Yellow, sour-smelling stools in a child. Why does the smell occur

feces usually have bad smell but it is a smell that is common and unremarkable. Fetid stools are unusually strong, putrid smell. In many cases, foul-smelling stools are due to the foods you eat and the bacteria that have colonized your large intestine. But fetid feces can also indicate serious problems with health. Diarrhea and flatulence (gas) may accompany foul-smelling stools. Such feces are often soft or liquid, and there is no regular bowel movement.

Causes of bad stools

Often the cause of bad-smelling stool is a change in your diet. Another common cause is a chronic disorder of digestion, absorption, and transport in the small intestine ( malabsorption). Enteropathy ( chronic diseases small intestine) occurs when the body is unable to absorb required amount nutrients from the food you eat. This usually happens when there is an intestinal infection or a disease of the intestinal mucosa that prevents the absorption of food nutrients.

Common Causes of Malabsorption

• Celiac disease - a reaction to gluten with damage to the lining of the small intestine and disruption of the normal absorption of nutrients
• Inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease or colitis
• Carbohydrate intolerance - the inability to digest sugars and starches
• Food allergies, such as milk protein

A common symptom of malabsorption is fetid diarrhea.

• If you have inflammatory disease intestines, then the reaction to certain foods is manifested by fetid diarrhea or constipation, flatulence. Gases can also have an unpleasant odor.
• Intestinal infections can also be accompanied by an unpleasant smell of feces. Shortly after the infection develops, abdominal cramps may occur, followed by foul-smelling, loose stools.
• Some medicines can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea. If you are allergic to ingredients, nutritional supplements, then taking some multivitamins can also lead to foul-smelling stools. Foul-smelling stools can occur after a course of antibiotics and persist until the normal bacterial flora of the intestine is restored.
• Fetid diarrhea may be side effect overdose of multivitamins or any one vitamin or mineral. Diarrhea associated with multivitamins or drug overdose is a sign of a medical emergency. High doses of vitamin A, D, E, or K can cause life-threatening side effects.
• Other conditions that can lead to smelly stools include chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, and short bowel syndrome ( surgical removal part of the small intestine that interferes with absorption of nutrients).

Signs of bad-smelling stool

Symptoms that may be associated with smelly stools include:

• Liquid stool (diarrhea)
• Soft feces
• Frequent bowel movements
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Vomit
• Flatulence
• Bloating

Bad-smelling feces may be a sign of a serious illness. Contact your doctor immediately if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Blood in the stool
• black chair
• pale stool
• Fever
• Abdominal pain
• Unintentional weight loss
• Chills.

How is smelly feces diagnosed?

Bad stool is diagnosed by a doctor after you answer questions about your stool, such as

• consistency
• when did you first notice the bad smell
• how frequent are the urges
• what has changed in your diet (take a good look at what you ate before your stool became smelly), foods you recently started eating.

Forecast

The prognosis for health depends on what caused the foul-smelling stool. Most conditions that cause bad-smelling stools are treatable. However, diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease will require dietary changes and drug therapy throughout life.

Prevention

Necessary dietary changes can help prevent bad-smelling stools. If your bowel disease is related to a reaction to certain foods, your doctor can create a diet plan that is right for you. A well-chosen diet can help reduce abdominal pain, bloating, and smelly stools.

Avoid food bacterial infections through proper food preparation. There are no dietary restrictions, it is important to cook beef, poultry, pork and eggs in such a way as to exclude bacterial contamination. Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk. Do not cook meat and vegetables on the same cutting board. Cooking them on the same board can lead to contamination of vegetables with salmonella or other bacteria. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat and toilet use.

Feces by themselves do not have pleasant aroma. But if a child has loose stools with the smell of rotting, fish, acid, and so on, then this may be evidence developing disease. What are the features of the smell with diarrhea in a child, because of what it appears, and what to do. More on this later in the article.

