The baby has a greenish stool with mucus. Acute viral or bacterial intestinal infections. lactose intolerance in a child

01.08.2019

Very often a situation arises when mucus appears in the feces of a baby. This is not a pathology. It is important to understand its cause or consult a doctor. If you understand why a child has mucus in the feces, you can eliminate the cause in time and restore the microflora of the child's body.

The digestive system of a newborn is sterile. At the first feeding (breast milk), the intestines are filled with a variety of microorganisms. They are useful (bifido- and lactobacilli) and harmful (pathogenic).

Often young parents are frightened: the child is one month old, and mucus has appeared in the child's feces. You need to understand what bowel movements are considered normal at this age and what are the causes of mucus in the stool in a child.

The stool of a baby in the first 3 days of life is called meconium. This is a black-green mass resembling tar.

In the first 3 days of a newborn's life, meconium is recognized as normal - a black-green mass (like tar) with no smell. On the 3rd-4th day, the feces are called physiological dyspepsia, they consist of lumps and a yellow-green liquid.

Starting from the 5th day of life, the stool becomes normal and varies depending on the diet - artificial or breastfeeding.

Mucus is a mixture of leukocytes and epithelial cells. It is needed to protect the walls of the stomach and intestines from the negative effects of food and life. But if a child has a lot of mucus in the feces, this indicates an inflammatory process.

If the baby is breastfed (naturally), the feces are mushy, yellow or slightly greenish in color with a sour smell. The frequency of bowel movements is equal to the frequency of feeding. With artificial feeding, the feces are thicker, brown in color (with various shades) and with a pungent odor. The baby defecates once a day.

As a rule, in the 1st month, beneficial and harmful bacteria fight for "leadership", and by the end of the 1st month of life, only bifidus and lactobacilli should remain. During this period, green mucus in the feces of a child is not considered a pathology. Moreover, the green color of the feces is normal due to the consumption of breast milk. At the same time, the baby should be active, feel good, there should be no diarrhea. The weight is gaining.

Yellow (brown) color is also considered the norm for artificial babies. When switching to a mixture of another manufacturer, a change in shade is possible. The presence of a small amount of yellow mucus in the feces should not be scary if the baby feels good, he is active, gaining weight. Otherwise, you need to urgently visit a pediatrician.

Mucus in stool

Feces with mucus in a child is considered the norm - it occurs in both children and adults. But it is important to distinguish between its color and quantity.

1
Transparent - a sign of a runny nose or inflammatory processes occurring in the nasopharynx or intestinal walls (enteroviruses).

2
Green and yellow indicate a bacterial infection, inflammation. In this case, the feces have a sharp unpleasant odor. If the baby does not eat well and does not gain weight, he may have bacterial colitis or enteritis.

3
Pink is very dangerous, as it contains blood. Probably, ulcers, lesions or erosion appeared on the abdominal mucosa.

Allergies may be the cause of white mucus in stools

The occurrence of an intestinal infection or pathology, polyps (if constipation and hard stools torment) in a child is characterized by feces in white mucus.

The walls of the large and small intestine are irritated, the epithelium exfoliates from them.

The most common cause of white mucus in the stool is an allergic reaction or lactase deficiency.

5
Red-brown (black) indicates the presence of internal bleeding. Some medications can turn stool black. However, it is better to consult a specialist.

6
The appearance of lumps of milk in the excrement indicates lactase deficiency or dysbacteriosis.

The intestines resist the appearance of acid and alkali, for this reason, the baby excretes feces with mucus. Normally, it mixes with feces and is not noticeable when exiting. In addition, its infrequent appearance is considered the norm. When the mucus is clearly visible, this is a reason to be wary.

The following cases are considered deviations from the norm:

mucus appears with every bowel movement and is accompanied by an unpleasant odor;
the appearance of mucus is accompanied by sleep disturbances, regurgitation, diarrhea, vomiting or fever;
there is mucus and blood in the child's stool (read about causes older than 1 year).

These symptoms are indicative of health problems.

The main causes of mucus in the stool

Due to dysbacteriosis, poisoning or intestinal infection, as a rule, a 1-year-old child develops mucus in the feces.

It is easier to diagnose mucus in the stool in a child at 3 years old (its causes). The chair in a baby over 3 years old becomes the same as in adults.

It is also easy to diagnose when mucus in the feces occurs in a child at 4 years old. Children tell where and how it hurts, and answer many of the doctor's questions.

