When parents discover white lumps in their baby's stool, this becomes a cause for great concern. By the consistency, color and smell of a baby's stool, one can judge the state of his body. There is no cause for concern if the stool of a breastfed baby has a uniform consistency, has a yellowish-green tint and a sour smell. The volume of bowel movements may vary. This is also considered normal.
But what actions should a mother take if light spots are found in the newborn’s stool? Should we be afraid of such alarming symptoms?
White lumps in stool during breastfeeding
Breastfeeding mothers sometimes notice white lumps in their children's stool and fear that this may indicate the development of pathology. However, there is no need to panic.
When parents discover white lumps in their baby's stool, this becomes a cause for great concern.
Some women, listening to the advice of pediatricians, try to breastfeed their baby as often as possible, which stimulates increased milk production. Accordingly, one of the reasons for the appearance of white lumps in a baby’s stool may be banal overeating.
As a result of this phenomenon, the baby’s digestive tract, which is not yet fully developed, does not have time to cope with such a volume of food. As a result, some of the milk eaten by the baby remains simply unprocessed. And this manifests itself in the form of feces with white lumps, that is, an accumulation of fats and proteins. In appearance they look like lumps of sour milk or cottage cheese.
The appearance of this type of bowel movement is not a reason to panic. Mothers who are faced with this phenomenon need to observe how the baby behaves. If the baby is calm, does not have intestinal colic and is gaining weight at a normal rate, then parents do not need to worry.
Causes of lumps in breastfed babies
Causes of lumps in babies
In a breastfed newborn, the appearance of white cheesy grains on the diaper is not a reason to worry about the baby’s health. This is the normal state of a baby feeding on mother's milk. There are reasons for the appearance of white hard lumps:
- This is due to the fat content of the product.
- Depends on the amount of food taken. Lumps will appear when you overeat.
The reason for the appearance depends on the fact that the baby’s digestive system cannot cope with the processing of food, and its incompletely processed part comes out in the form of white solid lumps.
White lumps during artificial feeding
In children who are bottle-fed, stool has a slightly different consistency, darker in color and thicker. Therefore, parents whose children are fed artificial formula may often observe white lumps in their infant’s stool, and this is quite normal. It all depends on the type of mixture, its quality and the ratio of fats, proteins and carbohydrates in it.
Parents whose children are fed artificial formula may often observe white lumps in their infant's stool, and this is quite normal.
Very often, white cheesy lumps in a baby’s stool may indicate that the baby’s stomach is simply not able to process this particular type of mixture. But today there is a huge selection of artificial nutrition. Therefore, buying a suitable mixture will not be difficult. And in order to approach this issue more responsibly and seriously, you can consult a pediatrician who will help you choose the right nutrition for your baby.
What should normal stool look like in a newborn?
The first stool of a newborn baby has a very thick and viscous consistency, and a dark brown, almost black color. This is the feces that appear in a baby immediately after birth. It consists of waste products of the child during its intrauterine development. Original stool is called meconium. Meconium has no odor.
Already from the third day after birth, the baby's stool changes dramatically. It becomes more liquid and less viscous. There may still be remains of meconium in it. This is the so-called transitional feces. It is already much lighter than meconium, greenish-yellow. Transitional stool contains mucus and lumps.
After a week, the baby's stool gradually becomes mature. Its color turns golden yellow. This bright yellow color of feces is typical for babies who are exclusively breastfed. The consistency of mature feces is quite liquid, but homogeneous and mushy. The smell of a breastfed baby's feces is pleasantly sour, reminiscent of sour milk.
The baby can defecate up to eight times a day. This is normal for a newborn. Formula-fed babies have bowel movements less often. Their poop is not as yellow. They have a darker color, close to brown. The consistency of stool in artificial babies is thicker. The smell of feces is pungent and unpleasant. The feces of mixed-fed babies have the same characteristics. These are children who are fed both formula and breast milk. As children age, they defecate less frequently.
In a healthy child, stool may change. It may become more liquid or almost solid. The color of the stool may turn green. Such changes are quite normal. The characteristics of the stool depend on the type of foods the mother eats, the fat content of her milk, and the type of formula. Bowel movements may change if the child overeats.
The stool of babies who suck only foremilk becomes more liquid. This is the first milk that comes from the breast. It contains more water. If the mother does not completely empty the breast and feeds the baby from the other breast, the baby receives only foremilk.
