Normal stool for a 4 year old. Causes of light stool in a child. Diagnosis and treatment

Very often, an experienced doctor and attentive parents, by the type of children's bowel movements, can notice the onset of serious diseases. A mushy stool in a child of any age raises many questions. First of all, you need to figure out in which cases such a chair should not cause concern to parents, and in which it requires immediate contact with a specialist. In addition, one should clearly distinguish between mushy stools and diarrhea, that is, uncontrolled liquid stools.

The appearance of mushy stools in children of different ages

The presence of mushy stools in a child of any age is not considered the main sign of any disease if there are no other symptoms. At different life stages, unformed feces are considered differently.

Newborns and infants

In the first three days after birth, the baby passes meconium. For the next 10 days, transitional feces are observed and after that mature stools appear. All these forms have a mushy consistency of different densities. Unformed stool persists in children up to a year. The gradual compaction of feces begins only after the introduction of complementary foods, that is, from 6-7 months. Children on breastfeeding have even more liquid stool than the artificial ones.

According to Dr. Komarovsky, parents should pay attention to the general condition of the child. If he is cheerful, cheerful, has a good appetite and sleep, gains weight according to age norms, but at the same time his stool is not formed, then you should not look for unnecessary problems and start treating the baby for no one knows what. Mushy stools with a lactic odor and even an admixture of greenery or lumps for children of the first year of life is a normal phenomenon.

Another thing is if such a chair appeared suddenly and is accompanied by general weakness or anxiety, fever, poor appetite, nausea and vomiting, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

The introduction of complementary foods

Particular attention is paid to the feces of a baby who is being fed - intolerance to any product can manifest itself in a change in stool. The stools become fatter and acquire a pronounced mushy consistency if:

1. Celiac disease - intolerance to gluten, or gluten
2. Cystic fibrosis - manifested in the increased viscosity of the fluids that are produced in the body
3. Hepatitis, gallstones, underdevelopment of the bile ducts - rare, manifested in impaired bile flow
4. Creatorrhoea - undigested protein fibers appear in the feces

Treatment in this case begins with the refusal of complementary foods, finding out the true cause of the change in stool, that is, what exactly the child reacted to in this way. Prevention - complementary foods are introduced in minimal quantities.

Children from 3 years old

It is believed that the feces become formed in children who have reached the age of two or three. Their diet is almost the same as that of an adult. This is especially true for students and teenagers. The appearance of mushy stools at this age should alert parents. After 3 years, unformed stools can be a symptom of serious illness or a sign of malnutrition.

What will tell mushy feces

The appearance of a stool in the form of gruel in a child can signal the presence of many diseases and a violation of the regimen. It is more convenient to divide them into the following groups:

• Infectious - intestinal, colds, viral, for example, seasonal rotavirus infection or poisoning. Diseases are accompanied by fever, vomiting, abdominal pain
• Metabolic diseases - allergies, beriberi
• Diseases of internal organs - kidneys, thyroid gland, digestive tract
• Diseases of the digestive tract - dysbacteriosis, increased peristalsis
• stress
• Food is not age appropriate

Each of these ailments will be accompanied by unformed feces and a complex of other symptoms.

Types of mushy stool

An unformed chair is different. It is possible to assume the presence of a particular disease if the feces are in the form of gruel ...

Yellow color

Inflammation of the intestines, poor digestion of food, rotavirus infection have yellow stools as a symptom.

Contains mucus

It may be the result of a runny nose in a child, ongoing bacterial infections, and especially the specifics of nutrition. In the latter case, a stool with mucus appears in the presence of fruits, viscous cereals, sour-milk mixtures, and berries in the diet.

Appears in the morning

If the child does not have a temperature, abdominal pain, vomiting, then one-time change bowel movements in the morning should not be a serious cause for concern. It is enough to analyze what the child ate before going to bed, whether he had a stressful situation. Permanent unformed stool in the morning requires a visit to the doctor, testing - this can be a sign of serious illness.

Happens many times a day

A stool is considered mushy if it happens up to 6 times a day. This condition requires a visit to the doctor, because it is a symptom of problems. digestive system. Frequent stools over 6 times is considered diarrhea and may be a sign of intestinal infections such as dysentery or salmonellosis. After their diagnosis, appropriate treatment is prescribed. At the same time, do not forget that breastfeeding babies have stools up to 10 times a day, which is completely normal.

All parents are concerned about the health of their child. They may notice a change in the color of his feces, because of which they immediately begin to sound the alarm. Light feces in a child in the absence of other symptoms is not a pathology. Such changes occur for various reasons, including those that do not threaten the health of the baby. In the article, we will figure out why the color of a child's stool can change and what to do in such cases.

The topic may be unattractive, but the parents of a young child should be aware of what is happening with his body. It is important to know what kind of stool is normal.

The nature of the feces

Compound

The stool should be about 75 percent water. The rest is a combination of dead and living bacteria that help digest food in the intestines, proteins, food waste, fats, salts, and materials from the intestines and liver.

Smell

It is not surprising that the smell of feces will be unpleasant. Bacterial activity in the faeces creates a range of compounds and gases that cause this "flavor". However, as a rule, the feces of breastfed babies are practically odorless. If parents feel that the smell is too unpleasant, you can contact your pediatrician.

Color

Babies who are breastfed daily receive different micronutrients that depend on their mother's diet. Depending on this, the color of the child's stool may vary somewhat. On the other hand, feces also change in infants who are exclusively dairy fed and receive the same type of food every day. The reason is that the intestinal flora of the infant (the composition of bacteria that live in the intestine) changes.

Consistency

Baby stools can be hard like butter or runny like yogurt. Babies usually have yellowish stools that are granular and runny. However, dairy-fed babies have pudding-like poop. And if the baby has feces in the form of balls, there are probably some problems.

Bowel frequency

Most parents believe that the frequency of bowel movements of the child is not too important. However, this is not the case, and there are certain “rules”: for example, at six months of age, this should happen at least once and no more than six times a day.

At this age, the speed of food movement in the intestines becomes slower, because if food passes through the gastrointestinal tract too quickly, the body does not receive enough nutrients. At the same time, food should not be delayed too much, as this may cause constipation.

Age

Newborn

The stool of a newborn baby is sticky, black-green. It begins to form in his intestines shortly before birth. It contains bile, hair, or whatever the baby has ingested in the uterus. As a rule, it has no smell. After a few days, the stool becomes watery and yellowish. It is noteworthy that the bowel movements of a newborn baby are quite frequent: parents can change up to ten diapers a day.

Second-fourth month of life

During this period, the number of bowel movements is set at about four times a day. Most often they occur if the baby is breastfed. However, due to the high concentration of nutrients in breast milk, you can give it to your baby only once a week, and formula feed the rest of the time.

Fifth to twelfth month of life

When the child begins to eat solid food, the stool changes: it becomes rarer (1-2 times a day) and dense. In children who remain exclusively breastfed at this age, the stool is still frequent and watery.

First-third year of life

During the second year of life, the child's stool becomes even more dense. Between the 12th and 18th months, parents may notice large undigested pieces of vegetables in the stool. The reason for this is that the intestines are not used to "working" with such food, and problems can arise. However, this will pass on its own: over time, absolutely all food will be digested normally.

Video - What is the norm for a baby?

What can be feces?

The color of the baby's stool depends on the reaction to the processes occurring in the body. Since the child cannot always explain what is bothering him and how he feels, a change in the color of his stool is the first signal of health problems.

The color of the feces can be brown, yellow, white, gray, green, black, etc. In infants, discoloration of feces occurs more often than in older children. The thing is that the nutrition of the mother affects the color and consistency of children's feces. Normally, feces in newborns are mushy, yellow-brown and odorless. Light feces in a child at this age can be formed as a result of the introduction of complementary foods with dry mixtures. It is not difficult to distinguish this from pathology: this phenomenon disappears after about 2 to 3 days.

Also, this phenomenon can cause the process of teething. During this period, the immune system is weakened, and the body becomes more vulnerable to pathogenic microorganisms, which cause light stool in a child. If an infant has been given antibiotics for a long time, the color of the feces may also change. This indicates problems with the microflora of the colon (dysbacteriosis) and requires treatment.

