The child has white diarrhea. White diarrhea in a child: how serious is it and what to do

diarrhea in childhood occurs frequently. There are several reasons for this. First of all, this is due to the fact that the digestive tract is not quite mature, and enzymes are not synthesized enough. In addition, for the complete digestion of food in the intestines, there must be a certain microflora, but the crumbs do not yet have it.

The baby's immunity is not sufficiently formed to resist pathogenic agents that can cause stool upset. Diarrhea in a child can appear as a result of stress, eating new foods, overeating, changing the feeding regimen. But there may be more serious causes that, if left untreated, lead to consequences.

Depending on the frequency of defecation, color stool and their consistency, as well as the presence of inclusions (mucus, blood), the doctor may assume the presence of a certain pathology. If a child has white diarrhea, then you should not make a diagnosis yourself, but you should contact pediatrician.

Only after collecting an anamnesis and passing tests, the doctor will make the correct diagnosis. Abnormal diarrhea white color in children occurs quite rarely and, as a rule, these are children under the age of one year.

Rapid stools are considered if bowel movements are more than three times a day.

Why white loose stools occur

Diarrhea in a child may result from:

• the use of low-quality food or after their insufficient heat treatment;
• the presence of helminths in the intestines;
• drug therapy;
• neglect of the rules of personal hygiene;
• unbalanced diet;
• insufficient secretion of lactose;
• climate change.

A single diarrhea in a small child is not a symptom of pathology. If liquid stool white color is not of a systemic nature, while the child does not experience discomfort, gains weight, he has a good appetite, then there is no reason for concern.

The danger of diarrhea is that the contents of the intestine are quickly excreted, the necessary substances do not have time to be absorbed. The body also loses a lot of fluid, which results in varying degrees of dehydration.

If white diarrhea occurs repeatedly, then you need to see a doctor to find out the cause. Several factors can discolor feces, among them there are both easily correctable and threatening complications.

Features of the diet

In a child, diarrhea becomes white if there is a lot of calcium in the body or an excess of carbohydrates in the menu. Since up to a year the child's diet is mainly breast milk or an artificial mixture, the color of the stool, in the case of accelerated peristalsis, acquires a light shade.

If a child has white diarrhea due to the above factors (the child ate a lot of flour or white foods, they changed the mixture for complementary foods), then it is not its color that should cause concern, but the fact that the stool has become liquid.

Liver pathology

Light stools occur when the liver is inflamed, since bilirubin is not excreted from the body. Many people know that with hepatitis, the sclera and skin become yellowish color However, this symptom appears much later. At an early stage in the development of pathology, the clinic is limited to a change in the color of urine (becomes dark) and feces.

Therefore, if a child has long-term white diarrhea, then you need to make an appointment with a hepatologist.

Delay in Hepatitis Treatment Can Lead to Significant Liver Damage

Pathology of the gallbladder or its ducts

Another cause of white feces in a child is obstruction of the biliary tract. Bile gives the feces a yellowish tint, if its amount is reduced, then the stool becomes discolored. If the outflow of bile is difficult, then the feces acquire an extremely unpleasant odor.

This pathology leads to the formation of stones in gallbladder and pancreatitis. If the pancreas malfunctions, abdominal pain occurs, body temperature rises, vomiting appears, the pulse quickens, sweat glands produce more secretions.

Dehydration

White diarrhea can also be a symptom of dehydration. With this pathology, the appearance of the child and his behavior change, saliva becomes viscous, the tongue is dry, urination is rare (and urine with a pungent odor), nausea and vomiting appear.

Dehydration can result from:

• vomiting or prolonged diarrhea (such as from food poisoning);
• increased sweating (the room is very hot, the child is warmly dressed or moves a lot);
• sun or heat stroke (being in direct sunlight without a hat or in a very hot, unventilated area);
• frequent urination.

In a young child, losing 10% of body weight through dehydration can be fatal

Dehydration can lead to kidney failure, shock, and death. Therefore, if a small child has signs of a lack of fluid in the body, then it is urgent to go to the hospital.

Violation of the intestinal microflora

A light uncharacteristic color becomes feces during dysbacteriosis, when the natural intestinal microflora is changed. This pathology can occur as a result of taking antibacterial drugs, since they destroy not only harmful, but also necessary microorganisms.

