A baby’s stool can tell you a lot about their health and well-being. Learn what different colors, textures, and smells of your baby’s stool can indicate.
A baby’s stool color, consistency, amount, and frequency can provide important hints about his/her health.
There are a lot of factors that can contribute to how things turn out when your baby goes to poo. What is normal for a breastfeeding baby may not be normal for a formula-fed baby. A baby who is eating solid foods will also have a stool that is different from an exclusively breastfeeding baby.
Loose or watery stool
Normal baby’s stool is soft and loose. For this reason, it is difficult to know when your baby has diarrhea. If you note changes in your baby’s stool such as more stool than usual, increased frequency of passing stool, and watery stool, your child may be having diarrhea.
Bacterial infections, changes in the baby’s diet, or alterations in the mother’s diet (if breastfeeding) can cause diarrhea in babies. Loose stool can be a sign of food intolerance, allergies, and infection of the gastrointestinal tract. Some of the infections are celiac disease which is caused by eating foods containing gluten. Gluten is naturally found in wheat and barley. It is common in food with wheat and wheat products such as bread and pasta. It can cause chronic diarrhea.
Food allergies can also cause chronic diarrhea. Milk products, milk, and soy are common allergies that can affect your child. Most babies affected by allergies in the first year of life outgrow the allergies by the age of 3 years.
Chronic diarrhea can also be a result of lactose intolerance. Low levels of lactase, an enzyme that helps in the digestion of lactose, and the malabsorption of lactose, can cause lactose intolerance. It can also occur after eating foods or drinking beverages containing milk and milk products.
Food contamination can cause diarrhea. Ensure that you cook and store your baby’s food hygienically. Thoroughly wash utensils used for preparing and feeding your baby in clean water. Wash your hands before preparing the food and before feeding your baby. If your baby is using his/her hands to feed themselves, clean their hands in clean water. Diarrhea can be spread from one person to the other as a result of poor hygiene. Therefore, you should avoid contact with such a person. You should also use a clean toilet and potty during toilet and potty training.
Diarrhea can cause severe dehydration and keeping your baby rehydrated with water or milk is essential. Keep breastfeeding your baby. It helps prevent diarrhea and promotes quick recovery.
Dry and hard stool
Your baby may have constipation if the stool is not soft or easily passed, and is less frequent than normal. Baby’s bowel movement can change due to changes in diet such as transitioning from breastmilk to infant formula or solid foods. Signs of constipation include less stool than their usual pattern, bloated abdomen, and straining more than normal to have a bowel movement.
Constipation can be resolved with a change in diet or sometimes with medication. Children are at risk of constipation during toilet training. When they are not ready or interested in using the toilet they can withhold bowel movement which can lead to constipation.
A hard and dry stool can cause anal fissures, which causes pain and bleeding with bowel movements. You may find flecks of red in your baby’s stool. This may be also caused by a tiny amount of blood swallowed from cracked nipples if the baby is breastfeeding. A stool that is bloody or bright red may indicate gastrointestinal infections, injury, food allergy, or intolerance such as lactose intolerance. You should seek medical attention when this happens.
If your baby has started feeding, you can offer high-fiber foods which include fruits and vegetables and whole grain foods. Give an adequate amount of fluids such as water, soup, or juice. The fluids will make the stool softer and easier to pass.
Almost every parent faces common challenges like constipation and diarrhea. Diarrhea, especially, can be life-threatening and can lead to mortality in children. The use of safe drinking water and cooking water, use of improved sanitation, and hand washing with soap can reduce the risk of diarrhea.