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Bad feces in the baby. Stool of newborns and infants: what is the norm and what is the pathology. What should be the chair of the baby at different ages

Young parents know little about the baby's feces, what it should be like in the future, if necessary, to come to the rescue in a timely manner. In this article, we will consider what types of feces are in newborns during breastfeeding, what determines its color, how to determine the pathology by its shade?

After the baby is born, parents should learn information about its development, the nuances of feeding, and the formation of stool. One of the important topics is the work of the intestines in infants and, consequently, the formation of feces.

Young mothers and fathers should be warned that the feces of a newborn may already form on the 2nd or 3rd day.

The first days the mass is more liquid, after it becomes mushy th. The color of the feces depends on the age of the newborn, his nutrition and past diseases (or existing diseases).

In the early days, the mass of feces is more liquid.

As a rule, very young children go to the toilet in a lot of different ways. This can be 2-3 times or even 1 time in 5 days, if we are talking about children who are 2-3 months old.

3-4 months of life of a newborn

The consistency of feces and its shade can change by six months of the child.

From 3-4 months, the baby can empty no more than 1-2 times a day. This speaks of his normal development.

The consistency of feces and its shade can change by the age of six months when the child is planted. Mixtures and purchased baby food affect the baby's gastrointestinal tract, which indicates its normal development. At the same time, the number of trips to the toilet for the most part does not exceed 2-3 times a day with a normal balanced diet.

If the baby is emptied once a day, then there is no cause for concern.

What is the feces in the first days of a baby's life: green color pathology?

Young parents should be aware that newborns are emptied for the first time in their lives 2-3 days after birth. The stool in this case is dark, rarely black.

Feces for 2-3 days after birth has a green tint.

The mass is called meconium. It is a liquid that leaves the body of the child, and absolutely does not smell. There is absolutely no pathology in the dark and green color. Feces of this color indicate the normal development of the children's intestines.

The unusual color of the feces acquires due to the amniotic fluid that the child swallowed in the womb. The appearance of meconium in the first days of a baby's life is a good sign for new parents. If it is released within a week, then the child should be immediately shown to the pediatrician.

Grayish or grey-green stools

Starting from 3-5 days or at the end of the first week of a baby's life, the feces become grayish or gray-green.

On day 3-5, the feces become gray-green.

The mass becomes gradually thicker. Such a sign indicates a sufficient supply of breast milk to the child's body and the normal development of the gastrointestinal tract.

2 weeks of life

Starting from the 2nd week of life, the feces of a newborn become mustard or yellowish.

From the 2nd week of life, the feces become yellowish.

Consistency between liquid and mushy mass. There is not a very sharp sour-milk smell. The presence of mucus or white grains in the stool is allowed. Parents should see a doctor if the stool is too loose or hard.

It is worth noting that up to one and a half months, newborns who are breastfed go to the toilet very different . There are cases, with no pathology, that children empty up to 12 times a day, while for others it is quite normal to relieve up to 5-6 times a day.

2nd and 3rd month of life

Starting from the second and third months and life, feces come out less frequently. For some, it can be 3-5 times a day, for others 1-2 times a week, while this fact is not considered a pathology.

From the second and third months and life, feces come out less frequently.

Main, timely show the baby to the pediatrician and talk about the features of his stool so that the doctor announces his norm, taking into account the physiological characteristics of the baby.

Constipation in a newborn

Often parents worry if the baby does not empty for more than three days.

There is no cause for concern if the stool occurs in a period of 1 time in 5 days , while the child does not cry, behaves calmly, he has a normal temperature.

Do not worry if the baby does not empty for more than three days.

As a rule, after 3-4 months of life, the child is gradually accustomed to baby food, mixtures, cereals. Of course, the color of the feces and its consistency changes noticeably, it first of all becomes mushy, often similar to diarrhea.

What factors determine the color of bowel movements?

Taking antibiotics and medications can slightly alter the feces.

