Blood in the feces in a child in most cases indicates pathology and is not the norm. Each reason why such a symptom occurs should be studied in detail in order to respond in time and begin treatment prescribed by a qualified doctor. There can be many reasons for rectal bleeding, but basically it all depends on the age of the baby.
Only an experienced doctor can prescribe the correct diagnosis and treatment, so at the first manifestations of this symptom, you should consult a specialist.
What are rectal bleeding?
Basically, there are two sources of blood in the feces:
- Bleeding can be localized in the upper digestive tract. This includes the stomach and small intestine. Such a symptom should alert parents, as it is not the norm. The latent blood in the stool of a child in this case manifests itself as follows: the stool is black and will consist of tar in its consistency.
- Bleeding from the lower part of the digestive system is most often localized in the colon, rectum or anus. In this case, parents will be able to see feces with impurities of fresh blood, which will have a bright red color.
Less commonly, blood may appear in feces if a child has consumed certain foods or drugs.
The main causes of blood in the feces in infants
There are many reasons that cause the appearance of blood in the feces, they can be the norm or be considered a pathology. Most parents are frightened when they find blood in the stool in a newborn. The child is a month old, and it is unlikely that he may have serious problems with the intestines, so doctors after a thorough diagnosis most often make a diagnosis - an allergy to milk.
Another reason that blood can appear in the feces of a newborn is associated with childbirth. The fact is that a child can accidentally swallow her during childbirth, but there is nothing to worry about, in just a week there will be no trace of her.
Feces allergy and blood
A common cause of blood in the feces is allergy. Parents can face a problem when a baby begins to manifest negative reactions to cow's milk. They are found in the youngest children, with age, such symptoms can pass. The main cause of allergies is hidden in the sensitization of the child's body, the more difficult it is for children who are breast-fed. A young mother will be able to notice blood in the feces of a child, even if she herself uses dairy products and breast-feeds her baby. If the doctor confirms that the baby is allergic, then treatment will not be required, in a year everything will go by itself, and special mixtures will be selected for feeding the child.
Anal fissure
A common cause of feces in the feces of a child is an anal fissure. The cause of this manifestation is frequent constipation in the baby. It should be noted that blood may appear in the feces in a child of 3 years, and maybe in older children, in this case, age does not matter. The fact is that during a bowel movement the child begins to push, and as a result, the intestinal mucosa ruptures.
After the intestines are empty, scarlet drops of blood can be noticed in the feces, in serious cases there may even be large blood clots.
Hemorrhoids and intestinal infection
When blood is detected in the feces of a child, the causes are very diverse, and it cannot be ruled out that perhaps the baby already has hemorrhoids or an intestinal infection has entered the body. A child, like an adult, can have internal and external hemorrhoids. Blood has a certain color, it is dark red. The symptom will not appear every time, but twice a month at least. In addition to the fact that parents will be able to notice traces of blood after defecation, the baby will complain of abdominal pain and going to the toilet. With hemorrhoids, you must consult a doctor and undergo a course of treatment. More serious is the case if the blood is caused by intestinal infections. As soon as the infection enters the baby's body, his temperature rises, severe diarrhea begins, most often with an admixture of blood.
Less common causes
More rare reasons:
- Veins of blood in the feces of a child are with Hirschsprung's disease. The fact is that a certain fragment of the colon is not capable of innervation, in which case the feces lose their ability to advance and stretch the intestine. Naturally, constipation results.
- Crohn's disease, which occurs as a result of damage to all layers of the intestinal wall. The child quickly loses weight and complains of constant abdominal pain.
- Mucus and blood in the stool of a child appears with ulcerative colitis, as there is inflammation of the rectum. Additional symptoms are cramping pains in the lower abdomen, and the feces themselves have the smell of rot.
- A serious disease is invagination, in which one intestine enters another. If immediate treatment is not started, then intestinal obstruction is likely.
- Stool with blood appears when juvenile polyps are present in the intestine. They are growths that do not bother the baby in any way. In most cases, the only symptom is the blood in the feces of the child, 2-year-old children undergo such pathologies most often. The specialist may decide to remove the polyps surgically so that they do not cause the baby and his parents any problems.
In any case, if an alarming symptom appears and the baby becomes lethargic, you must immediately consult a doctor who will conduct the diagnosis.