Why does the smell occur

loose stool With pungent odor the child may develop under the influence various factors. Among them:

• malnutrition associated with an excess of protein foods or fiber;
• viral damage to the intestinal wall (rotavirus);
• inflammatory processes in the digestive tract;
• salmonellosis;
• cholera;
• the use of low-quality products;
• dysbacteriosis;
• the use of antibacterial agents the day before;
• infectious diseases;
• hepatitis;
• dysentery;
• exacerbation of chronic bowel disease.

What does the smell mean?

When a child has loose stools with a smell, you need to pay attention not only to the smell itself, but also concomitant symptoms. In the future, this will help narrow the range of necessary diagnostic measures and facilitate diagnosis. Regardless of the cause of diarrhea, it is accompanied by such phenomena as: the absence or presence of elevated temperature, rash, nausea or vomiting. In addition, it should be noted whether there are inclusions of mucus, pus, blood in the fecal stools, whether there is foam and other points.

What does sour smell mean?

Loose stools in a child with a sour smell almost always accompanies a rotavirus or common intestinal infection, enteritis. In this case, stools may be light shade. The frequency of the urge to defecate can reach 8 times per day or more. Possible fever, pain in the epigastric region varying degrees intensity. With rotavirus additional symptoms lacrimation and redness of the eyes appear.

A sour smell with diarrhea in a child may be a consequence of taking antibiotics. To eliminate it, it is enough to normalize the composition of the intestinal microflora through the use of probiotics and prebiotics.

It takes several months from birth before the gastrointestinal tract of the baby adapts to the processing of food coming from outside. That is why the problems of colic, dysbacteriosis, and irregular stools are typical for newborns.

Features of the child's stool (normal)

For parents, these difficulties can become serious reason for worry. Pediatricians again and again tell moms and dads about the children's body, give directions for tests, prescribe drugs.

The stool in the baby is determined by the quantity and quality of food consumed, as well as general condition health!

In the first weeks, it is considered normal if a bowel movement occurs after each feeding. Even if the stomach is cleared in two or three days, then this is not a reason for panic. Accordingly, no matter how people would like to standardize everything, there are no exact figures provided here, everything is individual.

Meconium in a newborn:

Immediately after birth, the contents of the stomach of the baby are characterized dark color, it is practically odorless, as it does not yet contain bacteria. Meconium leaves completely on the second day, sometimes the process takes longer. The nutrition in the womb was completely different, so the stool has unusual shade and composition.

Meconium in a newborn always dark, but can vary in shades from yellow to green.

After, on the 3rd - 4th day, the stool takes the form of a yellowish slurry. Due to getting used to mother's milk first, a delay in emptying is natural. If after three days the newborn has not pooped, then it is best to seek help. The specialist will massage the tummy or apply an enema. After simple procedures, everything will be restored, and the newborn will feel better.

Feces of the baby breastfeeding yellowish, do not contain impurities, liquid consistency. On artificial nutrition the child poops at regular intervals, the result is darker and denser.

Frequent stool in the chest. It is considered normal if emptying occurs up to 7 times a day or up to once every 3 days. If there are significant deviations from the above data, then it is advisable to resort to the help of a specialist.

Why does my stomach hurt?

The introduction of supplementary feeding with a mixture can cause constipation in infants. Additional food provokes the colonization of the baby's intestines with beneficial bacteria, as a result of which constipation and discomfort appear.

All this causes anxiety and crying. Even if it seems that the little one does not have enough food, it is advisable to wait a little with the mixture. Apply new food Better only on the recommendation of a pediatrician. If, nevertheless, the mixture cannot be dispensed with, then for several days the child may experience pain and discomfort in the tummy.

What will the color say?

The residual contents of the stomach come out in the first days of life. At this time, the stool in the baby resembles tar, it is dark green in color, almost does not smell.

Shades of feces in newborns from birth to complementary foods:

Further, from the fourth day, appearance approaching gray-green or yellowish tint. The more the baby consumes mother's milk, the faster the color returns to normal. Without deviations, babies poop about 4 times a day.

If the child is breastfed, then by the second week the marks on the diaper become yellow and remain unchanged for a long time.