Dysbacteriosis can also form for other reasons. Finding it yourself is very easy. The color of the stool can be any, but its consistency changes (it becomes either liquid (diarrhea) or solid (constipation)). There may be mucus or pus in the stool. A sign of the disease is a strong putrid smell of feces and colic. If signs of dysbacteriosis are observed in a child, it must be urgently shown to the doctor.

Causes of white feces in children

The causes of light stools, which are described below, are observed mainly in children older than one year. This phenomenon can be caused by:

• inflammatory processes in the pancreas. This condition is very rare in children, but it can cause light-colored stools. In this condition, there are also severe pains in the abdomen on the left and below;
• infection. This condition is common in children. With it, all signs of intoxication are observed (vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, etc.). The color of the feces is light and has a gray tint. Fecal changes can be observed in the first days after bacteria enter the body or after treatment in the form of a body reaction to certain medications;
• stasis of bile. Bile contains a pigment that affects the color of feces. With pathologies of the organ, feces can become light. Such conditions require urgent treatment;
• Whipple's disease. This disease is the cause of the appearance of white feces in a child, while emptying occurs more often 10 times a day, and the feces have a liquid consistency with a sharp unpleasant odor.

Modification of feces can occur for a variety of reasons, but most of them, as practice shows, are harmless and disappear within a few days. But if at the same time there is a general deterioration in the condition, it is urgent to consult a doctor. Such conditions can indicate serious pathologies.

Causes of gray feces in children

Gray feces in a child may appear when the mixture is introduced or changed. The stool becomes gray with a silvery tint in children whose mothers often feed them goat's or cow's milk. If the stool is hard and gray, then the child is probably constipated. Dirty-gray stools with the smell of spoiled cheese may indicate the consumption of a large amount of protein food. In this case, it needs to be reduced and more carbohydrates added.

Feces can change color when taking certain medications: Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, etc. If they are canceled, the color of the feces becomes normal.

There are times when a change in stool color can indicate problems with the liver, pancreas, or bile ducts.

If the feces of a child are gray for several days, then this may indicate the development of certain diseases:

• pancreatitis. Causes: insufficient development of the digestive system, improper nutrition. In children older than a year, pancreatitis can develop with excessive consumption of sweets and pastries. Pancreatitis in children usually manifests itself in the form of light-colored stools with a strong unpleasant odor, abdominal pain, elevated temperature body;
• dysbacteriosis. It develops as a result of taking antibacterial drugs during pregnancy, prolonged antibiotic treatment, and an improperly composed mother's diet. Dysbacteriosis occurs when the balance of "good" and "bad" bacteria in the intestine is disturbed. At the same time, the child has bloating and pain in the abdomen, light stools with mucus;

• hepatitis. It is not uncommon for children who attend school or kindergarten to develop hepatitis A, most often due to poor hygiene. This form of the disease occurs in children under one year very rarely. The urine of the child becomes dark in color, and the feces gradually acquire light shade;
• gray stool can be observed with rotavirus infection. The child's condition worsens, body temperature rises. Feces gradually change color and become light after 3-4 days after the onset of the disease.

The appearance of feces of another unnatural color (green, black, etc.) is due to the same factors, so parents need to carefully monitor the child's diet and regularly examine his body.

What to do?

Sometimes light feces in a child does not affect the health of the crumbs and does not indicate any pathologies. If there are no other symptoms other than a change in the color of the feces, parents should simply pay attention to the child's nutrition these days.

You can often find reviews from mothers that, for unknown reasons, the light color of the stool disappeared as suddenly as it appeared. These are just those cases when treatment is not required, it's all about cutting teeth or changes in diet.

However, if other symptoms (for example, dark urine, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, weakness, lack of appetite, extreme thirst, insomnia) are observed in addition to a change in stool color, and they do not leave within two to three days, it is necessary to consult with a pediatrician.

Diagnostics

A fecal analysis is mandatory to determine the health of the digestive system. There are several types of it:

Additionally, if a disease is suspected, a general analysis urine, x-ray of the intestine, ultrasound of the organs abdominal cavity and endoscopy.

Treatment

If a child has white feces not due to a change in diet, but due to the development of diseases of the internal organs, the doctor prescribes treatment. It is individual - depending on the diagnosis.

1. If the cause is pancreatitis, treatment should be done in a hospital. Therapy is aimed at relieving symptoms, eliminating the cause and preventing chemical and mechanical damage to the pancreas. If a child is older than two years, during the day he will have to adhere to fasting - at this time, the contents of the stomach are suctioned. This is necessary to prevent the activation of enzymes.
   When the condition stabilizes, the child is transferred to a special diet, which consists of steamed, boiled or stewed food. Meals should be at least 5-6 times a day. This diet should be followed for at least a month. Parallel to the diet is carried out drug treatment.
2. If light feces appeared due to dysbacteriosis, complex therapy is used, which includes taking medications and following a diet. It is important to eat foods that are enriched with bifidus and lactobacilli, such as yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir, etc. Also useful are vegetables and fruits not in raw form, cereals. To enrich the body with proteins, you need to eat lean meats and fish. Infants on artificial feeding should be given special therapeutic mixtures.
3. With hepatitis, treatment is also carried out exclusively in a hospital. During treatment, the child may be isolated according to the type of virus. It includes taking vitamins and special medications, repairing and maintaining the liver, detoxifying and reducing symptoms.
4. With Whipple's disease, complex treatment is necessary, consisting of taking medications, vitamins and a special diet. Therapy can take quite a long time - at least a year. During this time, you need to constantly adhere to the "Table No. 5" diet, in which the consumption of fatty foods is significantly reduced.
5. For the treatment of rotavirus infection, a special diet is observed and symptomatic therapy is used. Spices, fresh vegetables and fruits, milk, fatty foods are excluded from the diet of patients. Preference during therapy should be given to fermented milk products, jelly, liquid cereals. If the child also suffers from nausea and vomiting, it is important to prevent dehydration: for this, a weak solution of Regidron is given.

Medicines

Disease	Preparations
pancreatitis	Enzyme preparations ("Mezim", "Pancreatin"); analgesics; antispasmodics (No-shpa, Papaverine), glucose-based solutions, antisecretory drugs (Famotidine, Octreotide), drugs to improve microcirculation (Trental, Dipyridamole), antibiotics (for purulent, bacterial process).
Dysbacteriosis	Treatment takes place in two stages. First prescribe antibacterial drugs, bacteriophages. At the second stage, replacement therapy is used - taking probiotics and prebiotics. Often use "Acipol", "Linex", "Enterol", "Lactobacterin".
Hepatitis	For detoxification, it is necessary to introduce a glucose solution, take activated charcoal, Enterosgel; to restore the health of the liver, hepatoprotectors are used - "Essentiale", "Silibor"; choleretic drugs - "Holenzim", "Hofitol"; immunomodulators - "Immunal", "Dekaris"; antiviral medicines - "Interferon", "Laferobion".
Whipple disease	Antibacterial drugs ("Cotrimoxazole"); antibiotics - tetracyclines or penicillin preparations; vitamin complexes.
Rotavirus infection	Detoxification drugs ("Smecta", "Enterosgel", Activated carbon); antipyretic ("Nurofen", "Panadol"); antispasmodics ("No-shpa"); probiotics, prebiotics ("Linex", "Acipol").

Prevention

To prevent the occurrence of light stool in children, it is necessary:

• wash your hands regularly;
• include vegetables, fruits, cereals, dairy products in the diet;
• thoroughly process food before consumption;
• breastfeeding mothers - carefully control your diet.

Summing up

Light feces in a child may occur due to an improperly selected diet or a developing disease, which is important to detect and cure in time - otherwise, the life and even the health of the baby may be in danger. Parents need to monitor the condition of their child and, if it worsens, immediately consult a doctor.

Light stool in a child is not always the norm, although in infants this is usually associated with the use of a mixture of dairy products. However, with such a symptom, it is important to monitor the condition of the child: if the problem does not go away for several days, there is a temperature, diarrhea, the baby feels unwell and weak, you should consult a pediatrician.

