gray poop

These colors can happen, and they may have a chalky texture as well. White indicates that there is an issue with your baby’s liver, and basically there isn’t enough bile being produced to properly digest food. It needs to be addressed immediately.

Gray could also indicate an issue with the liver in that food isn’t being digested properly, or it could also mean that your baby’s body isn’t absorbing the nutrients in their food. Again, it needs to be addressed right away.

Although some mucus can be normal, consistently having mucusy poop can also be a sign of an allergy or an infection. So again, if you’re unsure of the cause, it’s best to speak with your baby’s doctor.

Dramatic changes after introducing solids

If you notice any drastic changes after introducing solids to your baby, either with regards to consistency, frequency, pain, etc. speak with your baby’s pediatrician. This can indicate a possible food allergy and should be addressed before offering that food again.

Runny or liquid poops at 1 year old

If your baby’s poops continue to be runny and liquid-like leading up to their first birthday (not diarrhea), be sure to discuss this with your baby’s pediatrician. By this age, their diet should consist of mainly solid foods, and therefore, their poops will reflect that and should have a thicker consistency than when they were on a liquid diet of breast milk or formula.

I know that was a lot of info about poop, so I hope you were able to stick with me, because this is really an important topic. Taking notice of your baby’s normal, when it comes to so many things, is crucial in being able to recognize and react when something happens that’s outside of their normal. Poop is no exception.

If you’re feeling stressed about all the information you need to process and retain regarding starting solids with your baby, I have a solution! My Baby Led Feeding course is the most comprehensive online course on feeding out there, and provides you with step-by-step guidance into this new world of serving solids and finger foods to your baby. Plus, you have access to it for a lifetime! Check back in whenever you need a question answered or a refresher on a specific topic, and never feel like you need to search the depths of the internet to find a trusted answer.

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Consultation center specialists | Children's Clinical Diagnostic Center in Domodedovo

Alexander Savich General Director

Kharitonova Marina Alekseevna Head physician, pediatrician, member of the Union of Pediatricians of Russia

Badamshina Liliya Mikhailovna Radiologist of the highest category, doctor of ultrasound diagnostics of the highest category, Doctor of Medical Sciences

Tarasova Irina Viktorovna Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor
Allergist-Immunologist

Laletin Evgeniy Viktorovich Pediatrician

Nikolsky Grigory Nikolaevich Otolaryngologist

Tatyana Yurievna Krylova Ophthalmologist

Andrey Karpov Orthopedic surgeon, doctor of the highest category

Strelnikova Maria Vladimirovna Ophthalmologist

Kazantseva Marina Anatolyevna Candidate of Medical Sciences, Doctor of Ultrasound Diagnostics

Pozdnyakov Boris Alexandrovich Orthopedic surgeon

Kotova Anastasia Sergeevna Dermatologist

Danilycheva Lyubov Ivanovna Pediatric endocrinologist, pediatrician

Slesareva Olga Valerianovna Children's massage therapist

Shubin Vladimir Gennadievich Vertebroneurologist, chiropractor

Silenko Oksana Nikolaevna Pediatric gynecologist, candidate of medical sciences

Ermolaev Sergey Sergeevich Candidate of Medical Sciences, neurologist, doctor of functional diagnostics

Prodan (Stepanchikova) Olga Viktorovna Neurologist

Kiseleva Lyudmila Ivanovna Pediatrician, doctor of functional diagnostics

Salimova Kristina Salimovna Ophthalmologist

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Andrey Unanov Pediatrician, Nephrologist

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How a child's digestion and stool change with the introduction of complementary foods and products from the general table

Kiseleva Elena Sergeevna

Candidate of Medical Sciences, Scientific Advisor MAMAKO ^®

The baby has started feeding. The stool has changed - it has become liquid or, conversely, constipation has appeared, and it looks like the baby has a stomach ache. This is fine? How to introduce complementary foods and what should be the chair? We are talking about the most important thing with Elena Sergeevna Kiseleva, Candidate of Medical Sciences, scientific adviser to MAMAKO ^® .

When to introduce foods from the general table

— As the child grows, it becomes necessary to expand his diet by introducing new additional foods - complementary foods. In accordance with modern recommendations of experts, complementary foods are introduced in the interval of 4-6 months. Formula-fed babies can start complementary foods at 4 months of age. It is recommended that complementary foods be introduced to children who are exclusively breastfed from 6 months of age.