Due to ignoring elementary hygiene procedures (washing hands after a walk and before eating), a 5-year-old child may develop mucus in the stool.

Dysbacteriosis

Dysbacteriosis is a deviation from the norm and the most common cause of problematic stools. Pathogenic bacteria continue to develop, there are more of them than useful ones. Dysbacteriosis can be of two forms:

mild: mucus in stools, flatulence, constipation;
severe: diarrhea, stools contain lumps of curdled milk, blood.

With dysbacteriosis, Bifiform is most often prescribed

The danger lies in the fact that beneficial bacteria die, pathogenic ones remain. In addition, children with dysbacteriosis, are constantly sick, eat poorly, there may be a lag in physical and mental development from their peers.

Treatment of dysbacteriosis is prescribed by a pediatrician. It lasts long and in a complex. First, the intestines of the baby are sanitized, then the microflora is restored within a month (Bifiform and Linex are most often used).

The danger of dysbacteriosis is that it may reappear. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully select food for the baby and mother.

Allergy

Allergies can occur even in infants who feed on mother's milk. A sign is the defeat of the skin (peeling, rash), which affects the digestive system. The stools may be liquid with an admixture of blood. First of all, a blood test is performed. Treatment consists in following a diet that excludes allergen foods. In addition, mom needs to reconsider her diet.

Medication

When taking medications for bloating, the feces contain clear, scanty mucus. As a rule, after stopping the use of these drugs, it disappears.

Food

Due to the introduction of vegetable purees into the diet, the stool can become liquid and acquire a greenish color.

Improper nutrition, insufficient intake of drinking water or the sudden introduction of complementary foods lead to the appearance of mucous secretions.

Feces are often affected by the introduction of vegetable purees into the diet.. In this case, the consistency of the stool (liquid or thick) and color (they become green) change.

Also, with malnutrition, pieces of undigested food are observed in the feces. It is necessary to adjust the diet and diet, sometimes it is better to stop introducing complementary foods. After a while, gradually introduce new products.

Intestinal obstruction

Intestinal obstruction (invaginitis) occurs when a section of the intestine is squeezed by another part of it. If you suspect this disease, it is better to urgently call an ambulance. The signs of the disease are:

severe pain during and after eating;
vomiting "fountain";
frequent loose stools with blood, after a day the feces consist of lumps of mucus with bloody streaks.

The surgeon treats the disease. He straightens the squeezed part of the intestine with a barium enema. If help is not provided in time, death is possible due to dehydration, pain shock or sepsis.

Intestinal infections

In diseases, very often the child has mucus in the stool. This is the result of an inflammatory process occurring in the intestines. Frequent stool with blood content. Possible increase in body temperature.

The doctor prescribes the necessary laboratory tests. Children under one year old are examined by an infectious disease specialist. This is a very serious disease, especially when dehydration occurs. Usually, offer hospitalization, where children are under the supervision of specialists around the clock.

Runny nose

Mucus in the stool may be due to the common cold. In this case, you need to clean the nasal passages of the child

Since infants cannot independently get rid of snot in the nose during a runny nose, most of them enter the stomach through the pharynx and exit with feces in a transparent form. There is no danger, you just need to clean the nasal passages of the baby.

lactase deficiency

The enzyme lactase ferments milk. The baby suffers from a deficiency of this enzyme. Lactase can be destroyed by harmful microorganisms that live in the large intestine. As a result, the baby suffers from abdominal pain, flatulence, gases, diarrhea, mucus and lumps of milk are visible in the feces. , frothy, green. Digestive disorders occur.

Enzyme deficiency is diagnosed by a test for the presence of carbohydrates in feces. Further recommended diet, drugs with lactase, all products containing milk are excluded.

Gluten deficiency or celiac disease

This disease is similar to lactase deficiency. Only in the case there is a deficiency of enzymes that form gluten deficiency. The stools are frothy, smell bad, are accompanied by vomiting and bloating. After the diagnosis, the correct diet is selected (gluten-free foods are eaten).

When to see a doctor

You should consult a doctor if:

mucus is green and smells bad;
appetite drops, the baby does not gain weight;
vomiting occurs (follow this to learn how to stop vomiting in a child);
the baby's urine smells bad;
the temperature rises.

