For a long nine months, the baby grew up in the bosom of his mother, ate through the placenta, and all metabolic processes took place independently of him. From the moment of birth, it begins to function as a separate organism. And after he begins to breathe, the digestive system becomes the biggest problem. Gradually, the stomach and intestines learn to digest incoming foods. First it is colostrum, then breast milk, and only then solid food.
While the digestive system adapts to such changes, parents have to go through hard times. These are colic and nightly anxiety, constipation and diarrhea. And there is such a frightening symptom as mucus in the feces. In infants, this happens often.
What it is?
In fact, this can be either a variant of the norm or a symptom of the disease. Therefore, if something disturbs you in the behavior of the crumbs, and in addition you notice an increase in the amount of mucus, then you should immediately pay attention to the pediatrician.
Let's turn to physiology to understand what mucus is in the feces of an infant. In fact, the glands of the intestine are adapted to its production. However, normally there are very few of them, she lines the walls and performs protective functions. In a baby, the body does not work quite the same as in an adult, so the development of this secret is sometimes corrected by external or internal factors.
How to distinguish the norm from pathology? In fact, everything is quite simple. Pediatricians always tell parents: if the baby is gaining weight normally, then there is no reason for concern. From a physiological point of view, mucus in the feces of an infant is a clot that consists of epithelial tissue. Viscous substance contains antiseptics and immunoglobulins. What is this talking about? The fact that mucus in the feces of an infant is an attempt by the body to protect itself from irritating factors.
Age features
Discharge from the intestines will gradually change. This is due to the fact that intestinal activity is improving. The mucus in the feces of the baby changes its color from the moment of birth. Immediately after the appearance of the crumbs, feces have a black color with a greenish tint. This is a sticky mass that is difficult to remove from the diapers, and it is rather difficult to detect mucus in it.
Later, feces become gray-green, and after a month it turns yellow. You yourself can determine the normal functioning of microflora. Normally, the baby's bowel movement is a heterogeneous mass with streaks of undigested milk, with a sour smell of kefir and a small admixture of mucus. If there is a lot of it, this indicates pathological processes in the body of the child.
What do you need to pay attention to?
Feces with mucus in the baby are not an alarming symptom, but any changes in the appearance of the child's bowel movements are best discussed with the pediatrician. He can reassure, if everything is in order, or send for examination, if changes in the stool also alert him.
Mucus can easily be distinguished by jelly-like blotches. It can be veins or a noticeable lump, which clearly differs in consistency from the total mass. It is advisable to pay attention to the color of the selection. It depends on the produced enzymes, due to which it indicates the reason for their appearance. In addition, there are accompanying signs that indicate the presence of pathological processes. This is a deterioration in the well-being of the child, decreased activity and slow weight gain. The baby is usually disturbed by sleep.
Mom's Nutrition
Very often, the cause of mucus in the feces of the baby is just what my mother was eating today. It depends on the sensitivity of the child. One will not notice the chocolate bars, and the other will react sharply to harmless vegetables and kefir. If the baby is on artificial feeding, he reacts to a change in mixtures or an increase in the amount of complementary foods. An cause of an increase in the amount of mucus can also be an allergic reaction. In addition, changes in the stool consistency and mucus volume can be caused by the following factors.
If the stool is greenish
This phenomenon occurs very often and always causes concern for young parents. In fact, simply staining the feces in green is not a hazard. If the behavior of the crumbs remains the same, then you can calm down. Most often, such changes occur due to changes in diet.
But it must be added that green mucus in the feces of the baby is a slightly different phenomenon. If a foam or an unpleasant odor is added at the same time, then the presence of the disease is quite possible. In any case, only a specialist can diagnose it. Symptoms can immediately indicate a number of problems, and only laboratory tests will give an accurate answer.
Diarrhea with mucus
The definition itself is difficult to understand. In a baby, the stool itself is fluid and frequent. Therefore, here the main factor is just the type of mucus in the feces of the baby. Photos of bowel movements, as well as a description of the situation by the parents, will not tell the doctor anything and is not the basis for prescribing treatment. Be sure to conduct laboratory tests.
