Baby's stool: normal options for breastfeeding and bottle-feeding

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January 10, 2017

Stool in newborns during breastfeeding. What should it be normally? In what cases should you consult a doctor? Stool in newborns with mixed and artificial feeding is normal.

The stool of a newborn baby worries every mother. Such interest in the contents of the diaper is not accidental, because by its appearance and color one can judge the baby’s health.

The baby's first stool is meconium. It is the same for all children, regardless of nutrition. Meconium is a dark (dark green to black) thick mass. The basis of meconium is amniotic fluid, which the baby swallowed in the mother's womb, bile pigments, epithelium, and mucus. In the first 3-5 hours of life, a child’s feces are sterile, then microorganisms appear in its composition. The baby's body must get rid of meconium within the first 19 hours from birth. Further changes in the color and shape of stool will depend on the type of feeding the baby is fed.

Effect of food type on stool

The intestines in infants are at the stage of formation and often lead to infrequent malfunctions. The factor leading to such imperfections is the type of nutrition.

Green poop in a baby can be caused by breastfeeding, artificial feeding or mixed feeding (alternating breastfeeding and artificial feeding, complementary feeding).

Chest

Natural (breastfeeding) is an easily digestible product for the baby, containing all the necessary nutrients in optimal proportions.

By consuming breast milk, the baby receives the mother’s diet in a “transformed” form. To put it simply, green stool can be the result of foods eaten by a nursing mother. When a woman changes her diet, the color of stool returns to normal.

The normal color of stool is given by pigments contained in bile secreted to digest fats in the intestines. Based on its nutritional properties, breast milk is divided into fore and hind milk. Foremilk contains easily digestible carbohydrates, while hind milk has a high fat content. And if in the baby’s diet, due to certain circumstances (for example, the mother alternately applies to the right/left breast, thus limiting the consumption of hind milk, or the baby is too lazy to “get” fatty milk), easily digestible “front” milk predominates, then due to a lack of bile pigments in the intestines, the color of the stool takes on a green tint.

In such cases, in order to secrete bile in sufficient quantities and normalize stool, the baby must be given the opportunity to consume both types of breast milk, applying alternately to the breast for each meal.

It is important that the green stool of a breastfed baby does not have an overly pungent or sour odor - this will indicate pathological processes occurring in the body.

Artificial

A child who is bottle-fed is more stable in bowel movements. The color of the discharge is usually yellow-brown and rarely changes. The color of stool during artificial feeding is influenced by the composition of the adapted mixtures. In adapted formulas, split (partially or completely) cow's milk acts as a breast milk substitute. The digestion of such cow protein by the child’s body gives the stool of bottle-fed infants a green color.

In such cases, it is necessary to choose a more suitable diet, which will affect the baby’s health and normalize bowel movements.

Another cause of green stool is the increased iron content in infant formula. The high iron content in stool promotes oxidation and after some time turns the stool green. Changing the diaper in a timely manner can prevent worries about this.

Also, dishes (bottles) used for feeding must be thoroughly washed and sterilized. Formula-fed babies are more susceptible to infectious intestinal diseases, so timely consultation with a pediatrician will help to detect problems in the baby’s health in time.

Mixed

Upon reaching the age of 5–6 months, vegetable complementary foods are added to the child’s diet. During this period, green stool in a mixed-fed baby is a common occurrence. The color of stool depends on the vegetables consumed: the more green vegetables predominate in the diet, the more often the stool turns green.

As the body adapts to the new menu and gradually switches to “adult” food, the stool normalizes and acquires a typical brown color.

Also during this period, there are frequent cases of infectious diseases associated with the fact that teething is accompanied by the child’s desire to “taste” surrounding objects and toys.

Symptoms of diarrhea in a newborn with mixed feeding

Foamy stool in a breastfed baby - reasons

Any mother should be able to distinguish between loose stools in a mixed-fed baby and diarrhea. This will allow her to take the right steps, for example, getting tested or adjusting her and the baby's nutrition.

Diarrhea in infants has characteristic features

The distinctive symptoms of diarrhea with a mixed diet are:

• Watery stools;
• Increased frequency of bowel movements;
• Unpleasant smell of feces;
• Change in color of stool from yellow to swampy;
• Increased temperature and vomiting;
• Abundant mucus, foam, streaks of blood.

In any case, with loose stools with different symptoms, you need to pay attention to the baby’s condition. If the baby is cheerful, eats well, lives according to a routine, and gains weight correctly, there is no reason to worry. Signs such as poor sleep and appetite, colic and gas, fever, blood streaks, strange smell in stool are a good reason to consult a doctor.

Important! Diarrhea in a mixed-fed newborn is determined not by how many times he defecates, but by the texture and color of the stool. For example, watery stools mixed with mucus indicate diarrhea.

You need to pay attention to the color of stool during diarrhea in order to understand the reasons and consult a specialist in time. For example, a marsh color is normal only in the first week. Foamy green stool with a sour odor indicates lactose intolerance. Dark stools indicate possible presence of blood.

Causes

The incompletely formed intestine of a baby is very susceptible and susceptible to the influence of many factors. There are several reasons that contribute to green stool in infants:

• the diet of a nursing mother, in which food of plant origin predominates (especially fruits and green vegetables);
• use by a nursing woman of certain types of medications containing iron;
• removal of direct bilirubin from the body of a newborn in the postpartum period;
• the predominance of “early” milk over “late” milk during feeding;
• lactase deficiency;
• imbalance of intestinal microflora (dysbacteriosis);
• intestinal infections (dysentery, staphylococcus);
• oxidation reaction in air some time after defecation.

Not all causes indicate serious disturbances in the functioning of the intestines and do not require special therapy. As a rule, such changes are short-term and pass without any complications.