Young parents should understand that the color of feces depends on various factors. The main ones are:

  • baby age (the first days of life, meconium comes out, which has a dark green tint, then during the period of breastfeeding, the feces have a slightly greenish tint);
  • introduction of complementary foods also affects the color of the feces, which becomes slightly greenish, mustard or yellowish, which characterizes the normal development of the gallbladder;
  • digestibility of breast milk (the color of the feces may have a green or orange tint);
  • response to bilirubin (bile pigment) -;
  • taking antibiotics and medications may slightly modify feces, but in most cases this is not a concern;
  • dysbacteriosis gives feces a light shade, which indicates an imbalance in the beneficial intestinal microflora;
  • can also lighten stools;
  • infectious diseases may discolor feces, which is an immediate reason for parents to see a doctor.

When should you sound the alarm?

It is not customary for young parents to see the feces of a newborn, as it looks different than that of an adult, which makes it difficult to determine pathologies in a baby. Many, out of inexperience, confuse normal children's feces and make inaccurate diagnoses although the child is actually healthy.

The development of infections and pathologies has the following signs:

  • very loose, watery stools;
  • frequent emptying - more than 10-12 times;
  • strongly pungent, unpleasant smell;
  • strongly pronounced green or yellow color of feces;
  • increased body temperature of the baby;
  • irritation on the pope, anus;
  • the child is not gaining weight;
  • gagging;
  • stool may contain mucus, foam, or bloody streaks;
  • apathy in the mood of the child.

Elevated body temperature of the baby can be a symptom of the development of infections.

The combination of these symptoms indicates an inflammatory or infectious process in the child's body, so you should immediately consult a doctor.

Mucus in the feces of a newborn

There are times when mucus is present in the feces of the baby. She can talk about:

  • improper attachment to the chest;
  • introduction of complementary foods ahead of time;
  • overfeeding;
  • inappropriate milk formula;
  • runny nose;
  • reactions to medications;
  • gluten or lactose deficiency;
  • dysbacteriosis;
  • dermatitis;
  • intestinal infection.

Improper breastfeeding can contribute to the formation of mucus in the stool.

Note to breastfeeding mothers and new parents

In order for the newborn to grow up strong and healthy, he had no problems with stool, closely monitor your diet.

Nursing mothers should eat right and balanced, follow a special diet for the formation of healthy and nutritious breast milk.

Nursing mothers should eat properly and balanced.

Pay attention to the time when you switch to the first complementary foods. On the advice of pediatricians, the best time to introduce baby food is 6 months.

conclusions

An unusual color of feces in infants is a normal sign of healthy development.

remember, that the unusual color of feces in infants is a completely normal sign of their healthy development. The alarm should be sounded only when the baby became lethargic, his temperature rose, trips to the toilet became more frequent, the feces began to smell unpleasant and changed their usual color. In this case, immediately consult a doctor.

Video about how a baby should have a chair

The baby diaper from the first day of life is under the scrutiny of young parents. There are many things to worry about: how many times a newborn should have a stool, what consistency and color. Such anxiety is justified, because children's bowel movements reflect the state of digestion of the crumbs.

How many times a day should there be a chair?

During the period of intrauterine development, the original feces accumulate in the intestines of the baby - meconium, which departs already in the first days after birth. Fecal masses have a pasty consistency of dark, almost black color, odorless.

After a woman's lactation normalizes, infant feces pass into a formalized state. The color and its composition have mixed characteristics of primordial and mature feces.

Baby feces are yellowish and mushy. The smell is reminiscent of slightly sour milk. In the first weeks of life, the child recovers quite often. It is only possible to say how many times a newborn should have a chair during this period. A bowel movement usually occurs after each feed, but may occur more frequently. The number of bowel movements reaches ten times a day.

As the child grows, the daily frequency of stools gradually decreases and reaches one to three times. There are extremely rare cases when the child's body carries out the absolute assimilation of mother's milk, and then almost no undigested residues are formed in the intestines. In such a situation, it will be difficult to answer the question "how many times a newborn should have a chair." Bowel movements may occur occasionally, perhaps even once a week. That is, when it is filled with a sufficient amount of feces.