If the baby is less than a year old, it is better not to self-medicate and not to postpone visiting a doctor until later. It is better to immediately contact a specialist or call an ambulance.

conclusions

Mucus in the feces of a baby should not alert parents if it is in a small amount, the baby is active, vigorous, he has a good appetite and he is gaining weight. But if other unpleasant symptoms appear (vomiting, tearfulness during feeding, etc.), you should immediately contact your pediatrician. He will conduct the necessary diagnostics, find out the cause, prescribe a diet and treatment. Do not try to solve the problem yourself, especially if the child is under 1 year old.

See in the next video what a normal stool should be in a baby.

The digestive system of a newborn child from the first days of his life begins to adapt to the new environment, so the baby's stool is constantly undergoing changes, and the mucus that has appeared in the feces of the baby causes concern to parents. Fragments of mucus indicate normal bowel function, but a significant increase in secretions may be a sign of illness. The presence of pathologies is warned by the color of the stool, the presence of other characteristic symptoms and the behavior of the baby.

What is mucus in stool

The adult intestinal glands produce a small amount of mucous to protect the intestinal walls and facilitate the passage of stool. Mucus feces in a breastfed baby is caused by the immaturity of the enzymatic system and poor bowel function. If a newborn baby behaves calmly and gains weight, there is no reason to panic.

At the physiological level, mucus is a clot consisting of products of the secretory work of epithelial tissue cells. The viscous substance performs a protective function due to the content of antiseptics and immunoglobulins. In other words, the appearance of epithelial clots in large numbers indicates that the body is trying to protect itself from some irritating factors.

What does it look like

The consistency of the feces of a newborn child is thick, viscous (similar to tar), has a black or black-green color. A few days after the birth of the baby, the feces change their color to gray-green, and a month later - to yellow. Evidence of normal microflora is the presence of a sour smell of feces and the presence of a small amount of mucus impurities. A lot of mucus in the feces of the baby signals a protective reaction of the body to the pathological process taking place in it.

If, after the newborn has pooped, jelly-like mucous inclusions, streaks or a noticeable lump of mucus are observed in his feces, which clearly differs in consistency from fecal masses, it is necessary to pay attention to the color of the discharge. The color depends on the enzymes produced and is able to indicate the reason for their increase. The presence of pathological processes is evidenced by:

deterioration in the child's condition, decreased activity and rate of weight gain;
bad breath;
stench of feces;
sleep disturbance;
diarrhea, constipation.

Causes of mucus in the stool in infants

A stool with mucus in an infant can cause the slightest deviations in the diet of a breastfeeding mother. A bottle-fed baby reacts to an increase in the amount of complementary foods, which is manifested in the appearance of mucus. In addition to the most common causes, changes in the consistency of feces and the amount of mucous secretions can be caused by the following factors:

	Possible provoking factors	Symptoms of pathology
Transparent	Teething, runny nose, dysbacteriosis	There is flatulence, constipation
	Dysbacteriosis, lack of lactase, colds	The appearance of foam in the stool
	Ulceration of the gastrointestinal mucosa, intestinal invaginitis	Blood streaks, undigested milk residue, vomiting
Brown	Infection	The presence of blood in the stool
	Intestinal infections	Fever, lethargy
	Inflammatory process, lactose deficiency, diseases of the large intestine	Colic, constipation, diarrhea

Green stool with mucus

For a child's body, coloring feces green is considered the norm, if at the same time its smell remains sour, and the consistency is natural. This color indicates that the mother ate a lot of vegetables or herbs the day before. If, with this color, mucus is found in the stool of the baby and an unpleasant odor or foam appears, a disease is possible. Only a specialized doctor can accurately diagnose the disease in a baby after studying the results of the tests.

Loose stool with mucus

The presence of dysbacteriosis is evidenced by loose stools with mucus, which has a normal color and smell. If diarrhea is observed for several days, and continues after adjusting the nutrition of a nursing mother or reducing the introduction of complementary foods, you should contact your pediatrician and get tested. Self-treatment of dysbacteriosis without medical supervision can lead to allergies due to the fact that the child's unformed body is not yet able to absorb certain drugs.

pink slime

The presence of blood in the feces of the baby turns the mucus pink or red. Such symptoms indicate serious disorders in the baby's intestines - this is a warning about a dangerous intestinal disease. If you notice pink spotting, you should immediately contact your pediatrician in order to avoid a deterioration in the health of the baby. Associated signs of the presence of pathology are:

liquid stool;
vomit;
sharp pain during feeding or during bowel movements;
temperature rise;
foamy discharge.

brown slime

If the mucus in the feces of the baby is colored dark brown, this indicates an admixture of blood. This phenomenon occurs with frequent constipation caused by an unbalanced diet. A nursing mother should change the list of foods consumed, reduce the amount of carbohydrates in order to normalize the amount of normal bacteria in the baby's tummy. Sometimes a bowel movement is accompanied by the release of brown clots due to an infectious or catarrhal disease, which provokes an increase in the number of leukocytes.

