Poopy Time

Part of being a parent is the ability to correctly identify what their children are saying. Well, it would be easy if infants can actually say what they want or need. But when all they can do is cry, then it becomes more challenging. Good to know that there are crying patterns that you can attribute to hunger, discomfort, feeling sleepy, the need to be burped, and having gas in the tummy.

Now, how about determining what their poopoo means? Well, it is good to know that baby poop has been decoded and you can find a helpful guide here. It is a comprehensive guide to baby stools that has a sample image as well as an explanation. Here is additional information that you might find helpful, especially for those looking for resources pertaining to blood found in infant stool. Please be warned that this contains images of actual stools.

Image 1 – The color of the stool is bloody red and blood is clearly present. This is a product of a breastfed baby who was later diagnosed with cow’s milk protein allergy.

Image 2 – The color of the stool is light brown or greenish brown. However the stool is hard. It can appear as small balls or as one long stool. This is a product of a formula-fed baby, in particular, soy milk. And because the stool is hard, the baby can have difficulty in pushing the stool out which could result to small streaks of blood in the stool and could mean that there are small tears around the baby’s anus.

In any case, blood found in an infant’s stool is a cause for alarm. It is best to seek medical advice from your health provider right away to avoid any further complications and to know what should be done. Make sure to bring the soiled diaper/s with you so you can show it to your health provider. However, the stool as well as the blood may dry up and be absorbed by the diaper. It would help to take a picture of your baby’s stool and show it as supporting evidence. Depending on your health provider, he or she might order a fecalysis and for the laboratory to check the stool for any occult (or hidden) blood.

Turning to the World Wide Web to get an idea about what a bloody stool means is helpful and will give you an idea about what questions to ask but it can also send you over your head. Remember that each case is different. So don’t be afraid to ask questions to your health provider and don’t leave unless you are satisfied.