Thick stools in a child at 2 months. Stool in infants: normal options for breastfeeding and bottle feeding. Frequent and frothy stools in a breastfed newborn

24.05.2019

Baby chair is one of the problematic moments for many mothers. In the middle of the 20th century, when formula feeding became more common than breastfeeding, a new stereotype of "normal" bowel movements emerged. Children who are fed with formula poop differently than infants: the stool of "artificial" is relatively infrequent, comes out shaped and smells bad, resembling the stool of adults. While the stool from breast milk in the first 6 weeks of life is usually thin and frequent, and in the future, on the contrary, it may be of normal consistency, but with delays. At the same time, often people who do not know that this is quite normal for babies begin to treat the baby either for diarrhea or for constipation ...

For a child under the age of 6 weeks, it is normal to empty the intestines several times a day, little by little, with a mass of yellow or mustard color, without an unpleasant odor. At the same time, the stool may well have a heterogeneous consistency, or cheesy inclusions, or - after a while, if the mother does not remove the diaper or diaper for a long time - you will notice that the yellow stool turns green, this is a completely natural oxidation process. These are all signs that are characteristic of a healthy baby! If you see white "pellets" in your child's chair - do not be alarmed. Most likely it is just an immaturity of the intestines. Therefore, if the child is gaining weight well and nothing bothers him, then there is no reason for your concern either.

Signs that can make mom wary:

too frequent watery stools - 12 to 16 bowel movements per day, with a strong odor indicates that the child really has diarrhea (diarrhea). It is imperative to consult a doctor, while it is very desirable to continue breastfeeding, because breast milk best of all makes up for the deficiency of substances necessary for the baby.

frequent stools (8-12 times a day), which are green and watery, often caused by sensitivity to food or treatment of the child or mother; often this reaction is caused by the protein of cow's milk.

Green, watery, foamy stools are usually a sign of what is known as an anterior-posterior milk imbalance, which doctors like to call "lactase deficiency." True lactase deficiency is relatively rare, and in the overwhelming majority of cases, this condition of the baby can be corrected by allowing each breast to be emptied to the end before transferring to the next. In this case, the baby will receive a large portion of fatty "back" milk, which contains little lactose (in contrast to the "front" portion rich in it) and therefore is easier to digest. Clarification so as not to be confused in terms: lactose is the milk sugar found in breast milk, and lactase is an enzyme that is required to break down lactose. The reserves of lactase in the baby's body are relatively small, and if he receives a lot of "front" milk, then the lactase is not enough for its normal assimilation, so the baby is tormented by gas, and the stool takes on a characteristic appearance. Another problem that often occurs after 5-6 weeks of a child's life is a relatively rare bowel movement, which is often mistakenly considered constipation and begins to actively treat the baby. At this age, the milk finally becomes mature and the laxative colostrum component leaves it, and therefore most children begin to poop less often. By itself, a rare chair is not a cause for concern, just the child's body finds out how much it can accumulate in itself before pooping. If the process is not interfered with, the child may not poop even up to 7 days once or twice, after which the normal frequency will be restored. If you constantly interfere, forcing the intestines to empty when it is not yet ready, constipation will become habitual. BUT: Indeed, the child may not poop for up to a week, and the mother may not worry under the essential condition: the child TOO do not worry! If the child is obviously annoyed by this, the mother, of course, should not hope that everything "will be formed by itself."

Constipation in a breastfed baby

Constipation in a breastfed baby is hard, dry, formed stools, so-called "goat balls", which are very painful for the baby.
The consistency of NORMAL feces, even with its relatively rare appearance, cannot be considered constipation. These are only the physiological characteristics of this particular organism, such as eye color, nose snub angle or the shape of nails. We will not treat the body because its eyes are blue, and not brown, like most?

Why does such a physiologically rare stool ("not constipation") appear in babies?

For the urge to defecate, the little man needs to experience a chain of certain sensations. The most important of which is the pressure of feces on the intestines, it is the degree of pressure that forms the skill to relax the sphincters in response to tension, and not to contract them. A young, not fully formed intestine is just learning to react to any external changes, and breast milk, the only native and adapted product, helps it gently and not stressfully at this stage of its formation. Like any student, the gut passes a series of tests or even self-tests. Therefore, the baby's feces of the first half of the year are heterogeneous - sometimes thick, sometimes liquid, sometimes often, sometimes rarely. And our adult standards for such a young student are unacceptable, the adult intestine is very different from the intestines of a baby.

