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Why does a baby have a sour stool smell? What kind of stool should a newborn have with breastfeeding, mixed and artificial feeding: baby feces by months

An important indicator that helps diagnose intestinal diseases is the smell of feces. It can be affected by pathogenic microorganisms that cause food to rot. Normally, the smell should be unpleasant, but not harsh. If it is sour or rotten, it gives off strongly with ammonia, bleach, bitterness - this indicates a disturbance in the digestive tract.

Reasons for change

The smell of faeces depends on the food you eat. If a person eats a lot of meat, then the excrement smells more harsh. The aroma weakens when a lot of plant foods, dairy products, milk are included in the daily diet. Eating fish, garlic, onions, kvass can affect the smell. With diarrhea, the feces smell more pronounced, but with constipation, the aroma is practically absent.

Why does the smell change? This is influenced by microorganisms that live in the intestines. In case of any failure, they begin to develop rapidly, which leads to the growth of pathogenic microflora. As a result, bacteria poison the intestines with their toxins, which intensifies the process of food decay.

This can be caused by the following factors:

  • food allergies;
  • dyspepsia;
  • colitis;
  • liver disease;
  • enteropathy;
  • rotavirus or "intestinal flu";
  • dysbiosis;
  • inflammation.

In a healthy person, feces have a smell, while it does not give off rot. Defecation should be painless. It is unacceptable for the stool to be liquid and contain blood, mucus, pus. Should not change much: they are normally brown in both men and women.

What changes does the specific odor of the stool indicate?

A fetid and pungent odor of feces in an adult is observed when the pancreas does not work properly, in which bile does not enter the digestive tract.

The putrid and pungent odor of feces can manifest itself in diseases of the stomach associated with the consumption of large quantities of foods containing protein.

If it gives off something sour, this may indicate digestive problems. This sometimes happens after consuming carbohydrate foods, as well as drinks made using the fermentation process.

When the feces smell weak, this indicates insufficient digestion of food and the possible development of constipation.

With a smelly aroma, it indicates the decomposition of fats, but if the feces smell like rotten eggs (sulfur), this indicates poisoning with hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide.

The stool, which gives off vinegar, ammonia, rubber, ammonia, has a chemical aroma, is an indicator of the growth of bacterial colonies in the body. The ammonia smell is manifested by improper breakdown and assimilation of nitrogen. Sweetish - may appear when infected with cholera.

When feces smells like acetone, we are talking about the possible development of diabetes mellitus, improper nutrition (fasting, eating a large amount of protein foods, fats, lack of carbohydrates), heavy physical exertion, alcohol abuse.

Sour stools in children

If it gives off something sour from children's feces, then the reason may be associated with the development of the disease. We are talking about the following pathologies:

  • fermentation dispersion;
  • colitis;
  • dysbiosis;
  • problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

The sour smell of feces in babies does not always indicate a serious problem. Sometimes this is triggered by a banal stomach upset in the baby. This can manifest itself both in a child on HB (breastfeeding) and when feeding with artificial formula. Mixed feeding can also affect this, after the introduction of the infant up to a year of complementary feeding.

The sour smell of feces in a child under 2 years old indicates a possible food allergy. If vomiting and fever are observed, these are symptoms of rotavirus infection.

What if the child has no smell at all? You shouldn't panic because of this. For example, for a newborn, this is a completely normal phenomenon that is observed in the first 2-3 days of his life. Primordial excrement (meconium) is dark green or tar-colored and does not smell at all. The baby's bowel movements also do not have a characteristic odor after prolonged use of antibiotics.

Stool change in adults

The appearance of an unusual aroma - putrid, sour, bitter or smacking with something metallic - is an indicator of a serious illness in the body or a violation of the usual digestive process.

The most common cause of strong and odd odors is changes in the intestinal flora. A sour smell can appear when eating a large amount of plant foods. Feces begin to stink of rot with a lack or complete absence of digestive enzymes in the intestines. Excrement that gives off glue can be observed with dysentery. The appearance of an abnormal odor may be accompanied by bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea, and flatulence. With these symptoms, it is important to make an appointment with your doctor to find out the cause.