Causes of green stool in mixed-feeding infants

With any type of feeding, there should be no greenery in the baby’s stool, however, for several days after the baby is born, this is considered normal.

If the baby’s stool has already become established, but it retains a visible greenish tint, this may indicate the presence of the following factors:

• Malnutrition. Often, a young mother replaces only one or two feedings with a special adapted milk formula for babies, and feeds the baby with her own milk the rest of the time. If the baby does not receive enough breast milk, his stool may take on a greenish tint. In this case, you should increase the amount of formula consumed by the baby;
• The predominance of fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet of a nursing mother and the lack of meat products;
• Intestinal dysbiosis;
• If your baby's stool has a greenish or mustard tint, a watery consistency, a sharp sour smell, and sometimes even foams, it is most likely lactase deficiency. If this problem is present, the baby’s immature digestive system cannot cope with milk protein. A nursing mother should, first of all, exclude fresh milk from her diet and reduce the amount of fermented milk products consumed, and also, together with her pediatrician, select a suitable lactose-free formula. As a rule, lactase deficiency goes away on its own by the age of 9-12 months;
• Finally, in some cases, green stool in infants is observed due to an intestinal infection.

Types of green stool in a baby

The presence of green color in a baby’s stool can indicate different processes occurring in his body:

1. Dark green color and viscous consistency of stool is considered normal in the first days of life. By swallowing and processing amniotic fluid in the womb, the baby’s body accumulates original feces, which it gradually gets rid of as breast milk is consumed.
2. Green-gray semi-liquid feces indicate that, while processing certain foods, the gastrointestinal tract is trying to adapt to the diet and improve its functioning. Often, bowel movements are also affected by the menu of a nursing mother or the increased sugar content in baby cereals.
3. Green, mushy stool with white speckles indicates normal overeating. In this way, the baby’s body “gets rid” of excess food in the gastrointestinal tract.
4. Watery, foamy bowel movements with a frequency of more than 12 times, with a pronounced pungent odor, indicate the development of infectious processes in the body and require drug treatment.

The appearance of stool in infants does not always indicate pathologies in the body and is considered the norm with general good health.

Baby's first stool

With the baby's first bowel movement, meconium comes out of the intestines; it is called the first stool. In appearance it resembles tar, but it is sticky and very viscous. This stool contains:

• bile;
• fluid from the digestive system;
• mucus particles;
• amniotic fluid.

You need to pay attention to the consistency and color of the first stool; if meconium is present, then everything is in order with the newborn’s digestive system. Diarrhea in infants should not be observed in the first days after birth, but if this happens, you should consult a doctor for help. Meconium may pass for several more days, and by about the first week of life, the stool improves and acquires a normal color.

If after two weeks the stool turns black, this will be a reason to seek help, since the symptom indicates internal bleeding.

What should it be

There is no absolute standard for determining color and consistency; this “delicate” issue is individual and depends not only on the food itself, but also on the amount of its consumption. Some common signs are observed in all babies:

Color:

• in the 1st–3rd days of life, stools are dark green in color (original feces);
• from the 3rd–4th day, the stool becomes yellowish;
• from 5–6 months with the transition to “adult” food, they gradually acquire a characteristic brown color.

Consistency:

• on breastfeeding - viscous in the first days and liquid without inclusions in the future;
• semi-liquid with inclusions - breastfed or bottle-fed;
• more dense (soft) - from the moment complementary foods are introduced, it becomes denser and becomes more formed as it grows.

Frequency: after each meal (8–10 times a day).

Volume: depends on the child’s appetite and the amount of food eaten.

When to worry

In most cases, the appearance of green stool is considered a physiological norm and does not require seeing a doctor. But in some cases you need to be observant and immediately contact a medical facility. Symptoms that indicate illness and require medical examination:

• prolonged lack of weight gain;
• lack of appetite and feeling of hunger in the baby;
• liquid (watery) and foamy green stools;
• mucous patches or blood clots;
• frequency of bowel movements exceeds 12 times a day;
• pungent and putrid odor of feces;
• bloating (flatulence) and intestinal colic.

Symptoms of this kind may indicate diseases of an infectious (Escherichia coli, dysbacteriosis) or non-infectious (lactase deficiency) nature.

Adapting to new conditions, the baby's intestines are susceptible to any changes in the environment or nutrition. Green stool in infants serves as an indicator of the maturity of the gastrointestinal tract and does not always indicate developing pathologies.

If the child is gaining good weight and is active, the color of the stool does not matter.

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Baby chair

In the first time after the birth of a child, parents do not think about anything except the child’s stool. Due to their caring nature, they worry about color, consistency, smell, and the fact that it can be mucus, white specks, and even foamy. With any questions, mothers and fathers immediately run to a consultation with pediatricians, asking for directions for all possible stool tests, and many even begin to give their child medications on their own, in the hope of ridding him of the disease they imagined. You can avoid all worries and unfounded diagnoses if you study information about what a baby’s stool can be like and what is considered normal.

What to focus on?

When assessing a newborn's stool, you need to focus mainly on the type of food he or she is eating. What your baby eats will determine the appearance and smell of his stool.

Normal infant stool is considered to be a mushy mass that ranges in color from mustard to yellow and has a strong smell of sour milk. As a rule, this type of stool can be attributed to infants who are bottle-fed. They consistently receive food of the same composition into their body, which will be digested approximately equally by the body.

If a child feeds exclusively on mother’s milk, then the child’s stool will directly depend on the nutrition of his mother. After all, it is with milk that all the useful and necessary substances for the child reach the child, the amount of which constantly changes in the milk, therefore the child’s stool can also change accordingly.