A loose stool with mucus indicates dysbiosis. If it lasts for several days and persists with a balanced diet, you need to contact a pediatrician and get tested. Self-treatment of dysbiosis is ineffective.
Clear mucus
Please note that we are talking about cases where the smell of secretions has not changed. Over time, the mother may notice that transparent watery discharge appeared in the stool. This suggests that the load on the intestines of the child has significantly increased. In addition, this means that other nutrients began to come in with mother's milk.
Often a similar phenomenon is observed if the child was transferred to complementary foods. It is necessary to improve the quality of breast milk or reduce the amount of formula for complementary foods. In this case, the condition of the child is gradually normalizing.
Sometimes pediatricians are faced with complaints of parents that the latter constantly observe mucus in the feces of the baby. Why it happens? If this is combined with diarrhea, then, most likely, there is a violation of the intestinal microflora. It can be caused by a violation of diet or allergies. Despite the unpleasantness of such a phenomenon, it is important and even necessary for the body to learn how to cope with incoming substances. Transparent mucus in the feces is also observed with teething and with a runny nose. Often it is accompanied by flatulence and constipation.
Admixture of white mucus
A pediatrician should understand what mucus in the feces of a baby means. But parents also need to have basic knowledge in order to timely turn the attention of the doctor to changes. White lumps in the feces are an alarming sign. It should be especially wary if there are impurities of blood and fat. The reason is the inflammatory process and other intestinal diseases. As a result, we have colic, constipation, and diarrhea. But a final diagnosis cannot be made without clinical research. Therefore, it is important to collect material for analysis as soon as possible and consult a doctor so that he makes his opinion.
Admixture of pink mucus
Since pregnancy, every young mother is very afraid of spotting. Therefore, noticing any shades of pink in the feces of the child, she panics. Reasons for excitement are really enough. Typically, the presence of blood in the stool turns the mucus pink or red. Immediately we make a reservation: if in the diaper you find one or two strings of mucus with a bloody tint, and the rest of the mass is of a normal color - this is a normal variant.
The accompanying signs of pathology are: loose stools, vomiting, sharp pains in the baby. Pink mucus may indicate ulceration of the gastrointestinal mucosa or inversion of the intestines. In this case, it will not work to ignore the symptoms, because pathologies cause severe pain. Attribute them to colic will not work even with the most inexperienced parents.
Yellow stool with mucus
It would seem that this is precisely the color that best reflects the good work of the intestines of the crumbs. It turns out that this is not entirely true. A poisonous yellow color with a liquid consistency indicates an infection in the body. In this case, yellow mucous membranes eloquently indicate a viral lesion. This condition requires immediate medical correction.
Usually there are enough symptoms in addition to feces: intense thirst, skin integuments become very dry, palpitations are intense, and strong colic is observed. With an increase in temperature, the child becomes lethargic.
Diagnostics
It will be very important for the doctor to collect a maximum of information about what mother and child ate in the last days. Therefore, try to remember everything, to the smallest detail. But to determine the real cause of what is happening, you need to pass feces. Based on the symptoms, the doctor will prescribe a direction for tests: allergens, eggs, worms, carbohydrates or dysbiosis.
To do this, you need to collect fresh feces and deliver it to the laboratory. Stock up on a special container. It is best to leave the baby without a diaper, instead spread the diaper. After the bowel movement, scoop up the stool where there is less mucus. If material collection occurs in the evening, then remove the container in the refrigerator until morning.
Treatment
The mucus in the feces of the baby itself does not require therapy. This is only a symptom that indicates a particular pathology. After deciphering the tests, the doctor prescribes treatment. Be sure to follow a strict diet for a nursing mother. Often, adjusting the nutrition becomes the solution to the problem. But with serious pathologies, medical treatment, and sometimes surgical intervention, may be required. Do not delay to see a doctor. Timely initiated therapy can greatly alleviate the course of the disease and accelerate recovery. After the end of treatment, it is necessary to follow a diet for some time so that the digestive system has time to recover.