What Causes Blood Traces In A Baby's Stool?

Posted on Sat, 11 Jan 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 11 Jan 2014 Answered on

Tue, 28 Jan 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : 14 wk old baby girl. One month previously a little streak of bright red blood was seen in stool. Now also 3 days prior same thing happened thrice. Stool test done later. At that time no blood found but mucous and 30-40 pus cells with undigested fibre present. Entirely breast fed.she passes watery stool 6-7 times a day. Sometimes green stool was also seen previously. Up till now normal weight gain. What should we do?

Answered by Dr. Shoaib Khan (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: Infection confirmed, but should check on cause Detailed Answer: Hello sir/ma'am and welcome. Thank you for writing to us. Based on the provided information of your baby girl, it sounds like there could be an infection present. But in babies, this infection is at times caused due to some abnormality either in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) or with the physiological process of digestion itself. When you visited the doctor, was a physical examination conducted (i.e. a palpation of the baby's abdomen)? Was an x-ray of the abdomen conducted, if so what was the result? The stool test confirms the presence of an infection, and so an antibiotic will have to be initiated along with 4-6 oral drops of colicaid (containing simethicone and fennel oil) around 4 times a day to promote digestion and prevent colic spasms. Please revisit your doctor and request for the infection to be address and also to conduct an abdominal x-ray and a physical examination sir/ma'am. This would the most wise next step. I hope you find my response helpful sir/ma'am. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to help you. Best wishes.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Shoaib Khan (1 hour later)

Previously she was on colic aid which made her gas worse. She could not sleep for those five days. She was always burping and spitting up or vomiting. Very dark green stool was also present. After the medicine was stopped. Everything came back to normal. Is colimex also applicable for this?or can you suggest any other med? Thanks for your response.

Answered by Dr. Shoaib Khan (23 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Yes, please try colimex; but antibiotics required Detailed Answer: Hello once again. I am sorry colicaid did not work in your daughter's favor, but you can try colimex out as it contains active ingredients that belong to the same group as colicaid, but contains a different component from that group which should work in reducing your daughter's symptoms. Although, the first-line of treatment in your daughter's cause would be the use of antibiotics which are clearly required from the pus cells found in her stool and the greenish color of her stools. Please do visit a doctor for the same ma'am/sir. Hope this helps. Looking forward to being of assistance. Best wishes.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar