What foods cause acidic poop in babies

Baby Bottoms 101: Diet & Diaper Rash

Diaper rash is one of those pesky problems every mom wants to avoid, because angry red bumps or an ugly rash on your baby’s diaper area is not something mama wants to see. But despite your best efforts, diaper rash happens.

Now what? Well, you’re a mom, so you can definitely handle it. But what’s the best way?

How do you get rid of diaper rash quickly, so you can get back to funny faces, gummy grins, happy diaper changes and giggles?

Buh-bye with Boudreaux’s Butt Paste^®

When you spot diaper rash, your first line of defense is to use Boudreaux’s Butt Paste®. It eases symptoms and helps treat and protect baby’s sensitive skin. For fast results, try Maximum Strength Boudreaux’s Butt Paste^®, because it’s clinically shown to provide immediate soothing relief from rash discomfort. Moms also say they noticed visible improvements of some of the worst symptoms of diaper rash in as little as three hours.

Rethink baby’s diet

You can make changes to your baby’s diet that will help ease diaper rash. Certain types of food can aggravate her already sensitive skin and actually make diaper rash symptoms worse. Acidic foods are often to blame for making diaper rash worse. Foods high in fat and sugar can also be problematic. On the flip side, starchy foods can help ease diaper rash.

Acidic foods to avoid

If your baby had diaper rash, think about cutting these foods out of her diet until her symptoms improve:

Citrus fruits and juices
Tomatoes and tomato-based products (this includes foods like spaghetti sauce)
Strawberries
Pineapple
Grapes
Raisins

Protect against diarrhea

When your baby has diaper rash, the last thing you want to add to the equation is diarrhea or loose stools. Every baby is different, but the following foods tend to trigger diarrhea in babies, so it’s a good idea to avoid them:

Milk-based formula (cow’s milk)
Apple juice
Pear juice
Cherry juice
Apricots
Peaches
Pears
Apricots
Prunes and prune juice

Foods that are good for diaper rash

Starches are easy to digest and add bulk to the stool, so that’s why they are A-Okay for baby to eat if she’s struggling with diaper rash symptoms. Babies who are eating solid foods can eat pasta and fermented whole grains. Other foods that are easy on diaper rash are chopped up soft-boiled eggs and plain yogurt with probiatics.

Remember, baby cereal doesn’t just have to be old-school rice cereal. She can try cereal made from oats, quinoa, brown rice or other whole grains. Other starchy options for baby include the following foods:

Potatoes
Rice
Crackers
Bread or toast
Plantain
Beans or lentils

B.R.A.T. diet

If your baby has ever suffered from diarrhea, you’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet. This bland, easy-to-digest diet is used to bulk up baby’s stools. Since easing diaper rash symptoms is similar, the B.R.A.T. diet works too. Just remember to ease up on foods that bulk up her diet once her diaper rash symptoms improve, so she doesn’t get constipated.

B. = Banana

R. = Rice

A. = Applesauce

T. = Toast

Moms often refer to Boudreaux’s Butt Paste^® as a “miracle ointment” that eases diaper rash within hours. If you’ve had a “Wow, this stuff is magic!” moment with Boudreaux’s Butt Paste^®, share your story with us in the comments section on our Facebook page.

Acidic Diaper Rash - Summers Laboratories

What Is An Acidic Diaper Rash

Does your baby’s diaper rash seem especially sensitive, tender, and frequent? It may be an acidic diaper rash. Acidic diaper rashes arise when your baby’s bowel movements are high in pH levels, which can be caused by a number of dietary inputs. Unlike most other types of diaper rashes, acid diaper rash symptoms develop quickly and are easily recognizable. For instance, if the rash does not affect skin folds (where acid urine and feces are not in contact) then this can be a sign of an acid diaper rash. Fortunately, there are effective ways to relieve your baby’s acidic diaper rash symptoms quickly and easily. Read on to learn more about what causes acidic diaper rashes, how to identify the foods that may be causing your baby’s acidic poop, and how to relieve symptoms quickly and effectively.

What Causes Acidic Diaper Rashes?

As mentioned, acidic diaper rashes are caused by an abnormal pH (acid) level in your baby’s waste. So what’s causing the acidic imbalance? Most of the time, higher levels of acidity are caused by the food your baby is eating. Citrus fruits, juices, and other foods are naturally acidic, which can be upsetting for a young digestive system. If your baby is still breastfeeding, there could be foods in the mother’s diet that are causing high acid levels. For help identifying what’s causing your baby’s acid diaper rashes, we recommend starting a diet log and following these three steps:

1. Start Tracking Your Baby’s Diet With A Journal

Treating other types of diaper rashes generally consists of establishing healthy skin care habits, keeping a clean diaper, and so on. Unfortunately, it’s not quite so easy with an acid diaper rash. In order to find a long term solution, you’ll need to identify what part of your child’s diet is causing their acidic poop. The best way to do this is by getting scientific; start a diet journal that tracks what your baby eats, when a bowel movement follows, and whether or not it caused a diaper rash. Hopefully, you’ll start noticing patterns form around certain types of foods. To speed up the process, consider removing the following foods that have been known to cause diaper rashes.

2. Eliminate Foods That Cause Diaper Rash

Below is a list of foods that are generally acidic, and have been known to cause diaper rashes. You’ll notice that some of these foods may be in your baby’s diet, but some foods may only be in the mother’s diet. Systematically test these foods to see if they’re related to your baby’s rashes, and cut out foods that might be related.

Citrus fruits
Fruit juices
Tomatoes, or tomato-based foods
Strawberries
Pineapples
Spicy or hot foods – also consider eliminating from breastfeeding mother’s diet
Coffee – also consider eliminating from breastfeeding mother’s diet

Helpful tip: Try replacing high acidity foods with these foods. While they won’t help lower acidity levels, they can help prevent the diarrhea that is causing your baby’s diaper rash.

Bananas
Rice
Apples
Toast

3. If Rashes Persist, Consult A Physician

If you’ve eliminated acidic foods from your baby’s diet and diaper rashes persist, consult your physician. They may be able to help identify any dietary sensitivities or other less common causes.

Acidic Diaper Rash Treatment

Evaluating and changing your baby’s diet can be time-consuming, but don’t worry. While you’re working towards removing the foods that are upsetting your baby’s tummy, you can treat the acidic diaper rash with medicated diaper rash cream! Medicated diaper rash cream is loved by parents around the world for quickly relieving diaper rash symptoms. Simply apply the cream each diaper change until the redness and discomfort subside.

Ready to learn more about treatment options available at Summers Laboratories? Click here to view our products.

What will the baby's stool tell about? – Moscow Regional Center for Public Health and Medical Prevention (MOTSOZiMP)

Young parents look at the contents of a baby diaper with interest and trepidation ... familiar picture? The chair often causes concern to the mother and is really able to tell about the health and ill health of the baby - you just need to be able to "read between the lines", that is, understand the signs of the body.

Let's get acquainted with the norm

While the baby lives and develops in the mother's womb, meconium accumulates in his intestines. It is a homogeneous tar-like mass of dark olive, almost black color, almost odorless. It consists of desquamated cells of the intestinal mucosa, amniotic fluid swallowed by the baby, etc. Normally, meconium begins to be excreted from the intestines of the crumbs after birth and therefore is also called primordial feces (sometimes meconium is excreted in utero: with an unfavorable course of childbirth or at the very end of pregnancy, oxygen starvation the fetus is the cause of premature emptying of the intestine, in this case, meconium enters the amniotic fluid and stains them green). The baby's stool is usually represented by meconium in the first two or three days, that is, until the mother has a large amount of milk. Sometimes it happens that after the bulk of the meconium has passed, say, during the first day, before the mother has milk, the baby may not have any stool at all. This is due to the fact that the colostrum, which the baby eats in the first few days, is absorbed by the body almost completely, so that there are no toxins left in the intestines - therefore, there is simply nothing to stand out. nine0003

After the mother has established active lactation, the baby's stool gradually becomes mature, usually passing through a transitional stage. A transitional stool is a stool that combines the features of the original feces and mature stools, it has a mushy texture, yellow-green color and a sour smell. Mature stools are distinguished by a pure yellow color, a homogeneous mushy consistency (it is often compared with thin sour cream), and the smell of sour milk. Its frequency is higher, the younger the child: in the first weeks after birth, bowel movements can occur almost after each feeding, that is, reach 5-8, and sometimes 10 times a day. Gradually, the stool is reduced to about 1-3 times a day, however, there is a rare variant of the norm, when mother's milk is so completely absorbed by the baby's body that almost no undigested residue accumulates in his intestines. In this case, bowel movements can occur once every few days, sometimes even once a week. This is due to the fact that only sufficient filling of the large intestine with waste (undigested food residues) is a signal for contractions of the intestinal walls, leading to emptying. That is why the intestines must first "accumulate" the remains, then to throw them out. As a rule, such a feature of the assimilation of mother's milk becomes apparent in babies no earlier than 1.5-3 months. Let's make a reservation: the frequency of stool 1 time in several days can be considered the norm only if three conditions are met: with completely natural feeding (that is, the baby does not receive anything other than mother's milk), the age is at least 1. 5 months and there are no signs of ill health - pain and bloating in the abdomen, discomfort and difficulty in emptying the intestines, that is, when the baby eats well, gains weight correctly and nothing bothers him. nine0003