Shades of feces in children with the introduction of complementary foods:

In the future, with the introduction of complementary foods, the feces of the baby become different shades. After the first portions of apple juice, the stool darkens, since the necessary enzymes are not enough yet, oxidation occurs. Carrots make the stool brighter, zucchini and broccoli give a green tint.

The appearance tends to change, it depends on the diet of the nursing mother and on what was additionally given to the baby to eat.

Frequency: rarely or often?

If the stool in the baby is of the usual consistency, yellow, then frequent trips“For the most part” is no reason to sound the alarm. The main thing is that the baby is active, has good appetite. So he assimilates the received nutrients, frequent bowel movements It's not diarrhea yet.

Regular watery toilet causes dehydration, so treatment should be started as soon as possible!

Anxiety should cause the appearance of foam, mucus and an unpleasant sour smell. In this case, you should consult a doctor. The cause may be an intestinal infection or an incorrectly chosen way of eating.

Rare emptying can cause anxiety in young parents. If there is no bowel movement for 2 days, then on the 3rd baby is able to empty himself. It is not recommended to stimulate the intestines of the baby. If the baby poops less than once every 3 to 4 days, then you should resort to the help of a doctor.

Helps out in normal situations light massage tummy clockwise, but you should not get carried away with enemas, they wash out the unformed intestinal flora.

If the stool contains blood or its slight traces, it is important to understand why this happens. Lack of vitamin K causes low clotting, blood enters the internal organs. Also, the reason sometimes lies in hemorrhagic disease. Seeing a doctor and taking a vitamin will improve the situation.

Feces with blood in a newborn:

Because of the cracks in the anus, traces of blood appear, this happens with numerous constipation. Many adults mistakenly think that blood has got in when the baby eats beets, tomatoes or watermelon.

loose stool most often occurs due to the peculiarities of the mother's diet. A large number of vegetables in the diet leads to thinning of the stool.

The introduction of infections is a much more serious cause of the appearance of watery results of vital activity.

Loose stools in a newborn:

The infection is accompanied by fever and irritability of the baby, the newborn refuses to eat. In this option, calling a health worker is mandatory, since frequent bowel movements lead to dehydration.

A common occurrence in newborns is foam stool . It occurs with a lack of nutrition, then it is advisable to supplement the baby with a mixture. A lack of lactase causes foamy stools.

Lactase is a special enzyme responsible for the digestion of milk. It should be added to the mother's daily menu so that it enters the baby's food.

Foamy stool in a newborn:

In addition, foam may be a reaction to new food. In such cases, it is recommended to postpone the addition of new foods for a while so that more enzymes are produced in the digestive system, which contribute to trouble-free absorption.

Slime in the feces appears due to the inability to cope with the volume of incoming food. Depending on the age, the specialist offers his own solution to the problem. The way out is to add foods like kefir or rice porridge to the diet.

Stool with mucus in a newborn:

The appearance of lumps indicates poorly processed food. Lumps indicate overeating. With the introduction of complementary foods, such particles are a sign of undigested fiber.

In any case, you should follow general well-being child, as well as the frequency of atypical bowel function. Temperature increase, nervous state indicate unhappiness. Do not self-medicate, the baby needs to get timely medical care.

Characteristics in color and smell

Green chair in the early days - a common, natural phenomenon. Within a couple of weeks, the feces may be green, as a substance, bilirubin, is excreted from the body. Further, green color give new foods added with complementary foods: broccoli, zucchini. Most often, greenery is not an alarming signal. If color changes are accompanied by unpleasant putrefactive odors, temperature, nervous behavior of the baby, then you need to seek qualified help.

yellow stool characteristic of breastfeeding children. Shades depend on the fat content and density of mother's milk, on the functioning of enzymes.
The darkening of the secretions indicates oxidative processes. Complementary foods containing apples provoke dark chair. Iron-containing preparations also cause oxidation.

