In the article, we will consider why the child has black feces and tell you how to solve this problem.
Parents of a child of any age, and especially a small one, are concerned about almost everything, including the color of the baby's feces. It is not worth considering this surprising, because the color of feces can tell a lot about the condition of the child to the doctor or his parents.
Black feces
The appearance of black feces in a child always scares parents, however, in many cases, this symptom is not dangerous and is absolutely normal. Only occasionally the appearance of black stool in a child can indicate the presence of a pathology or disorder in the body.
However, parents should carefully monitor the condition of their child and if any signs that indicate a possible pathological process occur, you need to contact a pediatrician.
So why does a child have black feces?
Probable Causes of Stool Black
Feces in a child can be black for a variety of reasons. In some cases, the factors that provoked staining of the stool are normal and do not carry any danger in themselves, but in some situations, such reasons must be eliminated without delay. In this regard, it is important to determine the true cause of black feces in a child. The following causes and effects can affect color.
First bowel movement after birth
This may be an explanation of why the baby has black feces.
The fact is that the intestines in newborns are not empty, there is meconium inside it. This term refers to the mass, which consists of epithelial cells, water, bile, mucus, prenatal hair. The child swallows these particles together with amniotic fluid when it is in the womb. Therefore, in the first 2-3 days in a newborn, feces have a black color. After meconium completely leaves the intestines, feces become normal, yellow in color.
Why can there be black feces in a month old baby?
Feeding a baby with a high iron content
That is, the stool of a child can darken if it is transferred to a new mixture saturated with iron. Such a reaction is not dangerous and is completely normal, since the substance entering the body, together with the iron mixture, is oxidized in the stomach. After which the substance is mixed with feces, and becomes black.
Why does the baby have black feces, what are the other reasons?
Using new foods
The intestines of a child in the first months of life only begin to adapt to activities and external influences. At this time, the digestive system begins to learn to digest new foods, and therefore the introduced complementary foods do not always go through the full processing cycle. During this period, the appearance of black patches can often be observed in feces. In addition, food particles that are not completely digested can be found in the feces.
Why a baby's feces may be black is interesting to many mothers.
Power Features
Feces in a child can be painted black due to the use of certain foods. For example, prunes, blackberries, cherries, currants, beets, pomegranates, apples, kidneys, liver and many other products that have a high iron content can stain stool. The stool can be completely black or have black spots if the food consumed is not completely digested. In addition, the dark color of feces may persist for the next few days.
The use of minerals and vitamins
Often, experts recommend the baby to take special complex preparations if they have a deficiency of minerals and vitamins. If iron is present in the mineral complex, then the feces in the child will be dark in color.
Why does the child have black feces at 5 years old?
Hematogen and activated carbon
In some cases, stool turns dark in color as a result of the use of hematogen.
Or because of the use of activated carbon. This substance is not absorbed into the blood, it is not digested by the intestines. Activated carbon is a sorbent in which all harmful substances are absorbed and with it are eliminated from the body. Often after its use, parents find in the stool of a child quite large dark blotches.
The use of drugs. The color of children's feces can be affected by drugs that contain bismuth, as well as antibiotics: Ibuprofen, Paracetamol.
All of these factors staining stool in black are completely harmless, after a few days everything comes back to normal. Otherwise, this occurs after cessation of therapy with the use of certain drugs or a change in diet.
It is worth noting that in some cases, feces can change color if a pathology develops in the body or there are other pathologies in the digestive tract. In such cases, a change in the color of feces to black, or the presence of various specks or grains of sand in it can be an alarming sign.
Why a child has black feces, you must definitely find out.
Possible pathologies
In infants (1 month of age or older), staining of feces in black or the appearance of inclusions in it may indicate gastrointestinal pathologies. Such pathologies up to a year are quite rare, but such a possibility cannot be completely ruled out. As a rule, the appearance of black feces may indicate the presence of bleeding in the digestive tract, which, in turn, is a rather dangerous deviation from the norm.