Which stool is considered normal?

In the first days of life, a newborn's stool is unusual, dark green or even black-green. It is very sticky and can even resemble plasticine. It's called meconium. Over the course of three days, the baby’s body will gradually clear it of it and the stool will become simply green.

During the first month of your baby’s life, you should not be alarmed by the number of bowel movements your child has. There is no norm as such. If a child eats properly and well, then the number of bowel movements can be from once a minimum and reach the maximum amount, that is, 12 times a day, which is also within the normal range. Once a day is also a normal amount. In the first week of life, the number of times you have bowel movements can tell you whether you have enough milk. If the child does not have signs of constipation, but there is no bowel movement for more than one day, this indicates that the child is malnourished. To check whether your baby has enough milk, you can, in the second week of life, when feeding has already been established, count the number of wet diapers per day; this is a proven method and is suitable for you if your baby does not drink anything other than milk, neither water nor any other liquids .

By the end of the second month of life, the frequency of bowel movements in children changes, and for some it can be up to 1-2 times a day, and for others it may even remain about 10 times. It's all individual. If you notice a lack of bowel movements in a child for up to a week, but the child leads an active lifestyle, his stomach is not sunken or bloated, as with constipation, then this is a good sign. You can be sure that your baby has a wonderful metabolism and digests and absorbs your milk very well. The appearance of a child’s stool can be different; puree-shaped, liquid, shaped or not is considered acceptable. Its color can range from mustard to yellow and even yellow-green. Small white lumps should be present in the baby's stool, and small clots of mucus are acceptable. The smell will be sour milk if the baby is breastfed. There should be no swampy and fetid smell!!!

It is possible that the baby will have foamy stools - this is a consequence of improperly organized breastfeeding, that the baby receives only foremilk and does not reach hindmilk, which is the fattest and most nutritious. Foremilk does not have enough fat content, it is not nutritious and is very quickly digested by the body, as quickly as it is excreted, as a result of which stool disorders occur in the baby.

According to the rules, the first complementary foods begin to be introduced at the age of 6 months, after which the baby’s stool will change dramatically, and this should not scare you. The color and consistency of the stool will depend on the food he eats. One of the first products to be introduced will be pumpkin; it is orange in color, and you will give it in grated form. Accordingly, the baby’s stool will be similar to the puree you gave him and will acquire a bright shade of orange. You may notice that lumps of undigested food appear in the baby's stool; this is a normal phenomenon.

Is it really dysbiosis?

Both doctors and parents consider the presence of dysbacteriosis to be the main reason for digestive disorders in infants. Pharmacies have an assortment of medications for this disease, which parents can purchase without a prescription and resort to self-medication for their baby, hoping for a positive result. To avoid negative consequences, you need to clarify the concept of dysbiosis and tell us what it is?

Reliable facts about dysbiosis:

Dysbacteriosis is not a disease, but its consequence. This has been proven by the World Health Organization. Dysbiosis is an imbalance of intestinal microflora, which occurs in the presence of intestinal diseases and infections, surgical operations on the intestines, and can also occur with long-term use of antibiotics or other drugs that can reduce your immunity.

If your child was born healthy after birth and did not receive any drugs that could spoil the microflora of his intestines, he has normal digestion, he is cheerful, and is gaining weight well, then dysbiosis is excluded.

There is such a period as transient dysbiosis; this state of the body is considered normal, and all newborns go through it. But thanks to mother's milk and colostrum, a huge amount of antibodies and other necessary substances enter the baby's intestines, due to which the infants develop immune protection of the body.

Breast milk also contains bifidus, a factor that is responsible for creating normal, correct microflora in the intestines of infants.

This is why mother's milk is very important for a child in the first days and months of his life.

From experience, we can summarize that the main cause of problems with stool in infants is improperly organized breastfeeding. The main mistakes of mothers are..6

-Feeding not on demand;

-Introduction of water or other liquids into the diet other than breast milk;

-Early complementary feeding;

-Late and incorrect attachment to the breast.

In what cases is it still necessary to consult a doctor?

If you notice your child has a fever and isn't covered in five blankets, that's the first call to see your doctor.

If the temperature is accompanied by an upset stomach and the number of bowel movements exceeds 12 times a day, while the stool is watery and has a characteristic marshy smell, a decrease in the baby’s reactions, the appearance of loose skin and a decrease in urination up to six times a day.

If the diagnosis of an intestinal infection is confirmed or the presence of dysbacteriosis, you are not recommended to stop breastfeeding, because with the help of mother’s milk, the child’s immunity increases and it will be easier for him to overcome the infection and establish intestinal microflora.

The health of your child will depend on milk. Therefore, you should not engage in self-medication and self-examination, protect yourself from unnecessary worries and financial expenses. If necessary, contact your doctors in a timely manner for advice on any issues that concern you.

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Mixed feeding of newborns, the main reasons for transfer

Many circumstances may force a mother to switch her infant completely to formula or to use it as an additional source of nutrition.

Among the many reasons, the main ones can be identified:

• insufficient amount of your milk;
• maternal illnesses that do not allow continued natural feeding;
• defective composition of mother's milk, as a result the child experiences anemia or malnutrition;
• consumption of alcohol, tobacco;
• non-compliance with a certain diet;
• mother's early departure to work or school.

Based on the baby's condition, you can see whether he has enough mother's milk or not. If a baby under 6 months is often put to the breast, sleeps restlessly, is constantly capricious, his stool changes color to green-brown, its consistency changes, the color of urine changes, an unpleasant odor appears, the child is not gaining weight well, this means that he lacks natural nutrition. You have to add an artificial mixture.

Many mothers wonder how to properly organize mixed feeding of a newborn?