Clear slime

If transparent watery discharge appears in the baby's feces, but the smell has not changed, then the load on the baby's intestines has increased. The stool, which has a watery consistency, indicates a change in the nutrients that come with milk. A similar phenomenon can be observed if the child was transferred to complementary foods, and digestive enzymes cannot cope with the new diet. Clear mucus disappears after the quality of breast milk improves or the amount of complementary foods decreases.

The constant presence of clear mucous secretions, along with diarrhea, signals a violation of the intestinal microflora of the infant. It can be caused by a violation of the feeding regimen, an allergy to artificial nutrition, improper breastfeeding. Despite the unpleasantness of such a process, with its help, the child’s natural immunity is formed and the body “learns” to independently maintain a balance of beneficial bacteria.

Yellow stool with mucus

Fecal masses of an ocher-yellow color, having a liquid consistency (as in the photo), indicates that an infection has entered the body. If, at the same time, mucous formations of a yellow tint are released, this indicates an existing viral intestinal lesion, which leads to a violation of the beneficial intestinal microflora and is accompanied by the following symptoms:

thirst;
dry skin;
increased heartbeat;
colic.

white slime

Diagnostics

To determine the reason why the mucous stool appeared in the baby, it is necessary to take tests for the intestinal microflora. The doctor, based on the symptoms, prescribes tests for the eggworm, dysbacteriosis, allergens, carbohydrates, and you will also have to do a coprogram. The crumb collection technique is as follows:

Prepare a special container, while ensuring its sterility.
In the morning (or the night before), collect feces from the surface of the diaper (not from the depths) with a spatula, trying to get into places with small patches of mucus. If the stool is too liquid, you can lay a medical oilcloth and wait until the baby defecates on it.
If the analysis was collected in the evening, the box with feces should be placed in the refrigerator, and in the morning, attaching a tag with the name and surname of the child, take it to the laboratory.

Treatment

After deciphering the tests and examining the baby, the pediatrician prescribes treatment, depending on the cause of the appearance of mucous formations and the age of the child. Mucus in the feces of a newborn is the reason for a strict diet for a nursing woman. Nutritional adjustment often solves problems with stools in infants, but in case of serious pathologies, the doctor prescribes medication, and in some cases surgical intervention is required:

Video

The consistency, color and smell of baby discharge can give an idea of the state of the intestines and the nature of the baby's nutrition. As soon as the baby is born, the mother should accustom herself to memorize or write down everything related to the daily routine. It should be noted what was eaten, how many times a day the child emptied the intestines, what complementary foods were introduced and in what quantities. This information will help you quickly navigate in a situation where the child will be unwell.

For three days after the baby is born, the intestines are filled with a thick black-green mass called meconium. It may look like a bunch of dark algae containing inclusions and mucus. A small amount of mucous secretions in the feces of a newborn is considered normal. In the first four days, everything that entered the baby's body before his birth will come out of the intestines of the child. A more or less familiar color and appearance of the feces will acquire in a week.

Should there be mucus in the stool or not?

When the baby's stool becomes a normal yellow color, a small amount of mucus is acceptable in it. She says that the child's digestive system is actively working and learning to digest food. Small mucous inclusions or veins indicate that the organs of the digestive tract are protected from the effects of acids and alkalis, which appear as a result of the breakdown of food.

If the child eats normally, gains weight, is active, interested in the outside world and develops according to age, there is no reason for alarm. Mucus can occasionally appear and then disappear.

Yellow and dense feces without any inclusions occur only in children who are fed with an artificial mixture. The composition of baby food is balanced and the same in all banks. Therefore, changes in the consistency and type of bowel movements can occur for any reason not related to infant formula.