Diagnostics and analyzes

To prescribe treatment, a chemical analysis of the excrement must be performed. Identification is of great importance in making a diagnosis. These include leftover fat or muscle fibers from meat products.

When a change in the properties of feces is accompanied by other symptoms, the doctor prescribes an ultrasound examination of the intestine, EGD, MSCT of the abdominal cavity, and sometimes a biopsy of the small intestine.

Prevention and nutrition

If poor digestion is the cause of the odd stool odor, the patient will have to follow a special diet. It is necessary to remove smoked dishes, fatty meats, spices and hot sauces from the diet. Another important condition is a complete rejection of alcohol.

Taking antibiotics will help get rid of the infection. For food administration, medications are prescribed that can relieve intoxication. If no infection has been found, then the patient will need to eat properly and take vitamins.

To avoid problems with digestion and bowel movements, it is important to properly process food. The meat should be thermally stimulated, and the vegetables should be rinsed well. It is necessary to consume enough clean water per day. It is best to exclude soda and fresh juices from the diet. The work of the digestive system is improved by physical activity, so do not forget about daily exercises, which can be done at home.

Good afternoon. The baby is 2.5 months old. Birth weight 2610, minimum 2306, 3200 per month, 4200 at two months. I didn't count popis a day, but in half an hour I can pee three times. Feeding on waking up, falling asleep and restlessness. Milk came on the sixth day, to feed on the 4th and 5th days of life with a mixture of Semilak 1, 20-25 grams per day from a syringe. After that, full HW without nipples and bottles. The chair appeared only on the sixth day, but this daughter apparently did not poop out of hunger. There is no normal mushy yellow stool from birth. Now it is greenish, then very watery, then with lumps. The last few days, the stool is yellow but with a lot of foam and mucus, just like jelly in a diaper. Sometimes there are lumps. Poops 3-4 times a day. I try to alternate breasts every three hours, but my daughter is lazy to drink hind milk, so I shift it from one to the other during feeding, if she spits out the nipple. The child is calm, cheerful, develops according to age, ultrasound is normal. Sleeps with varying degrees of success. From three weeks the gaziks started. Moreover, the daughter does not scream, does not twist her legs, but presses her legs to her stomach, bends in a semicircle, pushes and blushes. At night, he wakes up at three o'clock and begins to writhe like this. If she fizzles out, then she sleeps more or less, if not, then so until the morning we suffer with her with short sleep breaks. Sometimes, when it really hurts, he begins to whimper. During the day, he sleeps more or less normally. Massaging, putting it on my mother’s belly, or spreading it out on the belly is of little help. Could the mixture affect the flora and health of the intestines and therefore the stool? Coprogram results: Investigation Result Macroscopic examination Consistency see comm LIQUID Form see comm UNFORMAL Odor see comm ACID Color see comm YELLOW pH 6.0 units ph Mucus see COMM IN LARGE AMOUNT Blood not found Remains of undigested. food is not found Chemical research The reaction to occult blood is denied. The reaction to protein is negative. The reaction to stercobilin is negative. ... The reaction to bilirubin will put down. Microscopic examination of the Mouse. fibers with striated M. not found fiber without striated. not found Connective tissue not found Neutral fat not found Fatty acids see COMM SINGLE IN THE FIELD OF VIEW Salts of fatty acids not found Rast. cellulose neperev. not detected Rast. fiber digestion. not found Intracellular starch not found Extracellular starch not found Iodophilic flora norms. not found Iodophilic flora patol. not found Crystals not found Mucus see COMM IN MODERATE QUANTITY Cylindrical epithelium not found in p / sp. The epithelium is not flattened in the field of view. Leukocytes 4-8 in p / sp. Erythrocytes are not found in the field of view. Protozoa not found Helminth eggs not found Yeast mushrooms not found

Stool usually has an unpleasant odor, but it is an odor that is common and unremarkable. The offensive stool has an unusually strong, putrid odor. In many cases, foul-smelling stool is associated with the foods you eat and bacteria that have colonized your colon. But fetid feces can also indicate serious health problems. Diarrhea and flatulence (gas) can accompany fetid feces. Such faeces are often soft or thin, and there is no regular bowel movement.