If the child behaves calmly and is in a good mood, there is no reason to worry.
Other reasons
Often, white lumps in infants' stool appear in infants who have switched from breastfeeding to a mixed diet or have become completely artificial. To avoid unnecessary causes for concern, all parents should take into account that such a transition should not be abrupt. It is necessary to wean the baby from the breast and transfer him to artificial feeding gradually. One of the important points is that during the transition it is necessary to increase the rate of the mixture by 10-15 g daily. If, over time, the mother notices that the cheesy elements in the baby’s stool have begun to disappear, it means that his body has adapted to a new type of diet.
Often the reason for the appearance of white streaks in the stool of a newborn is insufficient compliance by parents with sanitary and hygienic standards. As a result of such neglect, the child may develop helminthic infestations. Pinworms or roundworms appear in the stool, which parents often mistake for white lumps. However, in this case, not only the consistency of the newborn’s stool changes. His behavior makes you think. The baby begins to behave differently than before. He is often capricious and does not sleep well. Occasionally his temperature rises.
Thus, an important condition for all parents is to carefully monitor the hygiene of their infants. To do this, you need to iron his underwear with a hot iron from all sides. Bathing should be done every day. After defecation has occurred, it is necessary to wash the baby and anoint the buttocks with cream.
However, in addition to observing hygiene procedures, when helminthic infestations are detected in the baby’s stool, the doctor prescribes certain medications.
Warning signs
Parents should urgently go to the doctor if they notice the following in their newborn’s stool:
- white grains;
- slime;
- blood clots;
- foamy discharge.
All these signs may indicate that an infection is developing in the baby’s stomach or intestines. In addition, the following symptoms are observed:
- pale complexion;
- severe crying during bowel movements;
- bending the legs during bowel movements;
- increase in body temperature.
This may indicate an intestinal infection, in which case the child is urgently hospitalized.
An increase in body temperature indicates that an infection is developing in the baby's stomach or intestines.
There are cases when, in addition to white impurities, no other alarming signs are observed in the feces of a newborn. If the baby's behavior has not changed, all this may be evidence that the child's body simply does not tolerate lactose. However, even under these circumstances, it is necessary to consult a doctor who can recommend products to the mother that can significantly reduce the amount of enzymes in milk. If the child is “artificial,” then the doctor will recommend types of formulas that do not contain lactose.
Nursing mothers should take into account that if their baby has loose stools and this happens quite often, then they should refuse breast milk, as the baby will not gain weight.
White streaks in a baby's stool as a serious symptom
In some cases, the presence of white lumps in the stool of an infant does not indicate the development of pathology. But the presence of white veins may indicate more serious health problems. One of the main reasons for this unpleasant phenomenon may be a serious deviation in the functioning of the digestive system.
White streaks most often appear in a baby's stool due to the presence of a cheesy coating on the intestinal walls. And this is a sign that a fungus of the genus Candida lives in the baby’s intestines, which leads to the development of dysbiosis.
Candidiasis in a baby can occur due to taking antibacterial drugs for a long time.
In order to bring the intestinal microflora in order, you will need to give your child medications containing bifidobacteria or lactobacilli for a month.
In order to bring the intestinal microflora in order, you will need to give your child medications for a month.
In what cases is the appearance of lumps associated with a disease?
If your baby is not gaining weight well, white lumps in his stool may indicate decreased activity and insufficient amounts of enzymes secreted by the baby's digestive tract.
Disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract can be caused by lactose intolerance. In this case, the baby should be switched to lactose-free formulas.
Loose stools with lumps and mucus can be due to dysbacteriosis. With dysbacteriosis, the microflora in the baby's intestines is disrupted. A healthy person's intestines contain lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, several types of E. coli and other beneficial microorganisms. If the quantitative and qualitative composition of the microflora is disturbed, food is not completely absorbed.
Changes in a child's stool may be associated with an intestinal infection. An intestinal infection can cause blood and mucus in the stool, diarrhea and vomiting. The baby may develop a fever. This condition is dangerous for the child.
If such symptoms appear, you should immediately visit your pediatrician. Only a doctor can determine what caused the child’s bowel dysfunction, how dangerous it is and how to restore normal bowel movements.
