A streak of blood in the feces of a baby is certainly a cause for concern and close attention to his health. It can appear for many reasons, respectively, and it is necessary to act in different situations in different ways. First of all, life-threatening conditions must be excluded.
An intestinal infection is not very frequent (since the baby eats mainly breast milk, mixtures and carefully prepared complementary foods), but it is a formidable cause of blood in the stool in a child up to a year old. In general, an older baby has a greater chance of contracting it. But it is impossible to completely eliminate the infection, only relying on age. If, in addition to unexpected and severe diarrhea (especially with blood and mucus), the child has a fever, vomiting, and there are signs of abdominal pain, then you should immediately consult a doctor - a pediatric infectious disease specialist. By the way, it is possible to determine that a newborn baby has a tummy ache by indirect signs: the child will scream and cry, pull the legs to the tummy, when you try to touch it, all manifestations will intensify.
Acute intestinal infections are dangerous, first of all, by rapid dehydration. In just a matter of hours, a child with feces and vomiting can lose a critical amount of fluid. You can not delay! Most likely, the baby will need antibacterial therapy, careful drinking and, possibly, a dropper. But all these appointments must be made by the doctor. Self-selection of antibiotics can simply kill a child.
Another serious cause of blood in the feces of a child is intestinal obstruction, which is usually called bowel obstruction . Unfortunately, children under one year of age who are on artificial feeding are most exposed to this condition. We pay attention to the symptoms again: pain, crying, refusal to eat, and in the stool - “raspberry jelly” (blood mixed with mucus) or just blood clots. This condition should be eliminated as soon as possible and only in conditions of pediatric surgery. Do not hesitate to call the ambulance.
However, the most common cause of blood in the stool in a child is nutritional problems, or rather digestion of food. The first problem is allergy. Any foods and mixtures can cause an allergic reaction. Due to severe swelling of the intestinal mucosa and blood flow, the walls of the vessels are damaged, which leads to bleeding. This process is long and sometimes hidden, which leads to anemia and a delay in the development of the baby.
Usually, allergies are manifested primarily by rashes, diathesis, and less commonly, lag in weight gain. The rash can be localized almost anywhere (not only on the cheeks, as is commonly believed). Its elements are reddish, rough, they usually peel off. A similar picture is caused by lactase deficiency. This cause of blood in the stool in a child is associated with insufficient production of enzymes that digest milk. This condition requires a thorough examination, since many diseases can occur with a similar picture.
By the way, sometimes a streak of blood in the stool can appear with chronic constipation. But in infants this is really an extremely rare occurrence.
Whatever the reason, if the child has blood in the stool, treatment should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor. And the signs of severe pain require immediate medical attention.