Blood streaks in the feces of a baby: causes, accompanying symptoms, treatment, advice from experienced pediatricians

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Every experienced mother knows what a baby's chair should be. If, when changing a diaper, there is a change in the color of feces or the presence of streaks of blood, this should alert parents. Far from always, such symptoms signal dangerous pathologies, but it is better not to miss them in order to diagnose the disease in time and cure it faster. In our article, we will talk about why blood streaks appear in the feces of a baby. Be sure to dwell on other symptoms of pathology and how to treat a child.

What does normal baby stool look like?

In the first day or two after birth, the newborn begins to pass the original feces - meconium. It is black in color with a greenish tinge, has a viscous consistency and does notcharacteristic odour. The appearance of meconium is proof that the intestines of the baby are working normally. On the third or fourth day, the child's feces acquire a different color and texture. Usually at this time, the mother and baby are discharged from the hospital home. So, by this point, meconium should be completely out of the baby's body.

By the second week of a newborn's life, his feces become yellow or mustard. It has a liquid, mushy texture. The smell of the stool is unsharp, sour. The presence of white grains or a small amount of mucus in the feces is allowed. The main thing is that the stool should not be too dense or, conversely, watery.

At each change of the diaper, its contents should be examined in order to detect pathology in time. It should be remembered that the nature of the stool is an important indicator of the he alth of the baby.

When not to worry?

When breastfeeding, there are several options for the norm of feces in color and consistency. Even the absence of bowel movements during the day is not considered constipation if the stool looks like a yellow, soft porridge. In fact, the color of feces can change for the following reasons:

1. Products in the diet of a nursing woman. If tomatoes, beets, black currants were present on the mother’s menu the day before, the child’s stool may become reddish. But this does not mean at all that the baby has feces with blood.
2. Medication taking. If the mother is taking antibiotics, medications containing iron, or tablets with dyes in the composition, the coloryour baby's stool will definitely change.
3. The introduction of complementary foods. When a child is introduced to a new food for him, changes occur in his digestive system, including with the stool. This should not cause concern for mom.

Why does a baby have blood streaks in feces?

It is worth noting that such a problem can occur in a child both breastfed and bottle-fed. The appearance of blood in the stool can be triggered by a number of factors. One of the most common causes of this condition is cracked mother's nipples. In this case, namely on breastfeeding, the blood in the feces of the baby is the norm rather than a pathology. It enters the body of the baby along with mother's milk. And since the walls of his stomach still secrete an insufficient amount of enzymes and hydrochloric acid necessary for the digestion of food, red streaks appear in the baby's feces.

In general, blood in a baby's stool can come from two sources:

1. From the upper digestive system. In this case, the blood in the feces is explained by pathological processes in the stomach, esophagus, and duodenum.
2. From the lower intestines. The reason for this condition lies in diseases of the colon and rectum, as well as the anus.

Pathological causes of blood in the stool in infants

It is quite difficult to establish on your own why the child has scarlet streaks in the stool. Forfor this, a comprehensive examination is carried out in a medical institution. But parents should know for what reasons feces with blood streaks most often appear in babies:

1. Anal fissures. This pathology is typical for children of any age, and not only for infants. In this case, the blood is directly on the surface of the feces, remains on the toilet paper, napkin. The child experiences discomfort during defecation, groans, writhes in pain, sometimes cries a lot.
2. Allergic reaction. This problem is most often encountered by children on artificial or mixed feeding. Blood in the stool occurs when you are allergic to milk protein, which is part of the mixture.
3. Intussusception. Pathology most often occurs in children from 4 months to 1 year. The disease begins acutely, with severe pain in the abdomen, vomiting. At the same time, feces are reminiscent of the consistency of jelly with impurities of mucus and blood.
4. Intestinal infections. Diseases such as dysentery, typhoid fever, botulism, salmonellosis, babies rarely get sick. But parents should be on the lookout for dangerous symptoms such as blood-streaked diarrhea, nausea, and fever.
5. Polyps. The disease is accompanied by constant constipation, difficulty with defecation and streaks of blood in the stool. Such a pathology is treated only surgically.
6. Helminthiases. It is quite difficult for a baby to get infected with worms, but for children under the age of 5, this problem is very relevant. At the same time, the baby is worried about itching in the anus, diarrhea, intermittent sleep.