A regular noticeable change in the density, color or composition of the feces should make the mother pay attention to her nutrition. The composition of breast milk depends entirely on the products that the mother consumes. Therefore, the appearance of mucus in the feces of a child in large quantities may mean that the baby's intestines have not coped with some substance that came with mother's milk.

What foods can cause mucus in the stool?

The appearance of mucus, which streaks through the feces, can provoke the following products:

Fatty - vegetable or butter, fatty meats, lard, mayonnaise, nuts, cheeses.
Fried - meat, vegetables, pastries.
Sweet - cakes and pastries, chocolate, sweets, sweet pastries, creams.
Flour - pasta, spaghetti, buns.

If a young mother keeps a food diary, she can easily identify foods that could cause mucus. At the time of breastfeeding, their use should be reduced, but it is better to exclude. If the diet is maintained for the first day, the mucus from the child's feces will disappear on the second day.

When a mother adheres to a strict diet and does not eat anything superfluous, and the mucus in the child's secretions does not go away, you need to look for other reasons.

Reaction to food

Many babies are allowed to introduce complementary foods from the age of four months. First of all, they begin to give juices, mashed potatoes and cereals. The child may also experience a reaction in the form of mucous secretions to these products. The main rule of introducing a new product is to give it in small portions for two weeks and observe the result.

If the mother exceeds the recommended dose of supplementary feeding, the baby's intestines may not be able to cope with the load. In this case, the feces may change in color, mucus appears in it, or the smell and consistency change. In some cases, diarrhea begins.

To cope with the problem, you need to reduce the amount of complementary foods or stop giving them altogether. If after the removal of the new product, the feces returned to normal, then the child needs to be offered a different type of food.

Allergy

It is possible that the appearance of mucus in the discharge indicates an allergic reaction of the child to the introduced product or something that the mother ate. Allergies can come from sweet, exotic and citrus fruits, dairy products or seasonings. If possible, get tested for food allergies.

Milk sterility

In medicine, there is the concept of sterility of mother's milk. The sterility index determines the number of harmful cells contained in breast milk. Staphylococci, streptococci and fungi contained in it violate the intestinal microflora of the child, causing discomfort. In addition to colic, regurgitation, and abdominal pain, the child may have irregular stool regularity and consistency.

To check for the presence of pathogenic bacteria in mother's milk, an analysis is taken for sowing. A small amount of mother's milk is placed in special conditions in which there is a rapid growth of fungi and bacteria. Counting the number of seeded cells gives an idea of what is contained in breast milk.

If harmful microorganisms were found in the sample, this does not mean at all that it is necessary to stop breastfeeding. After a short treatment, the bacteria will be destroyed, the baby's feces will return to normal and the baby's digestion will improve.

Lactose deficiency

The reason for the appearance of mucus and foam in the feces may be the inability of the child's body to accept and process lactose. Milk sugar, as laboratory technicians call it, is processed by a separate enzyme - lactase. It is produced by the intestinal mucosa. If the child's intestines do not produce lactase or it is not active enough, a disease occurs in which milk sugar is not broken down and absorbed in the body. Undigested lactose left in the intestine begins to ferment. This process causes pain in the child's abdomen, colic, the appearance of foam and mucus in the feces, and a sour smell of discharge.

Lactose deficiency can be detected with the help of special tests. If the result is positive, the doctor will recommend that you avoid milk consumption for a while. As soon as the stool normalizes and the child becomes a little older, milk in a small amount is returned to the diet.

Infectious diseases

Any change in feces may be associated with the appearance of an intestinal infection. When the microflora in the intestine is disturbed, and dangerous bacteria colonize it, the regularity and consistency of the discharge changes.

There may be copious amounts of mucus, green streaks, or dark patches in the stool. Feces can become liquid, watery, change their smell.

If these symptoms occur, parents should see a doctor as soon as possible. The child may need to be hospitalized.

When can the appearance of mucus in the stool be dangerous?

You should immediately consult a doctor if blood appears in the stool along with mucus. If this happens, parents should immediately call an ambulance, without looking for possible causes on their own.

It is also worth doing if a change in the consistency of the discharge is accompanied by an increase in temperature and the appearance of vomiting. All these symptoms indicate that serious disorders occur in the child's body that cannot be cured at home.

The stool of an infant is one of the indicators of the state of his body. Its normal characteristics are determined by the type of feeding and the age of the baby. Many young parents are surprised and even frightened by the color, smell and consistency of bowel movements, as well as the presence of various impurities in them - for example, mucus. Let's consider for what reasons it can appear in the feces of a breastfed baby.