It should be clarified that the rare stool of a newborn at 2 months is considered the norm only under the condition of breastfeeding. At the same time, the child is active, cheerful, gaining weight well and does not show signs of ill health.

If the baby has a mixed or artificial diet, then the answer to the question "how many times should a newborn have a chair" can be quite definitely - at least once a day. If this does not happen, then most likely the baby has constipation. In this case, the child will behave restlessly and cry.

All of the above refers to the typical process of the child's intestines in the first months of life. Unfortunately, deviations from the norm sometimes occur, so it is worth considering what kind of stool the newborn has.

Greenish stool

After the woman's lactation process stabilizes, the baby's feces may have a greenish tint, sometimes with an admixture of mucus. This can be explained by several reasons.

Perhaps the baby does not have enough mother's milk, and he remains hungry. Lack of food can be exacerbated by the fact that the mother's breasts are not sufficiently deflated or her nipples are tight.

The mother's nutrition is reflected in the baby's stool. If there are a large number of vegetables and fruits in the diet of a nursing woman, then this has a direct effect on the change in color and composition of the baby's feces.

Greens in baby feces can be explained by inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. It could be provoked by oxygen starvation, or hypoxia, which occurred during childbirth. In this case, medical intervention will be required followed by long-term treatment.

Causes

The cause of intestinal inflammation may be maternal malnutrition. If the menu of a nursing woman contains products containing artificial dyes, food additives, fillers, preservatives, then harmful substances enter the baby's body through milk.

The most common cause of the inflammatory process is dysbacteriosis. The disease is characterized by an increase in pathogenic bacteria that can inhibit beneficial flora and provoke negative changes in the intestinal environment. If during pregnancy and childbirth a woman or child received antibiotics, then the chances of activating dysbacteriosis increase significantly.

With artificial feeding, stool disorders are often associated with nutritional characteristics. Feces in children are thicker than when breastfed, and have a darker color. The presence of a greenish tint and a pungent odor confirms the presence in the diet of foods containing a high concentration of iron. This reaction of the body is considered normal, and you should not worry about this.

In the event that the stool turns black without iron supplements, it is imperative to consult a doctor to rule out intestinal bleeding.

Nutrition and stool in a newborn

Sometimes in children's feces you can find particles of food that the body has not digested. This fact should not cause concern to parents, because some products, in principle, are not digested to the end. Also, the food for the baby may not be mashed enough, or the baby has overeaten during feeding. The color of the stool can also vary depending on the composition of the products. Vegetables such as beets or carrots can give feces their distinct color. But if poorly digested food appears in the feces constantly, you should sound the alarm and contact your pediatrician.

Watery stools

In the disorder, watery stools in a newborn may be so loose that they will leak from the diaper. The cause may be an infection or a food allergy. It is imperative to pay attention to how many times a newborn's stool happened that day. Frequent liquid bowel movements can lead to rapid dehydration. If liquid bowel movements are repeated repeatedly, then this is an occasion to consult a doctor. The help of a doctor is needed all the more if there is mucus or blood in the feces.

Sometimes it happens that the watery stool in a newborn has a changed color, a fetid odor and foams. This phenomenon occurs with poor digestion of milk sugar - lactose. The reason is the low content in the child's body of enzymes that can break down this carbohydrate. When breastfeeding, lactase should be added to mother's milk at the dosage recommended by the doctor. If the baby is bottle-fed, then he is recommended mixtures with a low content of the above element.

Constipation

If constipation occurs, the child may experience pain and difficulty with bowel movements. Traces of blood may be found in the feces - this is the result of a crack in the anus. Repeated constipation indicates intolerance to any product. Often they happen in or transition to a mixed diet.

