A three-year-old baby has sheep dung in his feces?

Everyone knows that babies' body resistance is very weak, so parents need to be extra careful when taking care of them. Babies are prone to getting sick, but getting sick is actually very normal. Parents must carefully observe the color and shape of the baby's stool when taking care of them, because these can reflect the baby's physical condition. So why are there sheep dung particles in the stool of a three-year-old baby?

Why does the baby have sheep dung in his stool?

Infant constipation is a common disease with many causes, which can be generally divided into two categories. One is functional constipation, which can be cured through conditioning; the other is constipation caused by congenital intestinal malformations, which cannot be cured through general conditioning and must be corrected through surgery. The vast majority of infant constipation is functional.

If a baby eats too little, there will be less residue after digestion and naturally less stool. Insufficient sugar in milk can cause dry stools. If the diet is insufficient for a long time, malnutrition will occur, the abdominal and intestinal muscles will lack strength, and the stool will not be able to be discharged, which may cause stubborn constipation. The nature of stool is related to the ingredients of food. If the food contains a lot of protein but lacks carbohydrates (sugar and starch), the stool will be dry and the frequency of bowel movements will be small; if the food contains more carbohydrates, the frequency of bowel movements will increase and the stool will be loose and soft; if the food is high in fat and carbohydrates, the stool will be lubricated. Some refined foods lack residue and can easily cause constipation after eating. Some children have an irregular lifestyle and do not have the habit of defecating on time, which makes it difficult for them to develop a conditioned reflex of defecation, leading to relaxation and weakness of the intestinal muscles and causing constipation. In addition, certain diseases such as malnutrition and rickets can cause intestinal dysfunction, weak or paralyzed abdominal muscles, and constipation symptoms.

Causes of constipation:

Long-term insufficient diet: When children eat too little, there is less residue in the intestines after digestion and the stool decreases; insufficient sugar in milk causes dry stools; insufficient diet for a long time leads to malnutrition, which makes the abdominal and intestinal muscles weak, lack of tension, and weak peristalsis, leading to stubborn constipation.

Inappropriate food ingredients: Constipation is closely related to the ingredients of food. For example, if the food contains too much protein and insufficient sugar, intestinal fermentation will be relatively reduced, affecting fermentation, making the stool alkaline and dry, leading to constipation. Food (such as milk powder) contains a large amount of casein, and the feces contain a large amount of insoluble calcium soap, which causes an increase in feces and easy constipation.

Intestinal dysfunction: Due to irregular life and bowel movements, the defecation reflex is weakened or not formed; the intestinal muscles are relaxed and constipation occurs. Certain drugs or diseases that can weaken the intestinal wall muscle tone and cause dysfunction, as well as abnormal sympathetic nerve function, can cause constipation.

Genetic and physical defects: Some children are born with constipation. There is a family history, which may be related to genetics.

Mental factors: Sudden mental stimulation, changes in living environment, etc. can lead to short-term constipation. Prevention of constipation:

1. First of all, you should ensure adequate water intake. Feed more water, fruit and vegetable juice, soup, etc., and increase the amount when sweating a lot.

2. For older babies, you can change the food structure: choose to eat more foods that are high in fiber and produce more gas, such as sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes to promote intestinal peristalsis; choose foods that are high in fiber, such as vegetables; add vegetable oil to the food to help moisturize the intestines; increase the intake of foods that are high in water, such as kelp, to ensure the volume of the stool. When feeding weaned children, attention should be paid to the combination of protein and carbohydrates. People with malnutrition need to improve their nutrition.

3. Do appropriate exercise to increase appetite and food intake; ensure food intake to form volumetric bowel movements.

4. Maintain regular eating, sleeping, and bowel movements; develop the habit of defecating on time and strengthen the formation of defecation reflex; the relationship between these three is cause and effect.

5. Massage the lower abdomen of infants and young children. Use 2-4 fingers together and massage the lower abdomen clockwise for several minutes with the navel as the center, twice a day.

6. During constipation, if you drink a lot of milk and your stool is dry and hard, you can add 5% sugar to the milk or drink honey water separately, which will help soften the stool; at the same time, reduce the intake of milk and increase the amount and variety of complementary foods.

What is the reason for blood in baby's stool?

1. The mother's nipples are ulcerated and bleeding: During breastfeeding, especially in the early stages, the mother's nipples are prone to ulceration. If the baby swallows the blood from the ulcerated nipples, the stool will contain a small amount of pink or red substance. The stool test will not detect red blood cells, but occult blood can be detected. In this case, the child usually eats normally and grows normally, so the mother does not need to worry.

2. Taking iron supplements (iron foods): If the baby takes multivitamin preparations or iron supplements containing iron, it is impossible for all of the iron to be absorbed, and a small amount will be excreted through the intestines. At this time, the stool may contain dark brown spots, and the stool occult blood will be positive. This condition has nothing to do with the baby's intestinal development or disease. As long as the baby grows normally, there is no need to worry.

3. Damage to the small intestinal mucosa: If the small intestinal mucosa is damaged, the stool will also contain red substances, and the stool test for occult blood will be positive. Accidental ingestion of medication or foreign objects can cause damage to the intestinal mucosa, but for babies, this possibility is very small. Most intestinal damage is caused by food, the most common of which is milk.

The intestines cannot tolerate certain foods, causing damage to the small intestinal mucosa and blood to enter the intestinal cavity. Since the blood stays in the intestine for a while before being excreted with the stool, it will be destroyed by the intestinal fluid during this period. Therefore, stool testing can only detect occult blood in the stool, but no red blood cells. However, this small intestinal damage will persist without changes in diet, causing the baby's growth and development to be delayed.

4. Disinfectants damage the intestines: Some chemicals, especially disinfectants, can also cause damage to the intestinal mucosa. Mothers believe that disinfection can keep children away from germs, but the baby's chances of being exposed to disinfectants are also significantly increased. Over time, chronic ingestion of disinfectants becomes the culprit of intestinal damage. If the mother uses clean water instead of disinfectant wipes, the baby's bowel movements will soon return to normal.

5. Anal fissure: If fresh blood is visible in the stool and the blood is attached to the surface of the stool, and examination shows the presence of red blood cells, it is most likely caused by anal fissure. The baby may cry and have difficulty defecating, but the stool may not be dry and hard. Because the baby's anal sphincter is not fully developed and the contraction and relaxation coordination is not perfect, small cracks often occur during defecation, resulting in a small amount of blood in the stool. At this time, apply a small amount of antibiotic ointment on the anus and the condition will soon improve.