Artificial green stool: causes. Green stool in infants breast-fed.

The child’s chair is one of the most important health indicators. Already in the maternity hospital, the doctors always ask mummies when they go around, if the baby has poked. How and how much a child poops will be further interested in district pediatricians and nurses - with home nursing and during examination at the clinic. In this article we will look at everything about the chair of infants, as this is an extremely important component of the life of young children, and we will consider not only the chair of children who are breastfed, but also those who receive artificial nutrition.

Why is it important to pay attention to how a child poops? The frequency of bowel movements and the main characteristics of the stool (quantity, color, presence / absence of impurities, texture, smell) allow us to evaluate, first of all, the work of the child’s gastrointestinal tract. In addition, it is possible to make a conclusion on the nutrition of the baby (including whether he has enough breast milk); Changes in stool characteristics may indicate the presence of diseases in other organs and systems. Of considerable importance is the fact that children have a bowel movement regularly (often daily), most of the properties of feces can be easily assessed visually (upon examination), and therefore for attentive parents any changes in the stool do not go unnoticed.

But what to do when changing the regularity or qualities of the chair: to call a doctor, to treat yourself or not to worry at all - everything will pass by itself? How is a baby normally supposed to cluck, and how does the stool change in different periods of his life?

About the norm and its variations

Norm is a relative concept. I am always surprised when I hear “a baby should take 3-4 times (2-5 or 1 or 10 times, it doesn’t matter) a yellow gruel a day.” Remember, your child does not owe anyone or anything. Every baby is an individual since birth. How his bowel movement will take place depends on a lot of factors - on the degree of maturity of his digestive system, on the type of feeding, and even on the type of delivery, and on the accompanying pathology, and on many other reasons. The main reference points for determining the individual norm for your child are the child’s well-being, regularity, painless defecation, and the absence of pathological impurities in the stool. Therefore, below I will cite not only the average normal values, but also the extreme values ​​of the norm and its variants, depending on the influence of various factors.

Frequency of defecation

After the discharge of meconium (the original feces of a viscous consistency, brown or black-green), from 2-3 days the child has a transitional feces - dark green or yellow-green, semi-fluid. From 4-5 days of life in a newborn, a certain rhythm of bowel movements is established. The frequency of acts of defecation varies in a fairly significant range: from 1 time in 1-2 days to 10-12 times a day. Most babies poop during or immediately after a meal - after each feeding (or almost after each). But the chair every 2 days will also be a normal variant - provided that it is a regular chair (occurs every two days), and the act of defecation does not cause the child anxiety or pain (the baby doesn’t scream, but only slightly groans, feces easily no excessive straining).

With growth, the child begins to cluck less often: if during the neonatal period his stool was on average 8-10 times, then by 2-3 months of life the baby poops 3-6 times a day, at 6 months - 2-3 times, and by year - 1-2 times a day. If, from the first days of life, the baby was cough 1 time per day, then usually this frequency persists in the future, only the consistency changes (the mushy chair gradually becomes shaped).

Amount of feces

The amount of feces is directly related to the amount of food consumed by the child. In the first month of life, the child poops quite a bit - about 5 g at a time (15-20 g per day), by 6 months - about 40-50 g, by the year - 100-200 g per day.

Stool consistency

The norm for newborns is a soft, pasty consistency. But even here fluctuations within the normal range are quite permissible - from liquid to rather thick gruel. Ideally, the chair is uniform, evenly smearing, but it can be liquid with lumps (if the child pokes at the diaper, the liquid component is absorbed, slightly painting the surface, and a small amount of small lumps can remain on top).

Than older child, the more dense his chair becomes, representing thick pulp by half a year, and by the year it becomes practically decorated, but at the same time soft enough and plastic.

Colour

Yellow, golden yellow, dark yellow, yellow green, yellow with white lumps, yellow brown, green - each of these colors will be normal for a newborn's chair. After completion of breastfeeding feces become darker and gradually acquires a brown color.

Green feces

Please note that greenish, swamp green, yellow-green colors are normal variants, and green staining of feces is due to the presence of bilirubin and (or) biliverdin. Bilirubin can be excreted with feces up to 6-9 months, that is, the greenish color of the stool during this age period is quite normal. In newborn babies, the transition from yellow to green stool and back is especially noticeable during physiological jaundice, when maternal hemoglobin disintegrates and bilirubin is actively released. But in the following days and months of life, before the intestinal microflora is completely formed, the presence of bilirubin in the stool, giving feces a green color, is acceptable.

