What can cause yellow diarrhea? Bright yellow diarrhea in a child, reasons, what problems could there be? Causes of bowel dysfunction

Diarrhea in infants is a pathology that, if untimely or improperly treated, can cause serious complications in the form of dehydration and intoxication, so it is necessary to know the signs of disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, choose the right treatment tactics and ways to prevent dehydration.

All this depends on the cause of diarrhea, the age of the child (the smaller the baby, the more complex the course of the disease), the appearance of accompanying symptoms, the presence of underlying diseases and the timeliness of the prescribed therapy.

Signs of diarrhea in a child under one year old and one year old

Stool upset (diarrhea) in children from one month of age during the first year of life is a common problem. Diarrhea in young children is an increase in the frequency of bowel movements with a change in the consistency, color and smell of stool, and the appearance of pathological impurities (mucus, blood, green matter).

Diarrhea in children from birth to 6 months is considered to be an increase in the frequency of bowel movements more than 5-6 times, a change in the nature of the stool - the appearance of liquid, watery discharge.

Diarrhea in a one-year-old child - increased frequency of stools more than 3-4 times, stool of a thinner consistency than usual. The appearance of various pathological impurities in the stool is a prognostically unfavorable sign and is most often considered a symptom of gastroenteritis caused by viral, microbial pathogenic or conditionally pathogenic microflora.

It is important to promptly notice the appearance of the first symptoms of diarrhea in young children in order to prevent the development of dehydration, treat the underlying disease and stop the progression of the pathological process. The cause of diarrhea can be serious illnesses that require immediate examination by a specialist, constant monitoring of the child and treatment.

Necessary tests and examinations

To determine the cause of the appearance of yellow liquid stool in an infant and to identify the possible causative agent of the disease, a stool sample is taken for bacteriological examination and microscopy. The main disadvantage of sowing on nutrient media is its duration (about a week).

During this time, the baby's condition may worsen without adequate therapy. Therefore, serological tests of blood serum are additionally performed.

The presence of a pathogen in the body is determined by the antigen-antibody reaction, when the antigen is a microbe, and the body produces antibodies to it, the titer of which is recorded by the analysis.

In addition, CBC, TAM, blood for sugar and blood clotting parameters (protein synthesis in the liver) are taken. Feces are also examined for worm eggs, an extended coprogram is made, and in difficult cases, PCR diagnostics are used (search for the pathogen using DNA).

In the treatment of diarrhea in children, rehydration and detoxification therapy is especially important. If a microbe is identified and its sensitivity to antibiotics, a course of appropriate therapy is prescribed.

Causes of diarrhea

If a child under one year and a year poops 5-6 times a day or more, the stool has a liquid and watery consistency, changes color and has an unpleasant, pungent odor - this is diarrhea.

The occurrence of diarrhea has various causes. The following are considered separately:

• diarrhea without fever and accompanying symptoms;
• diarrhea with fever and various pathological symptoms that aggravate the course of the disease - vomiting, abdominal pain, severe flatulence, the appearance of pathological impurities in stool (mucus, blood and green matter).

Diarrhea without additional symptoms

The causes of diarrhea in a baby, in the absence of fever and accompanying symptoms, can be:

• errors in the diet due to violation of the rules for introducing complementary foods or the baby’s consumption of fatty, fried foods, smoked foods or exotic dishes. This often causes diarrhea in a child of 8 months; parents from this age believe that the baby is already old enough to start feeding him food from the common table, while vomiting can occur due to liver overload and bile stagnation;
• errors in the mother’s diet while breastfeeding;
• incorrect replacement of the mixture;
• a sharp change in climate zone or place of residence, travel to other countries most often causes diarrhea in a one-year-old child;
• dysbiosis as a result of irrational treatment of children with antibiotics and the use of other medications that cause adverse reactions to medications;
• food allergies, most often dairy products, citrus fruits, egg whites or other new dishes in the diet;
• neurogenic and psychogenic diarrhea, often accompanied by vomiting and headaches;
• enzymatic deficiency - in this case, diarrhea can be stopped by taking enzymatic agents and correcting nutrition;
• intolerance to various substances - gluten, lactose, fructose, galactose.

Diarrhea with additional symptoms

Along with diarrhea, the child may experience other pathological symptoms:

• high fever or low-grade fever (body temperature from 37 to 38 C);
• vomit;
• pain syndrome of various localizations, more often abdominal pain occurs caused by increased gas formation or active intestinal motility;
• tenesmus – false positions of defecation;
• the appearance of impurities of blood, mucus and greens in the stool;
• change in color and odor of stool.

When the above symptoms appear, the causes of diarrhea may be:

• intestinal infections caused by viral or bacterial agents (rotavirus or enterovirus infection, staphylococcal enteritis, salmonellosis, dysentery, gastroenteritis caused by Escherichia coli, Proteus, Klebsiella);
• parasitic infestations: helminthiasis, amoebiasis, giardiasis;
• acute and chronic inflammatory or ulcerative-necrotic diseases of the intestines and liver, such as colitis, Crohn's disease, biliary dyskinesia, chronic hepatitis.

When diagnosing these pathologies in a child, it is necessary to urgently contact a medical institution and not take any medications on your own - this can aggravate the course of the disease.