Cause of bowel problems

According to pediatricians, problems with stool in newborns most often occur due to violations in the organization of breastfeeding. The microflora of the children's intestines is influenced by a number of reasons. This is late attachment to the breast, strict feeding in accordance with the schedule, early (up to six months) or transition to

If a child has a frequent stool disorder or a confirmed diagnosis of an intestinal infection, then in no case should the baby be deprived of mother's milk. Breastfeeding will help to quickly restore the microflora and give protective forces to a small organism.

Many young parents worry about whether their baby is developing normally, whether he is worried about any diseases. Mothers whose newborn child eats many times a day are interested in whether he has enough milk, whether he is full. One of the indicators of the normal functioning of the child's digestive system is his stool. Should its frequency correspond to the frequency of feeding, how much should the baby poop, as indicated by too frequent or rare stools, is this normal? Let's talk about this in our article.

What feces should the baby have?

The feces of a newborn baby depend on what kind of food the baby receives. In children who are breastfed, feces also depend on the mother's diet. Since most of the substances used by the mother for food, along with breast milk, later enter the baby's body.

Babies who are exclusively breastfed poop a little more often than artificial ones. Their feces can be of various shades of yellow. If there are a lot of plant foods rich in fiber in the mother’s diet, then the baby’s feces will be greenish in color.

In formula-fed babies, the color of the feces is darker, brown, and has a more pronounced odor. The reason for this is the incomplete assimilation of the components of the milk formula in the intestines of the baby, although manufacturers are trying to adapt them as much as possible to the still unformed digestive system of the newborn.

The feces of a newborn baby, regardless of the method of feeding, should ideally be of a mushy, uniform consistency, without hard lumps or mucous inclusions. The appearance of bloody traces in the feces is unacceptable, in which case you should immediately consult a doctor.

How many times a day should there be a chair?

Not a single pediatrician will give a single answer to the question “how many times a day a baby should poop”. The rules just don't exist. The number of bowel movements depends on the amount of feces that form in the baby's intestines and put pressure on the walls. The frequency of stools in breastfed children can reach 7-10 times a day, that is, almost the same as the frequency of feeding. Artificers poop a little less often, about 3-5 times a day. Since the baby's gastrointestinal system is still being formed, bowel movements during this period may be irregular.

Children, in whose body breast milk is completely absorbed, may not poop even up to 5-7 days.

A situation is possible when the baby will not poop for a day or several, and then starts to poop very often. This is also perfectly normal, as long as the baby feels good and does not show signs of constipation during the absence of a stool. As long as the baby has a soft tummy, good mood and well-being, excellent appetite, there is no reason to worry about the temporary absence of stool.

Why can a newborn not poop for several days?

Stool frequency is a very individual indicator for each child. And how many times a day one baby poops cannot be the norm for another at all.

Signs of constipation

In connection with the restructuring of the intestines, many children of one month of age experience delays in bowel emptying. Most likely, after a while, the child's stool will be restored and he will again begin to poop. In this case, attention should be paid to the fact that after a break in defecation, the baby's feces remain soft. This will be confirmation that the crumbs do not have digestive problems, but just a physiological break in bowel movements.

If the baby has hard feces or the child strains during bowel movements, defecation is difficult, which means that the baby is suffering from constipation.

  • Review the mother's diet if the child is breastfed. She should eliminate products that increase gas formation, and also check if the drugs she uses have a fastening effect.
  • Formula-fed babies should change their formula. Most formulas contain palm oil, which can cause constipation in babies.
  • Consult with a pediatrician and develop a set of measures that will help eliminate the problem of constipation in a baby. You may be able to cope with constipation with a massage of the abdomen and a warm heating pad, or you may have to select bifidum preparations and prescribe glycerin suppositories or an enema. It should be remembered that the enema negatively affects the intestinal microflora, which can subsequently aggravate the problem of constipation.
  • In this case, the use of laxative products, such as beet juice, vegetable oil, and a decoction of flax seeds, will be effective. The dosage should definitely be discussed with the doctor, usually it is enough to give a few drops of the decoction two to four times a day.

Intrauterine fetal hypoxia during childbirth - what mother should know

Loose stools - a norm or a disease?