It is also quite normal when the feces are excreted initially yellow, and after a while it “turns green” - this means that the feces contain some amount of bilirubin, which is imperceptible at first, but when contacted with air it oxidizes and gives feces green.

On the other hand, if a baby (excluding a child with) never had a green stool, and suddenly the feces become green or streaked with greenery, a functional digestive disorder will be more likely (against the background of overfeeding, introduction of complementary foods, etc.) ), or lack of milk from the mother, or some kind of disease in the child (intestinal infection, etc.).

Smell

In a breastfed infant, the stool has a peculiar, slightly sour smell. Artificial children have feces that have an unpleasant, putrid or rotten smell.

Impurities

In general, any impurities in the stool - undigested food particles and other inclusions, blood, greens, mucus, pus - are considered pathological. But the period of neonatality and infancy is exceptional periods, even pathological impurities can turn out to be quite normal. We have already talked about greenery and found out why green color can (although not always) be a variant of the norm. Now let's look at other impurities in the child’s stool.

Normally, babies in the stool may have the following impurities:

White lumps   - due to the immaturity of the digestive system and enzymes in the baby, because of what the child does not fully absorb the milk (especially when overfeeding). Provided that the child is feeling well and the weight gain is normal, these inclusions can be considered normal.

Undigested food particles   - appear after the introduction of complementary foods and are explained by the same physiological immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract. Usually, the stool is normalized within a week, if during this time the character of the feces in the baby does not return to normal, the supplements are most likely introduced too early and the infant is not yet ready for it.

Slime   - mucus in the intestine is constantly present and performs a protective function. Its appearance in small quantities in breastfed babies is a variant of the norm.

What kind of impurities should not be in the baby’s chair:

• pus;
• blood.

Their presence is a dangerous symptom, and if even small amounts of pus or blood appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Changes in stool depending on the nutrition of the child

Baby breastfeeding chair

Eating a baby who is breastfed and how the mother feeds will depend on the baby’s chair. When the mother complies with the basic rules of nutrition for nursing women, restricting excessively fatty foods and sweets in the diet, the baby’s stool usually meets all the criteria of the norm — yellowish, mushy, free of impurities, regular, uniform. If there is an excess of fat in the woman’s menu, breast milk also becomes fatter, making it difficult to digest, and therefore the infant may also have white lumps in her feces. A diet rich in easily digestible carbohydrates often leads to an increase in fermentation processes in the intestines of a child, and is accompanied by frequent, fluid, sometimes foamy stools, with rumbling, abdominal distention and intestinal colic. With severe bloating instead of loose stools, constipation is possible.

Certain foods in the diet of a nursing mother can cause in infants, which manifests itself not only in the form, but also in the form of changes in the stool - it becomes liquid, with mucus.

If there is a shortage of milk in a nursing mother, the baby’s stool first becomes viscous, thick, then dry, green or grayish-green, crumbling, shrinking, or persistent constipation.

Mixed and formula-fed baby stools

Compared to babies receiving breast milk, babies are bottle feeding   cocoa is less common (in the first months of life - 3-4 times a day, by half a year - 1-2 times a day), their stools are denser, putty-like consistency, dark yellow in color, with an unpleasant putrefactive or sharply sour smell. With a sharp transition to artificial feeding, with a change in the usual mixture, stool delays (constipation) are possible or, on the contrary, appear.

Feeding mixtures with a high iron content (for prophylaxis) may be accompanied by the release of feces of a dark green color due to the presence of non-absorbed iron in it.

When feeding infants not with artificial adapted mixtures, but with natural cow's milk, various problems with the chair are even more often observed: chronic constipation or diarrhea. The feces of such children are usually bright yellow, sometimes with a high shine, with a "cheese" smell.

Changes in the chair on the background of the introduction of lure

By themselves, the lures, which are for the child a completely new kind of food, require the active work of all parts of the digestive tract and enzymes. In most cases, children do not fully digest the first feed, and undigested particles come out with a chair, they can be easily seen in the baby’s feces in the form of heterogeneous inclusions, grains, lumps, etc. At the same time, a small amount of mucus may appear in the stool. If such changes are not accompanied by anxiety of the child, vomiting, diarrhea and other painful symptoms, you do not need to cancel the supplementary food - its introduction should be continued, very slowly increasing the one-time portion of the dish and carefully observing the baby’s well-being and character.