Signs accompanying loose stools

In most cases, yellow diarrhea in an adult occurs due to an infection. In this case, the person needs help.

Along with yellow diarrhea, the following symptoms additionally occur:

• dark yellow feces with a mucous admixture – salmonellosis;
• frequent bouts of bowel movements with a watery consistency;
• increase in body temperature up to 40 ° C;
• sharp pain in the left side;
• bouts of vomiting;
• nausea;
• stools are light yellow in color mixed with pus and blood.

When stool is interspersed with purulent secretion, this is a sign of stomach ulcers. The disease requires immediate qualified assistance. Finding foamy stool is a symptom of a staph infection.

Sometimes foamy yellow stool is observed. In this case, diarrhea occurs during the daytime. The symptom accompanies intestinal dysfunction.

The appearance of bright yellow diarrhea in an adult portends a rotavirus infection.

In this case, every other day the patient’s stool acquires a grayish tint. The tongue becomes yellowish and the temperature rises slightly. When the doctor makes a diagnosis, upon palpation there is an acute pain syndrome in the abdominal area.

Treatment of diarrhea for various types of diarrhea

Proper treatment of diarrhea mainly depends on:

• causes of diarrhea;
• the presence of concomitant symptoms complicating the course of the disease;
• age of the child - in a one-month-old baby, dehydration occurs much faster than in a one-year-old baby.

Therefore, parents need to know how to treat their baby, what medicine can be given on their own, how to stop progressive dehydration and what not to do if diarrhea develops.

Indications for immediate contact with a specialist are:

• frequent urge to defecate, more than 8-10 times a day, with the release of copious, watery, foul-smelling feces in a child up to one year old and after;
• the occurrence, along with diarrhea, of one or more concomitant pathological symptoms - vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, severe lethargy and weakness, blood in the stool or its darkening, the presence of mucus or green matter;
• the appearance and progression of symptoms of dehydration in the baby - dry lips, mouth and mucous membranes, greed when drinking fluids, anxiety or, conversely, lethargy, progressive weakness and drowsiness, sunken eyes, decreased number of urinations, urine becomes dark.

Prolonged or severe diarrhea often leads to dehydration, exhaustion, hypovitaminosis and persistent changes in the functioning of all organs and systems of the body.

Mild and short-term diarrhea caused by non-infectious or non-inflammatory causes, with the correct treatment tactics, timely correction and elimination of the cause, quickly moves into the stage of normalization of stool.

Treatments for mild diarrhea depending on the cause:

• treatment of diarrhea caused by dietary disorders - normalization of nutrition, compliance with the rules for introducing complementary foods and replacing adapted milk formula. Gradually, disturbances in the digestive tract will be eliminated on their own. In case of prolonged diarrhea, it is additionally necessary to give the baby a drink to eliminate the lack of fluid and salts;
• in case of allergic reactions to certain foods and/or intolerance to certain substances, the baby needs a special diet, gluten-free or lactose-free, and complete elimination from the diet of all foods that can cause allergies;
• if adverse reactions develop after using various medications in the form of diarrhea, it is necessary to immediately discontinue the medicine, if diarrhea continues, give the baby a sorbent (Enterosgel, Polysorb, white coal) and seek advice from your doctor;
• if diarrhea in a child has developed as a result of irrational use of antibiotics, it is necessary to take a stool test for dysbacteriosis and, based on its results, correct the positive intestinal microflora with probiotics and prebiotics under the control of repeated tests;
• neurogenic and psychogenic diarrhea completely disappear when the stress factor is eliminated and the child’s psycho-emotional state is normalized.

Diagnosis and treatment

A one-time intestinal disorder in an adult can be caused by overeating and does not require qualified help. If the problem begins to occur frequently, then it is necessary to consult a doctor to identify the cause and begin treatment. Consultation with a doctor is required in the following cases:

• more than two days.
• Repeated cases are accompanied by fever, presence of blood, severe nausea and vomiting, and stomach pain.
• Signs of dehydration appeared: dry mouth, pale skin,...
• Taking medications does not bring relief.
• Medical care is necessary if a child under 12 years of age or an elderly person falls ill.

Diagnostics

First of all, you need to take stool tests for scatological examination and a general blood test. Stool microscopy allows you to see an increased content of leukocytes and epithelial cells, indicating inflammation of the mucous membrane of the digestive tract.

If, based on the test results, the doctor sees deviations from the norm characteristic of a particular disease, a study of the organ that is supposedly unhealthy is prescribed. This may be an ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs, an endoscopic examination or an x-ray. You may need to examine your intestines with a colonoscope.

Treatment

Regardless of the cause of the symptom, it is important to replenish the water balance in the body. When the intestines are upset, the body quickly loses moisture and beneficial microelements. Dehydration can lead to coma. In particularly difficult cases - death. Treatment must be comprehensive. If diarrhea is caused by a disease or infection of the gastrointestinal tract, then measures aimed at eliminating it will be useless.

How to prevent dehydration

With prolonged diarrhea or acute diarrhea in children of the first year of life, dehydration quickly sets in with loss of salts and vitamins, causing significant impairment of the child’s health and a complicated course of the disease.

Therefore, in case of sluggish diarrhea with gradual normalization of the baby’s condition or before the arrival of a specialist, the child must be soldered with special solutions: “Regidron”, “Oralit”, which prevent dehydration of the body. They can be purchased at a pharmacy chain or made independently.