Features of feces in a child

As the child grows, both the shade of feces and its structure change. So, feces become more formed due to the introduction of vitamins, fats, etc. into the diet. Food preferences also play a role. For example, stools and urine may turn pink after eating beetroot puree. This also happens when using other products that have a coloring pigment.

The shade of the stool depends entirely on the amount of bilirubin, the enzyme responsible for the functioning of the liver. If the body produces this component in a normal amount, the color of the feces will be light brown, but if the liver is disrupted, the color of the discharge may become lighter. In addition, the more a person consumes dairy products, the lighter the stool.

The task of pediatricians is to responsibly treat any changes in the child's stool and urine, as they may indicate the presence of a disease.

Predisposing factors

Light stool can be observed in children of different ages. The main reasons include his eating habits. If we talk about infants and children under two years old, then they may have such a color of feces when consuming sour-milk products, too fatty foods. In this case, the very structure of the feces will be oily. This is due to the fact that the digestive system can not yet cope with such heavy food.

The mother's diet, the intake of certain medications and vitamins, and the presence of diseases affect the child's stool.

But there are other reasons too:

1. Teething.
2. Introduction to the diet of new dishes.
3. Eating foods high in calcium.

Having found light excrement, it is necessary to assess the condition of the child - if he does not feel very well, you should definitely consult a doctor.

Symptoms of pathological processes

In 80% of cases, this happens when the diet changes - a light shade of feces will last for several days, then it will return to normal.

In other cases, the problem may be caused by a pathological process. In this case, the child's condition worsens, the baby may experience anxiety. If you experience the following symptoms, you should definitely consult a doctor:

• cloudy or dark urine;
• diarrhea;
• severe pain in the abdomen;
• elevated temperature;
• thirst;
• general malaise.

These signs are not normal. If you have diarrhea or vomiting, you need to call an ambulance.

Possible diseases with light stool

The pathologies listed below can cause lightening of feces.

Dysbacteriosis

With dysbacteriosis, greenish streaks are present in the feces. If the dysbacteriosis is running, the feces foam, an unpleasant odor appears. The child may be tormented by colic, the stomach becomes tense. Sometimes a rash appears on the stomach or face.

Hepatitis

It is a serious disease that affects the liver and can cause serious complications. A characteristic feature of hepatitis is a combination of light feces and dark urine. This disease cannot be diagnosed by a doctor without laboratory tests.

pancreatitis

This disease usually occurs in adults, but is often diagnosed in children. In this case, there is vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, fever.

Bend of the gallbladder

The bend can hardly be called a pathology, since it is an anatomical feature of the body. Usually, this condition does not affect the health of the child in any way, and the stool brightens due to difficulties with the excretion of bile and coloring pigments.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

The cause of pathologies in children under the age of one year can be congenital problems with the digestive tract. Diseases can also form as the baby grows up under the influence of various factors.

Rotavirus infection

It is characterized by pronounced symptoms: health worsens, body temperature rises, diarrhea bothers. On the first day after the disease, the stool may be pale yellow, then it becomes completely white.

Whipple syndrome

A rare autoimmune disease. With it, the lymph nodes increase, iron deficiency anemia develops. The number of bowel movements per day can increase up to 10 times.

Allergy

In this case, attention must also be paid to additional symptoms: itching, redness of the skin, sneezing, rash.

With timely therapy, such symptoms can be eliminated in 3-5 days, but only if the parents detect the symptoms in time.

What to do if a baby has yellow stool

Normally, the child's feces have a yellowish tint, the consistency is mushy. However, when eating a number of foods (pumpkins, carrots, even beef), feces can turn bright yellow. If the masses are closer to orange in shade, this may indicate a serious illness and malfunctions of the internal organs, especially the pancreas, for example, with problems with the excretion of bile.

If the color of the feces does not return to normal within 3-5 days, you should consult a doctor, and if accompanied by vomiting, nausea, call an ambulance immediately.

Diagnosis and treatment

It is impossible to ignore the current state of the baby, since a change in the color of the feces may indicate a serious pathology and it does not matter at what age this happens: at one, at two or at four. Only by contacting a doctor, you can determine what pathology led to such a change in the color of the stool. To identify the problem, they can prescribe:

• radiography;
• blood analysis;
• examination of feces and urine;
• endoscopy.

Treatment depends on the cause of the change in stool color:

1. Pancreatitis. In this case, the treatment will be carried out in a hospital. Therapy is aimed at stopping the symptoms, eliminating the cause. If the disease occurs in a child older than two years, during the day he will need to “starve”, since during this period the contents of the stomach are suctioned. After stabilization of the condition, it is necessary to transfer the baby to a diet consisting of boiled or stewed dishes.
2. Babies under 1 year old should be given special therapeutic mixtures.
3. With hepatitis, treatment will also be carried out in a hospital: taking vitamins, medication. Therapy is aimed at restoring liver function.
4. With Whipple's disease, you need to follow a special diet No. 5 (with a minimum amount of fatty foods), take vitamins and medicines. Moreover, therapy can last for a year.
5. Treatment of rotavirus infection is carried out with the use of medicines and diet. In the presence of vomiting and nausea, Regidron should be used.

Since light-colored stools can be a sign of serious illness, it is very important to see a doctor in time.

If the lightening of feces is episodic, and the child’s condition does not suffer at all, then common cause are nutritional factors. If light feces occur against the background of temperature, general malaise that lasts for several days, vomiting, then we can talk about the pathological aspect. In any case, to clarify the disease, it is necessary to conduct a differential diagnosis, to exclude any harmless factors provoking clarification of feces. Panic in this case will not be useful, but all parents need to know about possible pathological processes accompanied by lightening of feces.

Features of baby feces

If the liver produces bilirubin in normal amounts, then the color of the stool will be brown, light brown. In case of violations of the liver, one of the symptoms is the shade of stool, but in addition to lightening the feces, the child's urine should be examined. With pathological dysfunctions from the side of the hepatic structures, the patient's urine turns into a dark cloudy color.

Basically, the color of baby feces depends on nutritional factors. The more dairy products in the diet, the lighter the feces will be. In newborns, the entire diet is based on the consumption of milk formulas or breast milk. With artificial feeding, the baby's stool will always be denser than with natural feeding. The task of pediatricians and parents should be attentive to any changes in the behavior of the child, conduct monthly monitoring of health indicators (testing feces, blood, urine, weighing and examining).

Predisposing factors

If light feces are found in a child, his general condition should be assessed, urine should be examined, and his daily diet should be considered. Perhaps the child simply does not fit the menu selected by the parents. If the child's light stool has become the norm, you should contact your pediatrician to select the optimal diet. If necessary, the child should be examined by other specialists in the profile.

Signs of pathological processes

In almost 80% of all cases, the reason for lightening the child's stool is a change in diet or its incorrect formulation. Such feces last for several days, after which it regains its normal color. The remaining 10% of children have a burdened clinical history, some complications from the work of internal organs or systems. Here they pay attention to all the nuances of changing not only the condition of the child, but also his bowel movements. If, against the background of a light stool, the child experiences obvious suffering, and the following symptoms are added to everything, then this requires immediate clarification and correction:

• turbidity and darkening of urine (dark urine with light stool indicates viral hepatitis);
• liquefaction of the stool, diarrhea (the number of urges tends to 10 or more);
• intense pain in the abdomen;
• high temperature, not brought down by anti-heat agents;
• malaise, muscle weakness;
• strong feeling of thirst;
• emotional instability (mobility along with indifference).

All of these signs are not normal. You should consult a doctor or call an ambulance. Emergency care is especially needed for vomiting, diarrhea in young children. Children are very difficult to tolerate dehydration. It is enough to lose only 25% of the total norm and the restoration of the water-salt balance must already be carried out in intensive care. To compare the diagnosis, to find out why the child has a light stool, you need to consider many different factors. The high lethality of children under 3 years of age from intestinal disorders is due precisely to the complications of intoxication (dehydration, septic shock, vomiting and diarrhea).

Light stool and disease

Attentive parents always notice the slightest deviations from the norm, any changes from the usual way. Unfortunately, more and more children are born with congenital developmental pathologies or have hereditary factors that determine future health. It is the perinatal development of the child that largely determines the clinical history of a small patient in the future. In some cases, lightening of the stool can signal serious diseases of the internal organs or systems of the child.