The main indicator with such a rare stool is the child's well-being and the discharge of gases, the most dangerous sign of constipation is the absence of gas, then you can fear for intestinal patency, but if the baby “farts like a machine gun”, then the patency is excellent. If the consistency of feces after defecation is normal, without "balls" - then the child has no problem.
The intestine is simply in a state of testing the degree of pressure of feces inside on the intestinal walls for optimal bowel movements, after completing such a test, the body will choose a certain period for defecation. This deadline will be set until ... the next test, after which everything will change dramatically again.
That is, the main thing is to objectively assess the condition of the child, to look at the discharge of gases, and not at the calendar.
And yet it is so strange and scary when the chair is not regular and young parents so want to attend to something. What can be done so that the body is "tested" faster, and the parents would see the coveted poop and at the same time not harm the child and not resort to medications.

1. Give extra liquid.

But the problem is not in the consistency of feces !!! The feces inside are soft, the additional liquid makes it generally liquid and ... postpones the period of natural bowel movements. As a result, additional mechanical stimulation is required (with a cotton swab in oil, a thermometer), but more often it turns out that due to additional fluid and an extended period, the “front” part of the feces has formed into a dense solid “cork”, and the “above” is a very liquid watery stool. It is very painful and unpleasant for the baby to pop out the "cork".
That is, in the case of a physiological rare stool, supplementation with any liquid can worsen the situation.

Here you need to take into account that juice is a very large irritant with a high acidity factor. The complete absence of fiber, but a deadly carbohydrate environment, due to sugars. The intestines of a child simply cannot digest such things, additional enzymes are needed to digest the juice, which are not produced by the pancreas of a child in infancy. And it turns out in the intestines there is an irritating product - sugar from juice. Up to a certain age, the mucous membrane of the baby is very perceptive and sensitive, through its walls, the small cells penetrate into the blood, and the sugars begin to strongly irritate the mucous membrane, the body receives a signal to get rid of the aggressors as quickly as possible, the pancreas tries to form enzymes to break down carbohydrates in the juice. The intestine collects additional fluid to partially neutralize aggressive sugars and begins to contract, removing the irritant. Outwardly, the child may have stools quickly enough after the infusion of juice. But at the cost of tremendous stress to the pancreas, mucous membranes and the body as a whole. At the same time, the necessary minerals and vitamins are washed out from the body, the child loses a lot of fluid. The carbohydrate component sucks in the intestines an ideal environment for the reproduction of pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic flora (candida, stuffylococcus), therefore, after copulation, thrush in a child's mouth is so frequent.
Juice is one of the most cruel methods of influencing the baby's body.

3. Give an enema.

The liquid will create additional pressure, the same that the intestines were waiting for and before the physiological readiness of the body there will be a chair. The "self-test" of the organism is knocked down. The defecation was caused by a mechanical stimulator, a contraction of the intestines, but the child himself needs to learn to relax. I think everyone has heard stories from two-three-year-olds who have problems with a chair. Often (not always) these are babies who were either artificially fed, or the period of "learning" in a safe chair from breast milk passed against the background of stimulation of defecation.

So what do you do? Nothing. Wait. If the child behaves as usual and farts well, then this is another "test".
But if the child is pushing, blushing, gas does not go away, the stomach is hard, and the child cries on palpation - this is a completely different matter. You definitely need help here.

If the child does not walk for a long time and it worries him

The first step is to massage your tummy. Massage clockwise with full palm. Or exercise like a "bike".
A warm bath - it does not help anyone to relax. Mom and baby are immersed in warm 37 degrees of water, breastfeed right in the water, then they quickly crawl out, mom or dad will rub their arms, legs and tummy with baby oil, then you can put the mole on your mother’s tummy relaxed, it’s worth remembering that it’s easier to poop while lying down on the tummy or on the side rather than on the back, or the mother can feed in the landing position (so that the ass is sagging and the child is almost vertical) and in 80% you can expect the "coveted poop".
It is very good to hold a child complaining of a tummy over the sink under the knees, lubricating the anus with baby oil ... The posture is the same as when landing.

Only when these methods did not help, you can use the first step of mechanical stimulation. Take a hygienic stick, grease the tip liberally with petroleum jelly or baby oil and insert a little into the ass. No more than a centimeter! It is to enter and twist a little. Put away. Put on a diaper and put your mom on her stomach, tummy to tummy ... Or press your knees to your stomach in a position on your back ...

And only if this did not help, then the next step is a glycerin candle.
But as a rule, in the first step, everything already works out.

I would like to highlight the purpose of any treatment, parents should analyze - what are they treating - the child's condition or analysis? Does your doctor prescribe bifidobacteria for you? Is there a correlation with the onset of intake and the onset of stool retention? Were you warned that bacteriological preparations containing bifidocultures affect the stool and can cause chronic constipation, which will already be constipation, and not physiological reactions? ... Always watch the child's stool very carefully when using any medication.