Slightly considered normal sour smell feces of a breastfed infant. With constipation, waste products darken and acquire an unpleasant rotten smell. Most often, dysbacteriosis manifests itself in this way. In this case, the doctor prescribes special bacteria to populate the microflora. By using special analysis- coprograms an accurate diagnosis is made and selected suitable method troubleshooting.

Breast stool parameters are one of key indicators the correct functioning of his body. A change in color, smell and consistency of bowel movements is a response to changes in the diet and condition of the baby. How should feces smell? healthy newborn? And what causes deviations from the norm?

Norms for breastfeeding

In the first 2-3 days after birth, the baby's feces are called primordial or meconium. It consists of swallowed by him amniotic fluid, epithelial cells and other substances. Meconium, which is tarry and black-green in color, is odorless.

Until the 10th day of life, the mucous membranes of the newborn are actively colonized by bacterial flora, and its intestines adapt to mother's milk. During this period, there is a transitional feces of a greenish color and a mushy, liquidish consistency. It smells sour.

In the future, a stable individual defecation schedule is established. The feces of the baby becomes mature. Its main characteristics are:

1. yellow
2. homogeneous consistency with slight inclusions of mucus and white flakes (undigested milk)
3. cream density
4. unobtrusive smell, reminiscent of the aroma of kefir, cottage cheese or sour milk

Appearance of the stool of an infant feeding breast milk, depends on mom's menu. Small deviations from the above norms are possible. They should not scare parents if the baby is gaining weight and does not show signs of anxiety.

Norms for formula feeding and complementary foods

At the newborn artificial feeding immediately after the passage of meconium, formed feces appear. It has a thick homogeneous consistency, dark yellow or Brown color and a typical odour, but not too pungent or putrid. The emptying of the intestines of the newborn occurs 1-3 times a day.

Regardless of the type of feeding, after the introduction of complementary foods, the baby's stool begins to gradually approach "adult" parameters. At the stage of adaptation to a new type of food, pieces of undigested vegetables and fruits may appear in the stool, and their smell will be sour. If the baby is not tormented by pain in the tummy, gases and a rash on the skin, then complementary foods do not need to be canceled. Over time, his gastrointestinal tract will adjust to solid foods.

Possible deviations

Sudden changes in the properties of feces or its uncharacteristic appearance from the first days are the reason for more careful monitoring of the baby. If the smell is very sour, pungent, putrid, swampy, or smells like rotten eggs, and the secretions themselves are green, gray or black and have a liquid or too solid consistency, then, most likely, the health of the baby is not in order.
Possible causes of deviations in stool parameters:

1. nutritional imbalance
2. constipation
3. allergic reaction to breastfeeding mother's food or formula
4. dysbacteriosis
5. lactase deficiency
6. infectious diseases

Nutritional imbalance

The appearance of watery, frothy stools with a sharp sour smell - possible sign the fact that the baby receives too much foremilk with a high sugar content. This is also indicated by anxiety during feeding and irritation around the anus of the baby. But he is gaining weight.

To eliminate this problem, it is necessary to keep the baby at one breast for 15-20 minutes or to express a little milk before feeding. Thanks to this, the baby will be able to get to the hind milk, which contains the substances he needs.

Allergy

The most obvious symptom of a food allergy is an itchy rash on the body. But in a newborn, this disease can be accompanied by problems with stool. The feces become frequent, green, watery, foul-smelling, mixed with mucus and sometimes blood (in reaction to cow's milk).

An inappropriate mixture can provoke such a picture with artificial feeding. It is better to choose it together with the pediatrician. Most likely, the baby will have to be transferred to a hypoallergenic mixture in which protein cow's milk additionally split or replaced with goat. You may also need treatment with antihistamines.

If the baby receives only breast milk, then the mother needs to reconsider her diet. Food intolerance is very individual, but most often allergies are caused by such delicacies as whole milk, coffee, factory-made pastries, caviar, ready-made sauces, chocolate, crayfish, strawberries, and so on. Also, a nursing woman should avoid any dishes with synthetic flavors, dyes, preservatives and other harmful substances. All sorts of "chemistry" in food adversely affects the work gastrointestinal tract the baby, and his stool has an unpleasant odor.