Possible pathologies

The main possible ailments include the following:

• development of dysbacteriosis. In addition to clarification, greenish streaks are present in the feces. With advanced dysbacteriosis, the feces foam, have a fetid odor. The child is often tormented by colic, sometimes the stomach can be very tense to the touch. There may be a rash resembling hives. The rash is localized on the abdomen, pope or face of the child.
• Hepatitis A, B, C. Hepatitis is a serious disease that affects the liver tissue and leads to serious complications, up to the development of liver failure. A characteristic feature of hepatitis is a combination of light-colored stools and very dark urine. Even a doctor will not be able to independently diagnose hepatitis, only on the basis of laboratory and instrumental studies.
• Pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas. The disease is mainly recorded in adult patients, but sometimes occurs in children. Light feces is accompanied by frequent vomiting, nausea, pain in the abdomen of unclear localization, high fever.
• Bending of the gallbladder. The bend is more often an anatomical feature, an anomaly of formation. Over time, the child gets used to this form of the gallbladder, the condition does not cause any particular problems. Only systemic observation of a small patient is recommended. Lightening of feces here consists in the difficulty of separating the entire volume of the coloring pigment, bile.
• Diseases of the digestive tract. The cause of the pathology, especially in the newborn age, can be congenital malformations of the epigastric organs, anomalies in the structure and size of the organs. Pathologies can also form as the child grows under the influence of various endogenous or exogenous factors.
• Rotavirus infection. Rotaviruses are accompanied by a vivid clinical picture with deterioration of health, fever, diarrhea and other signs. The first day after infection, the stool in children has a yellowish pale tint, but in the following days the stool will clearly resemble white clay.
• Whipple syndrome. A rare disease, often of an autoimmune nature. The pathology is characterized by an increase in lymph nodes, the development of persistent iron deficiency anemia. The number of acts of defecation per day can reach 8-10 times, while the consistency of the stool will be formed. The smell of feces is unpleasant, the color has a grayish tint. A child has a light stool, like clay, happens precisely with this disease.

Other symptoms that characterize abnormal deviations should be considered. Thus, the appearance of blood impurities in the feces of a child may indicate both Whipple's syndrome and advanced dysbacteriosis. Internal hidden bleeding is possible. Here you should take stool tests for occult blood. Sometimes the condition of the child, even with a pathologically altered stool, may not suffer. Of course, this does not apply to rotavirus infection.

Important! Light, almost white feces in children can also appear against the background of a burdened allergic history. So, with an allergic nature of a change in the color of feces, corrective therapy of a contributing state is required. Timely therapy allows you to get rid of disturbing stools in 3-4 days. Only the attentiveness of parents and the adequate participation of doctors will help the child overcome all possible diseases.

Yellow feces

Normally, children's feces have a yellowish tint, have a soft, mushy consistency. Darkening of the feces occurs with the age of the child, when a new diet is formed. When consuming mashed pumpkin, carrots and beef, the baby's feces will be bright yellow. A slight change in the shade of the stool may indicate various disorders in the functioning of the internal organs. Saturated yellow stools, up to an orange tint, indicate a violation of the pancreas, renal or hepatic structures. This is due to obstruction of the excretion of bile. Feces are stained in the color of bile.

Darkening of urine with a light yellow stool in a child or a change in its color may indicate the development of inflammation of the kidneys and urinary tract (pyelonephritis, cystitis). Usually the development of inflammation is accompanied by fever, burning during urination.

Changing the color and consistency of feces while maintaining the normal state of health of the child does not require serious medical correction. A visit to a doctor is necessary if the changed stool persists for more than 5 days, and also if unpleasant symptoms such as nausea, profuse regurgitation of curdled masses, and vomiting in older children join. The child's body requires special attention, an individual diet and constant examinations by doctors. This is the only way to ensure the full development of the child without disease.

But perhaps it is more correct to treat not the consequence, but the cause?

What does light stool mean in children?

Light stool in a child can signal many problems. It is by the consistency and color of the stool that parents can judge the problematic conditions of the child. But you can’t immediately panic, because the feces sometimes change their color due to the fact that the baby was fed a new product. Therefore, the mother must first analyze the events preceding such changes.

What affects the color of feces?

It is worth taking into account the moment that at each age in children, feces differ in their color. As soon as the baby is born, his feces are called meconium. Such a chair will have an almost black color and a very viscous consistency. In the first 3-4 days, this situation is normal, in the future the feces will begin to brighten. It is also considered normal if the discharge has yellow or white inclusions with a small amount of mucus.

A week after birth, the feces will take on a normal appearance - light yellow or light brown in color and a liquid consistency. In a healthy child, the bowel movements should be homogeneous and at the same time have the smell of sour-milk products. Until the baby is 3 months old, green or mucous inclusions can still be found in his secretions. It's normal for babies.

The darkening of feces directly depends on the quantitative content of a pigment such as bilirubin. This substance is produced in the liver and is eliminated from the body in urine and feces.

In many ways, the color and consistency of discharge depends on the foods consumed. Babies up to a year are mostly breastfed, so dairy and vegetable food makes the stool light and liquid. The more milk, the lighter the stool. As the child's diet changes, more "heavy" foods appear in it, and the feces will become darker and harder. If a child has white feces, then the mother should remember what she ate or what she fed the child, which could be reflected in his feces in such a color.

Light feces in a child up to white can be caused by the abundant use of calcium-containing foods. For example, a mother, worried about the development of her baby's skeletal system, begins to over-feed him with cottage cheese or sour cream. As a result, the baby begins to go to the toilet with them. The light color of feces can also be caused by carbohydrate foods. And of course, do not forget about the teething period, when most babies change the color of the stool and, moreover, it becomes liquid.

To understand why the content of the diaper changes in a child, first of all, you need to pay attention to the accompanying factors: how old is the baby, what does he or his mother eat, is there a period of teething. Answering all of these questions will help narrow down the potential causes of change in children's feces significantly. It is also worth paying attention to the general condition of the baby: whether he has vomiting or a temperature, whether his appetite has deteriorated, whether his night's sleep has been disturbed. If at least one of these conditions is inherent in the baby, then you need to seek help from a specialist. After all, it is quite possible that a light stool is a sign of the development of a disease.

White feces can signal hepatitis. But parents should not immediately panic, as this disease is accompanied by other symptoms. Urine darkens first. If mom saw that everything was fine with this, then you should not be nervous and worried once again. Discolored stools can also indicate other problems.

Formula-fed babies tend to have firmer stools. Its color can vary from gray to yellow. A change in color may be due to a change in the mixture or the introduction of new foods into the diet. For example, if the baby is already a year old, then he can be given beets in small quantities. Accordingly, its discharge will immediately acquire a darker color.

Why does feces turn white?

The reasons that provoke the light color of feces in a child may be associated with the following conditions of the body:

1. Influenza or rotavirus infection. In such a situation, the feces will not only brighten, but also acquire a gray tint. Such changes are observed not on the first day of the disease, but after 3-4 days, and in some cases the stool becomes light after recovery. This is a kind of reaction of the body, which, together with feces, is trying to remove the remnants of medicines. If the problem is flu or infection, then the baby will have vomiting, diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite and sleep disturbance in parallel with light stools. Such conditions require medical supervision.
2. Biliary congestion. Dark color feces is caused by the presence of certain bile substances in the masses. If for some reason bile stagnation begins in the child's body, then his discharge will begin to brighten. Here, the anatomical features of the child's body should also be taken into account, because it is quite possible that the bile ducts and gallbladder are shaped so that they are bent or twisted. This causes obstruction. And again, this situation requires control by physicians.
3. Inflammatory process in the pancreas. Despite the fact that this disease is more inherent in adults, but kids also suffer from it. This applies more to the age category from 4 years old, when the child already has a fairly extensive diet. Inflammation of the pancreas makes itself felt not only with light feces, but also with the appearance of periodic (and with the progression of the disease and permanent) pain on the left side under the ribs, discomfort in the upper abdomen and in the navel. If the disease develops rapidly, then the pain will be given to the lower back and back. Therefore, when the baby begins to complain of this kind of discomfort, parents should immediately take him to a gastroenterologist.
4. Whipple's disease. Unfortunately, little is known about this disease, since it occurs infrequently. The most striking sign of such a disease is loose stools from 10 times a day, which has a light gray color. In this case, the consistency of feces can be foamy or pasty.
5. Reaction to medications. The child's body is more susceptible to all sorts of chemicals. Therefore, if the child was given antibacterial, anti-inflammatory or antipyretic drugs, then it is more likely that his stool will become different.