With dysbacteriosis, flatulence and abdominal pain often occur, feces contain no a large number of mucus and undigested food particles, diarrhea replaces constipation. Children lose their appetite, sleep worsens, they lose weight, become restless. A fungus can settle in the intestines, which leads to candidiasis.

Intestinal infection

White stools are also caused by rotavirus infection. At first, the infection is manifested by vomiting and fever, then diarrhea of ​​an unnatural gray or white color joins.

Intestinal viruses can cause sore throat and rhinitis. If a child has diarrhea with blood or mucus, then this indicates that a bacterial infection is present. In this case, it is necessary to take antimicrobial drugs, which the doctor must prescribe.

White diarrhea in a child older than three years, although extremely rare, can still be triggered by Whipple's disease. This infection affecting the small intestine. With pathology, there is pain in the muscles, intense thirst, heart palpitations, gingivitis.

Some medications adversely affect the liver. When taking Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Tetracycline, Augmentin, Paracetamol, feces may become discolored. If during drug therapy a child develops white or yellow-white diarrhea, then you need to see a doctor to change drugs.

infection most common cause light diarrhea in young children

Why do white patches appear in stool?

White lumps in the stool appear due to dietary habits. The child consumes a lot of milk, it coagulates in the stomach, but does not have time to be digested in the intestines and goes out. This can happen if the baby is fed very fatty milk.

If the body does not produce enough of the enzyme that breaks down lactose, then dairy products cannot be digested and come out in the form of cottage cheese. If there is lactose intolerance, then the diarrhea in the child is frothy.

The appearance of white lumps in the stool can also be a symptom of candidiasis. Mushrooms germinate on the intestinal mucosa, and gradually, mixing with feces, are brought out. With a similar pathology, mucus can be seen on the feces.

What should I do if my child has diarrhea?

When a child has loose white stools, it is necessary to increase the daily dose of fluid intake, since diarrhea in young children causes rapid dehydration, which threatens the life of the crumbs. You need to drink often and in small portions.

In the first four hours better for a child refrain from eating, so as not to overload the intestines (this does not apply to infants). After you need to stick to the diet. Useful mashed potatoes and cereals cooked with water (especially rice), because they contain starch, which envelops the walls of the stomach.

Fermented milk products containing bifidobacteria accelerate the restoration of normal intestinal microflora. With diarrhea, you need to exclude all fried, fatty, spicy and spicy foods, as well as foods that weaken and contain dietary fiber.

You need to stick to the diet for two weeks after recovery.

To eliminate diarrhea, the child needs to be given sorbents, for example, activated charcoal or Smektu. These drugs remove toxins from the intestines, cleanse it of pathogenic microorganisms and envelop the walls, thereby protecting the digestive tract. Sorbents are sold in a pharmacy without a doctor's prescription.

Do not forget about the basic rules of hygiene. Wash your child's hands after every visit to the toilet and before eating. In order not to cause irritation of the perianal area, you need to abandon ordinary toilet paper, it is better to wash it under running water.

If the acts of defecation are so frequent that the skin around the anus is irritated, then it is recommended to lubricate it with sea buckthorn oil or a cream containing panthenol. This will speed up regeneration and protect the skin of the crumbs.

When to Seek Medical Care

Sometimes white diarrhea does not cause discomfort to the child, he does not feel sick. But if it lasts more than three days, then you need to visit a pediatrician to find out and eliminate the cause.

The following symptoms require immediate hospitalization:

• urine has become dark in color;
• abdominal pain;
• have nausea and vomiting;
• the child drinks a lot, but the thirst remains;
• the baby became passive, lethargic, capricious;
• no appetite;
• sleeps poorly at night;
• body temperature has risen.

To identify the causes that caused white diarrhea in a child, laboratory tests are carried out. Without fail, clinical blood and feces tests, a coprogram are prescribed. To clarify the diagnosis, additional laboratory or hardware studies will be required.

If the child has a single liquid light-colored stool, while there are no other symptoms of the disease and the baby is active, then you should not worry. Even if the child is not bothered by anything, and the diarrhea continues for three days, you need to consult a specialist.