Causes of a foul-smelling stool

Changes in your diet are often the cause of fetid feces. Another common cause is chronic disturbance of digestion, absorption and transport in the small intestine ( malabsorption)... Enteropathy (chronic diseases of the small intestine) occurs when the body is unable to absorb the required amount of nutrients from the food you eat. This usually occurs when there is an intestinal infection or disease of the intestinal mucosa that prevents the absorption of nutrients from food.

Common causes of malabsorption

  • Celiac disease - a reaction to gluten with damage to the lining of the small intestine and impaired absorption of nutrients
  • Inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease or colitis
  • Carbohydrate intolerance - the inability to digest sugars and starch
  • Food allergies, such as milk protein

A common symptom of malabsorption is fetid diarrhea.

  • If you have inflammatory bowel disease, your reaction to certain foods is fetid diarrhea or constipation, flatulence. The gases can also have an unpleasant odor.
  • Bowel infections can also be accompanied by foul-smelling feces. Soon after the infection develops, abdominal cramps may occur, followed by foul-smelling, loose stools.
  • Certain medicines can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea. If you are allergic to ingredients, food additives, then taking some multivitamins can also lead to feces with an unpleasant odor. An unpleasant smell of stool can occur after a course of antibiotics and hold on until the normal bacterial flora of the intestine is restored.
  • Foul-smelling diarrhea can be a side effect of an overdose of multivitamins or any single vitamin or mineral. Diarrhea associated with multivitamins or medication overdose is a sign of a medical emergency. High doses of vitamin A, D, E, or K can cause life-threatening side effects.
  • Other conditions that can lead to foul-smelling feces include chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, and short bowel syndrome (the surgical removal of part of the small intestine that interferes with the absorption of nutrients).

Signs of fetid feces

Symptoms that can be associated with fetid feces include:

  • Liquid stool (diarrhea)
  • Soft feces
  • Frequent bowel movements
  • Abdominal pain
  • Nausea
  • Vomit
  • Flatulence
  • Bloating

Foul-smelling feces may be a sign of a serious medical condition... See your doctor immediately if you have any of the following symptoms:

  • Blood in the stool
  • Black chair
  • Pale stools
  • Fever
  • Abdominal pain
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Chills.

How is fetid feces diagnosed?

Fetid feces are diagnosed by your doctor after answering questions about your feces such as

  • consistency
  • when you first noticed an unpleasant smell
  • how frequent the urge
  • what has changed in your diet (take a good look at what you ate before your stool turns smelly), foods you recently started eating.

Forecast

The health prognosis depends on what caused the foul-smelling stool. Most of the conditions that cause foul-smelling feces are curable. However, conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease will require lifelong dietary changes and drug therapy.

Prophylaxis

Making necessary dietary changes can help prevent fetid stools. If your bowel disease is related to a reaction to certain foods, your doctor can create a diet plan that's right for you. A well-balanced diet can help reduce abdominal pain, bloating, and foul-smelling stools.

Avoid foodborne bacterial infections through proper food preparation. There are no dietary restrictions, it is important to cook beef, poultry, pork and eggs in such a way as to exclude their bacterial contamination. Don't drink raw (unpasteurized) milk. Do not cook meat and vegetables on the same cutting board. Preparing them on the same board can lead to contamination of vegetables with salmonella or other bacteria. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat and using the toilet.

Immediately after birth, the baby leaves meconium - viscous, dark green feces. Then comes the physiological dyspepsia of newborns, which lasts 2-4 days. In this state, the feces are heterogeneous, contains admixtures of greenery and mucus, a watery spot forms on the diaper around the feces. This is how the child's gastrointestinal tract adapts to the new conditions of existence, after which the stool is normalized. Physiological dyspepsia of newborns does not require treatment: without outside interference, the feces become more shaped and homogeneous, in the future its character will depend on the type of feeding, the introduction of complementary foods.