How to administer the mixture correctly

When mixed feeding, the volume of the maternal product should be at least 1/5 of the total volume.

It can be organized correctly if you adhere to the following rules.

1. The mixture must be adapted, in composition as close as possible to the composition of the natural mother product.
2. The mixture is given immediately after the breast, from a bottle with a tight nipple and small holes so that the baby makes an effort when sucking.
3. Mandatory adherence to the general feeding regimen.
4. Be sure to give clean water after the mixture.

As for stool in infants, its normal consistency is mushy. With mixed feeding, a newborn baby's stool may vary in consistency. It depends on which product prevails more - natural or artificial. It can be liquid or thick, it all depends on the digestion time. There may be white lumps, the color is also different, it can be greenish, yellowish. The frequency of emptying is 1-2 times a day.

Loose stools in a newborn baby with mixed feeding appear as a result of a change in formula, a violation of the mother's diet, or the presence of microbes in the intestines. Such stool may be accompanied by pain and bloating, and the appearance of mucus in the stool. In this case, it is better to consult a pediatrician so that he can prescribe appropriate treatment if necessary.

If a child does not tolerate new food well, he experiences constipation, which causes him great discomfort. Constipation in newborns with mixed feeding is quite common.

What are the causes of constipation in young children?

The main reason for its occurrence is the mixture. The baby’s intestines cannot cope with the new food and begin to malfunction. Any mixture is made from goat’s or cow’s milk processed in a special way, and such a product is much more difficult to digest than natural mother’s milk and can damage the intestinal walls. The motor functions of the intestines in infants are still poorly developed, food stagnates in it, and this leads to stagnation of feces in the colon.

New food can also cause a reflex spasm, which provokes fecal stagnation. A sudden change of product or the use of different artificial products also affects the condition of the stool. Incorrect dilution of the product, when a large amount of powder is added to a smaller volume of water, also affects the condition of the stool.

Another cause of constipation is improper maintenance of the baby's temperature balance. Many mothers, fearing that their child will freeze, often dress their child inappropriately for the weather and the child becomes hot in a warm room. And this leads to dehydration of the body. As a result, the normal process of fecal formation is disrupted, which causes constipation.

The mother's nutrition also plays a big role in the child's digestion. Food containing a lot of proteins and fats provokes fecal stagnation in the colon. In this case, the mother needs to give up fatty, fried, sweet foods, eat more vegetables, boiled meat, switch to bread with bran, drink more water and give it to the baby.

Lack of fluid, dehydration, and dysbiosis can also cause difficult bowel movements.

Treatment of constipation in a newborn baby with mixed feeding

The characteristics of a child’s body can also provoke stagnation in the baby’s colon. In this case, pediatricians recommend giving foods with the addition of pre- and probiotics, fermented milk mixtures, and lactulose preparations.

If a child often suffers from hard stools, you can give him dill water or fennel tea. These products act as a laxative that helps improve the functioning of the colon and soften stool. Glycerin suppositories are also a good and safe laxative for newborns with mixed feeding.

It is important to maintain a proper diet, i.e. give milk at certain intervals (every three hours) and in equal quantities. If a child does not want to eat, you should not force him. Many mothers ask, how much water should a newborn be given when mixed feeding? The volume of water per day should be no more than 100-200 ml. You need to drink from a spoon or bottle between feedings.

Place your baby on his tummy more often, this will help the gases pass better. Massage the tummy, make circular movements with your palm in a clockwise direction. The “bicycle” exercise helps normalize intestinal function. Warm baths will also improve the baby’s well-being.

It is important not to forget that before starting treatment on your own, it is better to consult with a pediatrician, who will establish a more precise cause of defecation delay and prescribe the correct treatment. The doctor will advise you on how to properly organize nutrition, how many times and in what volume to give the mixture, what actions to take if defecation delay occurs.

Prevention measures

To prevent delayed bowel movements, you need to choose the right product, and it is better to consult a doctor before purchasing it. Maintaining the temperature regime of food is also an important component of proper feeding.

Warm food relaxes the intestinal muscles. If possible, you should try to breastfeed more. When introducing complementary foods, also pay attention to what you give to your child, because some foods can cause fecal stagnation.

Mixed feeding is, of course, the best option if there is not enough milk, however, this diet can cause discomfort to the baby, resulting in constipation or, conversely, loose stools. Therefore, when introducing an artificial formula, it is important to constantly monitor your baby and his condition.

And if you have problems with the intestines, first consult a doctor so that he can conduct an examination and, if necessary, prescribe the correct treatment.

Constipation in a mixed-fed baby is a fairly common occurrence. This manifestation of the disorder is a cause for concern for parents and a reason for going to the pediatrician. Very often, children in the first year of life suffer from constipation. This is due to an incompletely formed digestive system. Many parents wonder how many times a child should have bowel movements. How can I help him with constipation? It is necessary to consider in more detail.

Why is it important to control stool in infants?

Why is it so important to control your baby's stool:

• it will indicate problems in the gastrointestinal tract;
• you can assess the level of nutritional adequacy of the child;
• Some changes in stool can determine the development of pathologies of organs and systems not related to the digestive tract.

A child in infancy poops every day, and even several times a day - this allows even parents without medical education to quickly respond to changes in stool and draw the attention of a pediatrician or visiting nurse to this point. Of course, for this you will need to acquire at least minimal knowledge about what a baby’s stool should normally be like, what can be considered deviations from the norm, and in what cases it is worth calling a doctor. All this information is laid out in the presented material.

What should the stool look like in a newborn on artificial and breastfeeding?

