What should I do if my child’s stool is black, dry and smelly?

Defecation is a normal reaction of the human body, because after metabolism, the body will definitely produce certain wastes, and these wastes are the components of feces. This is why the smell of feces is so unbearable. Many parents have found that their baby's stool is not only dark in color, but also emits a very unpleasant odor. What should they do?

When the baby's stool is black, the first thing you should consider is whether the baby has taken iron supplements. When the baby takes iron supplements or eats iron-rich foods, black stools will appear, and the stool will return to normal after stopping. Therefore, when adding complementary foods to your baby, the first thing to consider is the coloring of the complementary foods. For example, eating bananas, persimmons, etc. will cause the stool to turn black, but it will return to normal after you stop eating them. If it is not caused by complementary food, then you should consider whether it is a gastrointestinal bleeding problem for the baby. It is recommended to send the stool for examination immediately for diagnosis.

If the baby's stool is black due to taking iron supplements or indigestion, it can usually be prevented and treated by adjusting the diet. During this period, the baby's diet should be simple and light, such as drinking rice soup and eating porridge. After a period of time, you can add some vegetables, juice, rice noodles and other easily digestible foods. If there is no impact, no special treatment is required.

If the baby's stool is "tarry" black, it may be considered that the baby has gastrointestinal bleeding and needs to see a doctor.

What causes black stool?

What is the reason for black stool? There are 4 reasons why baby's stool is black:

1. If you eat animal blood, liver and more meat, or take iron or carbon supplements, your stool may be black.

2. Digestive tract diseases: The most common cause of bloody stools, including esophageal varices, esophageal foreign bodies, ulcer disease, acute gastritis, gastric mucosal prolapse, intussusception, hemorrhagic necrotizing enteritis, strangulated intestinal obstruction, Meckel's diverticulum, intestinal polyps, anal fissures, etc.

3. Blood diseases: neonatal hemorrhagic disease, hemophilia, leukemia, aplastic anemia, thrombocytopenia and allergic purpura, etc.

4. Other systemic infectious diseases, such as sepsis, typhoid fever, etc., the baby swallows the mother's birth canal blood or blood from ruptured nipples, swallows bleeding from the nose, pharynx, and gums, etc.