Breastfeeding mistakes

As practice shows, for problems with stool in infants, it is often not bacteria that are to blame, but improperly organized breastfeeding. Here are the most common breastfeeding mistakes that interfere with the development of a baby's normal gut flora:

Late attachment of the newborn to the breast.
Rare feeding "by the hour", limiting the duration of breastfeeding by the baby.
Supplementing the baby with water, teas.
Early introduction of formula supplements or gradual transition to full bottle feeding.
Introduction of complementary foods earlier than 6 months.

Misconceptions associated with problematic bowel movements in infants

1. In the same place, everything rots inside if he does not walk for more than a day !!

We hear from many mothers. We hasten to dispel this myth!

We recall the school chemistry course. Oxidation, reaction with oxygen. Now we take the child and examine the belly for holes. There is not? just the navel? So oxidation does not threaten you. If someone says "rots" - also refer him to the school chemistry course, where it says that decay is a slow burning reaction, in which the access of oxygen is a prerequisite. To do this, at least you need a hole in your stomach. And it, as already found out from a higher experience, is not there.

2. This is dysbiosis !!!
Dysbacteriosis is becoming more popular, however, as are the drugs aimed at treating it. In the minds of many parents, the wrong opinion has formed that every baby has dysbiosis, and biological products are no longer the means that a doctor should prescribe - they can simply be bought and given to your baby: maybe it will help? Let's take a look at some of the facts about this condition and speculate about them. After all, as you know, "he who is forewarned is armed."

The Truth About Dysbiosis:

Dysbacteriosis Is not a diagnosis according to the Tenth revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) - the generally accepted international diagnostic classification of the World Health Organization. This is a state of imbalance of the intestinal microflora that accompanies its various diseases (for example, acute intestinal infection). Also, dysbiosis develops after surgical operations on the gastrointestinal tract, treatment with antibiotics, cytostatics, and immunity suppressants. Therefore, if a child was born healthy, gains weight well, grows and develops according to age, you should not look for dysbiosis from him.
In babies who have just been born, the period of colonization of the intestine with microbes is called transient dysbiosis and it belongs to the borderline states of newborns. The main protection and medicine for the baby during this period is the mother's breast milk. Colostrum contains a huge amount of antibodies, anti-infectious proteins and secretory immunoglobulin A, which provide the infant with primary immunological protection. In addition, the bifidus factor in human breast milk is involved in the formation of normal intestinal microflora, and lactoferrin binds iron and prevents the multiplication of those bacteria that need iron. That is why it is extremely important that nothing but mother's milk gets into the mouth of the baby from birth! Dysbiosis is not terrible for a healthy baby.

The analysis for dysbiosis does not reflect the true state of the intestinal microflora. Let's remember that microflora is a dynamic environment, the number of microbial units is in the millions, and these units themselves multiply (and die) rather quickly. By the time the parents receive the result of the microflora analysis (and this is at least 7 days from the date of its delivery), the microbial "picture" in the intestine will change radically. In addition, microorganisms colonize the intestines unevenly: there are more of them near the walls of the intestine, and not in its lumen, and when taking a feces analysis, only "luminal" colonies fall into the "field of view". That is why experienced and competent specialists do not trust this analysis and are in no hurry to treat children if it is changed and there are no clinical symptoms.

In this article:

Immediately after giving birth, young parents face a host of problems. It is necessary to teach the baby to breast, constantly change his diapers, do massages, bathe, monitor the temperature regime. This is superimposed on the struggle against sleepiness and despair caused by a lack of understanding of the reasons for the crying of the child.

Any discoloration of stool causes panic, but often it is not justified. Stool in newborns can change in appearance, degree of mass density, smell almost every day, you should not get upset right away, because this can be a variant of the norm.

You should know how the stool of a baby is different, which is breastfed and mixed or artificial. The first weeks of life are characterized by a gradual change in color, consistency of feces, which continues to change depending on the type of feeding, its frequency, and duration. The introduction of juices or mashed potatoes into the baby's diet also has a direct effect on the baby's bowel movements.

Stool color and odor: what it should be

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In a newborn, feces do not have any specific odor; they are black or greenish in color. At the same time, the stool is liquid and viscous. The child often defecates, but you can only notice this by looking into the diaper. That is why doctors recommend the first months when the baby is crying, first check the cleanliness of the diaper, only then start feeding. The original feces (it is also called meconium) consists of everything that the child swallowed along with the amniotic fluid during the months in the mother's womb. The appearance of meconium in a newborn indicates the normal functioning of the newborn's intestines.