Is green, foamy, thick stool normal for a baby? What's in a baby's diaper can tell you a lot about his health. Changes in a baby's stool occur immediately after birth, when he begins to drink breast milk or formula, or a little later, when he tries complementary feeding. What should a baby’s stool look like normally and how to distinguish age-related changes from alarming signs that require a visit to the doctor, says Polina Aleksandrovna Kizino, a pediatrician and leading expert at the online school for future and established parents “SMART Mama”.

— Polina Aleksandrovna, is the stool of a breastfed, mixed and bottle-fed baby different?

— Normally, stools in children of the first year of life are different on different diets.

- Newborn stool - what is considered normal?

— In a newborn—a child in the first 28 days of life—the body undergoes a restructuring and transition from intrauterine to extrauterine independent life. And his stool will seem strange and unusual to many mothers - but this is not a pathology.

• Original feces
  - meconium - have the consistency of a thick inky paste of dark green, almost black color.
• 2-3 days
  - the stool is transitional - partly dark green, over time it becomes mushy.
• 4-5 days
  - the stool is scattered - it includes a liquid part, white undigested lumps, and sometimes streaks of mucus.
• 12-14 days
  - from the end of the second week, normal stool begins to form, which will remain unchanged in the future.

Every newborn goes through transitional states, because he begins to receive milk nutrition, proteins and fats enter his intestines. Naturally, the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract adapts to the new nutritional pattern, and stool disturbances may occur. In addition, the intestinal microflora undergoes changes: the pathogenic flora of the newborn by the end of the first - beginning of the second week is replaced by normal flora, and bifidobacteria generally begin to play a dominant role. These factors lead to significant changes in stool, which should not be alarmed.

— What determines the shape and type of feces of a newborn and infant?

— The nature of the stool depends on the functioning of the child’s digestive tract and the nutrition of the nursing mother—the baby may tolerate some foods better or worse.

• If the baby is malnourished, the stool is less frequent and the consistency becomes thicker.
• If the mother diluted the mixture incorrectly - added more or less water - the stool will thicken or liquefy.
• If a child's drinking regime is disrupted - the temperature is elevated and he loses a lot of moisture, or it is hot and fluid reserves are not replenished, the stool may become denser.

— Does the regularity of bowel movements change by month in the first year of life?

— The older the child gets, the less frequent bowel movements occur.

• A newborn baby has stools up to 8-10 times. It is possible to have a bowel movement after or during each meal - and this will be the norm.
• Normally, bowel movements at 2 months have adequate intervals of 3-3.5 hours during the day and 4 hours at night. In the future, the nature of the stool reflects the child’s nutrition.
• Stool from 5-6 months - dense 1-2 times a day or 1 time every two days; it is more formal and looks like an adult's chair.

— Do your stools change during complementary feeding?

— With the start of complementary feeding, a baby’s stool normally becomes denser. This does not happen immediately - complementary foods are introduced gradually, in microdoses, and when the portion is brought up to the age norm, the stool more clearly changes in character. If complementary foods are introduced quickly in large doses, the child’s body will not have time to cope with the new food and will react with constipation. In case of intolerance and an allergic reaction after the introduction of new products, the stool may become liquefied with the appearance of streaks of blood or mucus - this is an alarming signal that requires a medical examination. For complementary feeding, you need to choose foods according to the child’s age, because not everything is suitable for the first introduction to new food.

— How often should a baby have stool?

— For a small child who receives only milk nutrition, the norm of stool is a floating concept. You need to start from what is normal for a particular child: this applies to regularity, consistency, and color of stool.

Normal stool

• Stool eight to ten times a day is the norm if the newborn is comfortable, he is calm and he always has this frequency of stool.
• Stool once a day or once every two days is normal, if the child is calm, he does not strain constantly and poops on his own.
• Stool with undigested lumps is normal if the child’s condition is normal.

Abnormal stool

• If a child consistently has stool eight times a day for two months, but suddenly stops pooping within one or two days, this is not the norm.
• The bowel movement occurs consistently once a day, but suddenly bowel movements occur for the sixth time in the last four hours - this is not the norm.

Any deviation from the norm and concern of the child requires examination by a pediatrician to exclude pathology.

The norm of stool for a child of the first year of life is quite wide - its color and consistency can be different. The most important thing is to understand your baby's bowel movements so that you can evaluate whether bowel movements are more frequent or less frequent than usual. Mucus in the stool, foamy stool in infants and small isolated streaks of blood in the stool are not critical, but require examination of the child by a doctor. The presence of scarlet blood in the stool several times in a row, tarry color of the baby's stool, prolonged diarrhea are indications for immediate consultation with a doctor.

Pediatrician Polina Aleksandrovna Kizino

*The ideal food for an infant is mother's milk. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months. MAMAKO® supports this recommendation. Before introducing new foods into your baby’s diet, consult a specialist.

What is normal stool and possible variations?

Remember right away - the norm for stool in infants is a relative concept. Some children poop 3-4 times a day, and the stool is a yellowish mush, while some children defecate once every 1-2 days and this is the norm for them. How to determine how much a baby's stool fits into normal parameters?

Frequency of bowel movements

On the 2-3rd day of life, the newborn begins to pass transitional feces - it has a yellow-green color, maybe dark green, with a semi-liquid consistency, which is absolutely normal.
On the 4-5th day of a child’s life, a bowel movement schedule is already established, and the frequency of stool in children fluctuates in a fairly large amplitude - from 10-12 times a day to 1 time in 2 days. It has been noted that most newborns poop either during feeding or after eating.

Please note: if a child poops once every 2 days, but at the same time behaves calmly, the act of defecation takes place without screaming and strong straining, then this rhythm of bowel movements can be considered the absolute norm.