Important! The term and tactics of prescribing complementary foods are determined by a doctor who observes the baby and knows the features of his development.

What is prepared for babies

Pureed soups, cereals, salads, purees.
Meat and fish in the form of souffle, meatballs, steam cutlets.

Cooking methods - boil, steam, bake.

Early introduction of complementary foods - before 4 months

— In the first four months, the baby's digestive system continues to mature and develop, so the best food during this period is mother's milk or infant formula. Violation of the timing of complementary foods is the risk of developing functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and allergic reactions.

Late introduction of complementary foods - after 6 months

- Late introduction to solid foods is fraught with impaired development of the child due to insufficient intake of nutrients, vitamins and minerals and a high risk of developing food allergies and digestive problems due to the need to "keep on time and introduce a large number of new products.

Complementary foods are introduced too quickly

— In no case should one deviate from the basic rules for introducing complementary foods - consistency and gradualness: do not rush, do not offer the child two or more products at the same time, do not give products that are not suitable for the baby by age. Otherwise, most likely, the small organism will react with indigestion.

Not meeting recommended serving sizes

- Do not overfeed. It is very important to form the correct perception of food from early childhood. Large portions can develop a habit of overeating and, as a result, lead to obesity at an older age.

Force-feeding

— Force-feeding is wrong, as well as using foods and dishes that displace food that contains complete protein from the diet (for example, replacing natural meat dishes with sausages). Not for the benefit of the child and uncontrolled passion for sweets and confectionery.

— Elena Sergeevna, does the child’s stool change when complementary foods are introduced and with the transition to a common table?

— The consistency of the baby's stool changes when feeding. It becomes thicker. This is especially noticeable in breastfed babies. The frequency of stool also decreases and gradually reaches 1-2 times a day. Over time, with an increase in the amount of complementary foods and the transition to food from the general table, a dense thick stool is established.

However, the introduction of new products, whether they are complementary foods or dishes from the common table, can cause digestive disorders, which are accompanied by thinning of the stool, regurgitation, vomiting, and increased gas formation. It happens that a child has a stomach ache from complementary foods and "adult" food.

What should parents do if their child has…

— Can a child develop an allergy to complementary foods?

— Allergic reactions can be caused by complementary foods. In this case, the digestion process is disturbed, which is manifested by nausea, bouts of vomiting, stool disorder. It is also important to pay attention to the appearance of mucus, liquid or foamy stools. It is worth checking for irritation around the anus or a rash on the baby's skin.

All of the above can be a sign of digestive problems due to an allergy to complementary foods. In this condition of the baby, the introduction of new products is canceled, all changes are recorded in the food diary, and a pediatrician is visited as early as possible.

— Is it true that parents should also show increased alertness in connection with the possible development of diseases of the digestive system?

- Most of the complaints in children can be attributed to functional digestive problems due to immaturity, lack of enzymes or too high a food load on the gastrointestinal tract. But do not forget that serious diseases can be hidden behind various digestive problems.

Important! If the symptoms of anxiety are accompanied by fever, changes in the behavior of the child, lethargy, lack of appetite, urgently call an ambulance! Children should not be given drugs on their own that are not recommended by their pediatrician.

Checklist. Changes in digestion and stool within normal limits and recommendations

Follow the timing and rules of introduction of complementary foods recommended by your pediatrician.
Practice proper food preparation. Remember that a common table for children under 1.5 years old involves the preparation of mashed and chopped food.
Offer your child enough water as the diet increases.
Follow a diet so that the child's body is used to producing digestive enzymes in a timely manner.
Solid foods in the diet cause changes in the consistency and color of baby's stools. This is not a sign of illness.
If alarming symptoms appear, especially against the background of fever and changes in general condition, consult a doctor immediately!

The introduction of complementary foods and expansion of the diet in babies may be accompanied by temporary indigestion: abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation, vomiting, increased gas formation, discoloration of the stool and the appearance of impurities in it. To make your baby’s digestion comfortable, learn and follow the general rules for feeding your baby and, of course, consult your pediatrician.

* Breast milk is the best food for babies. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a child's life and continued breastfeeding after complementary feeding until age 2 years. Before introducing new products into the baby's diet, you should consult with a specialist. The material is for informational purposes and cannot replace the advice of a healthcare professional. For feeding children from birth.