When changing diapers or throwing away the contents of the pot, it makes sense for mom to pay attention to the baby's stool - if it contains strange impurities, this may be an indication of certain ailments

Stages of development of the gastrointestinal tract

Shortly after birth, meconium is excreted from the intestines of the baby - the original stool. It consists of the secret of the digestive glands, amniotic fluid and cells of the epithelial lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Meconium is odorless and looks like a dark green mass of a uniform consistency.

On the third or fourth day, the feces brighten and become watery. The number of acts of defecation is increasing. During this period, transient dysbacteriosis can be observed. It is considered a physiological phenomenon. Its cause is the natural formation of the intestinal microflora of the child, whose mucous membranes were sterile before birth. Due to transient dysbacteriosis, mucus inclusions appear in the stool of a newborn.

After another two or three days, the feces of a breast-fed child acquire a yellow color and a sour-milk smell. Its consistency becomes similar to the structure of sour cream. As the gastrointestinal tract adapts to new conditions, milk is not fully absorbed, as a result, white flakes of coagulated protein appear in the stool (we recommend reading:). This phenomenon can be observed during the first 2-3 months of life or longer.

increased gas formation;
frothy greenish stools with mucus impurities.

These symptoms require the appointment of a coprological analysis - a study of a stool sample for carbohydrate content. If the diagnosis is confirmed, then fresh milk is excluded from the mother's diet and fermented milk products are limited. If the diet is ineffective, the child should be given drugs containing lactase.

Normally, a nursing mother should not refuse milk if she is used to using it. However, when a baby is diagnosed with lactase deficiency, all dairy products are dangerous for him.

Infectious pathologies

An intestinal infection caused by the ingestion of various pathological agents (rotavirus, salmonella, dysentery bacillus) into the child's body is accompanied by:

rise in temperature;
slimy liquid dark green stools with a fetid odor (we recommend reading:);
pain in the abdomen;
deterioration in general condition;
vomiting (in some cases).

Pathology requires urgent medical attention. The child needs detoxification and restoration of water and electrolyte balance. If the infection is bacterial in nature, then antibiotics are prescribed.

One of the possible ways for microbes to enter the baby's body is mother's milk, which contains pathogenic flora due to inflammation of the glands (mastitis). It should be checked for sterility and treated.

Incorrectly organized food

The appearance of mucus in the stool of the baby can be caused by an imbalance between the fore and hind milk or the wrong diet of the mother. The fluid that is released at the beginning of the baby's attachment to the breast contains a large amount of milk sugar and water. The foremilk acts as a drink. It is followed by a liquid with a high fat content.

You can ensure the correct proportion of lactose and nutrients by observing a certain meal duration - about 10-15 minutes. If you take the breast from the child earlier, a lot of milk sugar will enter his gastrointestinal tract, which will not be able to be fully digested.

Highly allergenic or fatty foods that a woman eats can lead to the appearance of mucus in the feces of a baby: milk, nuts, chocolate, caviar, and so on. In the first months of a baby's life, it is advisable to follow a low-allergenic diet recommended by a pediatrician.

If the baby receives artificial nutrition, and it is observed with jelly-like inclusions, then, after consulting with the doctor, it is worth introducing a mixture with pro- and prebiotics into his diet. They help improve the functioning of the digestive tract.

In most cases, mucus in the feces of a child is a physiological phenomenon. If the baby is calm, has a good appetite and is gaining weight according to the norms, then there is no reason to panic. It is worth consulting with a doctor and conducting an examination if there are too many impurities in the feces and other alarming symptoms are observed.

The baby's stool can be the most diverse in color, smell and consistency: green or yellow, liquid, frequent or interspersed with various fractions. Mucus in the feces of a baby, according to pediatricians, is the norm. At the same time, parents should not worry and panic.

However, if there are mucous inclusions that are visible to the naked eye, parents should seek the advice of a specialist. Sometimes they are a kind of signal about problems with the digestive system, in which the child may experience significant discomfort and which can cause serious health problems.

Diseases of the digestive system occur in children of different age categories: in infants, one-year-olds and a little older. If this is an isolated case and the child feels completely normal, eats and gains weight, then there is no reason for concern and panic. However, when parents noticed a lot of mucus in the feces of the baby, his stool became more liquid, frequent and had an unpleasant odor, then in this case there is cause for alarm. In addition, concomitant factors, such as gastroesophageal reflux, diarrhea, or low weight gain, will indicate serious deviations in the health of the baby.

