BABY’S POO – WHAT IS NOT NORMAL?
Having a child is a mixed experience of extreme joy and unending worries, especially for a new mother who is not experienced with babies. Are you a first time mother who always wonders, if your baby’s poo is normal while changing her nappy? Do the nappy changing sessions of your baby always leave you in doubts and worries?
Then, go through this article that includes information about what should not be considered as a normal poo of your baby. Your baby’s poo can indicate some diseases or abnormalities which is important to be treated as soon as possible.
Diarrhoea
- Your baby’s poo is very runny.
- Passing stools in larger amounts as compared to other days and more often.
- The poo is explosive which means that it spurts here and there with force.
- Signs of blood in stool.
Formula fed babies are more prone to diarrhoea as compared to breastfed babies. Therefore, it is very important to sterilize all feeding equipment and wash hands thoroughly before preparing a bottle. Diarrhoea can be caused due to an infection, more than required food or juice, reaction to a medicine, allergy to a food etc. Whatever the reason is, it needs to be treated soon or ‘dehydration’ that usually accompanies diarrhoea may prove a threat to your baby’s life. Sometimes mother ignore the symptoms of diarrhoea assuming that it is due to teething. Teething may make the texture of the poo loose but it never causes diarrhoea. Don’t ignore the symptoms of diarrhoea. Visit the doctor as soon as possible.
Constipation
Most of the young babies strain hard while passing stool. Their face may also become red. This does not necessarily indicate constipation. You can know that your baby has constipation when:
- The baby is really struggling hard for several minutes before she can pass stool.
- The poo is dry and come out in small pieces. On the contrary, the poo may also be very large and very hard.
- The tummy of your baby is tight.
- The poo has fresh blood in it.
Again, breastfed babies are at a lower risk of constipation because breast milk is easily absorbed. Formula milk is not fully digested and wrong measurements can lead to severe constipation. Always follow the measurement instructions on the packet of the formula. Increasing the fluid intake such as water or juice, if your baby is ready to drink water or juice (recommended after six months) can help relieve constipation. If your baby eats solids, you can increase fibre rich food in her diet. If you notice blood in the stool, you must visit the doctor.
Green poo
In a breastfeeding baby, green poo may indicate the imbalance of foremilk and hindmilk. Foremilk is the milk that comes out soon after you start feeding your baby. It is more watery. Hindmilk is thicker and follows after some minutes. To create a balance between foremilk and hindmilk always let the baby empty one side completely. Switching sides only after a few minutes may lead to the consumption of only foremilk from both the breasts. Hindmilk is very important for your baby as it is more nutritious. Green stool may also indicate cold, food allergy, worms, side effects of a medicine. If the colour of the poo does not change to normal within 24 hours, visit your doctor.
Formula fed babies may however, pass green stools. Some brands change the colour of the poo to dark-green. If your formula fed baby always had a green poo, the texture of the poo is normal and she is gaining good weight, there is nothing to worry about. If the colour of the poo has changed suddenly, without changing the formula brand or introduction of any new food or medicine, you may want to visit your doctor.
Pale stool
Very pale poo can indicate jaundice. This is very common in newborns. Pale stool that is chalky or whitish is a strong sign of liver disease. See your doctor soon, if you notice such a poo.
Blood in the poo
Blood in your baby stool indicates many things such as:
- Constipation
- Intestinal infection
- Intestinal Allergy
- Other severe diseases
It is always good to visit the doctor, if you see streaks of blood in your baby’s poo.
Keep an eye on the texture and colour of your baby’s poo. She can tell a lot about her health through her stools. Don’t forget to visit your doctor when you see a poo that is not normal.
HAVE A CHEERFUL, HEALTHY BABY!
