If you want your baby to be healthy and happy, you can tell by looking at the baby's stool

Why do babies often have diarrhea? What is going on? This will make many parents extremely worried. As a result, they sent their babies to the hospital, but the doctor said it was not a serious problem. Why is this? The baby's stool can show whether he is healthy or not. Let's take a look at the specific situation.

Check these to see if your baby's stool is healthy

1. Color

The stool of breastfed babies is generally yellow, while that of formula-fed babies is green. The green color of the stool is related to the iron content in milk. Formula milk generally has higher iron content than breast milk. However, if the mother eats a lot of iron-rich foods, the color of the baby's stool may also be green. These stools are not the so-called "baby shock, green competition", so parents should not worry about it!

In addition, some people think that the stool is too green because of poor gastrointestinal absorption in babies. In fact, each baby's iron requirements are different. Unnecessary iron will not be absorbed. Excess iron makes the stool green. This is a normal phenomenon and has nothing to do with the baby's gastrointestinal absorption.

In short, as long as the baby's stool color is not white or gray (cause suspicion of bile stasis or congenital biliary atresia), black (blood will turn black after being digested by gastric acid, as black as hair), or red (fresh blood or blood streaks), the rest should be normal.

2. Shape and texture

Generally speaking, the stool of breastfed babies is mainly watery and sticky, and sometimes contains white rice-like substances. This is because some breast milk is coagulated by stomach acid, which makes it difficult to digest and is excreted without being mixed with bile. It is a normal phenomenon.

As for the stool of formula-fed babies, due to the high casein content in formula, the baby's gastrointestinal tract is less able to digest it completely, and the undigested part will make the stool more formed or in strips after being discharged. However, as the manufacturing technology of formula milk improves and the content is more similar to breast milk, the stool of formula-fed babies may be similar in shape and quality to the stool of ordinary breastfed babies.

When the baby starts to eat complementary foods, his stool will begin to take on more shape and may appear as a lump or even in strips. When the food the baby eats is very similar to that of adults, his stool will be the same as that of adults!

3. Frequency

Breastfed babies can defecate many times at first, ranging from three to ten times a day. At this time, please pay attention to the baby's butt, because frequent bowel movements can easily cause red buttocks or diaper rash. However, as the baby's intestinal system matures, the digestive enzymes gradually become more complete.

As babies absorb breast milk more and more easily, the frequency of bowel movements will gradually decrease, starting with once every two to three days, once every three to five days, or even once every seven to ten days. However, each bowel movement is like a volcanic or mountain torrent erupting, with so much volume that it overflows the diaper.

As long as the baby's mental vitality and appetite are normal during the period of no bowel movement, there is no crying or abnormal symptoms, and the number of diaper changes remains unchanged, that is, the urine volume has not decreased, parents do not need to worry about whether the baby is constipated.

As for the frequency of bowel movements of formula-fed babies, it may not be certain. Generally, it will not be as frequent as breastfed babies. Three times a day or once every three days is within the normal range.

4. How to determine if your baby has diarrhea?

The general definition of diarrhea refers to an increase in the amount, frequency, and water content of stool. However, babies' stools are watery and they defecate frequently every day, so it is usually difficult for parents to tell whether they have diarrhea.

Dr. Bao gave parents a simple advice: if the baby's stool is thinner, more frequent, and has a higher water content than before, then the baby may have diarrhea. But when parents are unable to make a judgment, it is safest to take the baby to a pediatrician for a checkup!

Parents must read the stool card on the front page of the baby's handbook (the picture above). After reading it, they will know which color of stool is abnormal.

However, if parents are unsure whether their baby's stool is normal, the best way is to take the "diaper with stool" to the pediatrician, because even if you describe it in detail, it is better to see it with your own eyes. Otherwise, you can take a picture of the stool with your mobile phone, at least it will be less embarrassing to show it to the doctor (but pediatricians are already used to it! There is no need to feel embarrassed), but please remember not to shake your hands or lose focus!