In the period from 2 to 6 days from the date of birth in a child, the stool may change its color to grayish or gray-green, become thicker (the consistency of a semi-liquid ointment). This is true for all healthy children as they adapt to a new way of getting food. From the second week, the feces become a yellowish-mustard hue, sometimes brown with a faint sour-milk smell. The consistency of the bulk is watery, there are small white grains. Such a chair indicates the normal functioning of the child's gastrointestinal tract. A slight presence of mucus or a green tint with a stable weight gain is considered normal.

A variant of the norm is the case when the child's feces are light brown or very dark brown. Small greenish blotches are allowed. According to the consistency, two requirements are imposed on the contents of the diaper - it should not be liquid, like water, too dense feces are unacceptable. The smell can be harsh and unpleasant. This situation is typical in relation to children who are on mixed feeding. Similar indicators appear with the introduction of complementary foods.

It happens that pieces of undigested food are clearly visible in the diaper. If this is rarely observed, then you should not worry. Depending on the food, the feces can turn orange or burgundy. This is typical after eating carrots or beets.

Bowel Emptying Frequency

At the age of up to 6 weeks with breastfeeding, the baby is emptied 4-12 times during the day. Stool frequency will decrease significantly with age. By the age of two months, a child can delight parents with a smelly stool both 4 times a day and 1-2 times in a five-day period. These are reference indicators, a slight deviation in one direction or the other, provided that the color, odor and consistency is correct, is considered acceptable.

Young parents sometimes confuse normal loose stools with diarrhea. Even if the child empties once a day, but very abundantly (up to the leakage of feces from the diaper), do not sound the alarm. In some children, the intestines work in such a way that bowel movements rarely appear, but in large volumes. This is not a pathological change. You should be concerned if emptying occurs more than 12 times a day. In this case, the feces will not only be liquid, but watery, they will flow out from the top, bottom and sides of the diaper.

The absence of a chair in a child for 4-5 days in a row, followed by a successful bowel movement and with a normal consistency of the mass, should not cause a change in the daily menu. This is a variant of the norm, and therefore the possibility of any mechanical effect on the child in order to accelerate emptying is excluded. In no case should an enema be given to the baby, as this can cause a weakening of the normal reflex activity of the corresponding muscles. It is not recommended to try to help the child by irritating the anus with a thermometer or a bar of soap (although grandmothers will insist on using these methods).

What feces indicate pathology?

Cases when the baby's bowel movements are of normal color, but they are too liquid or slightly frothy, and a strong fermented milk smell emanates from them, require increased attention from the parents, especially when breastfeeding. If, to the listed signs, the presence of irritation in the anal area is added, and the baby himself began to behave very restlessly, is capricious during and after eating, and is losing weight, then this indicates a lack of hind milk in the diet. It is more nutritious, less sweet, and contains the enzymes needed to break down milk sugars. All this is not in the front milk, so you just need to change breasts less often.

If there is a large amount of mucus in the stool, and the feces are green, yellow or brown, then you need to focus on the behavior and well-being of the baby. If this fact does not bother him, then medical help is hardly needed. Most likely this is a consequence of a recent cold illness or a harbinger of teething. Medical advice should be sought if these symptoms persist for several days in a row.

Soft and very thick brown feces can be both a normal variant and a pathology. If recently the child has been taking iron-containing drugs, then there is no need to worry. A doctor should be consulted if there was no additional intake of iron. Then an examination is necessary to exclude internal bleeding.

Urgent medical attention is needed if the stool is excessively watery and has an unpleasant odor, and the child is not gaining weight well or is losing it altogether. The reason may lie in allergies, poisoning or an infectious disease. Hard feces that come out in small parts with constant strong tension of the abdomen, accompanied by the cry and cry of the baby, indicates constipation. This could be due to complementary foods, an ingredient that is not suitable for the baby, or the mother’s diet is inappropriate.

Foamed green feces, which appears together with a specific "cotton", which has a pungent sour odor, indicates pathology. If irritation and redness appear around the anus, plus everything else, then you should immediately go for a consultation with a doctor. Usually, with such symptoms, children stop gaining weight and are constantly naughty, behave extremely anxiously. The reason is lactose deficiency, both primary and secondary.

The appearance in the feces of blood, both liquid scarlet and black blood clots, should lead to an urgent visit to the hospital. Most often, this is provoked by an allergic reaction to a protein contained in cow's milk, and it can also be one of the symptoms of the development of bacterial infections. According to the results of the examination, hemorrhoids or intestinal bleeding can be diagnosed. Both problems require immediate treatment. A case of digested blood clots may indicate that the mother's nipples are damaged, and the baby is swallowing blood oozing from the cracks in the breast with milk. For a newborn, this option is safe, although it is better not to allow such a scenario.

