Baby Bleeding In Stool
Stool that looks like currant jelly in a child who seems ill is a worrisome finding. The stool should be checked in the laboratory, but the child may also need an X-ray or an ultrasound (or both). Currant jelly stool is associated with intussusception - an uncommon condition in which one piece of bowel telescopes into another, cutting off the blood supply and causing significant pain.
Because a food allergy may cause the irritation, your doctor will often suggest modifying the diet before running any tests on the stool. This is a trial-and-error method whereby a food is removed from the diet to see if the bleeding (or mucus) will stop. For instance, a cow's milk formula may be switched to a soy formula, or a breast-feeding mother may be instructed to limit her dairy intake. If the stool returns to normal, then the baby has essentially tested positive for cow's milk sensitivity. The term sensitivity is used rather than allergy because many babies who have intestinal reactions to cow's milk, or any other food for that matter, will outgrow these responses.
Therefore, the babies are considered sensitive in the early months and are only diagnosed with a true allergy if the symptoms persist or if there are concurrent symptoms such as rash, fussiness, or hives.
If the bloody stools do not resolve by the restriction of a breastfeeding mother's cow's-milk intake alone, then a mother may need to further restrict her diet. She can slowly add back one food at a time to determine the cause of the sensitivity. Your doctor can tell you which foods are most likely to cause problems.
Some of the most common include citrus, berries, tomato, onion, and spicy foods in general. This trial-and-error test works well when the amount of blood or mucus is small, when the baby is continuing to gain weight well, and when there are no other severe symptoms.
Sometimes your doctor may check your baby's stool to determine whether the blood and mucus are related to food sensitivity or to infection. Stool is sent to a laboratory, where it is checked for infections ranging from parasites to bacteria to viruses. The stool may also be checked for cells - debris from the intestine.
White blood cells in the stool tend to accompany all sorts of infections and inflammation. Cells called eosinophils are specific markers of food sensitivity or allergy. If eosinophils are present but white blood cells are not, then the likely cause of blood (or mucus) is allergy, not infection.
In extreme cases, a gastroenterologist (a doctor specializing in the intestinal tract) may suggest tests that take pictures of the intestines. X-rays can show the general shape of the bowels, and X-rays done after a baby drinks a liquid that illuminates the lining of the intestines (barium) can show the inside walls as well. A tiny camera can be inserted into the stomach via the mouth (called an upper endoscopy) or into the large intestine via the anus (called a colonoscopy) to take clear pictures of the bowel. These tests are quite invasive and are used only when necessary.
What are the treatments?
If the stool has blood or mucus, then the treatment will depend on the cause. If food sensitivity is the culprit, then the offending food must be removed. For breast-feeding moms, this means restricting the diet. For bottle-feeders, the formula may be switched.
If intussusception is the cause, then the bowel must be released from its telescoped position. This requires an enema using a liquid visible on X-ray (called a barium enema) or sometimes even surgery. Intussusception is extremely rare among infants; it is more common among toddlers.
What are the possible complications?
The complications of bloody stool or mucus-filled stool include diarrheal, diaper rash (because bloody stool is more irritating to the skin than normal stool is), poor weight gain, and abdominal pain. Other possible complications depend on the cause of the blood or mucus.
Because a food allergy may cause the irritation, your doctor will often suggest modifying the diet before running any tests on the stool. This is a trial-and-error method whereby a food is removed from the diet to see if the bleeding (or mucus) will stop. For instance, a cow's milk formula may be switched to a soy formula, or a breast-feeding mother may be instructed to limit her dairy intake. If the stool returns to normal, then the baby has essentially tested positive for cow's milk sensitivity. The term sensitivity is used rather than allergy because many babies who have intestinal reactions to cow's milk, or any other food for that matter, will outgrow these responses.
Therefore, the babies are considered sensitive in the early months and are only diagnosed with a true allergy if the symptoms persist or if there are concurrent symptoms such as rash, fussiness, or hives.
If the bloody stools do not resolve by the restriction of a breastfeeding mother's cow's-milk intake alone, then a mother may need to further restrict her diet. She can slowly add back one food at a time to determine the cause of the sensitivity. Your doctor can tell you which foods are most likely to cause problems.
Some of the most common include citrus, berries, tomato, onion, and spicy foods in general. This trial-and-error test works well when the amount of blood or mucus is small, when the baby is continuing to gain weight well, and when there are no other severe symptoms.
Sometimes your doctor may check your baby's stool to determine whether the blood and mucus are related to food sensitivity or to infection. Stool is sent to a laboratory, where it is checked for infections ranging from parasites to bacteria to viruses. The stool may also be checked for cells - debris from the intestine.
White blood cells in the stool tend to accompany all sorts of infections and inflammation. Cells called eosinophils are specific markers of food sensitivity or allergy. If eosinophils are present but white blood cells are not, then the likely cause of blood (or mucus) is allergy, not infection.
In extreme cases, a gastroenterologist (a doctor specializing in the intestinal tract) may suggest tests that take pictures of the intestines. X-rays can show the general shape of the bowels, and X-rays done after a baby drinks a liquid that illuminates the lining of the intestines (barium) can show the inside walls as well. A tiny camera can be inserted into the stomach via the mouth (called an upper endoscopy) or into the large intestine via the anus (called a colonoscopy) to take clear pictures of the bowel. These tests are quite invasive and are used only when necessary.
What are the treatments?
If the stool has blood or mucus, then the treatment will depend on the cause. If food sensitivity is the culprit, then the offending food must be removed. For breast-feeding moms, this means restricting the diet. For bottle-feeders, the formula may be switched.
If intussusception is the cause, then the bowel must be released from its telescoped position. This requires an enema using a liquid visible on X-ray (called a barium enema) or sometimes even surgery. Intussusception is extremely rare among infants; it is more common among toddlers.
What are the possible complications?
The complications of bloody stool or mucus-filled stool include diarrheal, diaper rash (because bloody stool is more irritating to the skin than normal stool is), poor weight gain, and abdominal pain. Other possible complications depend on the cause of the blood or mucus.