When feeding exclusively, the baby's stool, as a rule, occurs after each feeding, up to 6-7 times a day, it is of a mushy consistency, yellow in color, without admixtures of greens and mucus. Gradually, by the age of 1 year, when the baby begins to receive complementary foods, the bowel is emptied less often, up to 1-2 times a day, the stool becomes denser and darker brown.

The black color of the child's feces. This is a very alarming signal, indicating the need to immediately seek medical help. Black stools occur with gastrointestinal bleeding from the upper digestive system, namely the stomach or small intestine. The product of destruction of erythrocytes - hemoglobin, passing through the intestines, gives the feces a dark color. With severe bleeding, weakness, lethargy appear, the baby refuses to eat. But it should be borne in mind that some drugs, such as iron supplements, which are used to treat anemia, also stain the feces black, which is usually indicated in the instructions for the drugs.

Pathological impurities in the feces of the baby

White lumps in the baby's stool. The appearance of white lumps in the feces of an infant indicates digestive disorders. They are undigested food debris. If this is extremely rare, but otherwise the stool is normal, and the baby is gaining weight normally, then treatment is not required. Parents should pay attention to whether the feeding is organized correctly, whether the child overeats, whether the milk formula is being prepared correctly if the baby is.

An admixture of scarlet blood in the baby's stool. The most alarming symptom is blood in the child's stool. This is a sign that the source of the bleeding is in the child's lower gastrointestinal tract, namely the colon or rectum. The most common causes are anal fissures, a severe inflammatory process in the large intestine, in which ulceration of the wall occurs and, as a result, bleeding occurs.

Foreign body in the baby's stool. Babies in the second half of their life, who begin to study the world around them more actively, can swallow a variety of small objects, putting themselves at risk. Therefore, when organizing the life of the crumbs, parents should take into account this important point. If a foreign body is found in the baby's feces, it should be assessed whether it could injure (cut or otherwise damage) the intestinal mucosa. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the color of the feces: whether it is stained black (which indicates bleeding), whether there is an admixture of scarlet blood.

Changes in the frequency and consistency of baby feces

Watery, frothy, sour-smelling stools in infants. The reason for its appearance is lactase deficiency, which is often found among infants. Any milk, including women's milk, contains milk sugar - lactose, which is digested with the help of an intestinal enzyme - lactase. Lactase deficiency means a lack or complete absence of this enzyme, as a result of which lactose, entering the intestines, is not digested and causes fermentation, which leads to the appearance of frequent foamy liquefied stools with a sour odor. As a rule, the baby is worried about excessive gas formation, intestinal colic. The causes of lactase deficiency are most often the temporary immaturity of the enzyme, less often - the genetically determined complete absence of lactase. The diagnosis, as a rule, is made on the basis of the clinical picture, laboratory confirmed by the quantitative determination of carbohydrates in the stool. Treatment of lactase deficiency is carried out by a pediatrician or pediatric gastroenterologist. If the baby is breastfed, the lactase enzyme is prescribed in the form of a drug along with breast milk. Infants who are bottle-fed are transferred to a lactose-free formula or a low-lactose formula.

Frequent loose stools in an infant. There can be several reasons for such a stool, the most common is an intestinal infection of a viral or bacterial nature. Intestinal infections are often accompanied by a rise in temperature above 38 ° C, signs of intoxication - weakness, irritability, tearfulness of the baby, refusal to eat. Frequent loose stools are a dangerous condition for a baby, since along with liquefied feces, the child loses water and electrolytes (potassium, sodium, chlorine), which quickly leads to dehydration.

Dehydration is a condition that is accompanied by the following symptoms: lethargy, weakness, dry skin and mucous membranes, increased thirst, retraction of the large fontanelle. It poses a threat to the life of the baby, therefore, if the above symptoms appear, you should immediately seek medical help. Before the arrival of the doctor, the child must be drunk with salt solutions.