As the child grows, the number of bowel movements also changes - for example, if in the first 1-2 months of life the baby pooped 8-10 times a day, then by 4-5 months the number of bowel movements decreases to 5-6 times a day, and by 12 months - 1-2 times a day. It is noteworthy that if a child, while still an infant, pooped once every 2 days, then this frequency of stool remains the same in the future.

Amount of feces during bowel movements

This indicator depends only on the child’s diet. For example, in the first 2-3 months of a baby, very little feces will be released - no more than 5 grams per bowel movement, but by 12 months this amount will be increased to 100-200 grams per day (about 60 grams per bowel movement) .

Baby's stool consistency

In general, it is considered normal for a baby to have stool when it is a mass of soft, mushy consistency. But even this indicator can be variable - for example, feces in the form of a gruel with a small number of lumps will be considered normal.

As the child grows older, the consistency of stool will definitely change - it will become more and more dense. But keep in mind that by 6 months of a child’s life, the feces will already be fully formed, but will still remain soft.

Baby stool color

Yellow with white lumps, dark yellow, yellow-brown, golden yellow and in general all variations of yellow color for baby feces will be the norm. But just keep in mind that as soon as the child is switched to artificial nutrition or vegetable/fruit purees begin to be present in the diet, the color of the stool becomes darker, and by 12 months of the baby’s life it becomes dark brown.

There is no need to worry if a baby's stool is green - this is also normal, and the stool becomes green due to the presence of bilirubin or biliverdin in it. You need to know that bilirubin can be excreted in the feces of an infant until 6-9 months of age, so a green tint to the stool during this age period can be considered the absolute norm. There is no reason to worry if yellow stool is excreted, which then turns green, this means that bilirubin is excreted in minimal quantities in the stool; in the air it simply acquires a characteristic shade.

Please note: if in the first days/weeks the stool was yellow in color, and then the presence of green streaks is noted in it, or it all acquires a greenish tint, then this may indicate a lack of milk in the mother, functional digestive disorders, or the development of some pathology.

Stool smell

A specific, slightly sour, but not foul-smelling odor of feces in a breastfed infant is considered normal. But if the baby is bottle-fed, then his stool will have an unpleasant odor, foul.

Possible impurities

According to medical concepts, any impurities in the stool (pus, blood, greens, mucus, fat) are a pathology, but the neonatal period, the infant age of the child, is considered special, therefore, in this case, pathological impurities in the stool may be the norm. The cases in which green stool is normal have already been described in detail above. Here's what doctors say about other impurities:

1. White lumps - they can appear when the baby is overfed or against the background of an imperfect digestive system or insufficient production of enzymes. If the child behaves adequately and weight gain is normal, then such an admixture in the feces can be ignored.
2. Mucus - this impurity is generally considered normal, even if in infancy it is present in the feces in large quantities.
3. Undigested food particles may appear in the stool when complementary foods are introduced. As a rule, within 5-7 days the feces return to normal, but if this does not happen, then complementary feeding should be discontinued - most likely, it was introduced early in age.

Please note: there should be no blood or pus in the baby’s stool - these impurities indicate serious problems in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and, possibly, other organs and systems. If pus and blood are found in the stool, you should immediately call a doctor.

Stool during artificial and mixed feeding

A newborn's stool may not be yellow, but a darker color, closer to brown, or vice versa, pale yellow. Much depends on the composition of the mixture and how the body digests and absorbs it. When bottle-fed, stools are usually less frequent, about three to four times a day. It has an unpleasant odor, reminiscent of the smell of adult feces, and is stronger in composition, not mushy. “Artificial” people are more likely to suffer from constipation. There are several reasons for this:

• mixture quality;
• its composition;
• pacifier sizes;
• speed of food consumption;
• possible malnutrition.

information

To avoid constipation, you can perform simple gymnastic exercises before feeding: lay the baby on his stomach, tuck his legs towards his tummy, and others.

If white pieces resembling grains of curd appear in the stool, it is necessary to make the volume of food smaller, because it does not have time to be digested. In this case, it would be useful to consult a pediatrician: he will help you choose the right nutrition for your baby.

A newborn’s stool also resembles the color of an adult’s stool: it looks like a “sausage” in appearance, and the process of defecation occurs 1-2 times a day. The most valuable thing is, however, there are objective reasons why a mother is simply forced to switch to a mixed diet. And, of course, this is the best way out for the baby than completely feeding on formula: none of them can replace mother’s milk, rich in immune bodies, and nothing can replace the sensory communication between mother and child during breastfeeding, the biocurrents and impulses that they exchange while the baby is eating.

How does stool change depending on what your child eats?

The nutrition of a breastfed baby depends entirely on what is included in the mother's diet. If she adheres to the recommended diet, avoids fatty, spicy foods, then the baby’s stool will be within normal limits - yellowish or greenish in color, mushy consistency, regular bowel movements, absence of constipation and colic.

If the mother eats a lot of fatty foods, then there will be white lumps in the baby’s stool, and the baby’s digestion becomes difficult, which can lead to constipation. If the mother consumes too many easily digestible carbohydrates (for example, baked goods), then the baby’s stool will become liquid and foamy, there will be rumbling in the stomach, bloating, and intestinal colic.

There are a number of certain foods that, if consumed by a nursing mother, may cause an allergic reaction in the baby. And it will manifest itself not only in rashes, anxiety and redness of the child’s cheeks, but also in changes in stool - the stool becomes liquid, with a lot of mucus.

The mother’s lack of milk will also immediately “manifest” in the character of the stool - it becomes harder, over time it becomes generally “crumbly”, constant constipation begins, the child screams and kicks his legs when trying to defecate (this is how he reacts to intestinal colic).
We recommend reading: - Diet of a nursing mother - the first month - Hypolactation: causes, signs, stages, prevention and treatment
If the baby is on artificial or mixed feeding, then his stool will have a dark yellow or brown tint, the frequency of bowel movements will become less than while breastfeeding, constipation or diarrhea, flatulence with difficulty passing gases may periodically occur.