In case of identified violations of the intestines, you should seek medical help. This will help in time to diagnose pathological changes in the child's body, accelerate the subsequent normalization of the stool and restore the rate of weight gain. The fundamental recommendations of doctors often boil down to changes in breastfeeding techniques.

Among them:

feeding should take place in a position that is comfortable for the mother and the newborn;
it is important that the baby correctly grips the breast and does not suck only the nipple;
in some cases, it is necessary to increase milk production by more frequent attachments to the baby's breast, expressing after each feeding;
special attention should be paid to ensure that the baby receives enough hind milk;
the duration of feeding sessions cannot be artificially limited;
in the first months of life, you should not try to feed the crumbs according to the regime, it is much better to do this on demand.

Always carefully examine the contents of the baby's diaper - this will make it possible to respond in a timely manner to any pathological change. But you shouldn't panic at the slightest inconsistency with the norm either.

Useful video

Situations when emptying the baby should not cause any concerns:

Feces of black, dark green color in infants

The consistency of tar, does not have a characteristic odor. The so-called meconium, is the first emptying of the newborn, it contains amniotic fluid, swallowed by the child in the womb, cells of the intestinal mucosa. The baby should poop on the first or second day after birth. How many times he does this depends on the food. Basically, emptying occurs two to three times a day.

Feces of green, gray in infants

Liquid consistency, the smell is barely perceptible. "Transitional" stool, which confirms that the baby's body is working properly, and the mother's milk is absorbed properly. Emptying occurs on the second day, this characteristic accompanies the description of feces throughout the week. At best, the baby poops after each feeding, the number of times can reach 12, at least 4.

Feces brightens

It acquires a yellowish-brownish tint, liquid consistency, fermented milk smell. The number of evacuations is reduced to 2 - 4 times a day. Such feces predominate in a baby from two to six months.

Feces darken

It becomes more brownish, the consistency resembles a gruel, from time to time you can observe the appearance of inclusions, has a characteristic smell. This stool characterizes a good assimilation of the mother's milk. So the baby should poop mainly after six months of life. Emptying occurs up to 4 times a day.

There are times when the mother's milk is absorbed very well, and practically no undigested substance remains in the baby's body. The baby poops only one to a couple of times a week.... Only when the baby's intestines are filled with feces in the required amount, emptying occurs.

When complementary foods are included in a newborn's diet, stools can change dramatically in color. There is also no need to worry about this, since this change may be caused by the body's reaction to food that is new to it.

What should be the stool in a baby

When feces should bother parents

Almost all parents, until the child grows up to a conscious age, carefully examine the feces of their child. This is not caused by special interest, but by the desire to control the correct development of the baby, his state of health. They do it right, since a child's chair can tell a lot.

The absence of feces can arouse suspicion only in the case of a firm tummy in a newborn, when the child does not farts - then it is worth calling a doctor. Basically, the baby may not poop because of the good perception of the mother's milk by the body.

The opposite negative factor can be diarrhea. It is a very loose stool that, in some embodiments, may even leak out of a poorly fitting diaper. Such a chair is fraught with dehydration of the baby, it can be caused by an infection, an allergy to any component of the diet.

Green, frothy stools indicate that the baby is underfeeding. Either the baby is lazy and makes little effort to get to nutritious milk, or the mother picks up the breast early. Also, the reasons for the frothiness in the stool include the diet of the mother herself. Perhaps a breastfeeding woman uses a lot of synthetic substances that should be excluded.

Hard stools are not typical for babies, but for older children. If such a stool is found in a newborn, it is necessary to monitor the next emptying. If the next time the child has difficulty pushing, pooping heavily, you need to see a doctor. These symptoms belong to. Constipation is dangerous by damage to the intestinal walls, and in the future the formation of feces with blood. Feces in such cases can not only be with red blotches, but also have a black color (digested blood). Constipation is not uncommon in babies who are just starting to eat anything other than breast milk. Complementary foods may contain elements that are indigestible to the baby.

The baby's stool can cause fears of parents after ARVI vaccinations, as well as while waiting. In these cases, we mean a temporary disturbance in the digestive system. You should not be afraid of this.

When observing any changes in feces, you must remember these important rules:

You do not need to stop breastfeeding, even if the baby is diagnosed -. Breast milk strengthens the baby's immune system. No matter how many different substitutes and mixtures there are, none of them will replace the maternal contribution to the health of the baby.
Do not prescribe medications, dietary supplements to yourself or your child. It is much easier to worsen the condition of a small organism than that of an adult. Complications can be irreversible.