Separate feeding foods, for example, vegetables with a high content of plant fibers, can have a laxative effect - the stool becomes more frequent (usually 1-2 times compared with the norm for a given child), and the stools sometimes are a slightly altered dish. For example, mothers say that they gave the child boiled carrots, and he poked the same carrots after 2-3 hours. When initially the goal was not to stimulate the emptying of the intestines of the crumbs (the child did not suffer from constipation), it is better to postpone keeping the product that caused such a reaction, switching to more “tender” vegetables (zucchini, potatoes) or cereals.

Other dishes, on the contrary, have a fixing effect and increase stool viscosity (rice porridge).

All this should be taken into account and correlated with the peculiarities of the child's digestion when introducing supplements to him.

In general, the introduction of any supplements in healthy children is accompanied by an increase in the number of stools, its heterogeneity, changes in smell and color.

Pathological changes in stool and methods of treatment

Now consider what changes in the frequency of defecation or in the qualitative characteristics of feces are abnormal and indicate digestive disorders, diseases or other pathological conditions.

Defecation frequency disorders

There are three options: constipation, diarrhea, or irregular stools.

Constipation

The concept of constipation includes one or more of the following symptoms:

• delayed bowel movements - 2 days or more; for a newborn child, the absence of a stool for a day can be considered constipation, if earlier it was used several times a day;
• painful or difficult defecation, accompanied by a cry, straining a child; frequent ineffective straining (the child tries to poop, but cannot);
• thick consistency of feces, "sheep" chair.

The main causes of constipation in infants:

• lack of milk from mom;
• irrational feeding (overfeeding, improper selection of mixtures, feeding with cow's milk, the early introduction of additional foods, lack of fluid);
• low physical activity;
• immaturity or pathology of the digestive system;
• associated diseases (pathology nervous system, etc.);
• organic causes (intestinal obstruction, dolichosigmoid, Hirschsprung disease, etc.).

Help with constipation

With acute constipation in infants, regardless of the reasons for the delay in the stool, it is necessary to establish a bowel movement. At first, you can try to help your baby in this way: when he is straining to try to poop, bring the knees bent to his tummy and lightly (!) Press on the tummy for about 10 seconds, then do a light massage of the abdomen clockwise around the navel, repeat the pressure . In the case of the ineffectiveness of ancillary measures, it is recommended to use children's glycerin suppositories or make the child microclysmic (Microlax). In the absence of home first aid kit   For children's laxatives, you can perform a cleansing enema with boiled water at room temperature (within 19-22 ° C) - use a sterile (boiled) syringe of the smallest volume for a child during the first months of life. You can also try to stimulate bowel emptying reflexively, irritating the anus (by inserting the syringe tip or the venting tube into it).

Sometimes difficulties in defecation are caused by a large number of gas in the intestines of the baby - it is quite easy to understand by the way the baby cries when you try to poke, his tummy is swollen, rumbling can be heard, but gases and feces do not leave. In such situations, massage of the abdomen and legs are also used; you can simply try putting the baby on the tummy, wear it on your arms, putting it on your forearms with your stomach. Facilitating the discharge of gas (and after them and the chair) warming the tummy (the mother can put the baby on her stomach, face to face; put a warm diaper to the stomach). Of medicines   Simethicone preparations (Bobotik, Espumizan, Subsimplex) give a fairly quick effect on the elimination of colic, and herbal remedies (dill water, Plantex, fennel decoction, Baby Calm) are used to improve the discharge of gas.

In case of repeated constipation, it is not recommended to constantly use reflex stimulation of the sphincter tube or to use cleansing enemas - it is highly likely that the child will “get used” to drinking alcohol not independently, but with additional help. In the case of chronic constipation, it is first necessary to establish their cause and, if possible, eliminate it. Treatment of chronic constipation in infants should be comprehensive, including correction of mom's nutrition or the selection of artificial mixtures, competent timely introduction of complementary foods, daily walks, gymnastics, massage, and, if necessary, supplementation with some water. Less commonly appointed medications   (Lactulose, etc.).

Diarrhea

Under diarrhea understand the rapid (2 or more times as compared with the individual and age norm) bowel emptying with the release of diluted stool. Diarrhea does not include the constant release of small amounts of feces (slightly smearing the surface of the diaper) during the discharge of gases - this is due to the physiological weakness of the anal sphincter, and with the growth of the child during the discharge of gases, the feces cease to go.