Formula-fed or mixed-fed stools may be indistinguishable from normal, mature breastfed stools, or may have a more "grown-up", putrid odor, thicker texture, and a darker, brownish color. Bowel emptying with mixed or artificial feeding should occur at least 1 time per day, everything else is considered constipation.

Now that we have become acquainted with the "ideal" course of the process, it is necessary to become familiar with possible deviations from it. nine0003

Greenery in the stool

It often happens that the “correct” type of stool is not established for a long time, and the stool, even against the background of active lactation in the mother, retains the features of the transition for a long time, that is, it has a clear greenish tint, sometimes mucus is also found in it. There are several reasons for this:

Malnutrition (so-called "hungry" stool). Often this is due to a lack of milk from the mother. Factors that make it difficult for a baby to “get” milk from the breast can also be flat and inverted nipples, tight breasts, especially after the first birth. nine0003
The predominance of fruits and vegetables in the diet of a nursing woman in comparison with other products, as well as the use by the mother of products containing synthetic additives: sausages, smoked meats, all types of canned food, industrial juices, dairy products with fruit and other aromatic fillers.
Inflammation of the intestinal mucosa in a child. A very common reason for this is the hypoxia (oxygen starvation) of the fetus transferred during pregnancy and / or childbirth. This pathological condition affects many tissues in the body, including the intestinal mucosa, which then recovers for quite some time. In addition, inflammation of the intestinal mucosa can be caused by the influence of synthetic substances - flavors, dyes and preservatives and any artificial compounds present in the mother's diet that penetrate breast milk and directly affect the intestinal mucosa. Finally, a very common cause of intestinal inflammation is a violation of the normal intestinal microflora - in other words, intestinal dysbacteriosis (or dysbiosis), when there are few representatives of the normal microflora, they are partially replaced by the so-called opportunistic microbes, that is, pathogens that, under adverse conditions, can cause inflammation in the intestines. In this case, the mucous membrane suffers as a result of the influence of pathogens and their metabolic products. The risk of developing dysbacteriosis increases significantly if antibacterial drugs were prescribed to the mother and / or baby. nine0003

What to do? If there is greenery in the stool, the baby should first of all be excluded from malnutrition. Of course, in addition to stool disorders, other symptoms will also be noted: the baby may show dissatisfaction at the breast, if milk is poorly excreted from the nipple, he does not fall asleep after feeding and / or never withstands more than 1-1. 5 hours between feedings, he reduced rate of weight gain and growth. With severe malnutrition, the number of urination may decrease in a child (normally it is at least 6-8 per day), urine may be more concentrated (normally it is almost colorless and has only a slight smell). Then you should act according to the situation: in case of insufficient lactation, switch to feeding “on demand”, or “at the first cry”, put the baby to the breast more often, allow him to stay at the breast for as long as he wants, give both breasts in one feeding, be sure breastfeed during the night, take drugs that stimulate lactation. If the cause of malnutrition lies in the irregular shape of the nipples, it may be worth using special nipple pads during feeding. In any case, if you suspect malnutrition of the crumbs, it is better to consult a pediatrician, as well as a breastfeeding consultant. nine0003

Next, you should carefully check your mother's diet. All products containing synthetic additives are subject to unconditional exclusion. It should not be forgotten that synthetic vitamin preparations taken by the mother (including those for pregnant and lactating women) can often become the cause of intestinal inflammation in infants, so their intake should also be excluded. You should also take care that the amount of fruits and vegetables in the diet does not prevail over other products (these "gifts of the earth" contain a large amount of acids, the excess of which in breast milk can cause inflammation of the mucous membrane in the intestines of the baby). nine0003