In addition to bleeding, there is another symptomatology. For example, internal bleeding is almost always accompanied by constipation, soreness in the abdomen, vomiting, nausea. In some cases, blood streaks are present in the feces (when bleeding is localized in the lower intestines). In addition, in children's feces, parents can detect mucus. If such symptoms occur, you must immediately consult a doctor, call an ambulance.
If the feces have a normal color and consistency, while the child feels normal, eats well and does not show anxiety, then blood inclusions in the feces can occur due to a small rupture of the anus. This sometimes happens in children, especially if they suffer from constipation. As a rule, the gap is insignificant, but in its place there is a small artery, which serves as the cause of the appearance of blood blotches in the feces. In such cases, the most reliable indicator of the baby’s health is his general condition. If there are painful changes in the body, children always refuse to eat, behave uneasily, cry. That is, the appearance of black feces together with such signs is a dangerous sign.
First aid for a child with the appearance of black feces
We examined the main causes of the appearance of black feces.
If the child has disturbing symptoms, you should call for medical help as soon as possible and take measures to alleviate the condition of the child.
First of all, it is necessary to provide the child with bed rest. Secondly, it is forbidden to give the child any food or drink until the doctor arrives. An exception can only be cold water.
In addition, it is recommended to keep the feces and show them to him before the doctor arrives. The pediatrician will first examine the child, provide him with the necessary first aid, and then send him for gastroscopy and ultrasound, as well as other tests (feces, urine) that will accurately determine the cause of the symptom. Only then can the necessary therapy be prescribed.
The greatest concern about the occurrence of black feces should be shown to those parents whose child has already been diagnosed with pathology of the digestive tract. For example, if a child suffers from gastritis, peptic ulcer, Crohn's disease, cancer of the stomach or intestines. The greatest attention to the color of feces should also be given to parents whose child is suffering from cirrhosis of the liver or hepatitis.
Why black stools may appear, the doctor should determine.
Undoubtedly, the black stool of a child, no matter what his age - one month or five years old, causes genuine concern in parents, but sometimes in children feces can acquire other consistencies and colors.
- Red chair. Most often, red color in feces appears due to the presence of blood in it, especially if such a change persists for a while. Perhaps, on the inside of the anus, the child has a crack, which, when passing stool of a solid consistency, bleeds. If the reason for the change lies in this, the doctor will advise you to consume more fiber and prunes, drink more water to soften the stool. Red feces can appear this way due to the use of antibiotics, the elements of which are combined in the digestive tract with iron ions. Certain drinks and foods, such as red juice, can give the feces their color. Why is the baby's feces black and green?
- Green or black-green feces. As a rule, it arises as a result of the fact that feces move very quickly through the children's intestines. There is no cause for concern in this case, especially in the case of infants. However, it is necessary to ensure that the child is gaining weight normally. In addition, the stool can become green due to the fact that the child eats a lot of foods rich in fiber, such as broccoli. In some cases, the green color of the stool may be due to the presence of dyes in food and drinks consumed by the child.
- Yellow chair. Worry about the yellow color of feces, if the baby is breast-fed, should not be. But you need to see a doctor if the appearance of a yellow stool is accompanied by abdominal pain. This is probably due to irritation or inflammation in the intestines.
- White chair. It usually appears due to the use of specific products and does not indicate pathology, but if this phenomenon occurs repeatedly, you should inform the pediatrician. In some cases, this may indicate liver problems and other pathologies.
Conclusion
Thus, the occurrence of black stool in itself is not dangerous, but in some cases it can signal the presence of serious life-threatening problems in the children's body in the absence of timely assistance. But, as a rule, this is the result of eating certain foods. Be that as it may, it is necessary to observe changes in the color of the stool of the child and, if other symptoms appear, consult a doctor.
We found out why a child has black feces at different ages.