The table below lists the most likely causes of diarrhea in infants.

Irregular chair in infants

An irregular stool is an alternation of constipation with diarrhea, or alternation of a normal stool with constipation and / or diarrhea. The most likely causes are poor feeding, intestinal dysbiosis. Irregular stools can be a manifestation of chronic constipation, when, after a long absence of stool, a large amount of liquid stool appears.

When an irregular stool should, first of all, pay attention to the nature of the child's diet. If nutritional errors are excluded, there is no overfeeding, the baby receives food according to age, then you should consult a doctor for further examination and treatment.

Changes in the amount of stool

A decrease in the daily amount of feces in infants is observed mainly in case of constipation and fasting - in both cases, the stool is dense, does not move well, is dark yellow or yellow-brown in color. Abundant stools are possible against the background of overfeeding. Permanent excretion of large quantities of feces, especially unusual color, with a sharp unpleasant smell, requires compulsory examination of the child (to exclude enzyme deficiency, bowel disease, etc.).

Changes in consistency

Feces become more dense with constipation, dehydration and lack of food; liquid - on the background of diarrhea for any of the reasons.

Color changes

As we have already disassembled, the color of feces baby   highly variable, and most often color changes do not pose a danger - with some exceptions - the baby’s feces should not be colorless or black.

Black color is an alarming symptom that can be a sign of bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract, and with a black chair, you should always eliminate bleeding first. In addition to black stools (melena), bleeding may be accompanied by pallor, lethargy of the child, often vomiting with an admixture of scarlet blood. Also, black stools are noted when swallowing blood in case of nosebleeds.

However, there are also quite harmless reasons for a baby's feces of black feces:

• taking iron supplements;
• swallowing babies blood while sucking at nipple cracks in mom.

Pathological impurities

There should never be any impurities of pus or scarlet blood in the baby’s stool (even a streak of blood) - if they are found, you should immediately seek medical help. Pus may appear in inflammatory (infectious and non-infectious) intestinal diseases, blood in the case of bleeding from the lower digestive tract, in severe infectious diarrheas, in case of cracks in the anus, etc.

When you need to see a doctor immediately

Urgently seeking medical help (calling an ambulance) is necessary if the baby has at least one of the following symptoms:

1. Black stools (not associated with iron supplementation).
2. Scarlet blood or blood streaks in the stool.
3. Diarrhea with high fevervomiting.
4. A chair in the form of “raspberry jelly” - instead of feces, pink-colored mucus comes out - a sign of intestinal invagination.
5. Colorless stools in combination with yellow skin and eyes.
6. A sharp deterioration in the child's well-being: lethargy, pallor, monotonous cry, incessant crying, etc.

Not only the above, but also any other “incorrect” changes in the baby’s chair that you are not able to find an explanation for yourself or are not sure of their reasons, require a pediatrician’s consultation. It is always better to be safe and discuss the signs disturbing you with the doctor.

Which doctor to contact

When changing a child’s stool, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician. After the diagnosis and tests, the doctor can refer the parents and the child to consult a gastroenterologist, an infectious diseases specialist, an allergist, an endocrinologist, a surgeon, a hematologist.

Young parents, whose child is on artificial feeding, often complain of constipation in the baby. Constipation in newborns in the absence of natural feeding is not uncommon. Of course the situation is unpleasant, but everything is fixable. It is only necessary to eliminate the causes of problems with the digestion of the baby during artificial feeding.

How to recognize the problem

Many parents begin to worry if the newborn has a rare chair. However, the rare stool frequency does not always indicate constipation. Children who are fed artificially or fed on mixed feeding go to the toilet less often than their peers who eat mother’s milk. This is due to the rapid formation of the enzyme environment, and therefore in a rare stool, 1-2 times a day there is nothing to worry about.

First of all, it is not the frequency of bowel movements that should cause anxiety, but the consistency of its contents. If the crumbs have a rare, but soft chair, do not worry and do not run after the enema, your baby is all right. But if you notice that the stool is hard and it hurts the baby to go to the toilet, start to sound the alarm.

With a normal stool consistency, emptying the bowels 1 time in 3 days is considered an acceptable norm for artificial feeding. If there is no stool longer than 4 days, it can be suspected that the newborn is indeed constipated.

According to pediatricians, those babies who are breastfed suffer from constipation more often. The reason for this is the composition of baby food, which contains fatty amino acids and unnatural additives. The stomach of infants is not designed to digest such components, as a result of which the digestion process takes longer and the intestines simply do not have time to empty themselves.