Abuse of vegetables and fruits by the mother can also lead to irritation of the intestinal mucosa: the fruits contain not only vitamins, but also acids that enter the milk.

lactase deficiency

Very sour smell stool may be due to lactase deficiency, that is, a lack of an enzyme responsible for the absorption of milk sugar. In addition to the aroma, signs of this condition are foam in the stools, their green color and wateriness, and increased gas formation. The process of defecation is usually accompanied by a loud “pop”, the baby is not gaining weight very well, and diaper rash appears on his buttocks. The diagnosis is confirmed by examining feces for carbohydrates.

To begin with, doctors recommend reducing the amount whole milk in the diet of a nursing mother. If this does not help, then the lactase enzyme is prescribed. With artificial feeding, a low-lactose mixture is selected.
In most cases, by 9-12 months, the baby's body begins to produce enough of the necessary enzymes on its own. The only exception is severe cases lactase deficiency due to genetic characteristics.

Dysbacteriosis

Dysbacteriosis is a violation of the balance of beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms in the intestine. In infants, it manifests itself in the form of rapid, liquid, green stools with foam, mucus and a fetid odor. The kid suffers from flatulence and is not gaining weight very well.

This condition is diagnosed based on clinical manifestations and analysis of feces for microflora. Many experts consider this analysis to be uninformative, so they focus primarily on the condition of the crumbs. If there are real problems with his health and development, then a course of probiotic preparations is prescribed.

Breastfeeding during treatment does not need to be stopped, because milk contains elements that accelerate the reproduction of beneficial bacteria in the intestines. And for "artificial" children, it is prescribed healing mixture with pre- and probiotics.

Constipation

Constipation is a very common problem for formula fed babies. Its signs:

• stool less than once a day
• hard stools that smell like rotten eggs
• painful bowel movements

You can solve the problem with fermented milk mixture or laxatives prescribed by a doctor. In addition, it is important not to overfeed the baby.
On breastfeeding constipation is rare. In the first months of life, the baby can empty the intestines once every 3-5 days. But if at the same time a soft stool is observed, and the baby’s tummy does not hurt, then there is no need to worry: the milk is simply absorbed without a trace.

If there are characteristics constipation, then mom should pay attention to her menu. Protein foods and refined foods help “fix” the intestines, while fresh kefir, apricots, prunes and beets “relax” it.

infections

A sudden change in the odor of the stool to a sharp and putrid one, accompanied by pain, vomiting and fever, may indicate the development infectious disease at the breast. The discharge is very liquid, frequent and unusual in color (gray, bright green).

IN infancy intestinal inflammation is most commonly caused by rotaviruses. The main danger of this condition is dehydration. Therefore, when the appearance warning signs you need to call a doctor and provide the baby with a drink. These can be oral rehydration solutions or breast milk.
Uncharacteristic smell of feces baby can be one of the signs of incipient health problems. But don't panic. The Real Threat exists only if the little one feels very bad. In all other situations, the problem can be solved with a slight correction in the nutrition of the mother or baby.

In the presented video, the famous doctor Komarovsky will talk about intestinal infections in children.

Immediately after birth, the baby passes meconium - viscous, dark green stool. Then comes the physiological dyspepsia of the newborn, which lasts 2-4 days. In this condition, the feces are heterogeneous, contain impurities of greenery and mucus, a watery spot forms on the diaper around stool. This is how the child's gastrointestinal tract adapts to the new conditions of existence, after which the stool returns to normal. Physiological dyspepsia of newborns does not require treatment: without outside intervention, the feces become more formed and homogeneous, in the future its nature will depend on the type of feeding, the introduction of complementary foods.

When feeding exclusively, the stool of the baby, as a rule, occurs after each feeding, up to 6-7 times a day, it is of a mushy consistency, yellow color, without impurities of greenery and mucus. Gradually, by the age of 1, when the baby begins to receive complementary foods, the bowel is released less often, up to 1-2 times a day, the feces become denser and dark brown.

