Light feces in children indicates some problems in the body. Violations of the activity of organs can immediately be noticed by the color of the stool and their consistency. But panic is not worth it right away. Sometimes the light color of feces is a consequence of the foods eaten.
Feces of a newborn baby
You need to start with the fact that in children the shade of bowel movements may be different depending on age. When a baby was just born, its feces is called meconium. It is almost black in color and viscous in consistency. This situation persists for four days. Then, instead of meconium, light feces appear. In children who have just been born, feces may have white or yellow blotches and a small amount of mucus. This is the norm.
Feces of babies up to three months
Why can there be light feces in a child, Komarovsky E.O., a practicing pediatrician, talks in great detail. 7 days after birth, the color of the bowel movements in the baby becomes light brown or yellow. The consistency of the stool becomes fluid. If the child is healthy, then the feces will be uniform, with the smell of dairy products. Such bowel movements persist until the age of three months. In this case, mucous or green blotches sometimes appear in the feces. For babies, this is the norm.
What determines the color of feces?
The color of feces primarily depends on the amount of bilirubin enzyme contained in the feces. This substance produces the liver. Bilirubin leaves the body along with bowel movements or urine. Feces of a light color in a child may indicate improper production of a substance. In this case, a urinalysis should be done. And if it has a dark color, you need the help of a pediatrician.
Also, the color of feces depends on the products that were consumed. Babies who are not yet one year old are fed breast milk. Therefore, their bowel movements are light and liquid. The more milk, the whiter. Over time, the baby’s diet begins to change, so the stool will gradually harden and darken.
You need to know that the bowel movement of a baby whose diet is based on mixtures will be denser than normal. And the color can vary from yellow to gray. The same thing happens when new foods are introduced into the diet. When a child turns one year old, he can already consume beets in small quantities. In this case, the bowel movement will immediately take on a darker shade.
White feces
Why is the baby's feces light, almost white? Eaten foods may affect this. Especially if they contained a lot of calcium. For example, a young mother, worrying about the strength of the bones of the child, begins to include a lot of milk, cottage cheese, etc. in the diet as a result of eating white foods, the color of the stool, accordingly, changes.
Light, almost white stool is often caused by foods containing a lot of carbohydrates. And also it can change color when the child's teeth are cut. At this time, the bowel movements become not only lighter, but also liquid. White feces is a consequence of hepatitis. But only a doctor can determine this precisely, since the symptoms of the disease are manifested not only by the color of the bowel movements.
What should I look for when changing the color of feces?
Most often, light feces in children are a consequence of malnutrition. Especially if the baby is overfed with fat cottage cheese, milk and sour cream. But nevertheless, when the color of feces changes in a child, you need to carefully consider the factors accompanying this. Analyze nutrition, see if teeth are being cut, and evaluate the general condition of the baby.
Be sure to check for temperature or vomiting. It is important to know if the child has lost appetite and if sleep is disturbed. If there are any deviations from the norm, then a lighter feces may be an indication of the disease. Therefore, in this case, the baby should be examined by a pediatrician.
Causes of light feces
Why did light feces appear in a child? The reasons for this may be different:
- Flu. In this case, the stool will not only be light, but will additionally acquire a gray tint. Changes in stool color occur on the 3rd or 4th day after the onset of the disease. In some cases, feces brightens even after complete recovery. This is the reaction of the body trying to remove the remnants of the drug.
- Rotavirus infection. The child has a fever. Then begins diarrhea and vomiting. Feces first turn yellow, and the next day it looks like clay.
- Stagnation of bile. Due to its presence in the feces, they acquire a dark color. Therefore, when the shade becomes lighter, bile stasis can become the cause of this. In this case, the anatomical features of the body must be taken into account. Sometimes the bile ducts can be twisted or bent.
- Pancreatic inflammation. Most often, this disease affects adults. But a child who is 3 years old is not immune from inflammation of the pancreas. Although mainly the disease affects children from 4 years. With inflammation, not only the bowel movements brighten, but additional symptoms appear.