However, artificial nutrition does not always lead to constipation in newborns, the digestive system can fail if there are such reasons as:

1. Abrupt change in the type of food. For example, if from birth you breastfed your baby and suddenly for some reason transferred it to artificial mixtures, intestines may respond to constipation.
2. Lack of fluid. In contrast to children who receive breastfeeding, children-artificials need to be doused with water. This will make up for the lack of fluid that causes constipation.
3. Frequent change of brands of food. The composition of baby food from different manufacturers may vary. It is for this reason that children - artisans need to be fed with the same brand of mixture. In this case, the baby's stomach quickly adapts to the food and digestion is normalized.
4. Disbalance of intestinal microflora. Dysbacteriosis can occur from taking antibacterial drugs, when artificial feeding from birth, passive smoking, stress, birth injuries. The diagnosis can only be made by a specialist, who will prescribe an adequate therapy. Babies who get breast milk rarely come across this phenomenon, since all the beneficial microbes are transmitted to it from their mother's milk. Also, constipation is quite common in children with mixed feeding. Especially if mom or baby gets antibiotics.
5. Psychological causes of constipation are also not rare. This can happen to a child older than 8 months. At this time, the baby begins to realize that he wants to go to the toilet and a one-time pain during bowel movements may cause fear. For this reason, the child may tolerate and not go to the pot, which ultimately leads to constipation.
6. Also, the problem can provoke a kind of intestinal structure. This problem should pass by itself to school age.

Signs of impaired stool:

• Lack of defecation for more than 4 days.
• Hard belly
• When attempting to empty the bowel, the infant turns red and cries.

When observing these signs in an infant, you need to consult a pediatrician, only a doctor can identify the true cause of constipation, and self-treatment in some cases can only aggravate the situation.

Prevention of digestive disorders

Most often, digestive disorders occur in children, starting from one month of age. It was during this period that many mothers notice increased gas formation, flatulence and constipation in a baby. Experts advise to carry out preventive actions from the very birth of the crumbs to avoid all these troubles.

1. Diet. Artificially fed babies should be fed strictly by the hour. It is necessary to feed the child in equal parts, at regular intervals.
2. Laying on the belly. From the first days of birth, the baby needs to be put on the tummy more often. This will protect it from increased gas formation and constipation.
3. Tummy massage. Circular hand movements, in the direction of clockwise movement, are excellent prevention of digestive problems in infants.
4. Drink plenty of water. This applies only to children - artificialities. Giving water or infusion of dill should be in between feedings.
5. If dysbacteriosis became the cause of constipation, the treatment prescribed by the pediatrician quickly normalizes the stool of the crumbs.

Laxatives and enemas

Many mothers with manifestations of constipation in the newborn, independently prescribe a child laxatives or enemas. According to pediatricians, this is not recommended. The intestines of a child can get used to work only with the help of medications, and the problem of constipation can be delayed for several years.

Laxative medicines, as well as an enema, can only be prescribed by a doctor.

Everyone knows that there is no better food for the child than mother's milk.

But if for some reason you are forced to introduce artificial mixtures into the baby’s diet, carefully choose the best product for the baby. Today in the pharmacy chains there are many types of baby food, enriched with vitamins and beneficial bacteria. Before choosing a diet, be sure to consult with your pediatrician, he will advise the most appropriate mixture for your baby. Follow all recommendations for the prevention of digestive disorders and your baby will grow healthy and strong.

Mixed and artificial feeding of newborns is often complicated by various disabilities with the health of children. Usually, intestines suffer from mixtures. And the smaller the child, the more difficult it is for him to go through a period of adaptation to artificial feeding. In this article we will tell about the features of a child’s chair up to a year.

A newborn's stool is artificially fed up to seven times a day, just like a baby who feeds on breast milk, how many times a day the baby decides only his body decides, this is individual. True, such a frequent stool at the artificialists is rare. Usually kids cocoa 1-3 times a day. And the frequency of stools in the newborn normally decreases with the introduction of complementary foods to his diet.

Children's feces are very different from adults. As long as the baby eats only the mixture, the stool does not smell at all or has a slightly sour smell. Its color can vary from yellow to green. Sometimes mothers notice the chair 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 fully digested. But this phenomenon is usually temporary. And single white lumps should not frighten parents.