Black baby stool. This is very alarm signal indicating the need to immediately apply for medical care. Black stools are observed with gastrointestinal bleeding from the upper sections digestive system, namely the stomach or small intestine. The product of the destruction of red blood cells - hemoglobin, passing through the intestines, gives feces dark color. At heavy bleeding there is weakness, lethargy, the baby refuses to eat. But it should be borne in mind that some drugs, such as iron preparations that are used to treat anemia, also stain feces black, which is usually indicated in the instructions for the drugs.

Pathological impurities in the feces of the baby

White lumps in the stool of the baby. The appearance of white lumps in the feces of an infant indicates digestive disorders. They are undigested food residues. If this is extremely rare, but otherwise the stool is normal, and the baby is gaining weight normally, then no treatment is required. Parents should pay attention to whether feeding is well organized, whether the child overeats, whether the milk formula is prepared correctly if the baby is.

An admixture of scarlet blood in the stool of the baby. Most an alarming symptom is an admixture of blood in the stool of a child. This is a sign that the source of bleeding is in the child's lower gastrointestinal tract, namely in the large intestine or rectum. Most common causes- these are anal fissures, a severe inflammatory process in the large intestine, in which ulceration of the wall occurs and, as a result, bleeding occurs.

Foreign body in the stool of the baby. Toddlers of the second half of life, starting to study more actively the world, can swallow a variety of small items putting yourself at risk. Therefore, when organizing the life of the crumbs, parents should take into account this important point. Upon detection foreign body in the feces of an infant, it should be assessed whether it could injure (cut or otherwise damage) the intestinal mucosa. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the color of the stool: is it stained black (which indicates bleeding), is there an admixture of scarlet blood.

Changes in the frequency and consistency of the baby's feces

Watery, frothy, sour-smelling stools from infants. The reason for its appearance is lactase deficiency, which is often found among infants. Any milk, including women's milk, contains milk sugar - lactose, which is digested with the help of an intestinal enzyme - lactase. Lactase deficiency refers to the lack or complete absence This enzyme, as a result, lactose, entering the intestines, is not digested and causes fermentation, which leads to the appearance of frequent foamy, liquefied stools with a sour smell. As a rule, the baby is concerned about excessive gas formation, intestinal colic. The causes of lactase deficiency are most often the temporary immaturity of the enzyme, less often the genetically determined complete absence of lactase. The diagnosis is usually made on the basis of clinical picture, laboratory confirmed using quantification carbohydrates in feces. Treatment of lactase deficiency is carried out by a pediatrician or pediatric gastroenterologist. If the baby is breastfed, the enzyme lactase is prescribed along with breast milk in the form medicinal product. Formula-fed babies are switched to lactose-free or low-lactose formula.

Frequent loose stools in an infant. There may be several reasons for such a chair, the most common is an intestinal infection of a viral or bacterial nature. Intestinal infections are often accompanied by a rise in temperature above 38 ° C, signs of intoxication - weakness, irritability, tearfulness of the baby, refusal to eat. Frequent loose stools dangerous state for infants, since together with liquefied feces, the child loses water and electrolytes (potassium, sodium, chlorine), which quickly leads to dehydration.

Dehydration is a condition that is accompanied by the following symptoms: lethargy, weakness, dry skin and mucous membranes, increased thirst, retraction large fontanel. It poses a threat to the life of the baby, therefore, if the above symptoms appear, you should immediately seek medical help. Before the arrival of the doctor, the child must be drunk with salt-containing solutions.

If it is not possible to purchase saline solution in a pharmacy, you can prepare it yourself at home. For this, 1 liter boiled water take 1 teaspoon table salt, ½ teaspoon soda, 8 teaspoons granulated sugar. It is necessary to give the child the prepared solution in 5-15 ml every 5-10 minutes constantly until the doctor arrives, and in the future - according to the recommendation of a specialist.