Having a baggage of knowledge about a newborn's stool, its amount per day, any parents will be prepared for certain changes in the body of their baby. No matter how much this knowledge is, moms and dads will still worry about looking into a diaper in the first month of a baby's life.

In infancy, the doctor judges the health and development of the child by objective and visible factors. A newborn child cannot say that he is in pain, and by the nature of crying, even if it is different, an accurate diagnosis cannot be made. The doctor can assess the condition of the child by his reaction to sound, light, touch, as well as by the number of urinations and the consistency of the stool. It is the stool of a newborn during breastfeeding that is one of the important criteria that helps to suspect and diagnose physical health problems in time.

Features of the digestive system in children

During intrauterine development, the baby's digestive system does not work, since all nutrients enter the bloodstream through the placenta. The first "start" of digestion occurs in the first minutes of life, when the newborn is applied to the mother's breast. By this time, nature has already laid down some structural features of the children's digestive system.

The structure of the oral cavity. The chewing muscles are very well developed here, despite the small age of the child. The mucous membrane of the lips has a special structure, the gums are thickened, and there are special fatty lumps in the thickness of the cheeks - all this makes it possible for the child to eat mother's milk and make efforts to get it. The sucking reflex in the first days of life is extremely strong and helps to easily cope with new eating habits.

The work of the salivary glands. The glands are poorly developed and continue to mature as the child grows. Saliva of an adult, in addition to moisturizing the oral mucosa, performs two more important functions - it has a bactericidal effect and takes part in the process of breaking down food. In an infant, these functions are not performed. The lack of bactericidal components leads to the fact that babies often suffer from in the mouth. The lack of enzymatic activity forces the child to eat liquid and unsweetened food (it is carbohydrates that are broken down by saliva enzymes in adults).

Stomach and pancreas... Unlike adults, children have a horizontal stomach. Its volume in a child of the first month of life is approximately 30-50 ml. That is why you need to feed the newborn often and in small portions. Sphincters are located on both sides of the stomach, which should not pass food in the opposite direction. However, the upper sphincter in babies is poorly developed, so frequent regurgitation becomes a natural and frequent problem. The stomach of a newborn produces an enzyme that curdles milk, but contains very little lipase, so the fats of cow's milk are not broken down in an infant. The discharge of the stomach during regurgitation is just curdled milk. Pancreatic enzymes at this age are well developed, but their activity is still much lower than that of an adult, therefore, the food of an infant should be easily digestible and easily assimilated.

Liver and gallbladder. These are one of the main organs involved in digestion. If proteins are broken down in the stomach, then with the help of bile enzymes, the body breaks down fats. The amount of bile acids in a child is very small, so fatty foods should be avoided in the diet. The liver also stores glycogen, a material for energy. However, in infants, this process is poorly developed and normalizes closer to 7 years. Liver health is very important to ensure detoxification function. In newborns, the liver is not yet mature enough and malnutrition or, for example, taking medications, can disrupt its development. Not only the baby should adhere to the diet, but also the mother, since all products enter the child's body with milk. Bile is also necessary for normal intestinal motility, so problems with these organs can affect the nature of the stool.

Intestines. The motor activity of the intestines and stomach in a child is reduced, which causes constipation at an early age. By about 4 months, motor skills improve and the problem goes away. The intestines of a newborn are sterile at birth and are populated with beneficial microflora with mother's milk, so it is very important to adhere to breastfeeding in the diet. child. In the small intestine, the digestion and absorption of food components occurs, and its dysfunction is immediately reflected in the nature of the feces.

If the digestive function is impaired at one of the stages described above, the newborn's stool changes its consistency, color or odor, which makes it possible for the doctor to suspect the problem that has arisen.

First chair

After birth, the baby's first bowel movement is accompanied by the release of original feces, which looks like a thick black-green mixture. This discharge is called meconium. It represents all the foods that have accumulated in the baby's intestines during fetal development. The release of meconium occurs on the first day after birth. As breast milk enters the stool, its color lightens. It is absolutely normal if this does not happen immediately, but on the 3-4th day of life, since before this time the mother secretes colostrum, which can be completely absorbed by the child's body.

Normal baby stool

To notice changes in a child's stool, you need to know which stool is considered normal.

When passing from meconium to mature stools, the discharge may have a sour odor and yellow-green color. Yellow stools are considered fully mature. Its consistency should be similar to liquid porridge, since the child feeds only on mother's milk. The smell of discharge is often unpleasant for an adult, but it can be described as sour milk, which is absolutely understandable when breastfeeding. Normally, feces are homogeneous in structure and do not have undigested pieces or pathological inclusions.