What you need to pay attention to? In the first place on the well-being of the child. It is immediately apparent from him whether he is healthy or not. If the baby has a normal, seemingly yellow, koshetsoobraznyy chair, but at the same time he screams during bowel movements, 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 already older than 4 months. and artificial feeding can be adjusted using a quality mixture. There is not much difference, will this mixture be based on bovine or goat protein, since their proteins are very similar in structure, it is important that it is suitable for the child. It will take several days to adapt to the mix. After that, parents should see a happy, healthy, well-fed, without skin allergies, diarrhea and constipation of their child.

Diarrhea or constipation in the newborn with bottle-feeding

This problem may be the result of a one-time change in the brand of the mixture or its unsuccessful choice. If nutrition has not changed, then it may make sense to transfer the child to another mixture. Only very neat. For at least 7 days, one mixture should be gradually replaced with another.
   At the same time, the mixture to which the replacement is made must 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 crap up to 2-3 days without any risk to health. But if the mother notices that the baby is bubbling in the tummy, he is straining, crying, he needs help. It is easiest to do this with the help of a glycerin candle - a nursery (“Glitselaks”) or half from an adult. Another good option is the microlax microclysters. They are also partially composed of glycerin. Some mothers insert a cotton swab into the anus of a child and press down slightly on the wall of the rectum, thereby causing the baby to urge to push. But it is better not to do so in order to avoid injuries.

It is important to prevent chronic constipation. In this condition, the child does not have a stool for several days due to the fact that his rectum has ceased to respond to pressure on its walls of a small portion of feces. Just stretched out. Then you need a treatment. Usually, it is enough to take lactulose syrup for a few weeks (Duphalac or Normase). It is absolutely safe, and at the correct dosage (selected individually) it helps the baby to empty the intestines daily, and at about the same time.

It can provoke hard stools or, on the contrary, is one of the means of treating constipation. It is usually advised to administer supplements at the age of 6 months. And to start it in case of a tendency to constipation from vegetables or dairy products. And with a tendency to liquefied stool - with dairy-free cereals. By the way, loose stools   It is not common for an artificial-fed infant to occur, as mixtures contain less water than breast milk.

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

Simply, artificial-fed newborns with occasionally appearing green stools are usually not a sign of some kind of illness. This may be when. And in this case, if the pediatrician notices low weight gains, and the mother complains about the child’s poor appetite and bowel pain, it is possible to switch to low-lactose and lactose-free mixtures or use special supplements with lactase before feeding. This is an enzyme that helps the child's body digest lactose - milk sugar.

Sometimes parents who carefully monitor the color of the stool in a newborn on the IW were normal and what became with lactase deficiency are noted in the feces of blood dissemination. This is due to lactose irritation of the intestinal walls. Usually runs independently. But nevertheless consultation of the pediatrician demands.

In addition to lactase deficiency, artificial children may be allergic to cow or goat milk protein. It is expressed by the appearance in the child's feces of a bloody streak, a rash on the skin, pains in the abdomen. And often the first sign of it becomes redness near the anus of a child. In this case, it is necessary to switch not to a low-lactose mixture, but with hydrolyzed bovine protein. To feed her baby for several months, in anticipation of the maturation of his intestines, the enzymatic system, which will allow normal digestion of cow protein.

In contrast, an artificial feeding chair in a child is more often disturbed. But the strength of parents to help your baby. And if there is an opportunity, translate, at least partially, into breast-feeding.

With the advent of the child in the family, along with the long-awaited happiness, the first serious problems arise. If it so happens that your baby is breast-fed, then quite often you have to deal with the problem of constipation in newborns. This is due, as a rule, to the fact that the digestive processes in people are quite complex, and children's body   unable to quickly adapt to new products. In order to avoid such troubles you need to very carefully approach the question of choosing a mixture, determine the volume needed by your baby, the size of the hole in the nipple, the input mode of the complementary foods. If you make mistakes in the above moments, then the toddler may have problems with the chair.

The main signs of constipation in newborns

1. The number of bowel movements during the day;
2. Color and texture of the chair;
3. Is the process easy for him;
4. Does this not cause discomfort.

Than less child, the more often will be the process of defecation. For a newborn, this happens up to seven times a day. Gradually, by the age of one year old, the physiological norm becomes stool once a day. If a baby has problems with the work of the intestine, then emptying occurs much less frequently than it should be, the process itself is very hard and causes unpleasant sensations. A crumb can cry or behave very restlessly. His appetite decreases, the quality of sleep decreases. Often the disease is accompanied by abdominal distension, and the masses themselves become quite dense texture.