The child must be given food in small doses - 5-10 ml (1-2 teaspoons) every 10-15 minutes after bowel movements or vomiting. The daily dose for oral dehydration in children under one year of age is 50-100 ml.

Solutions purchased at the pharmacy are powders that need to be diluted with water (0.5-1 liter). Most often, “Regidron”, “Glucosan”, “Oralit” and “Citroglucosan” are used for this.

Replenishment of fluid and salt loss at home is carried out in case of mild dehydration in children - weight loss due to diarrhea is no more than 5% of actual weight and there are no main symptoms of dehydration (dry skin and mucous membranes, thirst, lethargy and apathy, decreased urination).

If it is not possible to feed the baby, for example, with frequent vomiting or fluid loss, there are more possibilities for replenishment with severe diarrhea, prolonged diarrhea and the appearance of symptoms of dehydration, with weight loss of more than 5-10% from the onset of the disease.

For moderate and severe diarrhea, fluid and salt replenishment is carried out by intravenous drip administration of saline and colloidal solutions, 5-10% glucose solution with vitamins.

Folk recipes

In some cases, taking medications is not possible. Traditional methods of therapy will come to the rescue.

Rowan juice has astringent properties for loose stools. Consuming half a teaspoon daily before meals will help the symptoms disappear.

Pomegranate peels, pre-brewed with boiling water, will have a positive effect on diarrhea.

Herbal teas from sage and St. John's wort have astringent and anti-inflammatory properties.

A decoction of oak bark is an excellent remedy for diarrhea.

Treatment with traditional medicine can only be relevant in cases where there is no opportunity to see a doctor and stop the stool using modern methods. It is contraindicated to treat diarrhea with traditional methods in children under one year of age. If it is not possible to visit a doctor in the near future, you need to call an ambulance.

Many chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract periodically contribute to the appearance of diarrhea. In this case, it will only be to eliminate the symptom. It makes more sense to conduct an examination of the organ and treat the identified pathology. After eliminating the disease, the symptom in the form of yellow loose stools will no longer bother you.

What and how to feed your baby

Before complementary feeding is introduced, the child is fed breast milk or an adapted milk formula, which the baby consumed before the onset of diarrhea, but it is necessary to completely eliminate overeating, which can cause overdistension of the stomach and additional symptoms (vomiting and regurgitation, disturbances in the digestion process).

It is necessary to put the baby to the breast more often to allow the digestive system to unload and rest; it is also necessary to reduce the duration of sucking or the portion of formula.

If the cause of diarrhea is an allergic reaction to the milk formula or intolerance to individual components of the formula (lactose, gluten), it is necessary to treat the allergy (antihistamines and sorbents) and give the baby a hypoallergenic formula. If you are intolerant to certain components, the mixture is replaced with lactose-free or gluten-free.

After the introduction of complementary foods, children's nutrition should be balanced, with a partial exclusion of fruits, vegetables, and foods that cause increased gas formation and sugar.

Content

When a person is born, he is still very weak; many of his systems continue to form. One of the most striking examples of this is the digestive system. A baby is born with a sterile intestine, in which microorganisms very quickly appear, creating normal microflora that ensure its functioning. The child’s stool can tell about the quality of the work of this organ. It will depend on his health and proper nutrition. But where then does diarrhea occur in a baby during breastfeeding, if mother’s milk is the most healthy food? We will answer this and other questions further.

How to adjust a mother’s diet if the baby is breastfed

If diarrhea develops in a baby who is breastfed freely, what should the mother do?

It is necessary to completely exclude from the mother’s diet all allergenic foods (citrus fruits, milk, smoked foods, vegetables and fruits containing red and orange dyes), baked goods, sweets, beans, fresh fruits and vegetables, marinades, fatty and fried foods, spices, carbonated drinks.

It is difficult to treat diarrhea in a child under one year old - dehydration occurs quickly, medications can cause the development of adverse reactions and aggravate the course of pathological processes, so you always need to know what to do if diarrhea occurs in an infant: determine the cause in a timely manner and not self-medicate.

Author: Olga Ivanovna Sazonova, pediatrician

In children, the formation of the stomach occurs before the age of three. In infants, yellow, loose stools may occur due to enzyme deficiency. Parents should be alert to changes in their baby's stool. Yellow diarrhea in children appears to be a symptom of the disease. It is important to quickly find out the cause and prescribe the correct treatment to restore the stomach.

Diarrhea can be a symptom of irritable intestines, which is provoked by various causes, incomplete digestion of food and absorption of nutrients and microelements occurs.

A parent can assume that a child has diarrhea if:

• The frequency of bowel movements is 5 times a day.
• The volume of excreted feces is 150-200 ml per day.
• The water content in feces is more than 80% watery stool.

Any change in the number of trips to the toilet per day, consistency, or color of feces requires the attention of parents. It is important to monitor your baby's well-being to prevent signs of dehydration.

Yellow-green

If your baby's stool takes on a greenish tint, this may indicate more serious causes. For example, if the child is underfed. Malnutrition in this case may be caused by a lack of milk in the mother, or problems with access to the breast (small nipples in the woman).