The frequency of defecation may differ, but it always occurs several times a day (possibly even up to 10). As the child grows older, emptying occurs less frequently. It is normal for a baby over 3 months of age to have infrequent bowel movements if the mother's milk is absorbed so completely that there is no accumulation of waste in the intestines. However, this rarely happens and, in most cases, insufficient defecation is considered and requires correction.

Changes in stool color, odor, uniformity, or consistency.
The appearance of pain in the abdomen, flatulence.
Difficulty defecating.
Poor weight gain.

Green chair

The greenish tint of the stool during the period when it should already be a mature yellow color should alert the mother. The reasons for this condition may be:

Dysbacteriosis. If there are not enough beneficial bacteria in the intestines, then pathogenic flora develops, which gives the stool a green tint. In this case, additional symptoms appear - diarrhea, abdominal pain, flatulence.
Inflammatory process in the intestines. It can appear as a result of poor nutrition of the mother (an abundance of dyes, preservatives, unnatural substances).
Malnutrition. "Hungry" green stools appear when the mother does not have enough milk production or the baby has a difficult sucking process. Additional symptoms of this condition will be poor weight gain, frequent awakenings, and whims when sucking.
... Sometimes green stools are observed as a consequence of intrauterine growth. If the child is active and gaining weight well, then pathological discharge is temporary and should soon return to normal.

Yellow chair

The yellow color of the stool can be both a variant of the norm and a pathology. Additional impurities, which should not be in a healthy state, will help to distinguish one from the other:

White blotches, like lumps of undigested food. With normal weight gain, such an impurity may indicate overeating. If the child grows more slowly than normal, the lumps are the result of a lack of enzymes, which leads to poor breakdown of food. This state will pass by itself, as the child grows up. Also, the pediatrician may prescribe the intake of enzyme preparations.
Slime. Increased mucus production occurs during inflammatory processes in the intestines. It can also be observed with, runny nose, early introduction of complementary foods and other conditions. The doctor will help you to correctly determine the cause.
Foam. This symptom often indicates increased gas production and dysbiosis. Sometimes frothy discharge appears with, which is also manifested by diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain. In any case, this condition requires the consultation of a pediatrician.
Blood. There should be no blood in the stool. This symptom is considered serious and requires immediate diagnosis. Blood may appear due to mechanical damage to the rectum, intestinal inflammation, allergies or intolerance to cow's milk.

Stool retention in a child

Delay or difficulty in emptying rarely bothers a breastfed baby. However, this criterion also needs to be monitored, since it indicates the quality of the digestive system.

However, the change in stool frequency should not be ignored; it is better to consult a specialist once again. Your pediatrician will help determine the exact cause of delayed or difficult emptying. He will also give advice on nutrition for mom, since the correct diet is a safe, affordable and effective way to correct the functioning of the digestive system.

Frequent emptying

Diarrhea (too frequent and fluid emptying) is the other extreme in changing stool frequency. Even if diarrhea is physiological (after food with a laxative effect), it still negatively affects the health of the child, as it leads to the loss of fluid and beneficial electrolytes, which is dangerous for dehydration. The treatment regimen always includes sorbents and drugs that restore the water-electrolyte balance. Diarrhea differs from the usual one-time liquid stool by an increased frequency of discharge.

With an infectious etiology, the color of the stool may change to green, and the smell will become very unpleasant. The cause of diarrhea must be found out without fail so as not to miss it. Its additional symptoms will be fever, deterioration of the general condition of the child. At birth, the baby's intestines are sterile and colonized with beneficial bacteria in the mother's milk. Antibodies to many infections are delivered in the same way, but the newborn's own immunity is still very weak.

Only a pediatrician should deal with the treatment of all pathological conditions. The mother can independently influence the child's stool by adjusting her own diet. To do this, you need to exclude potential allergens, harmful chemical additives, eat more vegetables. If the child is feeling well and gaining weight, some changes in the nature or frequency of stool may be considered normal. For example, during the period of the introduction of complementary foods, the baby's reaction to a new product can be different - from or diarrhea to skin rashes. Over time, the mother will already know the characteristics of the child and understand what changes need to be worried about, and what not worth it.

Mixed and artificial feeding of newborns is often complicated by various health deviations in children. Usually, due to mixtures, the intestines suffer. And the smaller the child, the more difficult it is for him to adapt to artificial feeding. In this material, we will tell you about the features of a child's chair up to one year old.

The stool of a newborn with artificial feeding is normal up to seven times a day, just like a child who eats breast milk, how many times a day a baby should poop is decided only by his body, this is individual. True, such frequent stools are rare among artificial people. Usually babies poop 1-3 times a day. And the frequency of stool in a newborn normally decreases when complementary foods are introduced into his diet.