Also, frequent loose stools in a child can be not only a symptom inflammatory process, but also a consequence of impaired absorption and digestion of nutrients. This deviation is called malabsorption syndrome: the stool becomes frequent and liquefied, the baby gains weight poorly, but there is no fever and signs of intoxication, there is no sharp deterioration in well-being. The causes of loose stools in a child are a whole group of diseases, which are based on the insufficiency of enzyme and transport systems for the digestion and absorption of certain nutrients. Such diseases include intolerance to fructose, galactose, sucrose, celiac disease (intolerance to gluten, a protein of some cereal plants). In this case, when new foods are introduced into the diet, the baby begins. This group of diseases also includes lactase deficiency, described above.

Stool with watery patch around. A similar condition is normal in the middle of the first week of a baby's life, with physiological dyspepsia of newborns, as mentioned at the beginning of the article. At any other time in a child's life, a watery spot on a diaper is a reason to seek medical help, it may indicate the beginning of development intestinal infection or serious digestive disorders with errors in nutrition.

thick stool leaving oil stain on a diaper. A similar violation of the stool occurs when the pancreas fails to cope with the production of the lipase enzyme involved in the digestion of fats. As a result, the fat comes out with the feces, giving it an excessively thick consistency and oiliness. Cause similar condition V infancy is a deficiency of the enzyme lipase, genetic disease cystic fibrosis, in which the pancreas is affected, as well as celiac disease.

Constipation. At infants constipation is defined as stool retention for more than 48 hours. The causes of constipation in an infant can be very different: this is the transfer of a child to an artificial or mixed feeding, irrational introduction of complementary foods, violation of the composition of the intestinal microflora, insufficient drinking regimen, immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract, weakness of the muscles of the abdominal wall and intestines, rickets (due to the resulting muscle weakness), decreased function thyroid gland etc.

Conventionally, two types of constipation in an infant can be distinguished - atonic and spastic. With atonic constipation, despite regular stool retention, feces do not change their mushy consistency, but become more abundant than usual. The main cause of atonic constipation in an infant is the weakness of the muscular contractions of the intestine.

For spastic constipation feces are dense, in the form of separate lumps, sometimes it is also called " sheep feces". The feces can be very hard, their color does not differ from the usual. Thus, by the type of bowel movements and the behavior of the baby, the mother can independently determine the type of constipation.

For atonic constipation children behave quite calmly, stool retention and its discharge do not cause negative emotions in them, after a period of delay in the act of defecation, feces depart in copious amounts, it is of normal consistency. The first aid is to massage the tummy clockwise no earlier than 1 hour after feeding. With spastic constipation, the baby, as a rule, is restless during the day due to intermittent intestinal spasms, at the time of defecation, the child may cry, the feces depart gradually, with difficulty, in the form of rounded dense balls. With spastic constipation, when the bowel contractions are strong enough, applying a warm diaper to the baby's tummy will help relieve excessive intestinal spasm.

When it appears, you should contact your pediatrician to determine the cause and prescribe adequate treatment. It is not worth giving children laxatives and abusing regular enemas on their own, without a doctor's recommendation. If it is not possible to seek medical help, and the baby has no stool for three days, it is undesirable to immediately do an enema. First, you can use baby candles with glycerin, which are approved for use from the neonatal period. Insertion of a candle anus can provoke a reflex to pass feces in a child, and he will not need an enema.

If such a measure of the effect did not bring, you can put an enema. This procedure requires the use of water. room temperature(22-24 ° C), introducing it with a small rubber bulb in a volume corresponding to age: baby up to 1 month - 30 ml, 1-3 months - 30-40 ml, 3-6 months - 90 ml, 6-12 months - 120-180 ml. You can use microclysters that are approved for use from the neonatal period. It should be remembered that the frequent setting of enemas is addictive and disrupts the formation of a reflex to pass feces.

Changing the diaper daily, parents should carefully monitor the slightest deviations in the nature and regularity of the baby's stool, and if necessary, seek medical help in a timely manner. Attention and care of adults is the key to the health of the child.