Important! If the mother eats vegetables and fruits in large quantities, for example, vegetarians, the diarrhea may also turn yellow-green. At the same time, a nursing woman’s diet should include more protein products.

The most dangerous reason for the appearance of greens in the stool is the presence of an intestinal-type infection in the child’s body. At the same time, it is also worth monitoring whether the discharge has acquired an unpleasant odor or whether diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting. Then it is necessary to consult a doctor to identify the causative agent of the disease and prescribe the necessary medications that will be individually suitable for the child, depending on intolerance to certain drugs.

What can cause diarrhea in children

The baby's stool is yellow. In the first year of a baby's life, stomach upsets are a common occurrence.

The causes of yellow diarrhea in children are varied and are divided into infectious and non-infectious diarrhea.

Infectious diarrhea is caused by viruses (rotaviruses), bacteria, and inflammation of the intestinal mucosa.

Non-infectious forms of diarrhea:

• Food allergies;
• Milk (lactose) intolerance;
• Dietary error (the matter of excessive or improper consumption of a certain type of food);
• Food poisoning (infected, poorly stored foods, mushroom poisoning);
• Side effects of administered medications (antibiotics, cough medicines);
• Non-invasive infection (sore throat, flu, inflammation of the middle ear);
• Mentally caused diarrhea (anxious children) and intense stress;
• Abdominal discomfort (acute intestinal inflammation).

If the baby is breastfed or a mixed diet (breast milk, formula), then the causes of diarrhea may be the mother’s poor nutrition in the first months of the baby’s life, or failure to follow recommendations for preparing and storing the formula.

Possible complications

Diarrhea can cause a number of complications, sometimes not directly related to bowel function, but they occur due to lack of treatment. Complications can be expressed as follows:

1. Dehydration.
2. Inflammation of the middle ear.
3. Pneumonia.

A competent examination by a specialist will help to avoid possible complications, which involves not only identifying the clinical picture visually, but also with the help of laboratory tests: urine, feces and blood tests. At an appointment with a pediatrician, the child’s heart rhythm should be checked, the whole body should be examined, and the baby’s reaction to tapping should be assessed.

The main factor that determines the outcome and speed of treatment is timely consultation with a doctor.

Symptoms of yellow diarrhea

Infantile diarrhea can start suddenly. Usually, the baby first begins to experience bloating and seething in the abdomen, pain and cramps. Symptoms of childhood diarrhea:

• Poor appetite, food rejection;
• Paleness of the skin;
• Drowsiness, apathy, lethargic appearance;
• Frequent watery yellow stools;
• There may be mucus and blood in the stool;
• Weight loss;
• Body temperature rises;
• Feeling of nausea, vomiting;
• Loud rumbling in the stomach.

The baby doesn't feel well and is capricious. Parents should constantly monitor him and not leave him alone. Provide first aid and, if necessary, call an ambulance.

Diarrhea in children is dangerous due to rapid dehydration of the body.

Symptoms of dehydration in children are always pronounced. The appearance of alarming signs, persistence of diarrhea for more than 6-10 hours (despite home treatment), the presence of mucus and blood in the stool, repeated vomiting and fever are serious reasons for urgent visits to the doctor, who will determine the diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment.

The younger the child (weight and age), the more carefully it is necessary to observe the nature and composition of stool, and general health. An infant is especially susceptible to stomach upsets, as the digestive system is still developing.

Symptoms of pathology

True diarrhea in infants always has a specific cause, so it is important to know what exactly can trigger diarrhea in children in order to provide first aid correctly.

Features of complementary feeding

A child's body may react with diarrhea to the introduction of new complementary foods if its digestive tract does not produce enough enzymes necessary to break down or digest specific substances.

Watery vegetables (for example, zucchini, which is recommended as the first complementary foods and can be introduced from 4 months) increase the amount of fluid absorbed in the colon, which in itself contributes to strong stool thinning.

No treatment is required in this case. The mother needs to temporarily exclude the product that caused the diarrhea from the child’s diet and observe him for 1-2 days: non-infectious diarrhea completely disappears during this period.

Intestinal infections

This is one of the most common causes of diarrhea in children of any age. The following factors can lead to the development of infection in infants:

• insufficient sanitary treatment of bottles, nipples and utensils for feeding the baby;
• use of diapers of insufficient sterility (lack of boiling, ironing);
• poor handling of toys;
• irregular wet cleaning of the premises;
• presence of sick animals in the apartment.

Infectious diarrhea is always accompanied by fever, vomiting, and lack of appetite. If the cause is a rotavirus or enterovirus infection, a pink pinpoint rash may appear on the child’s body.

Treatment of infectious diarrhea in infants

Video - Intestinal infections

Teething

The following symptoms are often characteristic of yellow diarrhea:

• presence of high temperature;
• general weakness;
• malaise.

The above symptoms indicate that there is inflammation in the body associated with the functioning of the bile ducts.

All pathological changes in stool are accompanied by mandatory accompanying symptoms:

• The baby’s general well-being is disrupted, he becomes capricious and irritable.
• Frequent colic appears in the abdomen.
• The baby refuses to eat.
• The temperature may rise significantly.
• The skin tone changes: it becomes dry, gray or acquires a yellowish tint.
• There may be light-colored stool against dark urine.
• Defecation is frequent and liquid.