Symptomspathology

Blood streaks in the feces of a baby are the main sign of pathological changes in the baby's body. They do not always indicate a dangerous disease, but you should not let the situation take its course. Depending on the specific condition that caused the blood clots in the stool, the child may experience the following symptoms:

• diarrhea and mucus;
• constipation, difficulty with bowel movements;
• nausea, vomiting;
• a sharp increase in body temperature;
• pain in the abdomen (baby cries, bending legs).

If a child, along with bloody streaks in the feces, has at least one of the above signs, he needs an additional examination to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe timely treatment.

When should I see a doctor?

Streaks of blood in the stool do not always require treatment. For example, if their appearance is associated with damage to the nipples of a nursing mother or cracks in the anus. Such simple problems often go away on their own. The main thing is to try not to aggravate the situation and help the child get rid of constipation as soon as possible.

If there is a lot of blood in the stool, it is dark, clotted, or, conversely, liquid and scarlet, you should immediately seek medical help. In the first case, the cause may be internal bleeding, and in the second, it may indicate problems in the lower intestines, such as the presence of a bleeding tumor.

Methodsdiagnostics

The first thing a doctor does when a baby with blood streaks in the feces is brought to the appointment is to palpate the abdomen and anal area. In addition, additional examinations will definitely be scheduled:

1. General analysis of blood and urine.
2. Analysis of feces for dysbacteriosis.
3. Coprogram.
4. Ultrasound of the abdomen.
5. Fibrogastroduodenoscopy.
6. Intestinal biopsy (performed under general anesthesia).

What does the fecal coprogram show?

Laboratory analysis of feces will accurately determine the cause of most internal bleeding. The coprogram is prescribed in order to identify hidden blood and make the correct diagnosis with blood streaks in the stool in infants. When deciphering the results, the following pathological changes can be identified:

• presence of impurities in the feces, including blood, is often a sign of internal bleeding in one of the intestines;
• the presence of bilirubin - this bile pigment can only be in the feces of a breastfed baby, and on an artificial or mixed analysis should be negative;
• presence of erythrocytes or leukocytes - excess of their norm is observed with a polyp, ulcer, helminthiasis and various formations (tumors) in the intestine;
• presence of protein indicates an inflammatory process in the intestine;
• Change in the consistency of feces - foamy stools may indicate the presence of an intestinal infection in the body.

If an infectious nature is suspecteddisease, the child is analyzed for microorganisms.

Treatment measures

If blood streaks are found in the feces of a baby, self-treatment can be even more dangerous than the disease itself. It must be remembered that treatment is prescribed only after receiving the results of the examination and making the correct diagnosis.

Depending on the cause of blood in the baby's stool, the following types of therapy may be indicated:

• diet that excludes allergen foods;
• ointments, creams;
• antiviral and antimicrobial drugs, antibiotics;
• for constipation - a laxative (for example, "Duphalac").

In particularly difficult cases, only surgery can solve the problem.

Advice from experienced pediatricians and Dr. Komarovsky's opinion on the problem

A well-known pediatrician believes that parents should not disregard the presence of blood streaks in the feces of a baby. Komarovsky believes that constipation is often the cause of this condition. He recommends that a nursing mother change her diet to include prunes, sour-milk products, clean water. Be sure to use elements of therapeutic exercises with flexion and extension of the legs.

Pediatricians warn parents that blood in stool is not normal for he althy children. Their advice boils down to this:

1. The presence of blood streaks in the stool along with fever, frequentliquid stools with mucus, vomiting, abdominal pain, requires immediate contact with a pediatrician or infectious disease doctor.
2. Referring to a doctor late when there is blood in the stool for a long time only aggravates the situation and makes treatment more difficult.
3. Specialists (gastroenterologists and proctologists) do not advise self-medication and immediately consult a doctor if blood is found in the feces of a baby. Komarovsky, on the other hand, believes that a pediatrician should be visited even if no other symptoms of dangerous diseases are found.

Preventive measures

The younger the baby, the more difficult it is for him to endure even the mildest illness. Therefore, in order not to engage in long-term treatment, it is necessary to take preventive measures in a timely manner:

1. Starting from infancy, teach your child to wash their hands with soap to avoid intestinal infections and helminth infections.
2. Provide a balanced diet for mother and baby to avoid hard stools.
3. If one of the adult members of the family is found to have salmonellosis, it should be isolated from contact with children in order to avoid infection.