So that parents do not worry in vain, they must control the condition of the child. After all, many diseases have parallel symptoms that help to quickly specify the problem. This means that it is possible to react quickly by showing the baby to the appropriate doctor.

But, nevertheless, if a child has light feces, then in most cases this is due only to malnutrition. As a rule, such a characteristic of feces is observed in those babies who consume large amounts of fatty cottage cheese, sour cream, and milk. Of course, parents prefer homemade fermented milk products, but it is she who makes the feces light, viscous and even oily.

Why does stool turn yellow?

Yellow stool is normal for breastfed babies. For "artificial" babies, the color of feces varies in a range of brown shades. As the child grows, the color of his stool will change more and more. dark side. But, again, the nutrition of the baby and the presence of any conditions play a decisive role.

The color of feces depends largely on the foods used. For example, if a child is fed carrots or pumpkins in large quantities, then the masses will acquire a yellow-orange hue. If the color is saturated, then this may indicate the development of a pathological process in one of such organs as the pancreas, liver or kidneys. If these organs prevent the removal of bile from the body, then the feces will turn yellow.

This shade occurs in cases where the crumbs begin to be transferred to a new brand of mixture, while the feces may have an unpleasant odor. With any changes in feces, parents should carefully monitor the condition of the child. If the color and consistency do not change for 2-3 days, and the baby has additional symptoms (nausea, vomiting, fever, dark urine, etc.), then you should immediately contact a medical facility.

dangerous situations

There are a number of cases when light feces in a baby can signal the onset of a problem in the body. At the same time, it is not necessary that the baby begins to behave restlessly. If light stools go away on their own after 2-3 days, then, most likely, the mother was inattentive to the selection of products for her crumbs. But there are a number of situations when long-term monitoring of a child can cost him not only health, but also life.

Such dangerous conditions, in addition to a liquid consistency and stool changes, include the following symptoms:

• urine becomes darker and foamy;
• the child begins to defecate frequently, and the frequency of this process can reach 10 times a day;
• the baby complains of severe pain in the abdomen, and if he still cannot speak, he tries to curl up and does not allow him to touch his stomach;
• the child is constantly sick and vomits, because of which his need for fluid increases;
• body temperature begins to rise, and antipyretics do not give the proper result.

All of these conditions require an immediate response. In addition, it would be useful to get advice from a doctor if the mother noticed that the baby’s light feces last longer than a couple of days or this appearance returns with a certain frequency. In this case, the baby will have to take tests to identify the true cause.

As a conclusion

But if some obscure sign worries the mother, then you can always show the baby to the doctor. After all, early detection of the disease makes it possible to cope with it faster and avoid possible complications. The children's body is very delicate, so parents should treat the health of their baby with special attention.

Why does my baby have white, light or yellow stools?

The color of feces is one of the indicators of a person's health. This characteristic of the chair is especially informative in young children, who cannot always tell about their well-being. Therefore, it is quite justified that parents, especially an infant, pay so much attention to children's bowel movements. Sometimes the appearance of white feces in a child becomes a source of excitement or even panic. But this phenomenon does not always pose a danger to the health of the baby. Consider why a child has white feces, what is the reason for the light color of feces and how dangerous it is.

Why white feces in a child?

Experts note that in children under the first year of life, white stools are very rare. Light feces in a child may appear during the introduction of complementary foods. Therefore, when lightening the baby's stool in an infant, the mother should remember which new product was introduced into his diet.

Sometimes parents notice white feces in a child during teething. In this case, this is a temporary phenomenon that does not require any treatment and goes away on its own.

Another cause of light feces in a child up to a year old is intestinal dysbacteriosis. This disease is quite common in children of this age. At the same time, the baby's stool becomes frequent, liquid, often changes in consistency, may contain fragments of undigested food and mucus. A child suffering from intestinal dysbacteriosis behaves restlessly, sleeps poorly, his appetite may disappear, and weight may decrease.

Other causes of white feces in a child include the following diseases and conditions:

• Taking medicines. First of all, light stools occur after taking drugs containing calcium, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drugs, antibacterial agents.
• Consumption of certain foods. Products that help lighten children's bowel movements include fatty and sugary foods, and those that contain large amounts of calcium (homemade sour cream, milk, cottage cheese).
• Influenza and adenovirus infection. Most often, it is for this reason that a child has white feces. Usually, the feces lighten a few days after the first signs of the disease appear and have a grayish tint. Sometimes a change in the color of the stool occurs 1-2 days after recovery, as a reaction of the body to medication.
• Stagnation of bile in the gallbladder. The characteristic brown color of the feces is given by a special pigment that is secreted simultaneously with bile. If bile stagnates in the gallbladder, this pigment also does not come out, and the stool becomes lighter. This condition can be triggered by obstruction of the biliary tract, although sometimes it is due to the anatomical features of the gallbladder, for example, its bending or twisting.
• Hepatitis. White stool is one of the main symptoms of hepatitis. However, you need to know that in the case of this disease, the white color of the stool is necessarily accompanied by darkening of the urine. It becomes very concentrated, resembling beer in color. In addition, the development of hepatitis is often accompanied by pain in the upper right part of the abdomen, nausea, and deterioration in the general condition of the child.
• Pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas. This disease, fortunately, is quite rare in childhood, but still occurs in some babies. In addition to light feces, the child has nausea, pain in the upper abdomen, which often radiates to the back and lower back.
• Whipple's disease. Not a very common pathology, the main symptom of which is liquid white feces in a child. The frequency of bowel movements in this disease reaches 10 times a day or more, the stool has a pungent odor, pasty or foamy consistency.

yellow stool in baby

Yellow feces in a child of the first months of life, who is only breastfed, is normal. In children on artificial nutrition, it normally already has different shades of brown.

At an older age, bright yellow stools in the first place may indicate that the baby is eating a lot of orange vegetables, such as pumpkins or carrots.

At the same time, saturated yellow feces in a child can be a symptom of the development of a pathological process in the pancreas, liver, kidneys, if it is associated with impaired bile secretion. It is due to the large amount of bile pigment, which gives the stool a bright yellow color.

At baby bright yellow stool often indicates poor absorption of mother's milk. The same chair happens in the case of transferring the baby to a new artificial infant formula for him. In this case, the stools have an unpleasant sour smell. If within a few days the child's feces do not return to normal, you should show it to the pediatrician.

In any case, with any changes in the child's condition, including prolonged changes in the color of his feces, you should consult a doctor.

Is it worth worrying when you see a light stool in a child

One of the indicators of the successful functioning of the child's body is the consistency and color of the stool. No mother will remain indifferent to the unusual appearance of the contents of a baby pot, especially if she is not sure what such a symptom means. The light color of the stool in children does not always require immediate medical attention, but it is worth knowing about the causes of its occurrence in order not to miss a dangerous pathology.

Stool color in children - the norm and its variants

When breastfeeding, the stool should be yellow or apricot in color.

The bile pigment bilirubin, a derivative of erythrocytes, red blood cells, stains stools in children and adults. The liver filters this pigment, then removes it through the bladder and intestines. It is considered normal when the baby's stool has a brown color of various shades.

If this is the stool of a newborn or a baby up to a year old on breastfeeding, then it has a predominantly yellow or apricot color. In babies on artificial or mixed feeding a cream, brown or gray tint is added to the traditional color, depending on the type of complementary foods or formula.

In children older than a year, the color of the stool can be influenced by the foods consumed by the baby. Thus, beets give the contents of the pot a red color, carrots a bright orange, and drugs taken for anemia - dark brown or black. predominance meat products in the diet of baby food also stains the stool dark brown.

Change in diet as the cause of light stools

The appearance of light-colored stools is usually very alarming for parents, but often the reason for this can simply be changes in the children's menu. Most often this is the use on the eve of a large amount of dairy food with a high percentage fat content - undiluted homemade milk, cream, cottage cheese, sour cream, sour-milk drinks. It is they who can give the chair a light yellow or light cream shade.