Immediate hospitalization is required when additional vomiting, nausea, confusion occurs. Why the color of feces has changed in a child and what are the causes of diarrhea, the doctor will be able to establish after conducting research.

With diarrhea, the number of bowel movements and the volume of feces increases, which leads to rapid dehydration of the body. One of the rarest forms: white diarrhea.

Food and drink

The color of feces is largely depends on the food you eat and can be white, yellow, green and other shades.

The white color of the feces gives bile and enzymes that are involved in the process of digestion.

Inertia lasts for 1-2 days, then the stool becomes the usual color.

What foods can cause white diarrhea?

• Fatty dairy products ( butter, high-fat cottage cheese, etc.).
• fatty meat products(pork fat, barbecue, jelly)
• Vegetable oils

The beige shade and white color of the stool appears if there are undigested fat residues in the stool. The pancreas did not cope with its task, because it could not produce enough enzymes for the digestive process.

When you stop eating dairy and fatty foods stool color returns to normal.

But if such a problem has already been identified, it is necessary to review the diet and remove from the diet:

• Spicy dishes
• condiments
• Garlic
• Ginger root
• Fatty meats
• High fat dairy products
• Alcoholic drinks
• Drinks with a high degree of acidity

Taking medication

Sometimes medication is the cause of white stool. What medicines can lead to this?

• Gout medications (Allopurinol)
• Epilepsy drugs containing valproic acid
• Remedies for tuberculosis
• NSAIDs, if the dosage of drugs is exceeded (Paracetamol, Ibuprofen)
• Tetracycline antibiotics
• Remedies for the fungus (Augmentin)
• Steroids

You need to consult with your doctor and talk about side effects. He will help you choose drugs with a similar effect or find supportive ones. medicines to improve the functioning of internal organs.

Usually this by-effect is not observed in people with a healthy gastrointestinal tract, so it is necessary to undergo an examination.

Diseases

Cholecystitis

This disease is characterized not only by the appearance of white diarrhea, but also by intense pain in the right hypochondrium.

If the disease has entered an acute stage, then an emergency hospitalization is necessary.

Symptoms of the disease: severe pain in the right side, the patient has a fever.

The pulse becomes more frequent.

With a disease in the chronic stage, there is almost no pain, but the color of the skin and whites of the eyes changes. The patient has bloating, feces change color to white.

Urine becomes dark and foams when urinating.

Hepatitis

The disease is characterized by yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyeballs. Aching pain in the abdomen begins, loose stools appear, which can be light in color. Acute viral forms can cause fever.

Cholelithiasis

Illness at an early stage is asymptomatic, after which the patient begins symptoms of jaundice and stool disorders (diarrhea, constipation). There is intense pain in the iliac region.

Pain irrigates into the shoulder blade and chest, can shoot into the right shoulder.

pancreatitis

The disease is characterized by the appearance of diarrhea, attacks of nausea or vomiting. Vomiting bitter, intense pain in the upper abdomen. If it begins with pressure on the ducts to remove bile, then the patient's skin begins to turn yellow, the urine becomes cloudy, and the feces, on the contrary, brighten.

Oncological diseases

Light feces, stool disorders are a sign of an oncological tumor of the pancreas, gallbladder cancer.

Other symptoms depend on the degree of development of the disease and the localization of the tumor.

Other reasons

1. Rotavirus infection. Usually at the beginning of the disease it becomes so liquid. It is yellow, then turns gray-yellow. In some cases, the stool turns white. With rotavirus infection, vomiting often begins, an increase in temperature is observed. The patient develops rhinitis, sore throat, migraine begins.
2. Dysbacteriosis. Most often, this cause occurs in infants. In this case, white diarrhea begins, there are pieces of undigested food and mucus. Children stop eating, weight loss occurs, insomnia occurs. The baby is irritated and nervous.
3. Whipple's disease. This is an intestinal pathology caused by an infectious origin. It is rare, but most often white stool occurs in children under 3 years of age. Clinical picture: muscles hurt, the patient is thirsty, there is a rapid heartbeat. The child begins an inflammatory process in the gums.
4. Teething. Usually during this period, children develop diarrhea with white flakes.

Light diarrhea with vomiting begins when food does not undergo proper processing of food with bile.