Parents should not only monitor how many times a day the baby poops, but also pay attention to the consistency of feces in order to notice possible diarrhea in time. Although frequent stools during the day are considered normal for a newborn baby, the feces should be mushy. If, along with frequent bowel movements, the baby's stool is very thin or even watery, it has traces of foam, a sharp uncharacteristic odor or a green color, then most likely the baby has diarrhea. This is a rather dangerous disease that can lead to dehydration, so you should immediately consult a doctor. Moreover, diarrhea is usually accompanied by fever and, most often, caused by an intestinal infection.

Too loose stools in a newborn baby can cause the mother to use any products with a laxative effect that entered the baby's body along with breast milk. Diarrhea can also be caused by individual lactose intolerance in a child. In any case, the cause of diarrhea should be determined by the doctor, who will also prescribe the most effective method of treatment.

A pediatrician who monitors the growth and development of the baby will definitely be interested in how many times a day the baby poops, what color and consistency his feces are, whether the newborn is worried about the defecation process. Be sure to pay attention to these points so that the doctor can correctly assess the condition of the child.

Any mother of a small child to some extent can be called a professional in the issue of children's bowel movements - this is quite natural, since with the advent of a baby in the family, parents have to not only surround him with care and love, but also carefully monitor the health of their little one. The baby's chair, which corresponds to the norm, is an excellent confirmation that everything is in order with the child.

What should a normal baby stool look like?

A normal stool in a baby of 6-9 months is a relative concept, since the norms for fecal indicators fluctuate within fairly wide limits and can also be interpreted in different ways. The main signs for which a general analysis of feces is carried out include:

  • color;
  • consistency;
  • the presence of impurities;
  • smell.

There are many reasons for a change in one or another indicator, but most often it is not a sign of a serious illness. Both the type of feeding of the baby and the period during which his digestive system adapts to new conditions can lead to a non-standard type of children's bowel movements. With all this, according to Komarovsky, it is important to understand that the well-being of the child always comes first, and only then his chair.

Doctors remind that the appearance of feces in most cases should not be a decisive indicator of the health of the child. Mom should pay more attention to the behavior and general well-being of the baby

Color of defecation

The color of normal baby feces can vary greatly, from light yellow and orange to dark green and brown. Among the factors affecting the color of the stool of the baby, it should be highlighted:

  1. Type of feeding. The poop of the baby will prevail if he is completely on breast milk.
  2. The introduction of complementary foods. The appearance of green colors in the stool of the baby is associated with an excess amount of bile during the introduction of new products.
  3. Reaction to drugs. After taking certain medications - for example, antibiotics, activated charcoal, and preparations containing dyes or iron, the crumbs' stool may darken compared to normal. However, if the child feels well, such a chair should not cause concern to parents.
  4. The digestibility of breast milk. When a baby does not absorb milk well, its feces become green or orange.
  5. reaction to the bile pigment bilirubin. has a yellow-brown color and is a consequence of the destruction of blood proteins. 70% of newborns experience physiological jaundice, which usually does not require treatment. This pigment leaves the body with urine and feces, respectively, their color is yellow, orange and brown. A similar stool in infants occurs during the first month of life.
  6. Hepatitis. One of the symptoms of this infectious disease is discoloration of the stool, that is, the stool becomes white. Fortunately, hepatitis in children under one year old is rare.
  7. Dysbacteriosis. The light color of the baby's stool indicates an imbalance in the beneficial intestinal microflora.
  8. Teething. The process of teething can also lead to light-colored stools in the baby.

A change in the color of feces with their usual density, smell and impurities may be associated with nutritional problems, and not with digestive disorders or dangerous diseases. Evaluate the stool of infants should be in all respects, and not just in color.

