A streak of blood in a baby's feces is certainly a cause for concern and close attention to his he alth. It can appear for many reasons, respectively, and it is necessary to act in different situations in different ways. First of all, life-threatening conditions must be excluded.
Intestinal infection is not very common (since the baby feeds mainly on breast milk, mixtures and carefully prepared complementary foods), but a formidable cause of blood in the stool in a child up to a year old. In general, older babies are more likely to get infected. But it is impossible to completely exclude the infection, only relying on age. If, in addition to unexpected and severe diarrhea (especially with blood and mucus), the child has a fever, vomiting, and there are signs of abdominal pain, then you need to urgently contact a pediatric infectious disease specialist. By the way, it is possible to determine that a newborn baby has a tummy ache by indirect signs: the child will scream and cry, pull his legs up to his tummy, and when you try to touch it, all manifestations will intensify.
Acute intestinal infections are dangerous, first of all, by rapid dehydration. Literally in a matter of hours, a child with feces and vomiting can lose a critical amount of fluid. You can't delay! Most likely, the baby will need antibiotic therapy, careful drinking and, possibly, a dropper. But all these appointments must be made by a doctor. Self-selection of antibiotics can simply destroy the child.
Another serious cause of blood in a baby's stool is intestinal obstruction, commonly referred to as volvulus. Unfortunately, children under one year of age who are bottle-fed are most susceptible to this condition. Again, we pay attention to the symptoms: pain, crying, refusal to eat, and in the stool - "raspberry jelly" (blood mixed with mucus) or just blood clots. This condition should be eliminated as soon as possible and only in pediatric surgery. Do not hesitate to call an ambulance.
However, the most common cause of blood in the stool in a child is a problem with nutrition, or rather the absorption of food. The first problem is allergies. All foods and mixtures can cause an allergic reaction. Due to the pronounced swelling of the intestinal mucosa and blood flow, the walls of the vessels are damaged, which leads to bleeding. This process is long and sometimes hidden, which leads to anemia and delayed development of the baby.
Usually, allergies are manifested primarily by rashes, diathesis, less often - a lag in weight gain. The rash can be localized almost anywhere (not only on the cheeks,as is commonly believed). Its elements are reddish, rough, usually they are flaky. A similar picture is caused by lactase deficiency. This cause of blood in the feces in a child is associated with insufficient production of enzymes that digest milk. This condition requires a thorough examination, since many diseases can occur with a similar picture.
By the way, sometimes a streak of blood in the feces can appear with chronic constipation. But in babies, this is really an extremely rare occurrence.
Whatever the reason, if a child has blood in the stool, treatment should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor. And signs of severe pain require immediate medical attention.