Parents are concerned about their newborn's stool. Liquid stool is not a disease, so there is no need to worry in advance. Diarrhea in a baby can be either normal or indicate some kind of disorder in the digestive system. Before you begin to take a number of therapeutic measures, it is worth understanding the physiological characteristics of infants.

Normal stool

Ideally, a newborn has stool that is a uniform yellow consistency. But this is observed only in babies who are bottle-fed, if the formula suits them.

Things are different for a breastfed newborn, because he receives all the substances he needs from his mother’s milk. Diarrhea in a baby during breastfeeding is not always associated with the mother’s diet; it may also have its own physiological causes.

To establish a final diagnosis, laboratory tests are needed, but there are signs by which the type of diarrhea can be determined. One of the most common symptoms is increased body temperature.

This is typical mainly for viral, bacterial and microbial diarrhea. In this case, an inflammatory process begins in the body, as a result of which the body temperature can greatly increase.

In this way, the child’s body resists viruses.

The degree of development of the symptoms of the disease is directly influenced by the cause of its appearance and the degree of severity.

Loose stools in a child are not always classified as diarrhea. If a newborn baby is breastfed, then with diarrhea he may have bowel movements from 10 to 12 times a day, despite the mushy consistency of the stool. The main symptom of the pathology is a frequent urge to go to the toilet.

What helps with diarrhea, quick methods of treatment

Parents should provide proper first aid for diarrhea. To do this, you need to know how to act, how to help, what to pay attention to.

If yellow diarrhea is observed during the day, monitor the baby’s well-being; you should not leave the child unattended. What to do if you have diarrhea, recommendations for parents:

• Offer water. If the child refuses the first time, offer it later. During diarrhea, thirst occurs due to loss of fluid.
• Adjust your diet if you have an upset stomach. If a symptom is observed in a baby, the mother must follow the diet herself. If your baby is fed artificially, you may need to reconsider the choice of formula.
• Measure your body temperature periodically and do not allow your temperature to rise too high. If there is diarrhea with body temperature, it is necessary to give an antipyretic and wipe the forehead, neck, and axillary pads with a weak vinegar solution.
• During loose stools, appetite worsens and nausea is possible. Offer food in small portions. Nutrition should be correct, gentle and age-appropriate.
• If diarrhea is caused by food poisoning, it is necessary to give sorbents (Activated carbon, Polysorb, Enterosgel).
• To restore the functioning of the stomach, probiotics (Enterozermina, Bifidumbacterin) are used.

Home remedies to combat diarrhea

If a child has loose stools without fever, and he feels well, it is permissible to try to normalize the functioning of the stomach using folk methods.

To strengthen your stool, you can prepare rice water at home. It has a beneficial effect on the digestive system and has an astringent effect. To prepare, you need to pre-soak 2 tablespoons of rice in cold water. Place a saucepan on the fire, pour in a glass of water, and bring to a boil. Place washed rice in boiling water, cook for 40 minutes, stir occasionally. Cool, strain. Take a tablespoon of the decoction three times a day. Helps quickly strengthen the stool.

Dill water. Used from birth. Helps reduce gas formation and improves gastrointestinal function. You can buy ready-made dill water at the pharmacy or prepare a decoction yourself. A tablespoon of dill seeds is poured into 500 ml of water. Boil over medium heat for 30 minutes. Filter, cool. Take before meals.

Potato decoction is a well-known folk method for restoring stomach function. Starch is found in large quantities in the water after boiling potatoes and helps to cope with loose stools. Boil 2-3 peeled potatoes for 40 minutes. Cool the broth. Take before meals. The decoction coats the walls of the stomach, prevents toxic compounds from entering the blood and removes them from the body.

Remember! Home remedies are effective, but must be used with caution. Consultation and permission of a pediatrician is required. If it is not possible to cope with the treatment of diarrhea in a child at home, complex treatment is indicated. The attending physician decides to conduct therapy on an inpatient or outpatient basis after examination and diagnosis.

When to see a doctor

Diarrhea is a serious symptom that can harm a child’s body. For which symptoms should you urgently seek medical help:

• High body temperature;
• Vomiting began;
• A lot of mucus and blood clots appear in the stool;
• Loose stools are light yellow, watery;
• Dry tongue, lack of saliva, tears when crying, decreased amount of urination;
• The color of the stool became green;
• The child has a pulsation in the area of ​​the fontanel or a sunken fontanel.

If there is at least one sign, immediately call the pediatrician at home. Take your child's health seriously. The children's body is more susceptible to poisoning and rapid dehydration. An experienced doctor should find out what is the cause of yellow diarrhea and suggest treatment methods. Be conscientious about your doctor's recommendations.

Prevention of yellow diarrhea in children

The main rule is hygiene. Preventing diarrhea is much easier than undergoing a course of treatment and restoring a child’s stomach. Adviсe:

• When preparing food, practice good hygiene.
• The child's nutrition should be appropriate for his age.
• If the baby is bottle-fed, then the formula is prepared each time before feeding, and is not left for storage.
• Buy fresh food products, check the production date, expiration date, compliance with basic storage conditions, and the integrity of the packaging.
• Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating.
• Avoid eating fast food or food prepared at street stalls.
• Monitor the drinking water your baby drinks. Dirty water can cause stomach upset. Take bottled water with you when traveling.
• If an adult has diarrhea, make sure you minimize contact with the child. Don't forget to practice body hygiene regularly.