This state begins in the presence of a tumor or stone in the bile duct.

Usually, such diarrhea provokes yellowness of the skin, the urine becomes cloudy and dark. Rarely, this condition does not provoke an increase in temperature, sharp pains. Such diarrhea rarely leads to dehydration.

Features of the condition and treatment in children

Often the cause of such diarrhea in a child is hepatitis, disturbances in the work of the pancreas and gallbladder. But it should be borne in mind that both the nutrition of the baby and teething can cause this condition. Such diarrhea can be caused by taking certain medications, for example, Paracetamol, Nurofen, etc.; dysbacteriosis of the gastrointestinal tract; the presence of rotavirus infection. As a rule, this pathology develops with serious malfunctions in the body.

When defecating with white feces, an urgent consultation with a doctor is necessary, it is possible that an examination is to be carried out, followed by hospitalization and treatment of the disease.

Treatment

If, after discontinuation of drugs and a change in diet, white diarrhea does not go away, then the doctor recommends performing a diagnosis to identify the cause of the pathology.

Usually, if white feces are associated with the use of drugs that provoke discoloration of feces, then the color is restored on the second or third day after the remedy has been withdrawn. But it is necessary to assess the risks in the treatment of a patient after discontinuation of the drug.

If diarrhea is caused by diarrhea dysfunction, then the patient should observe bed rest, sparing nutrition is necessary.

The patient is prescribed a course of drugs that improve metabolic processes and injections of blood-substituting solutions. In some cases, treatments are used to remove toxins from the body and hormonal medications are prescribed.

At elevated temperatures, drugs to reduce the temperature should be taken.

If diarrhea is caused by viruses and bacteria, the doctor will prescribe a course of antibiotics. With the development of pancreatitis, the doctor prescribes enzymes and means to relieve pain.

It is important to maintain the amount of fluid lost. This patient should drink more water, mineral water, solutions to prevent water loss (Regidron, Ringer). You should not drink fruit drinks, sweet soda, compotes.

With severe dehydration with diarrhea, it is possible to administer solutions through a dropper.

Food should be sparing: jelly, stale bread or crackers, rice porridge.

Can be used folk recipes, including decoctions of oak bark, blueberries.

Used for treatment and decoctions of onion peel, branches of St. John's wort.

In what case to the doctor?

If white diarrhea appears for the first time, then it's not so scary, but the regular appearance of at least 3-4 times in a couple of months is a good reason to see a doctor.

A good reason to apply could be:

• The patient's temperature rises.
• Pain and discomfort in the abdomen.
• Increased gas formation.
• Bloating in the abdomen.
• Itching around the anus.
• Drawing pain in right hypochondrium.
• Colic.
• Change in the shade and whites of the eyes of the skin.
• A sharp change in weight (its weight gain or weight loss).
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Complete lack of appetite.

How to define dehydration?

1. The most characteristic symptom of dehydration is dark urine.
2. Intense pain in the abdomen.
3. Frequent nausea and vomiting.
4. There is weakness in the muscles.
5. Increased body temperature.

Medical treatment

Enterogel

This drug is used for dysbacteriosis and poisoning, while removing toxins from the body. Contraindications: allergic reactions, peptic ulcer, rash, intestinal obstruction, intolerance to components, internal bleeding and a tendency to them.

The cost starts from 350 rubles for a package of medicine.

activated carbon

A sorbent that destroys bacteria and removes their waste products from the body. It eliminates diarrhea. Contraindications: should not be taken with intestinal atony, peptic ulcer, with internal bleeding, with intolerance to the active components of the drug.

Cost per package: from 10 to 30 rubles.

Ftalazol

An inexpensive remedy that effectively treats bacterial acute intestinal infections and fight diarrhea. Contraindications: Sensitivity to drug components, intestinal obstruction, hepatitis. It is forbidden to take Phthalazole during lactation and pregnancy, with severe blood pathologies and inflammatory processes in the kidneys.

The price varies from 20 to 30 rubles per pack.

Enterodes

This medicine is based on povidone, it eliminates the effects of poisoning, quickly copes with diarrhea. Can be used for children over 12 months of age. Contraindications: not applicable for strokes, nephritis, hypersensitivity to drug components and asthma.