Please note: if the baby is fed formulas containing iron (this is usually practiced for neonatal anemia), the color of the stool will be distinctly green. And if the child is fed not with special formulas, but with cow's milk, then the feces will have a greasy sheen, a bright yellow color and a “cheesy” smell.

Impurities in stool

Baby feces may be heterogeneous, with various impurities.

• White lumps in baby's stool. These are just particles of curdled milk. If there are too many of them, the baby overeats, his digestive system cannot cope with the volume of food during feeding, and does not secrete enough enzymes. Usually such a baby quickly gains weight, and sometimes exceeds it. Indigestible food in a child’s stool may also appear after the start of complementary feeding. These may be particles of indigestible fiber.
• Slime. The presence of a small amount of mucus in the stool is a physiological norm. It is present in the stool of all children and adults. But if an inflammatory process begins in the body, its amount can increase sharply. The appearance of mucus can have various reasons: improper attachment to the breast, inappropriate formula, overfeeding, premature introduction of complementary foods, atopic dermatitis, runny nose, intestinal infections, reaction to medications, lactase and gluten deficiency, dysbacteriosis.
• Foam. Most often, foam in the stool is a functional disorder that is not associated with any pathologies or serious diseases. Diarrhea in infants often occurs with foam. Gas and colic in an infant, a reaction to anti-colic medications, and food allergies can also be common causes. Abundant foam can be a symptom of intestinal infections and dysbiosis.
• Blood in stool. This is a more serious symptom that requires observation and consultation with a doctor. The reasons may be the following: rectal fissures, atopic dermatitis, allergy to cow's milk protein, inflammation of the intestines, lactase deficiency, intestinal pathologies, polyps, helminthiasis, lack of vitamin K. Streaks or clots of scarlet blood in the stool may indicate bleeding from the lower digestive tract systems.

When impurities appear, you need to monitor the general condition of the child. If the temperature rises, the child loses appetite and weight, you should not delay calling the doctor.

How does stool change when complementary foods are introduced?

Complementary feeding is considered a new type of food for infants; the digestive system will begin to adapt to it and produce specific enzymes for digestion.
In the first days of complementary feeding, the mother may notice that undigested pieces of food and an increased amount of mucus have appeared in the baby’s stool. If such a change in stool does not lead to a change in the baby’s well-being (the baby does not cry, feces pass freely), then you need to continue to give him complementary foods, carefully monitoring the amount of feces excreted, the frequency of bowel movements and the nature of the stool. There are some dishes that can cause a laxative effect - for example, boiled carrots.
Moreover, it is not even digested, but comes out unchanged along with liquid feces. If the parents were not faced with the task of correcting stools and getting rid of constipation in the baby, then with this “complementary feeding” they need to stop introducing carrots into the child’s diet and switch to more gentle vegetables - for example, potatoes, zucchini. And if you introduce rice porridge into your baby’s diet, the stool will probably stick. It is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the influence of various products on the functioning of the digestive system, so as not to worry and not take any drastic measures at the slightest changes in stool. We recommend reading: Pathological changes in infant stool and methods of treatment
In general, the following changes in stool when introducing complementary foods are considered normal:

• feces become denser;
• the color of stool changes from yellow to brown;
• feces become heterogeneous;
• Diarrhea or constipation may occur.

Knowing what kind of baby stool can be considered normal, it will be easy for parents to find out how healthy the baby is. If changes are detected that can hardly be called physiological, it is necessary to call a doctor at home and describe to him the full clinical picture - this will guarantee timely detection of the pathology and the prescription of effective treatment if necessary.

Tsygankova Yana Aleksandrovna, medical observer, therapist of the highest qualification category

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What should a baby's stool look like?

Parents are accustomed to believing that stool is an indicator of internal health. If it is liquid, it is bad; if it is too dense, it is also not good. There is no specific norm for newborn stool. This is due to the fact that the baby’s digestion is still at the stage of formation.

Original stool, better known as meconium, is dark green in color. After it is completely passed, until the introduction of complementary foods, the stool will be liquid and unformed. The color of stool at 1–2 months is largely determined by the type of feeding - artificial, breast or mixed. As soon as a child switches to adult food, his digestive tract is reconstructed, as a result of which the color, consistency and density of stool changes.

If parents are concerned about the baby's feces, it is better for them to consult a doctor to reassure themselves. Stool, signaling pathology in the body, is accompanied by certain manifestations: poor appetite, sleep, and breast refusal.

Green stool in a breastfed baby

Young parents often wonder why their newborn has green stool. Swamp-colored stool occurs in all infants, regardless of the type of diet. A change in their color indicates an imbalance of intestinal microflora.

Green, foamy stools can hardly be considered normal. The main reasons contributing to color changes include:

• Mom's poor diet. If the stool of a breastfeeding child is green, the mother should first of all analyze her diet. Green foods, such as cucumbers, broccoli or zucchini, may be to blame for the “suspicious” color of stool.
• Taking medications. Some medications can affect the color of stool. For example, iron can give stool a green or black tint.
• Dysbacteriosis. The main manifestation of a violation of the intestinal microflora is a change in the color and consistency of stool. Dysbacteriosis occurs when the ratio of different bacteria changes. Since a baby's intestines are still developing, introducing any new food into the intestines can cause indigestion.
• Lactase deficiency. The so-called foremilk is very watery and runny and contains few nutrients. Hind milk is much fattier, so the baby remains full only when he gets enough. If a nursing mother constantly changes breasts or removes the breast from a newborn baby before he has stopped sucking, then the baby will not have time to receive hind milk. The main manifestations of lactase deficiency are green, foamy stools and poor weight gain.
• Prolonged jaundice. The color of stool also changes under the influence of bilirubin.