The truth is that the absence of stool in children up to four days is allowed, if the child feels good and there are no signs of external anxiety.

The main causes of problems with the stool in infants

Too early switching to feeding with mixtures often causes constipation in a newborn infant. To avoid this situation, you need to choose the right mixture for feeding. If you have a need for the introduction of mixtures, it is worth further consult with your pediatrician. He will be able to make recommendations based on age, individual characteristics, timing and types of necessary complementary foods.

The choice of mixture plays a key role in solving problems with defecation in children. Unfortunately, to give specific recommendations for choosing artificial nutrition is impossible. Since the solution to this issue is purely individual in nature. It should be noted that constipation in newborns contributes to a mixture with high protein content.

It is also necessary to consider that a sharp transfer to artificial feeding, or the replacement of the usual diet sometimes becomes the cause of constipation. Therefore, in such matters it is not necessary to make sudden movements, and to carry out any changes gradually.

Additionally, you should pay attention to the following reasons:

1. Dysbacteriosis - violation of intestinal microflora. The disease can occur in various forms. Sometimes it lasts a long enough period of time, and it is treated with great difficulty. AT infancy   sometimes accompanied by a violation of the bowels. There are cases when a baby is born with intestinal dysbiosis. The reason for this is the health problems of the mother during pregnancy. Most often, the cause of constipation wrong mode   baby food.
2. Lack of breast milk from mom, and as a consequence, insufficient amount of nutrition.
3. Increased body temperature for colds and infectious diseases in children. What can cause a decrease in intestinal tonus.
4. Violations of the process of isolation of certain enzymes. As a rule, in infants such a situation occurs in the presence of lactose intolerance (sugar), which is found in milk.
5. Pathologies in the development of the gastrointestinal tract. Congenital bowel problems. Such cases are quite rare.

How to eliminate problems with a chair in an infant

To adjust the work of the intestines, it is necessary to streamline the processes of feeding the crumbs. If you need to artificial lures, it is necessary to give preference to adapted milk mixtures, the composition of which is closest to the composition of breast milk. When feeding with infant formula, babies should be given more liquid. Regular drinking water should be given between feedings. Also, if there are difficulties with the digestive processes in children, dill water can be given. Immediately before feeding the toddler should be put on the tummy and make a light massage.

If you noticed that certain foods that were introduced into the diet become the cause of constipation, then it is worth reviewing the menu of your baby.

Methods of treating constipation in newborns

In order to treat the pediatrician prescribed drugs that have a laxative effect. This approach can be used if all non-drug methods have not had the desired effect. Laxative medications with irritating ingredients are not prescribed to children. In such cases, prescribed treatment drugs, which include lactulose. For this, as a rule, Dufalak, Normaze and others are prescribed. The effect of such drugs is very mild, and they do not cause habituation of the organism. A very effective means to address the issue of constipation in newborns is glycerin candles.

If you see that the crumb cannot be emptied within two days, then you can also give him an enema.

Young mothers should remember that laxative drugs in the event of a violation of the stool in infants is an extreme measure. First of all, it is necessary to analyze the reasons for which violations of the gastrointestinal tract, and eliminate it.

Laxatives are used only as directed by the pediatrician.

Many factors can cause the disruption of the bowels in children, and if you understand that you cannot cope with the situation on your own, then you should definitely consult a doctor. Because such a symptom sometimes indicates the presence of a serious disease.

The most accurate answers to the question of what is the cause of such a state are sometimes given only by clinical tests.

In order to prevent such situations from occurring, it is worth doing the following:

1. Regularly massage the abdomen. For this it is necessary to stroke the palm on the stomach in a circular motion in the direction of clockwise movement.
2. To do gymnastics, stimulating the work of the intestines. Good help movement "bike". To do this, gently foot baby emit movement when riding a bicycle.
3. Before feeding should lay the crumbs on the belly.
4. Arrange a warm bath baby.
5. Give the child fennel tea or dill water if there is increased gas formation during constipation.
6. Revise the diet and exclude bonding foods.

Constipation in newborns with artificial feeding. The main signs, causes, methods of treatment and prevention.

Good afternoon, dear readers!

I appeal to the parents of infants. We are all concerned about the condition of our children. The nature of feces is one of the indicators that everything is fine with your baby. If the stool changes shade, then the disease has settled in the body. Consider what color should be the chair in infants.