Consistency of feces

Until the age of one year, the normal consistency of the stool is mushy stools. Often in everyday life, the density of bowel movements is compared with mustard, pea soup or thick sour cream. Also, babies often have liquid or watery feces, which is also normal - this is due to the fact that the first 6 months the child receives only liquid food, and even at 7-8 months, breast milk makes up the bulk of his nutrition. A problem arises: how to understand in which case the baby has diarrhea, and when it’s just loose stools (we recommend reading:). There are a number of distinguishing features:

  • the consistency of feces becomes not just liquid, but also watery;
  • the number of bowel movements noticeably increases;
  • the appearance of an unpleasant odor;
  • pronounced yellow or green color;
  • body temperature rises;
  • gagging;
  • the presence in the feces of such impurities: foam, mucus,;
  • weakness and sluggish behavior of the baby.

If the newborn continues to gain weight, sleeps well and is awake at the usual time for him, but the feces suddenly become too liquid, green, and foam and mucus appear in them, you can not panic. If, to the previously described feces, bad sleep and appetite, increased capriciousness, temperature above normal, colic and gaziki are added, it is necessary to contact a pediatrician.


An alarming symptom for the mother and a reason to see a doctor should be the general malaise of the child, disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, fever

The presence of impurities in the stool

There is nothing supernatural in the heterogeneity and presence of impurities in the feces of an infant. For example, white lumps are nothing but curdled milk. Their excessive amount indicates overeating: the digestive system does not have time to allocate the required amount of enzymes to process all the food that enters the body. As a result, the baby is rapidly gaining weight, which sometimes significantly exceeds the norm. Also, at the initial stage of the introduction of complementary foods, blotches of food may appear, namely, fiber, which the body could not digest.

A small amount of mucus is present in the feces, as in children and adults, this is considered a physiological norm. At the initial stage of the inflammatory process in the body, the amount of mucus can increase dramatically. The most common reasons are:

  • runny nose;
  • atopic dermatitis;
  • dysbacteriosis;
  • intestinal infection;
  • lactase or gluten deficiency;
  • reaction to medications;
  • inappropriate milk formula;
  • introduction of complementary foods ahead of time;
  • improper attachment to the breast;
  • overfeeding.

In most cases, serious disorders or pathologies are not accompanied by foam during bowel movements, but diarrhea in a newborn, gas and colic, food allergies may well be the source of its occurrence. An abundant amount of foam signals a possible intestinal infection or dysbacteriosis.

If blood or bloody streaks and clots appear, you should consult your doctor, as this may be a symptom of more dangerous diseases, including:

  • rectal fissures;
  • atopic dermatitis;
  • intestinal inflammation;
  • an allergic reaction to a protein in cow's milk;
  • polyps;
  • helminthiasis;
  • lack of vitamin K;
  • lactase deficiency;
  • intestinal pathology;
  • bleeding in the lower parts of the digestive system.

Features of the chair in newborns

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A newborn is obliged to poop within a day after birth. During the period of being in the womb, the intestines of the child are filled with a sticky and viscous black-green substance resembling tar, called meconium. Such a mass includes amniotic fluid, mucus, bile and digestive tract fluid. The stool in newborns in the form of meconium lasts about several days and indicates a healthy digestive system.

The black stool that will appear in the future is no longer meconium. If the black color of the bowel is not caused by food or drugs, then bleeding in the upper GI tract may be the cause of this color. In this case, you will need to consult a pediatric gastroenterologist.

With natural feeding

There are 2 main factors that affect breastfeeding breastfeeding:

  • nutrition of a nursing mother;
  • maturation of the digestive system.

Breast milk has a laxative effect. With the beginning of the flow of milk into the baby's body, his feces acquire a green color, become soft and more liquid in comparison with meconium (we recommend reading:). Approximately 5 days after birth, a normal stool is formed in the baby, similar in consistency and color to mustard.

Feces during breastfeeding have a characteristic more or less pronounced sour smell. If, against the background of a sour smell, the stool is frothy and watery, this indicates a possible dysbacteriosis or lactase deficiency (we recommend reading:).

