Why does a newborn’s stool smell sour?

We all know that newborns need a lot of sleep, and babies eat a lot, eight to twelve times a day. Sometimes they sleep unsteadily because they are mostly hungry. Generally speaking, the stool of babies who are breastfeeding will have a slightly sour smell, which is normal, but the baby's stool is generally not smelly. But what if the newborn’s stool smells sour? This may remind us that we need to pay attention to the baby's health.

Eating, drinking, defecating, urinating and sleeping are the main growth tasks of a newborn baby. Each one is indispensable and extremely important. What we are going to talk about today is the problem of baby's "defecation". After food is eaten, the nutrients will be absorbed and utilized by the human body. The remaining waste and residue that are not completely digested and absorbed will become excrement. Toxins and waste will be excreted through feces, forming a normal and healthy body cycle. Whether the "poop" is normal is a barometer of the baby's health.

Generally, breastfed babies have yellow or golden stools with a uniform consistency like a paste or slurry. Occasionally, the stools are thin and slightly green, with a sour but not smelly taste. They have two to four bowel movements a day.

For bottle-fed babies, the stool is light yellow or earthy gray, dry and hard, strip-shaped, often contains milk curds, and has a distinct odor. The baby defecates 1-2 times a day.

If the baby's stool has a strong smell, it means that the protein is not digested properly. At this time, you should reduce the amount of milk appropriately or dilute the milk.

The water temperature for making milk should be around 40 degrees. Do not use boiling water and then let it cool, as this will destroy the nutritional components of the milk. When testing the temperature, drop some milk on the back of your hand. It is fine as long as it is not hot. Do not test it by drinking from an adult's mouth. This is inaccurate and unhygienic. In summer, babies do not feed well, so the milk can be slightly cooler. If the milk is too hot, it will destroy the nutrients in the milk and will scald the baby. If the milk is too cold, it will be bad for the baby's stomach.

If your stool smells like rotten eggs, this is a sign that your baby is consuming too much protein or is not digesting it properly. You should pay attention to whether the milk concentration is too high or whether the baby is eating too much. You can dilute the milk appropriately or limit the amount of milk for 1-2 days. You can also give your baby some multivitamin preparations to aid digestion.

Normal baby poop has a sour smell. But if it smells sour and smelly, it means that the baby has incomplete digestion of carbohydrates. You can supplement the baby with some nutritious probiotics to promote digestion and absorption and relieve symptoms.

To sum up, it is common for baby's stool to have a slightly sour smell, but if it is sour and smelly, you should pay attention. It is recommended that mothers take their newborns to see a doctor for testing. In addition, mothers should try to increase the frequency of breastfeeding their babies and increase their milk secretion. At the same time, mothers should relax and take their newborns out for more activities instead of staying at home every day and doing nothing.