White diarrhea in a child

Diarrhea occurs frequently in childhood. There are several reasons for this. First of all, this is due to the fact that the digestive tract is not quite ripe, and the enzymes are not synthesized enough. In addition, for a complete digestion of food in the intestine should be a specific microflora, but in the crumbs it does not yet exist.

Immunity of the baby is not sufficiently formed to withstand pathogenic agents that can cause upset of the stool. Diarrhea in a child can occur as a result of stress, eating new food, overeating, changing the feeding regime. But there may be more serious reasons that lead to consequences if untreated.

Depending on the frequency of defecation, the color of stool and their consistency, and also on the presence of inclusions (mucus, blood), the doctor can assume the presence of a certain pathology. If there is a white diarrhea in a child, then you should not make a diagnosis yourself, but you should consult a pediatrician.

Only after collecting anamnesis and taking the tests the doctor will put a correct diagnosis. The emergence of abnormal white diarrhea in children occurs rarely and, as a rule, these are children under the age of one year.

Frequent stools are considered if bowel evacuation is more frequent than three times a day

Why there is a loose stool of white color

Diarrhea in a child can result from:

• consumption of poor-quality food products or after their insufficient heat treatment;
• presence of intestinal helminths;
• drug therapy;
• neglect of personal hygiene rules;
• an unbalanced diet;
• insufficient secretion of lactose;
• climate change.

A single diarrhea in a small child is not a symptom of pathology. If the white liquid stool is not of a systemic nature, while the child does not experience discomfort, gaining weight, and having a good appetite, there is no cause for concern.

The danger of diarrhea is that the contents of the intestine are quickly excreted, the necessary substances can not be absorbed. Also, the body loses a lot of fluid, which as a result leads to dehydration of varying degrees.

If white diarrhea occurs repeatedly, you need to see a doctor to find out the cause. Several factors can discolor the fecal masses, among them there are both easily amenable to correction, and threatening complications.

Features of the diet

In a child, diarrhea becomes white if there is a lot of calcium in the body or there is an excess of carbohydrates in the menu. Since up to one year the child has mainly breast milk or artificial mixture in the diet, the color of the feces, in the case of accelerated peristalsis, acquires a lighter shade.

If white diarrhea in a child is due to the factors listed (the child ate a lot of flour or white foods, changed the mixture for complementary foods), then the concern should not be caused by its color, but by the fact that the stool became liquid.

Pathology of the liver

Light fecal masses occur with inflammation of the liver, since bilirubin is not excreted from the body. Many people know that with hepatitis the sclera and skin become yellowish, but this symptom appears much later. At an early stage in the development of pathology, the clinic is limited to changing the color of urine (becomes dark) and feces.

Delay in the treatment of hepatitis can lead to significant liver damage

The pathology of the gallbladder or its ducts

Another cause of white feces in a child is the obstruction of the biliary tract. Bile gives a feces a yellowish tint, if its amount is reduced, then the stool becomes discolored. If the outflow of bile is hampered, then the feces acquire an extremely unpleasant odor.

This pathology leads to the formation of stones in the gallbladder and pancreatitis. If there is a violation of the pancreas, pain in the abdomen arises, the body temperature rises, vomiting occurs, the pulse becomes more frequent, the sweat glands produce more secretions.

Dehydration

White diarrhea can also be a symptom of dehydration. With this pathology, the appearance of the child and its behavior changes, the saliva becomes viscous, the tongue is dry, urination is rare (urine with a sharp odor), nausea and vomiting appear.

Dehydration may result from:

• vomiting or prolonged diarrhea (eg, caused by food poisoning);
• increased sweating (the room is very hot, the baby is warmly dressed or moves a lot);
• solar or thermal shock (being in direct sunlight without a headdress or in a very hot, unventilated room);
• rapid urination.

In a small child, a loss of 10% of body weight during dehydration can lead to death

Dehydration can lead to impaired kidney function, shock, and death. Therefore, if a young child has signs of a lack of fluid in the body, then it is necessary to go urgently to the hospital.

Infringement of intestinal microflora

A light uncharacteristic color becomes feces with dysbacteriosis, when the natural intestinal microflora is changed. This pathology can arise as a result of taking antibacterial drugs, as they destroy not only harmful, but also necessary microorganisms.