- Whipple's disease. This ailment is little known, because it is very rare. But the main symptom of the disease is frequent bowel movements. They can be from ten or more times a day. Moreover, the color of feces in this case is light gray. And the consistency of the chair is pasty or foamy.
- Drug response. Children are very susceptible to medication. Therefore, the color of feces may change due to the child taking antibacterial, antipyretic or anti-inflammatory drugs.
Yellow feces
Light yellow feces in a child is considered normal if the baby is infants. As it grows, the bowel movements change color, becoming darker. Basically, the color of feces depends on the products that are included in the diet. If the baby is fed pumpkin or carrots in large quantities, then the stool will be yellow-orange. Saturated color may indicate a disease in the pancreas, kidney, or liver. If they prevent the accumulation of bile from leaving the body, then the stool becomes yellow.
In some cases, it becomes so because of a new brand of mixture that is given to the child instead of the usual one. Feces are accompanied by an unpleasant odor. If after a few days the color of the bowel movements has not changed from yellow to normal, then you should immediately show the child to the pediatrician. Especially if vomiting, nausea, darkening of urine, etc. appear at the same time.
Dysbacteriosis
Light feces in children can occur against the background of some diseases. One of them is dysbiosis. It can appear even in the smallest children. Dysbacteriosis is an imbalance in the intestines. The causes can be diseases that the baby's mother suffered during pregnancy, or antibacterial drugs and antibiotics taken by the baby. An important role is played by the nutrition of the mother and baby. Dysbacteriosis is characterized by a very light stool, which has an unpleasant sour smell.
Hepatitis
Light feces may appear due to hepatitis. But this disease is accompanied by other factors. The child develops lethargy, loss of appetite and nausea begins. But the first symptom is a dark urine. Then the feces begin to lighten. First, the chair will be light yellow, and then completely painted white. At the same time, it will also acquire a grayish tint.
In children up to a year old, hepatitis B occasionally begins. Especially if the baby has become a carrier of a viral infection. This type of hepatitis has a latent period. The disease can develop slowly, up to six months. First, the child's urine darkens and the stool lightens. Then the appetite disappears and sleep is disturbed. Then vomiting appears and the temperature rises.
Light feces in a child (2 years) can be a sign of hepatitis A. Moreover, the baby's skin does not immediately turn yellow. First, the urine darkens, then the feces turn white. All other signs of the disease are the same as for viral hepatitis B.
Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is an inflammatory process in the pancreas. This disease can occur in children even at an early age. The reasons are malnutrition and the digestive system that has not had time to form. With pancreatitis, the stool becomes light in color, abdominal pain appears, its bloating is noted. The child is tormented by nausea and vomiting. The baby's temperature rises and a strong thirst begins. In children emerging from infancy, the cause of pancreatitis is most often excessive consumption of sweets and confectionery.
What to do if a child feces has become a light color?
Light feces in a child (2 years) can become so due to nutrition. At the age of two, babies are already given a varied diet. The body may respond differently to changes in diet. And as a result, feces sometimes become light in color. If the child does not have fever, vomiting, or other symptoms of the disease, then he needs to be watched for several days. At this time, pigmented foods are excluded from the diet. If no changes have occurred and the color of the feces remains light, then the child must be shown to the pediatrician. When stools turn white and urine becomes dark, this is an alarm. And if there are no longer any symptoms of diseases (nausea, fever, vomiting, etc.), then the doctor should still be examined by the doctor.
Even a child who is 3 years old can get hepatitis or dysbiosis. The baby may begin to have problems with the gall bladder. But only a doctor can determine the cause of light feces for sure. When treating a baby, although sparing, but still medications are prescribed. They can also cause light bowel movements. In this case, you need to analyze when the stool began to change color. If, in addition, no additional symptoms are observed, then just wait a couple of days when the stool returns to normal. But if this did not happen, it is better to immediately consult a doctor.