Also, within the normal range, naturalists have loose green stools - in everyday life it is also called hungry. The appearance of such feces is due to the fact that when feeding, the baby gets only foremilk. In order for the baby to get enough of the fatter and more nutritious hindmilk, breastfeeding experts advise leaving the baby to suckle 1 breast longer and not change it during one feeding.

In a one-month-old baby, bowel movements occur after each feeding, but by 2 months the frequency is reduced to 4 times (see also:). Sometimes the baby can poop after 1-2 days. The reason for this is the crisis of the digestive system. Over time, the body will begin to produce new enzymes necessary for the digestion of milk of a more complex composition. According to Dr. Komarovsky, a chair once every 2-3 days without intervention and discomfort is the individual characteristics of the crumbs.


The nutrition of a nursing mother is one of the main factors affecting the nature and frequency of bowel movements in an infant. In some cases, the introduction of new products into a woman's menu can immediately affect the work of the baby's gastrointestinal tract.

With artificial or mixed feeding

If the infant is bottle-fed or mixed-fed, his feces are either pale yellow or closer to brown. What exactly the stool will be depends largely on the composition of the milk mixture used and the assimilation of the crumbs by its body.

Artificers defecate less often - about 1-3 times a day. By consistency, their feces are not mushy, but more dense, as a result of which they are more likely to experience constipation. The stool in children on the mixture has an unpleasant odor, somewhat reminiscent of the feces of an adult. Parents should consult their pediatrician for guidance on choosing the right formula.

Stool norms for children aged six months to 3 years

In the process of growing up the child, the characteristic features of his stool will also change: frequency of bowel movements, color, consistency. The table below shows the parameters of bowel movements that are considered normal for a certain age:

As a result, we can conclude that parents should remain calm if their baby has regular and independent stools. For a painless trip to the toilet, it is desirable that the crumbs have soft feces. In the case when mucus, foam or blood clots appear in the stool in large quantities, you should immediately go with your child for a consultation with a doctor (see also:). Also, the mother should be alerted by too rare and difficult defecation.

Problem stool in newborns and babies are now worried about almost all parents. Especially many questions and doubts arise among those who have become mom and dad for the first time.

If it seems to you that something is wrong with the baby, do not panic - it is better to first tell the doctor about the reasons for concern.

What should be the chair of a newborn

The first stool in newborns appears within the first twelve hours after birth and is called meconium, or original feces. It is a thick viscous mass of dark green (olive) color. Meconium stands out one or two, less often - three days. Further, the nature of the stool of a newborn child changes. It becomes more frequent, heterogeneous in consistency (lumps, mucus, liquid part) and in color (areas of dark green color alternate with greenish-yellow and even whitish), more watery. The frequency of stools can reach up to six or more times a day. Such a chair is called transitional, and the condition is called transient intestinal catarrh. It is connected with the process of colonization of the intestine by microflora. In the normal course of pregnancy, the child is born with a sterile intestine, while extrauterine life takes place in the world of microorganisms, where the person's own flora is of great importance. Already at the time of birth, the skin and mucous membranes of the child are inhabited by the flora of the mother's birth canal. In the future, the microflora is formed due to microorganisms in the air, in mother's milk, on the hands of medical staff and on care items. Microorganisms, getting on the intestinal mucosa, cause a response inflammatory process in it, which manifests itself in the form of transient intestinal catarrh.

This inflammatory process is a normal manifestation of the child's adaptation to the conditions of extrauterine life and usually resolves on its own.

After two to seven days, the stool becomes homogeneous in consistency (mushy) and color (yellow), ceases to contain an admixture of mucus and occurs somewhat less frequently. Such a rapid extinction of inflammation in the intestine is facilitated by breastfeeding, the joint stay of mother and child, the rejection of bottles and nipples in the hospital. It is very important that a baby's first and only food is breast milk. The first drops of colostrum received by a child immediately after birth and during the first days of life are invaluable for the formation of normal intestinal microflora. For a good development of lactation in a mother, it is important to put the baby to the breast as often as possible from the first days of life, not to limit the time and number of feedings. It is undesirable to supplement the child with water from a bottle, and even more so to feed him with a mixture. This will disrupt the process of normal adaptation of the intestine and may further lead to a protracted course of the inflammatory process.