Now that we have created all the possible prerequisites for proper nutrition of the crumbs, it is worth being guided by his well-being. If the baby is well gaining in height and weight, he is not bothered by abdominal pain and allergic reactions, he is generally healthy and cheerful, is interested in the world around him according to his age, then you can ignore the only symptom - the green color of the stool: most likely, he will reflect the consequences of hypoxia or the presence of intestinal dysbacteriosis in the baby. In the human body, especially recently born, everything goes according to its own laws and at an individual speed. The colonization of the intestines with the “correct” microbes is a process of more than one day or even more than one week, therefore, even in perfectly healthy children, transitional stools can last up to a month or even more. If this does not prevent the baby from developing normally, you can not interfere in this process. All the same, a drug for dysbacteriosis has not yet been created better than mother's milk. The only thing that does not interfere with doing with prolonged signs of dysbacteriosis is to hand over mother's milk for sowing to make sure that it does not contain pathogenic microbes (if any are found, their sensitivity to antibacterial drugs is necessarily determined, then the mother is treated with the most effective antibiotics for this case - during this period, breastfeeding is usually stopped). nine0003

If the baby is not feeling well (for example, he suffers from intestinal colic, or skin allergic reactions are noted, or he is not gaining enough weight and height), then some tests should be taken - a coprogram and a fecal analysis for flora (or, as they say, for dysbacteriosis). The coprogram will show how the processes of digestion are going in the intestines, and can confirm the presence of inflammation of the mucosa (an increase in the number of leukocytes in the feces, a sharply acidic reaction, the presence of latent blood will indicate it). In the analysis of the flora, the main attention should be paid to the presence and / or number of pathogenic microorganisms - those that normally should not be found in the intestine or whose number should not exceed certain limits. The number of "friendly" microbes may be completely indicative if the feces were analyzed later than two hours after collection. Since this is exactly what happens in the vast majority of cases, the number of normal microbes in this analysis can be ignored. The detection of pathogenic (pathogenic) microbes (provided that the mother's milk has been analyzed and the mother has been treated if necessary) is the reason for prescribing special preparations to the baby. As a rule, treatment is carried out with phages - special viruses that destroy a certain type of pathogenic microbes and do not affect the flora as a whole. In some cases, antibacterial drugs may be prescribed, taking into account the sensitivity of pathogenic bacteria to them. Treatment is completed with drugs that help restore normal microflora. nine0003

White lumps in the stool Sometimes white lumps can be seen in the baby's stool, as if someone had mixed coarse cottage cheese into it. If this symptom is noted against the background of the normal physical development of the child (he is gaining weight well and growing), then it is evidence of some overeating: the body receives more nutrients than it needs to meet real needs (when the breast is offered not only to satisfy hunger , but also any sedation). There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, since the baby’s body is perfectly adapted to such a “bust”: it simply throws out the excess in the form of such undigested white lumps. At present, when the course is taken to feed "at the first cry", most healthy children have this feature of the stool at least from time to time. If this symptom is accompanied by a lack of weight or height, especially if this lag is aggravated, most likely, there is an enzymatic insufficiency of the digestive glands, which does not allow the incoming nutrients to be properly digested. In this case, a pediatrician or gastroenterologist may prescribe enzyme replacement therapy. nine0003

Lactase deficiency

Quite often, parents may encounter the fact that the baby's stool is thin, watery, sometimes foamy, has a sharper sour smell, and in some cases a changed color - mustard or greenish. On a cotton diaper, such feces leave a watering zone around it. Quite often the chair is allocated with the small portions even at an otkhozhdeniye of gases. The acid reaction of feces often causes persistent diaper rash. This picture is observed when there is a violation of the digestion of lactose - milk sugar, when for some reason the amount of lactose entering the intestines with mother's milk exceeds the amount of the lactase enzyme necessary for its digestion. This can be either with an excess of lactose in milk (hereditary predisposition of the mother, an excess of fresh milk and dairy products in her diet), or with reduced production of lactase by the digestive glands of the crumbs. Undigested carbohydrates "pull" a large amount of water into the intestinal lumen, which is why the stool has a liquefied watery character. nine0003

Often lactase deficiency is accompanied by intestinal dysbacteriosis: the acidic reaction of the intestinal contents prevents the colonization of the intestines with the correct flora, and the absence of the required amount of beneficial microorganisms, in turn, reduces the ability to digest carbohydrates. If this does not interfere with the development of the baby (as we have already said, its signs are a normal increase in height and weight, the absence of intestinal colic and persistent diaper rash), this condition can be left without treatment. In the vast majority of cases, lactase deficiency is a transient problem and disappears without a trace with age (by about 9-12 months the activity of the digestive glands increases so much that the baby's body easily begins to cope not only with fermented milk products, but also with fresh milk). Severe and lifelong disorders of lactase production are almost always genetically determined: this variant of a hereditary disease should be considered if the next of kin in the family suffer from lactase deficiency in adulthood.