The main reasons for the presence of mucus are the following:

Worm infestation or the defeat of the child with helminths, which is accompanied by abdominal pain in infants, poor appetite, irregular stools with a lot of mucus in the feces, tearfulness and restless night's rest. Ascaris and pinworm eggs (the most common types of helminths for young children) can occur from poorly washed fruit, through an outdoor sandbox, or from a pet.
Rotavirus infection, accompanied by a significant increase in body temperature, nausea, general weakness, diarrhea and a loud characteristic rumbling in the abdomen of the baby. Fecal masses in this case will be in a very small amount, watery consistency, light in color and with the presence of mucus. This disease is considered seasonal and begins mainly with a jump in temperature, which abruptly reaches 39 degrees.
Inflammatory processes mucosa of the small and large intestines and stomach. Factors that cause irritation, inflammation and disruption of the normal balance of microflora can be both chemical and mechanical in nature.
Colon diseases, which are usually signaled by white mucus in the feces of the baby. In this case, blood impurities may also appear, staining the baby's feces in a dark color. One of the causes of bloody-mucous feces can be anatomical, polyps, intestinal tumors. Another common disease may be lactose deficiency and the presence of mucus may be a response of the child's gastrointestinal tract to the introduction of complementary foods.
Diseases of a breastfeeding mother, which during breastfeeding can have a negative effect on the baby's stool, or her malnutrition. In this case, it is possible to establish that it was this reason that caused the problems by conducting a special laboratory analysis of breast milk for sterility. Also, the presence of mucus may be due to allergic reactions to certain foods in the diet of a nursing woman.

Healthy: Read what the menu of a nursing woman should be in order to avoid problems with the baby's stool -

Can call the banal parents' lack of hygiene, because young children are distinguished by their desire to try on the tooth all the objects around him. In some cases, this is even a necessity, for example, when the gums hurt and itch when. Unsanitary conditions at home, and then in a nursery, kindergarten and other children's institutions can contribute to the occurrence of gastrointestinal disorders.

When should parents sound the alarm?

Parents should pay special attention if the mucus in the feces of the baby is present in combination with the following symptoms:

diarrhea occurs in combination with vomiting;
there is a significant increase in overall body temperature;
mucus is present with blood impurities;
watery stools have a frequency of up to 12 times per day;
the child gains weight poorly or loses it altogether;
if the baby has bad breath;
the act of urination is accompanied by an unpleasant odor, and its frequency is approximately 6 times a day.

In all such cases, it is better for parents to play it safe and consult a doctor or call emergency help!

What to do if the child has mucus in the stool

If a child has normal and complete immunity, the body can independently cope with most diseases that are accompanied by stool disorders. Therefore, the main task of parents is to provide their child with all the normal conditions for strengthening his immune system, including good nutrition and hardening of the body.

Also, do not forget that stool disorder in newborns is considered normal in the first weeks of his life, when the intestinal microflora is just being formed. In other cases, if the problems with the stool are permanent, only qualified treatment is needed, since self-treatment will be quite difficult to eliminate the causes of the problem.

If the child's condition leaves much to be desired and the abnormal is accompanied by restless behavior, crying, jerking legs, poor appetite and weight gain ( about weight norms), then a specialist consultation is necessary. Based on the study on dysbacteriosis, carbohydrates, worm eggs, coprograms, the pediatrician will be able to establish the reasons for the presence of mucus in the child's feces. Only after that it will be possible to prescribe complex treatment.

The most common drugs for dysbacteriosis and safe for an infant are:

probiotic "Bifidumbacterin";
drug "Smecta";
drug "Lineks".

Also in this case, it is advisable to reconsider your choice in favor of another milk formula for artificial feeding. For babies who have problems with stools, it is best to choose special ones that have prebiotics in their composition.

In rare cases, with anatomical constipation, the formation of tumors and polyps in the intestine, a surgical operation is permissible.

Stool disorders in infants, which are accompanied by mucous impurities in the feces, do not treat yourself, and also experiment with probiotics, which at first glance may seem completely safe. Only a qualified pediatrician will be able to correctly diagnose and select the most optimal treatment for the child.