Black stool in children
It is not always possible to detect blood in the feces, because they have a black color. To determine why the color has changed, it is necessary to pass laboratory tests that either confirm the presence of pathology or refute this version.
When blood is detected under such conditions, it is generally accepted that it is hidden, and the cause is precisely the cracks in the esophagus, stomach ulcer, or bleeding of the veins of the esophagus. If the tests did not show any abnormalities in the intestines or stomach, then the specialist will most likely send the child with his mother for examination to the dentist or to the ENT specialist, since even normal nosebleed can accompany black feces. The fact is that blood enters the stomach, it stains food black.
Tips from a pediatrician Komarovsky
According to Komarovsky, blood in the feces of a child can occur for all the reasons listed above, but he does not advise ignoring any of them. Naturally, parents should go to the doctor, but it requires a thorough analysis and recall that the baby was eating before this symptom appeared. Parents will be required to tell the doctor everything without hiding anything, only in this way an experienced specialist will be able to give practical advice, prescribe tests and prescribe suitable medicinal formulations.
It is important for parents to remember whether the child in the near future consumed beets or other products that can stain the stool red, this is what the famous pediatrician Komarovsky says. The blood in the stool of a child, the causes and all the symptoms can indicate that the baby has serious problems with the digestive system, and the sooner the doctor can diagnose the disease, the easier it will be cured.
Diagnostics
The doctor will be able to collect all the information only after the diagnosis. As the main methods of examination, a specialist can perform palpation of the anus or rectal examination. Mandatory is the delivery of all necessary tests. If a specialist has serious suspicions, an in-depth study is carried out.
- Colonoscopy is an endoscopic examination of the large intestine.
- Ultrasound, from the stomach to the intestines.
The specialist will decide which diagnostics to use based on the complaints of the parents, because the blood in the stool of a child occurs for various reasons.
How to behave to parents?
Naturally, all parents worry about the health of their baby, which is why, at the slightest doubt, you should consult a doctor. Mom and dad should take a small piece of feces and take them to the laboratory for tests to exclude the presence of infection in the digestive system. If the tests could not give a clear answer to the doctor, then an in-depth examination is carried out. Parents do not need to panic right away, because it can complicate the situation.
Recommendations to parents
Caring parents should remember only five simple rules that will help to understand this situation:
- First of all, adults should carefully examine the baby's stool to make sure that there is blood, and not particles of food or the consequences of taking medications that can also stain the feces.
- You should examine the anus of the child and pay attention to his health. If the child is five years old, he will be able to freely answer all the questions of his parents and talk about the symptoms that further concern him.
- After examining the anus and not noticing any scratches that could cause bleeding, adults should definitely consult a doctor and go through all the diagnostics prescribed by him.
- If bleeding from the anus of the child does not stop for an hour, it is recommended to call emergency care.
- Parents should not panic, because they can frighten the child with such behavior.
It is important to understand the seriousness of the situation, because a small child is more susceptible to intestinal diseases than adults, and most often they are associated with the penetration of intestinal infections into the baby's body.
Rectal bleeding treatment
Before starting treatment, the doctor must establish the reasons. Blood in the stool of a child can indicate a serious illness that will be treated by a doctor - a proctologist or gastroenterologist. Therapy may be as follows:
- If a specialist diagnoses blood caused by bacteria or infection, then the child is prescribed therapy, which includes antibiotics.
- Anal fissure and hemorrhoids are treated with rectal suppositories. They relieve inflammation and heal wounds that have already appeared. As soon as the baby undergoes a course of such therapy, all problems with constipation and intestines disappear. If, after a month, the alarming symptoms reappeared, it is recommended to repeat the course.
- Protein allergy in infants is easy to treat. Exclude all food products that cause it, if it is breast milk, then the mother is first recommended to adhere to a diet, in another case, the baby is transferred from breast milk to special mixtures.
- Invagination is treated quite simply. To straighten the intestine, the child is given an enema, feces begin to move and, without causing any harm to health and life, go outside. In order to establish the functioning of the digestive system in this case, parents should take care of the baby’s diet. Food products are selected that will not cause constipation. If the case is complicated, then you can not do without surgical intervention.
What treatment will be effective for a small patient can only be decided by a specialist doctor who will take into account many factors, such as the age of the child and his physiological characteristics. Experts do not recommend ignoring such a serious symptom as blood in the stool of a child, especially if it appeared, and then went on its own, and after a while it again made itself felt.