If it is not possible to purchase a saline solution at a pharmacy, you can prepare it yourself at home. For this, 1 teaspoon of table salt, ½ teaspoon of soda, 8 teaspoons of granulated sugar are taken for 1 liter of boiled water. It is necessary to give the child the prepared solution 5-15 ml every 5-10 minutes constantly until the doctor arrives, and in the future - according to the recommendation of a specialist.

Also, frequent loose stools in a child can be not only a symptom of the inflammatory process, but also a consequence of impaired absorption and digestion of nutrients. This deviation is called malabsorption syndrome: the stool becomes frequent and thin, the baby does not gain weight well, but there is no fever and signs of intoxication, there is no sharp deterioration in health. The causes of loose stools in a child are a whole group of diseases, which are based on the lack of enzyme and transport systems for the digestion and absorption of certain nutrients. Such diseases include intolerance to fructose, galactose, sucrose, celiac disease (intolerance to gluten, a protein of some cereals). In this case, with the introduction of new products into the diet, the baby begins. This group of diseases also includes lactase deficiency, described above.

Stool with watery spot around. A similar condition is normal in the middle of the first week of a baby's life, with physiological dyspepsia of newborns, as mentioned at the beginning of the article. At any other period of a child's life, a watery spot on the diaper is a reason for seeking medical help, it may indicate the onset of the development of an intestinal infection or serious digestive disorders due to inaccuracies in nutrition.

Thick stools that leave an oily spot on the diaper. A similar violation of the stool occurs when the pancreas is insufficient, which cannot cope with the production of the lipase enzyme involved in the digestion of fats. As a result, fat is excreted along with the feces, giving it an overly thick consistency and oily. The reason for this condition in infancy is a deficiency of the lipase enzyme, a genetic disease of cystic fibrosis, in which the pancreas is affected, and celiac disease.

Constipation. In infants, constipation is considered to be stool retention for more than 48 hours. The reasons for the appearance of constipation in an infant can be very different: this is a transfer of a child to artificial or mixed feeding, irrational introduction of complementary foods, a violation of the composition of the intestinal microflora, insufficient drinking regime, immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract, weakness of the muscles of the abdominal wall and intestines, rickets (due to muscle weakness caused by it), decreased thyroid function, etc.

Conventionally, two types of constipation in an infant can be distinguished - atonic and spastic. With atonic constipation, despite regular stool retention, the feces do not change their mushy consistency, but they become more abundant than usual. The main cause of atonic constipation in an infant is the weakness of the muscle contractions of the intestines.

For spastic constipation the feces are dense, in the form of separate lumps, sometimes it is also called "sheep feces". The faeces can be very hard, their color does not differ from usual. Thus, by the type of bowel movements and the baby's behavior, the mother can independently determine the type of constipation.

With atonic constipation children behave quite calmly, stool retention and its passage do not cause negative emotions in them, after a period of delay in the act of defecation, feces leave in abundant quantities, it is of normal consistency. The first aid is to massage the tummy clockwise no earlier than 1 hour after feeding. With spastic constipation, the baby, as a rule, is restless during the day due to recurrent intestinal spasms, at the time of defecation, the child may cry, the feces leave gradually, with difficulty, in the form of round dense balls. With spastic constipation, when the contractions of the intestines are strong enough, applying a warm diaper to the baby's tummy will help relieve excessive intestinal spasm.

When it appears, you should contact your pediatrician to establish the cause and prescribe adequate treatment. It is not worth giving children laxatives on their own, without the recommendation of a doctor, and it is not worth abusing the regular setting of enemas. If it is not possible to seek medical help, and the baby has no stool for three days, it is undesirable to immediately do an enema. First, you can use baby candles with glycerin, which are approved for use from the newborn period. The introduction of a candle into the anus can provoke a reflex in the child to discharge feces, and he will not need an enema.