The cost varies from 220 to 328 rubles.

ethnoscience

1. Wormwood tincture on vodka. To drink such a medicine, you need to drink 20 drops every 3 hours. You can make a decoction based on this raw material: half a teaspoon of herbs per 250 grams of water, boil for 10-15 minutes and drink in small doses throughout the day. Decoction and tincture are not sweetened with honey or sugar.
2. If diarrhea is prolonged, then you can brew and boil a sliver of oak bark. It is added to 0.5 liters of water, the broth is boiled until it is boiled down to the volume of a glass. The dosage of the medicine is: 2 teaspoons 3 times a day.
3. Another recipe for diarrhea is also based on a decoction of oak bark: a teaspoon of vegetable raw materials is taken in a glass of boiling water. Then boil the decoction for half an hour and drink 4 teaspoons 3 times a day until the symptoms stop completely.
4. We insist on blueberries, pouring them with 250 grams of boiling water, insist for half an hour and drink a little during the day. You can make jelly from berries and starch. He too effective remedy for the treatment of diarrhea.
5. You can insist on bird cherry berries or boil them in boiling water at the rate of 2 teaspoons of vegetable raw materials per 250 or 500 grams of water. The medicine is consumed in 1⁄4-1/2 cup 3 times a day.
6. Blackberry branches are cut into twigs 5 cm long. We take 2 teaspoons of vegetable raw materials and pour a glass of boiling water. We insist them for 60 minutes, and drink instead of tea. In 2-3 days, the work of the gastrointestinal tract is restored.

Diet

Drinking mode

You should drink jelly, water without gas, mineral water, weak tea.

List of eligible products

• Kashi on the water
• Rusks or stale bread
• Kiseli
• vegetable puree

List of prohibited products

• Spicy dishes
• Spices
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Fatty dairy products
• Fatty meats
• compotes
• Morses

Sample menu for the day

1. First meal. Steamed omelet. Tea without sugar.
2. Second meal. Rice porrige on water and two hard-boiled eggs. Kissel from blueberries.
3. Third meal. Boiled vegetable. Tea without sugar.
4. Fourth meal. Steamed meatballs and mashed boiled vegetables. Mineral water without gas.
5. Fifth meal. Millet porridge on the water. Weak tea without sugar.

Condition prevention

• It is necessary to monitor the diet and eat steamed or boiled foods.
• You should not run all pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and not treat until they become chronic.
• In order not to get a bacterial lesion, you should carefully look at the packaging and read the expiration dates.
• In crowded places, one should not stay near patients who have just had an infectious disease.
• Strict hygiene is required.
• For prevention, you can drink probiotics from time to time.

Conclusion

Diarrhea with white stools is common is a symptom of a serious disorder in the work of the pancreas or intestines. There are many reasons for the development of this pathology: medication, malnutrition, problems with the gallbladder, bile ducts, hepatitis, cholecystitis, oncology, etc. In the event of these symptoms, a diagnosis is necessary with the treatment prescribed by the doctor.

It is not necessary to start the treatment of the disease, it can threaten serious diseases in the future.

Be sure to watch the video, it will be very helpful

When parents notice white diarrhea in a child, they get scared and begin to suspect very serious problems. Often these experiences are not justified, but such a situation is not normal either. A number of reasons can provoke the appearance of a light stool.

Parents should be aware that during the breastfeeding period, baby feces differ from the usual indicators that are the norm in older children.

Children under one year old have almost no problems with white stools. Doctors say that in given age in the presence of breastfeeding, feces of any color can be normal - and light too. But white feces are still rare.

At this age, mother's nutrition plays a role.

Normally, the baby's stool should be mushy, mostly pale brown.

As the mother introduces new complementary foods, the stool also changes. He becomes light. It depends on what mixture is given to the baby. If suddenly parents notice any suspicious changes in the color of feces, then you need, first of all, to pay attention to what they give the child as complementary foods. Also, the mother must control her diet, because the main food for the baby is still breast milk.

As a result of such feces, intestinal dysbacteriosis is sometimes seen, it often worries babies up to a year old. A number of other symptoms also appear.