The same color of the stool can also appear when the child consumes a large amount of sweets. If the child feels well, without showing anxiety, there is no temperature and pain in the abdomen, it is worth watching the stool for 1-2 days. Usually, after adjusting the diet, this symptom disappears.

Rotavirus infection and the contents of a baby pot

Fever and vomiting can be symptoms of rotavirus infection.

If, in addition to changing the color of the stool, the child has an increase in temperature, as well as signs of intoxication such as diarrhea or vomiting (more often both of these signs), then it is quite possible that he has a rotavirus infection.

The stool changes color from light yellow on the first day to gray-white in the next two or three days. In addition to these symptoms, respiratory manifestations may appear: redness of the throat, runny nose, cough, as well as headache and pain in the abdomen.

A common occurrence with this infection is refusal to eat, increased fatigue. When suffering from Whipple's disease, which is very rare and of unknown origin, light-colored stools with streaks of blood is one of the characteristic signs.

Along with very frequent bowel movements, anemia, polyarthritis, and swollen lymph nodes can be diagnosed in such patients. If signs of a viral infection appear in a child, medical attention should be sought immediately to avoid complications.

Medicines that change stool color

Such a symptom can be a side effect when using certain categories of drugs. The stool is discolored due to the reaction of the liver to certain drugs. They may be:

• Paracetamol
• Derivatives of acetylsalicylic acid: Aspirin, Laspal
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Nimesulide
• Antifungals: Griseofulvin
• Antiepileptic drugs: Acediprol, Valproic acid, Convulex, Leptilan

If such a reaction occurs to the use of drugs, you should consult with the specialist who prescribed the treatment in order to avoid complications for the liver and gastrointestinal tract.

Dysbacteriosis and light stool

Dysbacteriosis in children can occur after taking antibiotics.

One of the side effects of taking antibiotics can be dysbacteriosis - a change in the balance of microflora in the intestines and stomach towards the predominance of pathogenic bacteria. This condition is manifested by a violation of the usual consistency of the stool, alternating diarrhea and constipation, the appearance of a light stool with pieces of undigested food and mucus.

Loss of appetite, restless sleep, weight loss with dysbacteriosis is also not uncommon. You should not engage in self-correction of this condition, you need to seek advice from a gastroenterologist.

Most likely, he will advise taking prebiotics (Lactobacterin, Bifidumbacterin, Acipol), after which the stool should take on a normal color and consistency.

Teething

Such a seemingly completely unaffected phenomenon as the eruption of milk teeth in a baby can also influence the color of the baby's stool. It’s just worth being patient here, and trying not to miss the appearance of respiratory or viral infections during this period of a temporary decrease in immunity. It is not necessary that the light color of the stool should necessarily appear in all children who are expecting teething. However, if this symptom is joined by such as:

1. swelling and redness of the gums
2. restless and short sleep
3. slight rise in temperature
4. liquid stool
5. loss of appetite

To alleviate the condition, you can give a mild painkiller, do not insist on feeding. After the appearance of teeth, the stool should return to normal.

Light stool - a reason to be tested for hepatitis

Hepatitis can cause a change in stool in a child.

It is this reason that the parents of the child are trying to exclude at the sight of white stools, which is one of the signs of infection with the hepatitis virus. In addition to it, the following symptoms may be present:

• dark urine (color of dark beer)
• pain in the right upper abdomen and its severe swelling
• yellowing of the skin
• yellowing of the eyes
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• heat.

To clarify the diagnosis, you need to contact a pediatrician or an infectious disease specialist. Most likely they will prescribe laboratory tests to clarify the diagnosis. Hepatitis can also have a smooth course, when there are no other symptoms other than increased fatigue and pain in the right hypochondrium.

Undetected hepatitis is dangerous by the transition to a chronic form, into cirrhosis of the liver, it poses a threat to others, as it is transmitted through the blood and most body fluids of the human body.

Pathologies of the biliary tract

Discoloration of the stool can be a consequence of the pathology of the biliary tract and pancreas, such as:

Inflammation of the gallbladder, or cholecystitis, can manifest itself in addition to the light color of the stool, also pain in the epigastric region after spicy and fatty foods, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. The reason for it may be complications after suffering a sore throat, influenza, scarlet fever, gastritis, a manifestation of a reaction to Giardia, worms.

Often, cholecystitis occurs as a result of the abuse of fatty, fried foods, combined with a sedentary lifestyle, the exclusion of vegetables and fruits from the diet. The gastroenterologist will prescribe a diet, treatment, and give recommendations for a healthy lifestyle.

Another disease in which light stools can appear is the inflection of the gallbladder. It can occur as a complication of cholecystitis, or it can appear when the diet is not followed, the child lifts unbearable weights, or experiences prolonged stress.

The video will tell you in detail about the baby's chair:

Manifestations of inflection can be pain in the right hypochondrium, nausea and vomiting after eating, increased gas formation, cracks in the outer corners of the mouth, plaque on the tongue. When the gallbladder is bent, there is an accumulation of bile, its stagnation, metabolic disorders. This condition is fraught with complications such as diabetes, deterioration of muscle and vascular tone, decreased vision.

Pearly or light gray stool appears with a disease such as pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas. It occurs mostly as a result of the frequent consumption of spicy, fatty, fried and smoked foods. In addition to the acute form of this disease, which is manifested by acute girdle pain, chronic pancreatitis can occur, which is not easy to diagnose.

There may be bitterness or dryness in the mouth, chronic or paroxysmal pain, nausea and vomiting, heartburn, constipation. These symptoms are relieved by sitting or bending forward. Treatment in a hospital, adherence to a diet can lead to a complete recovery of the child.

Seeing a light stool in a child, you need to try to clarify the reason for its appearance. To do this, it is necessary to analyze the diet of his diet, the medications used, to exclude teething. If the baby's condition does not inspire concern, there are no symptoms of viral, infectious and other diseases, it is enough just to observe him for several days. If you suspect a pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, if you experience pain, fever, you should immediately seek medical help.

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Possible causes of yellow stool in a child

Yellow feces in a child can be considered as an indicator of a state of health. By the color of the feces, it is easy to determine what the baby is sick with.

In addition, considering the contents of the pot, we can draw preliminary conclusions about how the internal organs responsible for metabolic processes work.

Normal shade of feces in children

In a newborn child receiving milk from the mother's breast, feces, if there are no health problems, turn yellow or apricot.

Bilirubin, a pigment contained in bile, gives the necessary shade to the stool. This substance is a derivative of red blood cells.

The pigment passes through the "filters" of the liver and is excreted into the bladder and intestines. Due to the addition of this substance, the stool turns brown, and this color can be both pale and saturated.

The stool of a baby who is fed with artificial milk mixtures is not apricot, but cream. Sometimes it becomes grayish, which is affected by the components contained specifically in the product.

In the same dependence on the food consumed is the color of feces in a child older than a year old. For example, after digestion of borscht by the intestines, the feces of a 2-year-old baby may become reddish.

From carrots, the contents of the pot will definitely be bright orange, and from medicines to compensate for iron deficiency - rich brown.

The stools of a child who has gone to the second year always darken due to the frequent use of meat dishes.

But not only cutlets, but also any other products that occupy the main place in the diet can affect the color of feces.

Therefore, it is considered normal if the child's feces have the following shades:

• dark brown (due to a varied diet);
• light brown (appearing as a result of eating only plant foods);
• black-brown (formed under the influence of constantly consumed meat products);
• light yellow with orange added (resulting from a strict dairy diet).

The child's stools are also quite light, which can cause anxiety in parents. However, in most cases, mom and dad have nothing to worry about, since the pale yellow color of feces is the result of feeding the baby cottage cheese, cream and milk.

It is these products that are most often given to growing children, which is why their feces become creamy.

Often, sweets eaten in large quantities become the culprit for lightening feces. If, despite the appearance of feces, a 2-year-old child feels fine, and his temperature has not risen, then you should not worry about him.

Although it does not interfere with observing the condition of the baby for several days. This will help you find out if your child is experiencing symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea.