By taking precautions, it will be possible to prevent the development of intestinal diseases in young children.

Yellow diarrhea in a child can be physiological or pathological. Young parents may benefit from information about in what cases and why yellow diarrhea in a child is normal, and when such stool indicates a disorder of the digestive system.

Diagnostic methods

To determine why an adult often experiences yellow diarrhea, you will need to undergo laboratory tests.

The doctor diagnoses the patient using:

• general blood and stool tests;
• ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity.

A blood test helps determine the number of white blood cells and ESR. Elevated levels indicate the presence of inflammatory processes. They occur in the internal organs, which is caused by infection.

A stool test helps identify the cause of stool disorder. An ultrasound examination determines neoplasms in the internal organs, the smoothness, contours and size of the intestine. Ultrasound is used to clarify the clinical picture of the disease.

When a patient sees a doctor, a physical examination is first performed. Then studies are prescribed to clarify the diagnosis and cause. First, he palpates not only the intestines, but also the liver. This allows you to determine the cause of stool disorder.

Features of stool in infants

The color and consistency of feces in infants depends on the mother’s nutrition, as well as on the characteristics of the child’s body. In newborns, the first stool (meconium) is released and is green, black or dark brown in color. Over time, the stool becomes yellow in color.

When breastfeeding, a newborn has yellow stools 6–8 times a day. Some children pass feces with a sour smell after every satiation and contain lumps of curdled milk. The consistency of stool is normally mushy, but it can also be liquid. Yellow diarrhea in a child without fever is not considered a pathology if the child is calmly and steadily gaining weight. Shows no signs of anxiety during bowel movements.

After adding complementary foods, the stool becomes denser. In one-year-old infants, bowel movements occur 1–2 times a day.

Signs such as pulling the legs toward the stomach and frequent crying indicate disturbances in the functioning of the intestines. Pathology is indicated by mucus in the poop, blood and purulent impurities, changes in the color and smell of feces. We wrote about green diarrhea here.

1Liquid stool as a normal option

Do not be alarmed if a child who receives only breast milk defecates several times a day, and his stool has a liquid consistency, if the baby feels well, does not suffer from sleep disorders, and his appetite is not impaired. However, it is necessary to carefully monitor the child’s condition and well-being so as not to miss alarming symptoms and provide him with the necessary assistance in a timely manner.

Diarrhea in a baby can be recognized by the following signs:

• watery bowel movements of yellow, brown or green color, the frequency of which exceeds 8-10 times a day;

• unpleasant, fetid odor;

• the appearance of foam, bloody streaks, undigested lumps, large amounts of mucus and other impurities that are not typical for the bowel movements of a healthy child;

• “fountain” type feces discharge;
• vomiting and nausea (with infectious nature of diarrhea);
• breast or bottle refusal;
• poor general health.

The concept of normal for a newborn varies. In the first days, this is the original feces (meconium) of a dark, almost black or black-green color. It is a sticky, resinous substance made from amniotic fluid and the remains of food that the baby fed in the womb, and has a sour smell.

In breastfed children, the color and consistency of stool is determined by the composition of mother's milk. Normally, it is gradually lightening, yellow or light brownish, soft or loose stool with greenish streaks (traces of meconium) and a sweetish odor. Defecation is observed from 1 to 4 times a day, the frequency usually depends on the number of feedings.

With artificial feeding, the stool of a one-month-old baby is thicker, reminiscent of a paste from a tube. The color is the same light, but with a strong specific odor, depending on the composition of the mixture.

From the 6th month, stool begins to change depending on how the baby’s gastrointestinal tract adapts to complementary foods. Liquid yellow stools may appear periodically in a child. This is normal if it is not accompanied by pathological symptoms: fever, pain during defecation, the appearance of pathological impurities.

When introducing solid food into the diet, the stool changes depending on what the baby has eaten. For example, carrots will turn the feces orange, peas and spinach - green.

Raisins, apples, and other unprocessed fruits and vegetables will appear as undigested food pieces in the stool. But over time, when the child’s gastrointestinal tract finally matures, the stool will be darker, denser, acquire a formed consistency and an unpleasant odor.

Usually such metamorphoses end by the age of 1 year.

Children at different ages have different colors and patterns of stool, so in some cases there is no need to worry. Yellowish foamy diarrhea in a child is possible soon after birth. The pale coloration of loose stools is associated with the baby’s diet. Since during this period he eats either mother's or cow's milk, some parents mistakenly consider normal bowel movements to be diarrhea.

Practice shows that often mothers, due to increased suspiciousness and lack of experience, mistake normal bowel movements for babies as diarrhea. Therefore, it is necessary to first find out what kind of stool is considered normal for a newborn?

In general, we recommend that all young parents study this topic separately - and then many anxieties, fears and doubts will disappear by themselves, and you will not look for non-existent problems in your child. But we will briefly describe the normal stool of a newborn in this article. And it directly depends on what kind of feeding the baby is on and how many months he is.

In the first days after birth, all babies pass original feces, called meconium in medical terminology. This happens on the first or second day of life, less often (if the baby is undernourished) - later.