With dysbiosis, flatulence and pain in the abdomen often occur, stool contains a small amount of mucus and undigested food particles, diarrhea changes constipation. Children lose appetite, sleep worsens, they lose weight, become restless. The fungus can settle in the intestine, which leads to candidiasis.

Intestinal infection

White stools provoke rotavirus infection. First, the infection manifests by vomiting and fever, then joins diarrhea of ​​unnatural gray or white.

Intestinal viruses can cause sore throat and rhinitis. If a child has diarrhea with blood or mucus, then this indicates that there is a bacterial infection. In this case, antimicrobial drugs are required, which the doctor must appoint.

White diarrhea in a child over the age of three, although extremely rare, can still be caused by Whipple's disease. It is an infectious disease affecting the small intestine. With pathology, pain in the muscles, severe thirst, palpitation, gingivitis.

Some medicines have a negative effect on the liver. When taking Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Tetracycline, Augmentin, Paracetamol, discoloration may occur. If during the drug therapy the child has a white or yellow-white diarrhea, then you need to see a doctor for a change of medication.

Infection is the most common cause of light diarrhea in young children

Why do white patches appear in the feces?

White lumps in the feces appear due to the peculiarities of nutrition. The child uses a lot of milk, it turns into the stomach, but does not have time to digest in the intestines and out. This can happen if the baby is fed very fatty milk.

If the body does not produce enough enzyme, which breaks down lactose, then the dairy products can not digest and go out in the form of cottage cheese. If there is lactose intolerance, then the child's diarrhea is frothy.

The appearance of white lumps in the stool can be a symptom of candidiasis. Fungi germinate on the intestinal mucosa, and gradually, mixing with the feces, are taken out. With a similar pathology on the faeces, one can see mucus.

What should I do if my child has diarrhea?

When a white stool appears in a child, it is necessary to increase the daily dose of the consumed liquid, because diarrhea in young children causes rapid dehydration, which threatens the life of the crumbs. It is necessary to drink often and in small portions.

It is recommended to give a teaspoonful of liquid every five minutes. You can drink off mineral non-carbonated water, tea from chamomile or fennel, kissel, compote, decoction of rice.

In the first four hours it is better for the child to refrain from eating, so as not to overload the intestines (this does not apply to infants). Then you need to stick to the diet. Useful mashed potatoes and porridges cooked on the water (especially rice), because they contain starch, which envelops the walls of the stomach.

Fermented milk products containing bifidobacteria, accelerate the recovery of normal intestinal microflora. With diarrhea, you need to exclude all fried, fatty, spicy and spicy dishes, as well as foods that weaken and contain dietary fiber.

Follow the diet for two weeks after recovery

To eliminate diarrhea, the child should be given sorbents, for example, activated charcoal or Smectou. These drugs remove toxins from the intestine, purify it of pathogenic microorganisms and envelop the walls, thereby protecting the digestive tract. Sorbents are sold in the pharmacy without a doctor's prescription.

Do not forget about the basic rules of hygiene. Wash hands after each visit to the toilet and before eating. In order not to cause irritation of the perianal area, it is necessary to abandon the usual toilet paper, it is better to wash it under running water.

When to seek medical help

Sometimes white diarrhea does not cause discomfort to the child, he does not feel sick. But if it lasts more than three days, you need to visit a pediatrician to find out and eliminate the cause.

Immediate treatment in the hospital requires the following symptoms:

• urine became dark in color;
• abdominal pain;
• there is nausea and vomiting;
• the child drinks a lot, but thirst remains;
• the baby became passive, sluggish, capricious;
• appetite is absent;
• does not sleep well at night;
• the body temperature rose.

Laboratory tests are conducted to find out the causes of white diarrhea in a child. Mandatory clinical blood and feces, coprograms are prescribed. To clarify the diagnosis will require additional laboratory or hardware studies.

If the child has a single, light, light-colored stool, while there are no other symptoms of the disease and the toddler is active, then one should not worry. Even if the child does not worry about anything, and diarrhea lasts for three days, you need to consult a specialist.

Immediate hospitalization is required, when in addition there is vomiting, nausea, confusion. Why the child has changed the color of the feces and what causes diarrhea, the doctor will be able to establish after the research.