If this measure of effect has not brought, you can give an enema. For this procedure, it is necessary to use water at room temperature (22-24 ° C), injecting it with a small rubber bulb in a volume appropriate for age: baby up to 1 month -30 ml, 1-3 months - 30-40 ml, 3-6 months - 90 ml, 6-12 months - 120-180 ml. You can use microclysters approved for use from the neonatal period. It should be remembered that the frequent setting of enemas is addictive and disrupts the formation of the reflex to discharge feces.

Changing the diaper every day, parents should carefully monitor the slightest deviations in the character and regularity of the baby's bowel movements, and, if necessary, seek medical help in a timely manner. The attentiveness and care of adults is the guarantee of the health of the child.

A loving and caring parent will always notice the slightest change in the condition of his child. In this case, it will not be difficult for him to determine what his child's feces smells like. The smell of stool is the first and most accurate diagnostic criterion that a child may have health problems. Detecting an unnatural, fetid odor in time can prevent many diseases. In this article, we will look at what should be the smell of feces in the norm and what the sour smell of feces in babies may indicate.

What does the smell of feces tell us?

Depending on what your baby is eating, the smell of the feces will be different. Feces acquire a smell due to indole, hydrogen sulfide, phenol, methane and skatole. These are all wastes from the food your little one has consumed. If parents know how the child's feces should smell normally, then it will be easier for them to determine the presence of abnormalities in his state of health.

It is very important to always evaluate and analyze your child's stool. In infancy, he will not tell you that something is bothering him. But by the nature of the chair, it is quite possible to notice. Therefore, if you notice a sour smell in the feces of a baby, then this may indicate the presence of any disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system.

Stool odor is normal

Initially, the child's feces are odorless. This is the so-called original feces (meconium), which was formed in the womb. Only on the third day of a baby's life can you notice changes in stool. In addition, they will differ depending on the type of feeding the baby is feeding.

If your baby is breastfeeding, a slightly sour stool odor is normal. But if you suddenly feel a strong sour smell of feces in a child, then it is better to inform the pediatrician about this.

In artificial children, the smell of feces will be sharper. In addition, do not be alarmed if you feel a putrid smell - for artificially fed children, this is a variant of the norm.

When should you be on your guard?

So when should parents sound the alarm and take action? The sharp sour smell of feces in infants can signal the presence of fermentative dyspepsia. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal bubbling, bloating, and flatulence. Loose stools of a green tint, similar to foam, indicates a violation of the assimilation of milk sugar.

Feces can acquire a strong fetid odor if the baby has problems with the pancreas and large intestines. Complementary foods that contain gluten can also provoke such a smell.

Feces, which have a rotten smell, are symptoms of colitis, putrefactive dyspepsia, impaired intestinal motility, impaired digestion in the stomach, and dysbiosis.

Diagnostic measures

The appearance of a sour odor requires a health diagnosis. The complex of mandatory diagnostic procedures includes:

  • finding out the reasons for the appearance of an unpleasant odor in the stool;
  • visual inspection;
  • clinical blood test (to identify the inflammatory process in the body);
  • coprogram (feces study);
  • bacteriological sowing of feces (to detect infectious diseases).

All other diagnostic measures, if necessary, are prescribed by a pediatrician for a more accurate analysis of the situation.

Breastfeeding and feces

As we already mentioned, meconium is odorless, since it consists of amniotic fluid, epithelial cells and other substances swallowed by the baby. It has a tarry consistency and a black-green color.

In the first 10 days, the child's own microflora is formed, and his body gets used to breast milk. During this period, the stool has a greenish tint, and the consistency is similar to porridge. There is also a sour smell of feces in infants on HB.

Further, every day the child's feces become more and more mature. It becomes yellow in color, with a uniform consistency. There may be some slight splashes of mucus or white flakes, but don't worry, it's just undigested breast milk. In terms of density, it resembles sour cream. The smell of such feces is mild, similar to kefir, cottage cheese or sour milk.

The feces of a baby who feeds on breast milk may change. It depends on the mother's diet. If your child is not worried about anything and he is steadily gaining weight, then there is no cause for concern.