Children's feces are very different from adults. While the baby feeds only on the formula, the feces do not smell at all or have a slightly sour smell. Its color can range from yellow to green. Sometimes mothers notice the stool of a newborn baby on artificial feeding with an admixture, namely, with white lumps. Their appearance is a sign that the mixture is not completely absorbed, not completely digested. But this phenomenon is usually temporary. And single white lumps should not frighten parents.

What should you pay attention to? First of all, on the well-being of the child. It immediately shows whether he is healthy or not. If a baby has an ordinary seemingly yellow mushy stool, but at the same time he screams while emptying the intestines, it is clear that he is in pain, and during the day there are colic - this is not the norm. Especially if the child is over 4 months old. Mixed and bottle-fed babies can be adjusted using a quality formula. It doesn't make a big difference whether this mixture is based on cow or goat protein, since their proteins are very similar in structure, it is important that it suits the child. It will take several days to adapt to the mixture. After that, parents should see their child happy, healthy, well-fed, without skin allergies, diarrhea and constipation.

Diarrhea or constipation in a bottle-fed newborn

This problem can be the result of a one-time change of the brand of the mixture or an unsuccessful choice of it. If the nutrition has not changed, then it may make sense to transfer the child to a different mixture. Only very carefully. For at least 7 days, you need to gradually replace one mixture with another.
In this case, the mixture to which the replacement is made should not only be adapted for children of the appropriate age, but also preferably contain bifido or lactobacilli. Fermented milk mixtures have proven themselves well in the fight against constipation.

When is it worth helping a child? Usually, the baby can not poop for up to 2-3 days without any risk to health. But if the mother notices that the child's tummy is boiling, he is pushing, crying, help is needed. The easiest way to do this is with a glycerin candle - a child's ("Glycelax") or half of an adult. Another good option is Mikrolax microclysters. They are also partially composed of glycerin. Some mothers insert a cotton swab into the child's anus and slightly press on the rectal wall, thereby causing the baby to push. But it’s better not to do this to avoid injury.

It is important to avoid chronic constipation. In this condition, the child has no stool for several days due to the fact that his rectum has ceased to respond to the pressure on its walls of a small portion of feces. She just stretched out. Then you need treatment. It is usually sufficient to take lactulose syrup (Duphalac or Normase) for several weeks. It is absolutely safe, and with the correct dosage (selected individually) it helps the baby to empty the intestines every day, and at about the same time.

The introduction of complementary foods during artificial feeding can provoke hard stools or, conversely, is one of the means of treating constipation. Usually it is advised to introduce complementary foods at the age of 6 months. And start it in case of a tendency to constipation with vegetables or dairy products. And with a tendency to liquefied stools - from dairy-free cereals. By the way, liquid stool in a bottle-fed baby is not common, since mixtures contain less water than breast milk.

In general, stool liquefaction with an increase in its frequency up to 8 times a day or more may indicate an intestinal infection. But in this case, usually not only watery stools are observed in an artificial newborn, but also abdominal pain, fever, and vomiting. With such symptoms or even partial presence of it, it is necessary to urgently contact a pediatrician or an ambulance, since infants very quickly become dehydrated. And be sure to give the child more water.

It's just that in bottle-fed newborns, periodically appearing green stools are usually not a sign of some kind of disease. This can be with lactase deficiency. And in this case, if the pediatrician notices low weight gain, and the mother complains about the child's poor appetite and pain in the intestines, it is possible to switch to low-lactose and lactose-free formulas or use special supplements with lactase before feeding. It is an enzyme that helps the baby's body to digest lactose - milk sugar.

Sometimes parents, who carefully monitor what color of stool in a newborn on IV was normal and what it became with lactase deficiency, note blotches in the feces. This happens due to lactose irritation of the intestinal walls. Usually goes away on its own. But nevertheless, it requires the consultation of a pediatrician.

In addition to lactase deficiency, artificial children may be allergic to the protein of cow or goat milk. It is expressed by the appearance of bloody streaks in the child's feces, a rash on the skin, and abdominal pain. And often the first sign of it is redness near the anus of the child. In this case, you need to switch not to a low-lactose mixture, but with hydrolyzed cow protein. Feed her baby for several months, while waiting for the maturation of his intestines, an enzymatic system that will allow the normal digestion of cow protein.

Unlike the stool of breastfed newborns, the stool of a breastfed baby is more likely to be disturbed. But it is in the power of parents to help their baby. And if possible, transfer, at least partially, to breastfeeding.