Chair:

1. Becomes liquid.
2. Smells bad.
3. Includes some food debris and mucus.

There are situations when, with such a disease, the shade of the baby's skin also changes.

Light stool often accompanies teething. This phenomenon is normal and passes quickly.

Possible reasons

There are many reasons why a child has diarrhea that is white. Light stool can indicate the presence of serious problems:

• The onset of hepatitis in a child. This disease, otherwise called jaundice, does not develop immediately. One of the first signs will be light diarrhea. Then there are other signs. Among them are darkening of urine, yellowness of the whites of the eyes and skin. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis here. Therefore, parents at the first sign should immediately contact a pediatrician.
• White diarrhea occurs as a result of influenza or rotavirus infection. These diseases may be accompanied by fever, stool disorder, loss of appetite and other symptoms.
• Diarrhea, which is white, can also be caused by some medications that are given to the child during treatment.
• White feces sometimes become the result of diseases of the pancreas. This problem is accompanied by pain in the upper abdomen or on the left side, at the same time, discomfort is felt in the umbilical region. But children rarely suffer from this disease.

• Such feces may occur due to stagnation of bile, the cause of which is obstruction of the biliary tract.
• There are isolated cases when a white stool is the result of a manifestation of Whipple's disease. It occurs very rarely and is still little studied.

If we consider the main causes of white feces, then it must be emphasized that it mainly occurs as a result of changes in the child's diet. The most common cases are when the baby consumes a lot of dairy products or foods high in fat. Medications that contain enough calcium can also affect the stool.

When is treatment needed?

Usually the light color of the feces does not affect the general condition of the baby, it returns to normal already on the second or third day. The reason for this may be cutting teeth.

But still there are situations when not everything is so encouraging. There are some serious signs.

And if they accompany white diarrhea, then it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible:

• the child is constantly sick and vomits several times a day;
• urine becomes dark in color;
• frequent cases of diarrhea;
• the baby wants to drink all the time;
• the child's body temperature is elevated;
• he looks tired and sleepy, there is lethargy;
• the child refuses to eat;
• there are general signs of malaise, and sleep is disturbed.

You should also consult a doctor if the baby's feces do not change for three days, even if the above signs are not observed. If such a condition repeats with a stable frequency, then you also need to see a specialist.

The doctor will prescribe the necessary examination, during which you will have to pass a series of tests. It will show if treatment is needed. Based on the tests obtained, the doctor will prescribe an adequate treatment.

You should not start treating white stools on your own based on prescriptions. traditional medicine or taken from the internet.

Only a qualified physician will be able to identify the cause of this condition and determine the course of treatment.

The appearance of a small child in the family is a great event for parents. Therefore, everything that happens to the baby is clearly monitored. When the baby's feces become an abnormal shade, the young mother begins to sound the alarm. The digestive system of an infant is not yet fully developed. It continues its development up to 2.5-3 years. Because of this, indigestion or indigestion often occurs in children of this age, but if a child has white diarrhea, this is not the normal behavior of the body. It is worth consulting with a doctor, determining the reasons for which the pathology manifested itself and how to treat the baby.

Possible reasons

A healthy child regularly goes to the toilet for the most part. Fecal masses at such a moment have a standard dense or mushy consistency, brown or light brown color.

In children under the age of 1 year, the stool has a yellow-green tint or a light brown tone. Outgoing feces and their shade depends on the food consumed by the baby.

If the baby eats only breast milk, then in his feces there are large quantities of curdled lumps of an undigested type. Such a manifestation is the norm for an infant.

When diarrhoea, and even a white tint, is detected, it is worth thinking about the presence of a pathological process in the baby's body. There are the following reasons that can stimulate the occurrence of whitish diarrhea:

To determine whether it is necessary to contact a pediatrician, you should carefully observe the child and identify the cause that provokes a change in the color of the feces. Such reasons are inherent in babies who are already 2 years old.

Why is white diarrhea dangerous?

But not in all cases it is necessary to be calm about the ongoing process. A list of situations is revealed in which the appearance of a white shade of stool during a bowel movement signals possible problems with health:

• Rotavirus infection - the stool in the first days becomes a liquid consistency, a light yellow color prevails. In the subsequent - fecal masses acquire a gray-yellow tone, according to appearance resembling clay. In some situations, the feces become almost white.
  The pathology is characterized by such signs as frequent profuse vomiting, an increase in body temperature to critical levels of 39.5 degrees, education in large quantities internal secretion in the nasal passages, cough reflex and soreness in the throat.