Meconium has no odor, but it looks scary - dark green, sometimes almost black, resinous in color. Then, as new food enters the newborn’s gastrointestinal tract, and with it various microorganisms, baby stool is formed.

By three to four months, there is already a certain pattern of bowel movements, normal for each individual child’s body.

At first, your baby's stool will be more liquid and neutral in smell. But as the child grows up, it thickens and begins to smell characteristic. The stool will change with the introduction of complementary foods, and by the age of one year, provided the child has a varied diet, it looks closer to the stool of an adult.

The feces of a breastfed newborn “have the right” to be anything, pediatricians say: frequent, rare, liquid and thick, as well as varied in color and even contain curdled inclusions of undigested milk.

Its appearance almost entirely depends on the diet of the nursing mother, although over time this dependence will gradually decrease. But still, a baby’s stool should normally not contain any admixtures of mucus, blood (single fragments are acceptable as an exception) and undigested food particles, no matter what feeding he is on.

Breasts can defecate almost after every feeding - that is, 5-6 times a day, but once every few days is also the norm. “Normal” baby stool is mushy, of uniform consistency, yellowish in any shade - from light to dark. It has a sour milky smell.

And finally, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that you should always focus on the well-being and condition of the baby. If it seems to you that he often passes large, rather loose stools, but at the same time the baby feels great, sleeps peacefully, eats with appetite and gains weight normally, and the tummy is soft and gases pass well, then most likely there is no reason for concern.

Normal adult feces are brown or yellow-brown in color. But digestion in children differs significantly from the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract of adults.

In the first days of life, infants have black or black-green stool. This is meconium. After 3-4 days, the color of the baby’s feces changes.

If the baby is breastfed, then his stool will be yellow in color and have a soft, even liquid consistency. If the child receives an adapted formula, then the parents will find pale yellow excrement in the diaper.

Currently, infant formulas are additionally fortified with iron to prevent anemia, so the stool takes on a greenish tint. The normal number of bowel movements in a child under one year of age is from 1 to 3 bowel movements per day.

Causes of the disorder

Babies fed with breast milk have a lower risk of getting an intestinal infection than with formula feeding.

In infants, yellow diarrhea occurs for various reasons:

• When overfeeding or feeding thick food inappropriate for age, the baby’s stomach copes with the increased volume for some time. Over time, enzyme depletion occurs. Undigested food enters the intestines, which disrupts the normal microflora. The consequence is the proliferation of pathological microorganisms with digestive disorders. Abdominal bloating appears. The child passes yellow liquid stool in a stream along with gases.
• Lactase intolerance in infants manifests itself as diarrhea and flatulence after 2 minutes, in older children - 2 hours after consuming milk, including breast milk. There is no mucus or blood in the stool. Children with lactase deficiency are underweight. They have rashes on their body. The examination reveals iron deficiency anemia, which cannot be treated.
• A child often experiences yellow, loose stools during teething. This period is sometimes accompanied by elevated temperature. The baby is drooling and his gums are red. Children cry in pain and refuse to eat. Gels selected by the pediatrician alleviate the child’s condition.
• Persistent yellow diarrhea occurs when you are allergic to cow's milk protein. Diarrhea is accompanied by bloating and delayed weight gain. Sometimes a skin rash appears.
• Diarrhea with yellow water in a child, in addition to infection, causes an allergic reaction to food. Simultaneously with foamy feces, repeated vomiting occurs. This condition occurs only when eating certain foods.
• Taking medications, especially antibiotics, causes the death of normal microflora in the intestines. As a result, dysbiosis develops, a sign of which may be bright yellow feces and bloating.
• Light yellow diarrhea in a child can occur due to helminthic infestation. Infection occurs through contact with indoor and outdoor cats, dogs, as well as children suffering from helminthiasis. Diarrhea may be accompanied by a rise in temperature to subfebrile levels and abdominal cramps.
• Yellow diarrhea with foam in a child is characteristic of gluten enteropathy - celiac disease. The disease manifests itself in children 1-2 years old with abdominal pain, decreased appetite, and vomiting.
• Foamy stool occurs with dysbacteriosis. It is characterized by foul-smelling feces, weight loss, intestinal colic, and dark circles under the eyes.

Determining the cause of stool by color

An examination to determine the pathogen is required.

The body needs to replenish its water supply.

When an infection enters the body or due to the presence of a virus during a cold, yellow diarrhea with vomiting occurs.

Bright yellow diarrhea in a small child occurs more often due to increased intestinal motility, when feces move quickly and do not have time to form into a certain shape. It is treated with enzymes, acquiring this shade.

The yellow-green color indicates that a viral infection is present. A greenish tint appears with a staphylococcal infection.

First aid for yellow diarrhea in a child

Intestinal infections affect children of any age.

The disease poses a great danger to infants. They quickly lose fluid, which if left untreated can be fatal.

If you become ill, you should call a doctor if your child has yellow diarrhea accompanied by vomiting and signs of dehydration:

• dry tongue, lips and skin;
• sunken eyes;
• cold hands, feet;
• dark urine with a strong odor;
• no urine output for 6 hours;
• The baby refuses to drink water.