In children older than 4 years of age, feces are bright yellow. The reason for this phenomenon is the child's consumption of a large amount of fresh grated carrots or boiled pumpkin porridge.

But in some cases, the acquisition of yellow feces may be associated with the occurrence of pathological processes in the liver, gland under the stomach, kidneys or bile ducts.

"Problem" bowel movements of the child

But why a child develops diarrhea, in which the intestines are emptied in masses of a yellow hue, only a doctor can determine, since many ailments manifest themselves this way.

Children over 1 year of age most often suffer from yellow diarrhea due to food intoxication as a result of eating a product that has passed its expiration date.

The degree of poisoning can be both weak, when the baby suffers only from diarrhea and abdominal pain, and severe, in which the work of other organs is disrupted.

An infectious disease of the digestive tract or a failure in the production of enzymes necessary for the digestion of food can cause a child to feel unwell.

The production of an insufficient amount of these substances is associated with a hereditary factor.

In addition, the baby's intestines may defecate yellow feces at an unnatural frequency due to individual intolerance to certain foods and drinks.

The evidence that a child has a hereditary fermentopathy, that is, galactosemia, phenylketonuria, or celiac disease, is usually not only diarrhea.

These diseases have characteristic features only for them. Frequent yellow stools and some other symptoms also manifest diseases of the digestive system - gastritis, colitis and enterocolitis.

What kind of ailment bothers the child, doctors determine by the localization and nature of painful sensations, the frequency of defecation and appearance stool masses.

Another common cause of yellow diarrhea is the baby's emotional overstrain.

No less than stressful situations, problems with stools cause an imbalance in the beneficial and conditionally pathogenic microflora of the digestive tract.

Unfortunately, in children there is also such a disease that leads to frequent yellow stools, like acute leukemia - blood cancer.

Another manifestation of a dangerous pathology is bleeding and ulceration of the walls of the digestive organs.

A 2-year-old child may suffer from frequent bowel movements with yellow feces after long-term use of drugs that destroy pathogenic microflora in the cavity of the digestive organs.

The fact is that along with harmful bacteria under the influence of a special medicine, beneficial microorganisms that are responsible for the normal functioning of the digestive system also die.

In children, the balance between pathogenic and beneficial bacteria is much easier to break. In addition, a small child, unlike an adult, is almost not protected from side effects.

Therefore, after a course of treatment of the baby with antibacterial drugs, his condition should be monitored for a long time. The occurrence of yellow diarrhea is an occasion to urgently contact a pediatrician.

Steps to take before going to the doctor

If the child often goes to the toilet, but does not suffer from vomiting, pain and other symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases, then he needs to be looked after for some time.

While observing the baby, it is necessary to exclude from his diet products that can stain feces. If, despite all the measures taken, the stools remain light yellow, then the child must be taken to the clinic.

A doctor's consultation will be needed urgently when the parents discovered that the baby not only turned white feces, but also darkened urine.

Even a child of 3 years old can develop hepatitis or dysbacteriosis. It is also possible that the baby will feel bad due to problems with the gallbladder.

But only a pediatrician can draw conclusions regarding the causes of clarification of feces, who will prescribe effective, but necessarily sparing medicines for the child's body.

By the way, medications are also often the culprits for changing the color of stools.

If parents guess that it was the drugs that made the feces light, then they are advised to monitor whether the shade of the stool changes after the medication is completed.

Until it was possible to get to the pediatrician, a child suffering from diarrhea is recommended to give Smecta powder.

Parents need to find out what their baby drank and ate recently and with whom he came into contact. It is much easier to learn this from 2-year-old children than from one-year-olds, because the latter are unlikely to be able to tell their parents about something, who will have to draw conclusions on their own.

At the same time, they should be guided by how the baby relates to food. If he refuses to breastfeed and complementary foods, then there is no doubt that the child is sick.

When the baby, despite diarrhea, eats with pleasure breast milk, there is nothing to worry about, as soon the "yellow liquid problem" will disappear on its own.

Children older than a year old can be given not only Smecta to normalize the stool. Enterosorbents such as activated carbon and Enterosgel do an excellent job with this task.

Thanks to special preparations, toxins can be removed from the body. When vomiting occurs, which often accompanies diarrhea with yellow feces, it is necessary to give the child weak tea, saline or plain boiled water to drink.

A baby who has a fever and pain in the epigastric region needs to be urgently taken to the hospital.

Diarrhea, supplemented by the listed symptoms, may indicate the development of serious pathologies.

Therefore, having realized that it is impossible to cope with diarrhea and discomfort on your own, you must rush to the doctor so that the doctor examines the sick child.

In desperation, resorting to folk remedies is not worth it, as they may be useless, and the time during which the necessary measures could be taken will be lost.

So, the baby's feces turn yellow for various reasons. Light-colored stools are usually associated with eating certain foods, but in some situations, yellow stools are a sign of disease.

Constipation is a functional digestive disorder in which bowel movements are difficult, irregular, and painful. The concept of "regularity" in this case means approximately equal intervals of time between bowel movements. The current opinion that this must happen once a day is considered outdated.

Normal frequency of bowel movements different periods child's life can vary from 3-5 times a day to 2-3 times a week. It depends on the degree of maturity of his digestive system, metabolic rate, the quality and quantity of food he eats, as well as many other factors.

Constipation can be identified by:

• no stool for 3 or more days;
• hard, dry feces;
• too soft feces - in this case, after a bowel movement, there may be a feeling of incomplete emptying;
• the need to strain during bowel movements;
• a small amount of feces;
• heterogeneous stool containing both soft and hard fragments (lumps);
• pain after a bowel movement;
• admixture of a small amount of blood in the feces;
• the appearance of cracks in the anus.

The state of constipation is usually accompanied by such sensations as (increased flatulence), flatulence (frequent gas discharge), bloating and rumbling in the abdomen, cutting pains under the navel.

Note. In preschool children suffering from constipation, one can observe dry hyperkeratotic skin, the presence of inflammatory elements on the face (especially on the forehead and in the zygomatic zone), chest, shoulders, back, and acne. Digestive dysfunction is also usually accompanied by a tendency to atopic dermatitis.

Classification

Based on the causes and nature of the course, constipation is divided into several types.

• Transient

Everyone has experienced it at least once. This type of bowel disorder is the result of malnutrition. So, in older children, it can occur due to the abuse of products made from white flour of the highest grade, nuts, fruits and vegetables that increase gas formation (grapes, melon, pear, plum, persimmon, cabbage, mushrooms), sweets, carbonated drinks, eggs , legumes.

Transient constipation is considered if it occurs rarely, and the cause of its occurrence is not in doubt. Such a malaise usually resolves on its own with the normalization of the diet, or after a slight medical correction.

• Functional (organic)

It occurs as a reaction to an already existing disease in the body. The causes of functional constipation are very diverse: it can be as a congenital pathology gastrointestinal tract(GIT), and organic damage to the central nervous system, one of the many temporary dysfunctions of the digestive system, hypersecretion of hormones, lack of digestive enzymes, rickets, helminthiasis.

• Psychological

It can develop in a child who has experienced at least once discomfort and pain during bowel movements. The reason is often the pressure of parents fixated on daily bowel movements and forcing the baby to sit on the potty for a long time. Other stress factors can provoke the disease: a sharp change in the place of residence, the children's team, the period of adaptation to kindergarten, misunderstanding from peers.

With artificial feeding

Constipation in formula-fed newborns and formula-fed infants is much more common than in infants who are exclusively breastfed. Given the fact that infant formula is made from cow's milk, it cannot be absorbed completely. Therefore, bowel movements in such children should occur at least once a day, but ideally - 2-3 times.

As in the case of infants, the main indicator of a normal stool for an artificial person is his well-being. If the baby is active and cheerful, does not show signs of anxiety, he regularly passes gases, but at the same time, bowel movements occur only once a day - this does not go beyond the norm.

Constipation in a one-month-old baby who is bottle-fed does not necessarily indicate the presence of serious diseases. Perhaps the reason is inappropriate milk formula or in its abrupt change. A functional indigestion can also be caused by a lack of drinking water - its daily amount depends on the weight of the child, his age, season and is agreed with the pediatrician.