In infants up to one year old, breast and artificial feeding feces may be fundamentally different. This is due to the food consumed and the characteristics of digestion. However, there are times when a change in the color of the chair speaks of the onset of the disease. And it is important for parents not to miss this moment.

Immediately after birth, there is a black and green stool in the child. It is called meconium and is completely sterile. Meconium leaves the body of the newborn for three days.

Do not be afraid of this chair in infants, dear parents! Its appearance is absolutely natural and not dangerous for an infant.

When the baby begins to breastfeed, his chair changes shade. The color of feces can be:

• bright or light yellow;
• orange;
• light or dark green;
• light brown.

Stool rate

A semi-fluid stool of mustard color appears in the child on the fifth day after birth, when meconium is finally released. The feces are accompanied by a sour odor, which indicates that the baby eats milk. If the baby is breastfed, bowel movements should be released at each feeding.

Sometimes there is a green chair in infants. If there is no infectious disease, the baby behaves normally, then such a chair is considered normal. He is called "hungry." This means that the baby only absorbs the front skimmed milk, and the fat, back, either does not reach it, or for some reason (for example, lack of enzymes) is not absorbed.

Deviations in feces

The norm is light yellow feces. If the baby is already feeding on breast milk. And he had green, bright orange or white stools, this may be due to violations:

• reaction to medications that can alter stool (activated carbon, iron);
• high content of bile (this may be due to the introduction of complementary foods in older children);
• breast milk is poorly digested (feces can be either green or bright orange);
• increased bilirubin (orange feces);
• hepatitis in newborns (feces become white);
• dysbacteriosis (bright feces).

In the first months, the presence of bilirubin is normal for newborns. Feces can change shade and teething. If there are no other changes (consistency, smell), then the case is most likely in the nature of the food. It needs to be urgently changed and revised.

Consistency: possible violations

A large role in determining the health of the baby has a stool consistency. They may appear additional blotches, indicating the onset of the disease or abnormalities in digestion:

• White lumps - curdled milk. This suggests that the digestive system of the baby can not cope with the amount of incoming food. Usually such a phenomenon is observed when complementary foods or new Product   in mother's food. During prikorma white blotches sometimes appear when indigestion of fiber.
• Slime. Small amounts of mucus in the feces should be present. However, some factors contribute to an increase in the amount of mucus: improper breastfeeding, overfeeding, improperly administered or premature complementary foods, runny nose, intestinal diseases, dermatitis, dysbacteriosis, reaction to medicines.
• Foam. This is not a good symptom associated with infectious diseases. Sometimes foam can be a sign of diarrhea or food allergies. But the foam that appeared in the feces cannot be ignored. Most often it is a sign of intestinal infection.
• Blood. The red stool is a bad symptom. You must immediately contact the doctor. The causes can be the following conditions and diseases: cracks in the anus, dermatitis, polyps, intestinal inflammation, bleeding, worms, lack of vitamin K.

If the newborn liquid stool is yellow, this consistency can be considered the norm. To distinguish normal feces from diarrhea, look for other symptoms:

• fecal volume increased;
• vomiting, nausea;
• unpleasant smell;
• greenish tint;
• elevated temperature;
• a lot of mucus, blood;
• weakness.

If these signs are present, run to the doctor, as the baby may be in danger.

So, now, dear readers, you know about the possible deviations in the health of your baby, associated with the digestive system, and you can take action in time.

Bottle-fed

Artificial feeding with mixtures makes its own adjustments to the nature of the feces of the child. The mixtures are as close as possible to their composition. breast milkHowever, the consistency is much thicker, and based on the milk of animals. Changes in bowel movements may also occur if the child is forcedly translated from breast feeding   on artificial.

Normally, the shade of feces should be light brown or yellow. The consistency is slightly denser than that of babies. The smell is more pronounced. When translating a baby from chest to bottle feeding feces may temporarily acquire a greenish tint.

Because of the mixtures, the feces of the child of the artificial artist are much denser. Because of the stool will be irregular thick. On average, the number of bowel movements per day is halved compared with infants. It is not recommended to experiment often and transfer the baby to another mixture. This can lead to constipation or, conversely, to diarrhea.

Deviations in babies-iskuschnikov in the presence of disease are manifested in the same way as in infants. If you notice blood foam, feces, mucus or white blotches, you should immediately consult a doctor.