Measures before the ambulance arrives:

1. The child should be given 1 tsp of water. every quarter of an hour. In addition, it is necessary to restore the water-salt balance. For this, diluted Regidron powder is prescribed.
2. If the temperature is above 38.5 °C, you need to give the baby Paracetamol syrup or put a rectal suppository with this drug. Remove the child's clothes and dry the skin with cool water.
3. If there is no vomiting, the patient should be given a solution of enterosorbent - Smecta, Enterosgel or Filtrum STI to drink.

After taking measures, continue to give water until the doctors arrive.

Reason to call an ambulance

Prolonged yellow liquid stool weakens the body. With feces, not only water leaves the body, salts are washed out. The electrolytic balance is disturbed. All cells of the body suffer significant damage.

Reason to call the doctor:

1. Diarrhea lasts more than a week. Dietary adjustments and medications do not bring results or provide an insignificant short-term effect.
2. The stool has changed in color from yellow to black, or appears when stooling blood. Such signs indicate that internal bleeding has opened in the intestines or stomach. It is dangerous because it goes unnoticed, and colossal blood losses can even lead to death.
3. A sharp increase in temperature. It is impossible to reduce it by available means.
4. Vomiting was added to the diarrhea.
5. Against the background of general weakness, the skin turns pale, the person becomes drowsy. This indicates a number of problems: infectious damage to the body, inflammatory processes of internal organs, dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.

With the above symptoms, the help of a doctor is urgently needed to conduct tests and systematize treatment.

When a person is healthy, the consistency of stool is brown. A change in the color of bowel movements and a softened appearance indicate problems in the digestive system. Yellow diarrhea in adults occurs due to a lack of bile enzyme. Otherwise, pathologies occur in the body that cause premature defecation.

Treatment of yellow stool in a child

If the baby, after being examined by a doctor, is left at home for outpatient treatment, the main thing is to prevent dehydration and loss of important salts. To achieve this, measures are being taken:

• Fractional feeding of the baby with water, 1 tsp each. every 10–15 minutes. Use salt solutions - Regidron, Oralit, Glucosolan. The medicine is quickly prepared at home. Dissolve 2 tbsp in one liter of chilled boiled water. l. sugar, 1 tsp. salt and baking soda. The child should be given this solution, alternating with water.
• Medicines containing lacto- and bifidobacteria (Acipol, Linex) are used. By becoming more active and multiplying, they improve digestion and stop diarrhea.
• Sorbents such as Smecta, Enterosgel, Polyphepan, approved for use by newborns, help treat light yellow diarrhea in a child.
• In the first hours of illness, do not stop diarrhea and vomiting with medications. The body cleanses itself of bacteria and toxins.
• In case of allergies, diarrhea is eliminated by eliminating the allergen product from the child’s diet and prescribing antihistamines.

Drinking and recommended measures at all stages of the disease help cope with the infection.

Nutrition for diarrhea

For children under one year old, the best food is breast milk. It is recommended to increase the number of breastfeedings by 1–3 times, but reduce the amount of milk per feeding. With a mild intestinal infection, the daily amount of food is reduced by 20%. With moderate severity of the disease, the diet is reduced by 30% and divided into 5-6 doses. In case of severe infection, the amount of food is reduced by 50%.

Artificial children are given the usual mixtures. Fermented milk NAN, Gallia Lactofidus 1, Agusha 1 are preferred. For moderate infections, low-lactose mixture Nutrilon or lactose-free Mamex should be used.

Traditional methods for yellow diarrhea

If a child has white-yellow diarrhea, time-tested folk remedies help:

• Dill water helps reduce intestinal colic at any age. The product has carminative and antispasmodic properties. To prepare the product, add 1 tsp to 300 ml of water. dill seeds After boiling, remove from heat and leave covered for 40 minutes. Infants are given 1 tsp. 3–4 times a day.
• Melissa seeds have an anti-inflammatory effect against digestive disorders. Essential oils relieve intestinal spasms. To prepare the solution 4 tbsp. l. leave the herbs in a glass of boiling water in a water bath for 20 minutes. The infusion is given after straining, 1 tsp. three times a day.
• Cumin eliminates diarrhea and bloating in infants. The solution is prepared in a ratio of 2 tbsp. l. seeds per glass of boiling water. After a quarter of an hour of infusion in a thermos, the finished infusion is used 1 tsp. 3 times a day.

Folk remedies are used only in the complex treatment of intestinal infections or mild diarrhea in children of any age.

Prevention

If yellow diarrhea occurs in a breastfed baby, the mother needs to adhere to a diet. Foods that cause digestive upset in the baby are excluded from the diet. There are simple ways to prevent diarrhea:

• Give children only bottled or boiled water;
• use safe food products taking into account expiration dates;
• mother needs to maintain body and hand hygiene before feeding;
• introduce complementary foods after consulting a pediatrician;
• regular hygiene procedures for caring for the baby, wet cleaning of his room, washing toys;
• compliance with the frequency of feedings and amount of food recommended by the doctor according to age.

If diarrhea does appear, do not delay a visit to the pediatrician. Self-medication delays proper treatment and leads to complications of the disease.

WHO (World Health Organization) recommends breastfeeding babies for at least 6 months after birth. Breastfed babies suffer from intestinal infections half as often as bottle-fed babies. Maintaining good hygiene reduces the risk of digestive disorders.