As a mother, some mothers must often pay attention to their baby’s feces when defecating (BAB). Because, the color, shape, and smell of feces can indicate the health condition that the baby is experiencing. For example, a baby’s loose, yellow stool often makes mothers confused.
Usually, loose stools indicate that the baby is consuming more foremilk than hindmilk .
Meanwhile, some argue that yellow stool means the baby is drinking enough hindmilk . However, there are also those who think that the shape of the stool is a sign that the baby is experiencing diarrhea.
So, which one is right? So, what exactly causes the baby’s stool to change to runny and yellow?
Causes of Yellow, Loose Baby Poop
In general, runny yellow baby stools are often associated with diarrhea in babies.
Babies can get diarrhea for various reasons. Starting from common causes, causes related to breastfeeding, to giving formula milk. Here are some causes of diarrhea in babies:
1. Disease
Viruses, bacteria, fungal organisms, and parasites can cause infections that lead to diarrhea in children.
Children in daycare and those who spend time around other children can pick up germs that spread easily through contact with each other or toys.
Most bacterial diarrhea goes away on its own. Some can lead to severe colon infections (such as Shigella colitis ). The bacteria C. difficile is a serious cause that can occur after taking strong antibiotics.
2. Solid Food
Changes in your baby’s diet can cause changes in your baby’s bowel movements. Dairy, eggs, gluten, peanuts, and shellfish can cause food allergies and sensitivities that lead to diarrhea.
3. Medicines
If your baby has to take medication such as antibiotics, it can upset his stomach and cause loose stools.
4. Travel
Just as adults can get traveler’s diarrhea, so can children. Infants and young children may be at higher risk. Be careful when traveling with infants.
5. Medical Conditions
Some medical conditions, such as colitis, can cause your baby’s stool to be runny and yellow.
6. Teething
Teething itself is unlikely to cause diarrhea. However, teething babies put everything in their mouths.
Germs on toys, teethers , and small hands can easily enter a child’s body, causing illnesses such as diarrhea, which can cause babies to defecate frequently.
7. Diet
Along with the common causes above, breastfed babies can experience diarrhea for a variety of reasons.
Some foods in your diet can cause allergies and sensitivities in breastfed babies.
Cow’s milk, chocolate, gassy foods, spicy foods, and caffeine are the foods most likely to trigger diarrhea in babies. You may need to evaluate your diet to try to find out if something you are eating may be causing your baby’s diarrhea.
8. Laxative
Stool softeners and some mild fiber supplements or bulk-forming laxatives are usually safe to use while you are breastfeeding.
However, strong stimulant laxatives can be passed on to the baby and cause the baby to have loose stools.
Therefore, talk to your doctor before taking laxatives while breastfeeding.
9. Weaning
Introducing new foods into a baby’s diet can cause stomach problems due to food sensitivities and allergies .
Cow’s milk is a common irritant that can cause diarrhea in young children. If you are weaning off formula, keep in mind that many formulas are made from cow’s milk.
In some areas of the world, health and nutrition are compromised. Children living in these areas are more susceptible to illness, infection, and disease after they are weaned and no longer receive the nutrients and protective properties found in breast milk.
10. Allergies
In addition to the common causes above, newborns and formula-fed babies can experience diarrhea due to allergies and other problems.
Newborns can experience diarrhea due to allergies or sensitivities to the type of formula they start drinking.
Many brands of formula are made from cow’s milk, and the proteins in cow’s milk can cause food allergies in babies. Babies can also have sensitivities to soy-based formulas.
11. Contamination
Germs can get into baby formula in a variety of ways. Powdered formula can be contaminated, but there may also be germs in the water added to the powder or concentrate, and organisms can grow if the formula is not stored properly.
Meanwhile, there are still many unknown causes of yellow, watery baby poop. If this condition occurs every day or continuously, immediately take your little one to a pediatrician.
Baby Feces Color
Cleveland Clinic pediatrician Jason Sherman, DO, reveals the color of your baby’s stool that can indicate signs of illness your little one is suffering from.
Black
Don’t be surprised if you see your newborn’s first stool is black. A baby’s first stool, in the first few days of life, is called meconium.