Feces with artificial feeding

When a baby is formula-fed, his stool will be more shaped immediately after the meconium has passed. It will have a thick, uniform consistency, dark yellow or brown in color. The smell of feces will be typical, but not as harsh. Children of this age can defecate 1 to 3 times a day.

The sour smell of feces in infants on IV can appear after the introduction of complementary foods. In addition to odor, you may notice undigested pieces of food in the consistency of your stool, usually vegetables or fruits. If the child is not allergic to complementary foods, he is not worried about bloating or pain in the tummy, then you should not remove complementary foods from the diet. Soon, your baby's body will get used to solid foods.

Possible reasons for deviations

A sour, sharp, putrid, swampy, fetid odor of feces can indicate possible violations of the child's health. It can also smell like rotten eggs. Moreover, its consistency will be either too liquid or too hard, and the color will be green, gray or black.

Possible causes of sour stool odor in an infant may include:

  1. Nutritional imbalance. The stool will be watery, foamy, with a pungent sour odor. Your baby may be getting a lot of high-sugar front milk. To correct the situation, you need to either keep the baby at one breast longer (15-20 minutes), or express the first milk.
  2. Constipation. Often appear in formula-fed children. There is a rare bowel movement (less than once a day), the soreness of this process, a hard consistency of feces with the smell of rotten eggs. To help the baby, use a fermented milk mixture or laxatives prescribed by a pediatrician.
  3. Allergy. The stool will be frequent, green in color, with a fetid odor, a watery consistency, and may be contaminated with mucus or blood. It can occur both with GW and with IV. In the case of hepatitis B, the mother needs to revise her diet and remove from it foods that could cause allergies in the child. In case of IV, replace the mixture with a hypoallergenic one.
  4. Dysbacteriosis. There is a sour smell of feces in infants, frequent bowel movements, loose, green stools with foam, mucus or blood. At the same time, the baby often has flatulence and poor weight gain. After passing the tests, they can prescribe a course of probiotics. HV helps in this case by accelerating the growth of beneficial bacteria in the baby's intestines. With IV, a medicinal mixture with prebiotics and probiotics is prescribed.
  5. Lactase deficiency. The very sour smell of feces in babies indicates an insufficient amount of the enzyme responsible for the digestion of lactose, that is, milk sugar. The defecation process is mixed with the evacuation of gases, as there is increased gas production. The stool becomes green and watery, frothy. In such a situation, the mother is advised to reduce her intake of whole milk, and she is also prescribed an enzyme intake. Artists are prescribed a low-lactose mixture.
  6. Infections. The stool has a pungent rotten smell, it becomes liquid, frequent and takes on an uncharacteristic color. All this is accompanied by pain in the epigastric region, vomiting and hyperthermia. The most common cause is rotavirus infection. In this case, you need to call a doctor. Before his arrival, give the child plenty of drink. Oral rehydration solutions or breast milk work well.

Forecast

What will be the prognosis regarding the health of your baby depends on the reason that caused such changes in the nature of the child's stool. Many diseases are easily treatable and do not require a radical change in lifestyle. Getting rid of the causes and symptoms can last from several days to several weeks. It is enough just to strictly adhere to all the recommendations that the pediatrician gave you.

However, there are such diseases, the detection of which radically changes the life of the baby. For example, irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease require lifelong adherence to diet and drug therapy.

In any case, it is better to consult a doctor if an acidic smell of feces is detected in infants or other manifestations of abnormal development.

Prophylaxis

As you know, disease is better prevented than cured. Some restrictions related to the diet of both the mother and the child will help to avoid unpleasant consequences and keep the baby healthy. For example, if changes in the nature of the stool are caused by the intake of certain foods, then a special diet is developed that excludes them. These restrictions can be made for a while, or they can become lifelong, it all depends on the severity of the condition. Either way, a prescribed diet will help reduce pain, reduce bloating, and normalize stool.

It is also important to follow the rules of proper food preparation to avoid infection. First of all, this concerns the nutrition of a woman who is breastfeeding a baby.