Should I change the mixture? If a formula-fed or formula-fed newborn develops problems with defecation, the pediatrician may advise transferring him to a special treatment-and-prophylactic milk formula. Such mixtures contain less protein than conventional ones, they contain prebiotics - lactulose and oligosaccharides. The solution to the problem can also be the introduction of fermented milk mixtures, which are digested faster due to the partially fermented protein.

What to do if a child has constipation? A light massage of the abdomen with the palm of a warm hand in a clockwise direction, a warm diaper folded four times, applied to the stomach, can help. As a preventive measure, the child must often be laid out on the stomach - this is the most optimal position not only for wakefulness, but also for sleep.

If these measures are not effective enough, it is necessary to make a cleansing enema or put a gas outlet tube. It is impossible to abuse these procedures, because with frequent use they worsen intestinal motility. If a newborn has constipation that lasts more than 3-7 days, it should be shown to the doctor.

6 months - 1 year

The period from six months to 12 months is characterized by the gradual introduction of complementary foods. Replenishment of the baby's diet depends on the season in which complementary foods are introduced, and usually begins with boiled vegetables, fruit purees and juices. The appearance of constipation after the introduction of complementary foods is a natural phenomenon, since during this period the baby’s gastrointestinal tract encounters food unfamiliar to him. The chair should be at least 1-2 times a day.

To help the digestive organs cope with the increased load, pediatricians recommend:

1. Introduce complementary foods very slowly - no more than one new ingredient per week. Seven days is a period sufficient to study the body's reaction to unfamiliar food.
2. After the baby’s menu is replenished with several new products, alternate them at intervals of 1 time in 3-4 days - this will help diversify the diet and prevent the accumulation of possible allergens.
3. Starting complementary foods with fermented milk products is permissible with the permission of the pediatrician and provided that the child’s gastrointestinal tract reacted to the introduction of vegetable complementary foods with constipation, colic, bloating, and an allergic reaction.
4. Exclude fermenting fruit juices and purees from complementary foods - apple, grape, plum, and corn porridge.
5. When introducing cereals, focus on buckwheat and oatmeal (you don’t know which cereal is better to start complementary foods with, read).

Even if all the doctor's advice is followed, the baby suffers from irregular and painful bowel movements, you should visit a gastroenterologist and take tests for the balance of intestinal microflora, as well as undergo other recommended examinations.

1 year - 3 years

This period is characterized by a gradual rejection of breast milk / milk formula and a complete transition to the "adult" table. The gastrointestinal tract continues to adapt to new products, so constipation in a one-year-old child is a phenomenon that many parents complain about. The kid already eats almost all types of cereals, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, poultry, rabbit, beef.

Determining constipation is already much easier - the child has communication skills, and sometimes speaks well. He can point to his tummy and ass, complain of pain, be capricious.

Around 1-2 years of age, there is also a rejection of diapers and potty training. This is a difficult psychological moment, often causing protest in the baby. Therefore, at this age, a functional violation of defecation can also be of a psychological nature.

Therapy of constipation in children aged 1-3 years, in addition to following the diet prescribed by the pediatrician and taking probiotics, also includes methods of pedagogical influence. It is categorically impossible to force a child to sit on the potty, scream and punish if he did not have time to reach his potty and get dirty, forbid him to get up from it until it is completely empty. All toilet training methods should be gentle and contain more elements of encouragement than blame.

From 6 months to 4 years, the main milk teeth grow. When there is discomfort in the gums, which makes it difficult to chew food thoroughly. This factor also contributes to unstable stools. Special anesthetic gels that are applied to the gums and slightly freeze the nerve endings help to alleviate the sensations. It is also recommended to give your baby plenty of solid foods that help teeth erupt faster.

3 years - 5 years

4 years is the average age at which many children go through kindergarten adaptation. To psychological difficulties, the load on the immune system is added - visiting a children's team is fraught with infectious and viral diseases. Often it is during this period that the baby's body first gets acquainted with antibacterial drugs.

Antibiotics are medicines that destroy harmful bacteria, reduce the likelihood of complications, and quickly improve well-being. The main side effect of taking them is the death of not only the pathogen infectious disease but also beneficial intestinal microflora. The result is constipation, flatulence, abdominal pain, diarrhea.

To minimize the negative effect of taking antibacterial drugs, you must:

1. Accurately adhere to the doctor's prescriptions for the dosage and duration of the drug.
2. During the treatment period, more often give fermented milk products with live bacteria (better - home-cooked yogurt).
3. After antibiotics, be sure to take a course of taking probiotics that restore the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract.

It is very difficult to identify worms with the help of tests, therefore, age-appropriate antihelminthic drugs must be included in the treatment of constipation in a child of kindergarten age. They are toxic, so they are taken according to the prescription and under the periodic supervision of a doctor.

Treatment

What to give a child for constipation? The treatment is prescribed in a complex way: the therapeutic course necessarily includes probiotics, drugs that improve peristalsis, drugs for helminths.

Medications to treat constipation in children

Drug treatment is used only if the child suffers from persistent constipation that cannot be corrected by dietary nutrition.

Folk methods

Plants that improve the digestive process can also help in eliminating discomfort. These include medicinal herbs, fruits, vegetables, dried fruits:

1. Medicinal decoction No. 1. Make a mixture of equal portions of fennel, oregano and elderberry, add ½ serving of anise fruit to it. 1 st. steam a spoonful of the resulting mixture with a glass of boiling water, insist, give the child 100 ml to drink twice a day.
2. Medicinal decoction No. 2. In equal proportions, mix oregano bark, birch leaf, fennel flowers, tricolor violet and licorice. Art. pour a spoonful of the mixture with water, bring to a boil, keep on fire for 10 minutes. Give the child chilled in as much as he is able to drink.
3. Hay grass. This laxative has been known for a long time. To get a pleasant-tasting medicine for constipation for children, you should take 200 g of various dried fruits (prunes, raisins, dried apricots, figs), 100 g of rose hips, 50 g of hay, grind the mixture with a blender or meat grinder, add honey to it until obtaining a soft texture. A child older than 1 year can be given 1 teaspoon twice a day, after three years the dosage can be increased. This mixture not only helps to regulate the frequency of bowel movements, but also strengthens the immune system.
4. Mix freshly squeezed aloe juice with honey until a pleasant aftertaste is obtained, give children over three years old 1 teaspoon on an empty stomach.
5. Dry dandelion roots pour boiling water at the rate of 1 tbsp. a spoonful of grass in a glass of boiling water, insist, give a teaspoon three times a day.

Important! All folk remedies are based on natural ingredients that have a high allergenicity index. It is also unacceptable to use prescriptions for children under 1 year old without first consulting a doctor. If the child has a tendency to allergies and is less than 1 year old, it is better to give him the usual medicine from constipation in children.

Nutrition for constipation

Products that should be discarded (strengthen), and vice versa, should be used (weaken) for constipation in a child

With functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, it is important to adhere to the principles of a healthy diet. The diet of children older than 1 year should consist of 5-6 meals. You can not give them too large portions, you should accustom them to slowly chewing each piece.

It is unacceptable at this age to give children to try foods that are harmful even to adults - fried, smoked, salted, canned, fatty, seasoned with spicy sauces.

The menu must contain such products from constipation:

• boiled vegetables (beets, broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin, carrots) and dishes from them;
• based cereals, cells, oatmeal;
• prunes, dried apricots, figs;
• yogurt, kefir;
• natural juices with pulp;
• products from rye flour with bran.

With a tendency to constipation, exclude from children's menu followed by semolina and rice porridge, white flour bakery products, sweets, cocoa, whole milk. Cottage cheese can be given, but not every day.

For normal bowel movements, it is necessary to ensure that the child drinks enough water. For artificially fed children, water is introduced into the diet from birth, for breastfeeding - from 6 months, simultaneously with complementary foods. Water should be given as much as the child wants, but not less than 500 ml per day.

Constipation in children is a condition that requires mandatory treatment and nutritional correction. If this is not done, chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, intoxication of the body may develop. To normalize digestion, it is equally important to ensure that the child walks a lot in the fresh air, spends enough time in active games with peers. It is useful to enroll children over 3 years old in sports sections.