Features of nutrition and stool of a newborn

The nature of the stool of a newborn depends on several factors, and first of all, on the type of feeding. The stool in breastfed newborns is more frequent and in the first months it can be after each feeding (up to seven to eight times a day). It is usually quite liquid, yellow in color, may contain white lumps and has a characteristic sour smell. As the child grows and his intestines mature, the stool becomes rarer, thicker, and homogeneous in consistency. By three or four months, it often acquires a certain regularity during the day. The stool of a breastfed baby depends on the foods that the nursing mother herself consumes. This dependence decreases as the child grows older.

The artificial baby chair is rarer. By the end of the first month, it can be once or twice a day. It is thick, dark yellow and has a characteristic fecal odor. Both with natural and artificial feeding, there should be no impurities of mucus and blood in the stool.

After the introduction of complementary foods, the nature of the stool begins to change. It may contain the remains of vegetables and fruits that the child receives as food (pieces of carrots, cabbage, banana threads), its frequency and color may change. The less milk a baby receives, the less yellow his stool is. By the age of one, subject to the formation of a varied diet in a child, his stool approaches in appearance the stool of an adult.

Problems with stool in a newborn

Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for babies to have bowel problems these days. The first signs of trouble are usually the baby's anxiety, his piercing cry. At the same time, the baby is usually not hungry and breastfeeding does not bring him relief. The child has a swollen belly, he twists his legs, screams loudly. He can calm down for a short time, and then everything starts all over again. The baby calms down only after the vent tube is placed: at the same time, a large amount of gases leaves, stool appears, and then the tummy becomes soft and the child falls asleep.

Another characteristic symptom of trouble is crying during feeding.

When applied to the breast, the child begins to suck eagerly, but after a few minutes he throws the breast, worries. This is due to increased intestinal motility when food enters the stomach, which leads to the appearance of intestinal colic. The reason for the malaise usually lies in the fact that the process of formation of the normal intestinal microflora is disturbed in the child. Conditionally pathogenic microorganisms appear in the intestine, which leads to an increase in fermentation processes and increased gas formation. Gases stretch the walls of the intestines, peristalsis is disturbed, cramping abdominal pains appear. As a result, an inflammatory process develops in the intestine. All this leads to a change in the nature of the stool. It becomes watery, with an admixture of greenery or just green, with mucus, sometimes you can see streaks of blood.

In the future, the child may experience regurgitation, rashes on the skin, and a decrease in the rate of weight gain will begin. This indicates the development of an acute inflammatory process in the intestines, accompanied by dysbacteriosis, and is the reason for the obligatory visit to the doctor. The situation may look different. Nothing bothers the child, he eats well, does not spit up, gains weight well. He rarely cries and mostly when he is hungry. At the same time, the stool is liquid, watery, with an admixture of mucus and white lumps. As a rule, this condition does not require active treatment. The reason for the "bad" stool is the protracted process of adaptation of the intestine to the conditions of extrauterine life. The doctor may prescribe preparations of the normal intestinal microflora (for example, bifidumbacterin) to facilitate and accelerate the adaptation processes. As the child grows, after the introduction of solid food (complementary foods) into the diet, the stool returns to normal.

Constipation in newborns

Usually they suffer from children who are bottle-fed. The frequency of stools in an infant receiving formula is one to two times a day. The older the child gets, the less often he has stools. However, it is impossible to judge the presence or absence of constipation in a baby only by the frequency of the stool. With constipation, the stool is dry, has a dense texture, it is difficult to pass, the baby pushes hard, worries, cries. Sometimes, without a gas tube, he cannot empty his bowels. This situation should alert parents, it in itself is a reason for a mandatory visit to the doctor.

Experts say that if you notice violations of the gastrointestinal tract in infants in time and take the necessary measures, then the child will be spared from a number of chronic diseases in the future.