usually not a serious problem
Everything is unfamiliar to those who have become parents. When a baby cries, I am embarrassed because I do not know why, and I am worried even if the baby has diarrhea, if the constipation is severe, or if the stool is red. Some of these are normal for newborns. Health and medical media ‘Mayo Clinic’ recently introduced data on baby urination and defecation.
pee
The urine of healthy babies is light yellow to dark yellow. In the first weeks of life, a baby’s highly concentrated urine may dry out on the diaper, leaving pinkish marks that look like blood. These are called urate crystals, and this is normal and nothing to worry about. Highly concentrated urine differs from blood in that it becomes a powder when dried and is not very red in color.
poop
Your baby will have a bowel movement a day or two after birth. During the first few days, a newborn’s stool is usually thick and sticky. It excretes meconium (meconium), a tar-like greenish-black substance. After that, the color, frequency, and consistency of the stool will change depending on how you feed it with breast milk or formula. When you start feeding baby food (solid food), the frequency and concentration of stool change.
color
When a baby is breastfed, his stool looks like soft mustard with seed-like particles. It is a soft, slightly flowing consistency. The stools of formula-fed babies are usually tan or yellow in color and are harder than those of breastfed babies, but not as hard as peanut butter.
Sometimes the color of the stool changes. This color can tell you how fast stool is moving through the digestive tract, or it can show what your baby has eaten. The stool may be green, yellow, orange or brown.
Even if your stool appears red or has black streaks, don’t worry if the overall color is close to tan. If your stool is whitish-gray, you need to be careful. It could be a sign of a lack of bilirubin, a normal byproduct of the body that is responsible for breaking down excess red blood cells. Gray stools can indicate that your baby’s body is not filtering out waste products properly. If you notice bloody or whitish stools, see your doctor.
density
Newborns often have mild diarrhea. Frequent, watery bowel movements, which may be accompanied by mucus. Constipation is usually not a problem for infants. Babies may have a hard time having a bowel movement, whining and blushing, but in many cases it is difficult to consider constipation. Some children may become constipated when weaning is started.
frequency
The normal range is very wide and varies from baby to baby. Some babies have a bowel movement every time they feed, some have a bowel movement about once a week, and some babies don’t have a certain pattern.
blood
There are times when your baby’s stool may look like there is blood in it. If it is red, coal-colored, or has streaks or spots, contact your doctor. If you actually see blood in your stool, you might be concerned, but don’t panic. Sometimes it may not be a serious problem.
Newborns may have ingested their mother’s blood during delivery, and if mothers have cracked or bleeding nipples, they may have taken blood while breastfeeding. Stain or blood in your stool could be a sign of an allergy to milk or breast milk proteins. For babies fed baby food, red or black stools may be due to foods such as tomatoes, beets, spinach, cherries, or grape juice.
diarrhea
If your baby’s stool is more watery than usual and the frequency and amount of stool gradually increase, or suddenly increase, see a doctor.
Diarrhea can have several causes. Certain foods may be causing the diarrhea, but they may also be a sign of illness. Antibiotics can also be a cause. This is because antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria in the gut.
If antibiotics are the culprit and your child is over 9 months old, you may want to consider feeding your child a diet containing probiotics, such as yogurt. Probiotics found in certain fermented foods are microorganisms that contain good bacteria. Probiotics can help maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in your baby’s gut and promote digestion.
Constipation
Constipation in infants is more important than the number of times that you are constipated every time you have a bowel movement. When the baby’s stool is hard and ball-shaped, it is considered to be constipated. Babies can become constipated when they start eating baby food regularly.
If your baby’s stool is hard, it’s a good idea to give it water with meals. Although this water cannot replace breast milk or formula, it can help keep your baby hydrated and help with constipation.
Adding fruits and vegetables to your baby’s diet can also help. Plums, pears, and peaches are made into pure or juice to soften stools. If the stool does not soften even after this, see a doctor.
No worries about diaper marks
Sometimes you may be surprised to find something like this in your baby’s diaper: But no need to worry.
- Gel-like substances: Clear or yellowish beads or particles can be found in diapers soaked with urine.
- Tiny crystals: If a newborn’s kidneys are relatively dehydrated, they can leave orange or pink stains on the diaper.
- Pink stools or small bloodstains: Newborn baby girls may have pink or bloodstains on their diapers within the first few weeks. This is a phenomenon caused by exposure to the mother’s hormones just before birth. This is usually not a problem and goes away with time.