Causes and treatment of bloody stools in children

Babies are the apple of every parent’s eye and the little angel of every family. We all hope that all babies can grow up healthy and carefree. Babies are very weak and have low resistance, so they are often troubled by illness. What makes parents most helpless and distressed is that their children have bloody stools.

There are several reasons why babies have bloody stools:

1. Taking iron supplements

If a child takes a multivitamin preparation or iron supplement containing iron, not all of the iron will be absorbed and a small amount will be excreted through the intestines. At this time, the stool may contain dark brown spots, and the fecal occult blood will be positive. This is the case with Qiuqiu in the first example, because the doctor learned after questioning that Qiuqiu had been taking iron-containing multivitamins every day since he was 6 months old. This condition has nothing to do with the child's intestinal development or disease. As long as the child grows normally, there is no need to worry.

2. 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.

3. Disinfectants damage the intestines

Some chemicals, especially disinfectants, can also cause damage to the intestinal mucosa, as is the case with Xiaodong in the third example. Parents believe that disinfection can keep children away from germs, but the children's chances of being exposed to disinfectants have also increased significantly. Over time, chronic ingestion of disinfectants has become the culprit of intestinal damage. After that, the parents used clean water instead of disinfectant wipes, and the child's bowel movements soon returned to normal.

4. 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 mostly caused by anal fissure. As mentioned in the fourth example, the child will cry and have difficulty defecating, but the stool may not necessarily be dry and hard. Because the anal sphincter of infants is not fully developed and the coordination of contraction and relaxation is not perfect, small cracks often occur during defecation, resulting in a small amount of blood in the stool.

5. Bleeding in the entire digestive tract can cause bloody stools. If there is blood in the stool discharged from the anus, whether the color is bright red, dark red or tarry, it is called hematochezia. Most cases of blood in the stool are caused by digestive tract diseases, but it can also be part of a systemic disease. Sometimes, swallowing blood from outside the digestive tract can also cause "blood in the stool."

Be sure to keep your stools smooth and soft, develop a habit of regular bowel movements, and go to the toilet as soon as you feel the urge to defecate. Eat more vegetables, bananas, and sweet potatoes every day. Honey. This can prevent constipation and will definitely improve the symptoms. If you have diarrhea, it means you have an intestinal infection. It is best to take your stool for testing. Another thing is to drink more water, which is also very important.