Some parents have encountered a situation where their baby's fresh stool has a normal light or dark brown color, but after a while it turns green. Parents do not need to panic; it is better to look at the diaper again after the next bowel movement. If the color of fresh feces really differs from green, then the reason for this change is the oxidation of feces. This condition is not pathological and does not require a visit to the doctor.

Stool color and odor

The color of stool can change depending on various factors, such as the mother's diet, the use of medications, the introduction of complementary foods, and much more.

The color of stool in newborns during breastfeeding is influenced by a lot of factors; it is worth giving a few examples:

1. Feeding. If the baby is fed with mother's milk, then he often has a green tint to his stool.
2. Taking medications. Any medications with dyes can cause your stool to turn yellow or orange. When using iron, the stool turns dark or even black; this is not considered a pathology.
3. Introduction of new complementary foods. In this case, the stool becomes more yellow in color, and sometimes even green, as the amount of bile increases.
4. Nutrition absorption. If mother's milk is not absorbed well enough, then during breastfeeding, orange stool occurs in the baby.
5. Increased bilirubin. This substance in the body has a yellow-brown tint; when it increases significantly, the masses become orange, and they can also be colored brown or yellow. This reaction most often occurs in the first month of life. Only a specialist will help determine the exact cause after conducting tests.
6. Hepatitis. This disease is extremely rare in children under one year of age; in this case, the stool becomes white. A doctor must determine the disease and treatment, but the prognosis is often unfavorable.
7. Dysbacteriosis. This problem can arise if the first complementary foods were introduced incorrectly, or if the child took antibiotics or had an intestinal infection. In this case, the feces become lighter.

a little humor

It turns out that the color of stool in a breastfed baby depends on many factors. Feeding causes stool to change color and consistency. Some medications color stool in other shades. If problems arise, you should consult a doctor; you cannot treat loose stools on your own; you must first identify its cause.

Green feces in an artificial baby

The stool of a bottle-fed baby is slightly different from the stool of a breastfeeding baby. It has a thicker consistency and a yellowish tint.

Parents of bottle-fed children are also concerned about whether the baby's stool can be green in color. A baby on IV may have green stools. The main provoking factors for this condition include:

If the baby is mixed-fed

This problem affects mixed-fed babies much more often than other children. They feed on breast milk and dry milk formula, so the occurrence of green stools can be associated with both the first and second types of feeding. Normally, their feces should be dark brown in color and have a thick consistency. The main predisposing factors for changes in stool color in mixed-fed children include:

• Lack of milk. Some young mothers are convinced that they do not have enough breast milk, so they diligently compensate for its deficiency with powdered milk formula. In fact, in this way the mother only harms the baby. Firstly, the child does not receive nutritious hind milk, since such mothers, due to their beliefs, wean the child from the breast while he is still suckling. Secondly, a lack of hindmilk can lead to lactase deficiency.
• Past illness. A change in the color of stool occurs after an infectious or viral disease that was treated with antibiotics. Antibacterial drugs destroy not only pathogenic, but also beneficial microorganisms in the intestines, as a result of which the child may develop dysbiosis.

Which stool is a sign of disease?

A change in the color of stool, which is accompanied by deterioration of sleep and appetite, causeless moodiness and drowsiness, the appearance of mucus and regular regurgitation, is considered a manifestation of one of the serious diseases:

• Dysbacteriosis . An increase in the number of pathogenic bacteria in the intestines is a fairly common occurrence in infants. They are born with a completely sterile intestine, so even boiled water can provoke a change in the balance of microflora. The development of stable immunity is facilitated by breastfeeding in the first hours after birth, breastfeeding during the first year of life, and the exclusion of antibacterial therapy for both the baby and the mother.
• Intestinal or viral infection . Infants aged 1–3 months are most often at risk of contracting a bacterial, viral or fungal infection due to the immaturity of the immune system. The main signs of infection in an infant: vomiting, regurgitation, rumbling, flatulence, fever without cold symptoms, green, loose stools.
• Lactase deficiency . Foamy liquid green stool is the main symptom of the disease. Deficiency is associated with impaired enzyme production. It usually takes several months for the body to restore this function.
• Celiac disease . The disease is chronic and manifests itself as gluten intolerance. Since gluten is a protein in cereals, the disease can be diagnosed by introducing cereals, bread and flour products. In addition to changes in the color of stool, celiac disease is accompanied by poor weight gain and growth retardation.

E. O. Komarovsky about the children's chair

Dr. Komarovsky is skeptical about young mothers who turn to all doctors as soon as they see green feces in their diaper. The test for dysbacteriosis, which modern pediatricians prescribe when parents contact them, according to Evgeniy Olegovich, has no clinical significance. Its result does not allow even a doctor to make a diagnosis.

“A breastfed child has the right to any appearance of stool...”

Komarovsky claims that the stool of infants at 1–3 months can have a completely different color and consistency. If the child behaves calmly, eats well and sleeps normally for his age, then the change in the color of the stool should not alarm young parents. The main task of the mother is to put the baby to the breast as often as possible for more intensive production of immune cells.

Lactase deficiency as a lever in the promotion of expensive infant formula

Komarovsky perceives the diagnosis of “lactase deficiency” as a fictitious commercial move by manufacturers of low-lactase mixtures. He claims that 60% of his patients come to him with this particular problem. In fact, the production of such a substance as lactose does not depend on the mother’s nutrition, so he does not see the need to complete breastfeeding.

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