This stool serves to cleanse the newborn from all materials swallowed in the womb: amniotic fluid, intestinal epithelial cells, lanugo, mucus, bile, and water.
If you don’t see it within 48 hours, bring it up with your pediatrician. It’s very sticky and you may need a lot of wipes to clean it up.
“After the first few days, meconium stool should no longer be black,” says Dr. Sherman.
If the stool is black, white, clay-colored or you can see blood or mucus in the stool, you need to call your pediatrician and let them know.
Yellow Shabby Sweet Smell
In the first week of their life, breastfed babies have three to four foul-yellow, muddy, runny stools every 24 hours.
Many babies poop after every feed, so don’t worry about not using newborn sizes before they outgrow them.
Then, they may continue to have bowel movements after breastfeeding, or they may only have a bowel movement once a week. Both are normal.
Darker Chocolate Stronger Smell
Formula-fed babies have thicker, darker stools once a day (or more frequently) from day one.
It is usually brown in color, but can also be yellow or greenish. Its consistency is similar to peanut butter or hummus.
Greenish Brown
Don’t panic. After introducing solid foods, be aware that you will find a new color in your baby’s stool when changing diapers.
As more foods are added, you may see other colors, such as orange and yellow, and sometimes whole nuts or raisins.
Brownish More Solid
As your baby gets older, their stool will look more like a typical adult’s stool. It will start to smell more like a typical adult’s poop.
Dark green
Thick, dark, pine-tree-like stools at night may seem unpleasant, but they’re usually nothing to worry about. The most common cause is iron supplements or iron-fortified baby formula.
Bright Green and Foamy
This color may be seen in breastfed babies who switch breasts frequently, consuming more low-fat milk than full-fat milk. Try to nurse until your baby has emptied the breast before switching.
Viruses can also cause bright green stool, so call your pediatrician if your baby isn’t acting normally.
Red
Baby poop should not be red. Harmless causes include red dragon fruit, beetroot, certain medications, or food coloring.
However, red streaks in the diaper can indicate blood in the stool. Small amounts can be caused by constipation, while larger amounts are a cause for greater concern.
White As Chalk
Stool that looks chalky white is not a trivial problem. If your baby is not producing the bile that gives stool its characteristic color, it will appear colorless, white or chalky. This can be a sign of serious liver or gallbladder problems.
Regardless, Sherman says that brown, yellow and green stools are all normal. They happen frequently and change from week to week.
“But if it’s yellow, brown or green, you probably don’t need to worry,” Sherman says.
Some babies poop at every feeding and others poop every five to seven days.
If your baby is one of those who rarely defecates, once a week, his stomach is not bloated and he is not too fussy or easily irritated, then you can be calm.
“Stool patterns usually change around two to three months. Often, babies will have a few bowel movements per day and then around two to three months, it changes to every day. As long as the stools are soft, this is nothing to worry about,” Sherman said.
Things Moms Should Worry About
If you often find that your baby’s stools are runny and yellow continuously, there is a possibility that your baby has an illness.
Your little one may feel weak and lethargic because of the large amount of fluid that comes out. Pay attention to your child’s fluid intake, rather than them getting dehydrated.
The signs of dehydration in babies are:
Mild Dehydration
Babies who experience mild dehydration will have frequent bowel movements around 3-5 times per day.
Moderate Dehydration
About 6-9 watery stools per day will cause a baby to become moderately dehydrated.
Severe Dehydration
If your baby frequently has 10 or more watery bowel movements per day, it means they are severely dehydrated.
Call your pediatrician right away if your baby experiences:
- Newborn baby
- Fever or other symptoms along with diarrhea
- There is blood in the baby’s stool
- The child appears to be in pain
- Baby is not eating well
- The baby is very sleepy
- Diarrhea does not go away within 24 hours
- You see signs of dehydration, such as urine turning dark yellow, or your child has not urinated for more than 8 hours, your baby’s mouth and eyes are dry.
Most importantly, always pay attention to your baby’s fluid intake. If your baby’s yellow, watery stools continue to occur, contact your doctor immediately.
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Republished with permission from theAsianParent Indonesia