To confirm the diagnosis, in addition to a coprological examination, a stool analysis for carbohydrates is performed. With confirmed lactase deficiency, the mother should first of all adjust her diet: exclude fresh milk, if this step is ineffective, significantly reduce the amount of fermented milk products (the exception is cheese, in which there is practically no milk sugar). If all of these measures fail, the doctor may prescribe lactase replacement therapy. nine0003

Constipation

Constipation is the absence of an independent stool for more than a day (of course, except for cases of complete assimilation of milk), as well as cases when bowel movements are difficult and accompanied by significant discomfort.

Constipation is rare during breastfeeding and has two main causes: maternal malnutrition and intestinal motility disorders, including anal sphincter spasm.

Improper nutrition of the mother is expressed by a tendency to foods rich in proteins and easily digestible carbohydrates, a lack of dietary fiber in the diet. Therefore, with manifestations of constipation in a baby, the mother should first of all normalize her diet: give preference to cereals (especially buckwheat, brown rice, oatmeal), whole grain bread, and include boiled vegetables in the diet. Some products (peaches, apricots, prunes, dried apricots, figs, boiled beets, fresh kefir) have pronounced laxative properties. In many cases, they will allow you to normalize not only your own stool, but also the baby's stool. nine0003

If these measures do not lead to anything, most likely there is a violation of intestinal motility (hypotension or, on the contrary, spasm) and / or spasm of the anal sphincter. With spasm of the sphincter, the passage of gases from the intestine is also difficult, so constipation is often accompanied by pronounced intestinal colic. Unfortunately, these conditions are almost impossible to deal with at home, as they are associated with a violation of the nervous regulation of smooth muscle tone and are the consequences of a birth injury or an unfavorable course of pregnancy. If they are accompanied by other symptoms that make you turn to a neurologist (irritability or, conversely, lethargy of the crumbs, sleep disturbances, meteorological dependence, muscle tone disorders, etc.), then the treatment prescribed by him for the ill-being of the central nervous system often helps to improve the situation. with constipation. If, in the absence of a stool, the baby is worried about pain and / or bloating in the abdomen, you can try to put a gas tube, which will gently stimulate the anus. With artificial feeding, constipation, unfortunately, is much more common, since the digestion of milk mixtures is a great difficulty for the infant's digestive system. In many cases, the situation can be normalized by replacing half of the baby's daily diet with a fermented milk mixture (gradually introducing acidic mixtures after 3 weeks of life). After 4-6 months of life, you can introduce a decoction and mashed prunes into the baby's diet, which help to cope with constipation in most cases. nine0003

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

The characteristics of the baby chair are influenced by such indicators as age, type of feeding, and 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.

Features of the child's nutrition

If a child has an unusual stool color, 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 mixture. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

Also, if the color of the child's feces changes, parents should remember whether they gave him any medications 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 can 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? nine0073

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. nine0003

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 discolored, grayish 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). nine0003

If warning symptoms appear, you should not panic - only a specialist can make a diagnosis of hepatitis. 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. nine0003

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

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

Also, children may experience a slight increase in body temperature, pale skin, dry mouth. An attack of pancreatitis can be triggered by excessive consumption of chocolate, cocoa, carbonated drinks, fresh vegetables. nine0003

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. nine0003

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 feces in a child can often be a variant of the norm, parents should act depending on 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. nine0003

In all other cases, when a change in the color and other properties of feces is accompanied by pain in the abdomen, 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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0026

Constipation in infants

Normally, a baby's feces are soft, but constipation can 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. nine0026
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, too frequent 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. nine0003

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. nine0003

A pediatrician orders a fecal occult blood test, mainly due to 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 discharge 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. nine0003

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.
Teeth eruption. At the same time, saliva is actively secreted, which can also contribute to the appearance of mucous secretions. nine0026

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. nine0003

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. nine0026

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 in combination with a change in the consistency of feces;
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? nine0073

Let's 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.