• Dysbacteriosis in the intestine - in most cases, the pathology occurs in babies up to 12 months. The stool becomes white with the presence of undigested food particles. Additionally, symptoms such as lack of appetite, anxiety, sleep disturbance, increased flatulence and pain in the lower abdomen are detected.
• Dehydration - during the pathological process, the baby's eyes sink. In such a situation, you should immediately consult a doctor for a treatment appointment.
• Inflammatory process in the gallbladder, pancreas or in the ducts of the bladder - usually the stool has a yellowish tone, which is acquired due to the excreted bile, but in its absence, the feces lose their color, becoming white.

If symptoms such as nausea, fever, pain in the upper area stomach, then such signs can symbolize problems with the pancreas.

In such a situation, not only the loss of the normal tone of the feces and the acquisition of a whitish hue is revealed, but an unpleasant putrefactive odor comes from the feces, which is not inherent in normal feces. This is due to the fact that there are problems with the normal outflow of urine, due to which it stagnates and provokes the appearance of a similar amber. Such signs can become prerequisites for the development of pancreatitis and the formation of stones in the bladder.

When identifying any situation, you should not wait until the symptoms increase, and the child becomes very ill. It is recommended to seek help from a doctor once in a while. It is forbidden to carry out a therapeutic effect on your own, due to the fact that it can provoke not an improvement in the condition, but, on the contrary, a deterioration in the general health of a small patient.

First aid

When a child has liquid yellow-white stools before contacting a doctor, it is required to increase the amount of fluid introduced into the child's body. This is due to the fact that diarrhea stimulates in children preschool age dehydration. At the same time, the situation changes rapidly and the baby's condition is diagnosed as severe.

Drinking liquid, except for soda, is required in small sips, but often enough. For small children, it is worth adhering to the following frequency: 1 tsp. water every 5 minutes. It is recommended to solder with chamomile tea, non-carbonated mineral water, fennel infusion, dried fruit compote, rice decoction.

As a first aid, it is necessary to give the child a drink of Smecta. This medication is allowed for babies from birth and does not pose a danger to any age.

The medicine gently removes toxins from the body, cleanses and ensures the removal of pathogenic microorganisms along with the feces, which provoke a whitish tint of diarrhea.

The beneficial effect of the drug is that active substance after complete neutralization of the pathogenic process, it has an enveloping effect. But at the same time, its use must be combined with a constant intake of fluid into the body.

The first time, approximately 4-6 hours, it is better not to give the patient food. It can overload the intestines, leading to discomfort. After a sustained time, it is required to adhere to a sparing diet:

1. Mashed potatoes seasoned with boiled water instead of milk;
2. Kashi on the water, including rice;
3. Kissel;
4. Fresh fruits: pear, blueberry;
5. Rice soup with vegetables;
6. Sour-milk products are necessary as a supply of beneficial bifidobacteria to the intestines to restore the normal microflora of the small stomach and intestines.

Be sure to always remember that before eating, the child should always wash his hands thoroughly. Also, the procedure should be carried out after going to the restroom. In order not to annoy anus, it is recommended to replace the usual hard toilet paper with rinsing under running water or using wet wipes.

Diagnostics

With the appearance of yellow-white diarrhea, as well as the manifestation of other signs that signal malaise, it is necessary to seek the advice of a pediatrician. The doctor, having examined the baby, will take an interest in the previously identified symptoms necessary for a complete history taking. If necessary, he will palpate the stomach and intestines.

If adverse signs of the development of pathology are identified, the doctor will prescribe a series of laboratory and instrumental tests:

1. Clinical examination of feces collected in the morning;
2. General and biochemical analysis of the lymph of a small patient;
3. Coprogram;
4. Bacteriological culture of feces;
5. Ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs.

Only on the basis of the revealed results of the examinations, the doctor can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe an effective therapeutic effect.

In some situations, loose stools can appear both white and normal. Its frequency does not cause concern to parents, due to the fact that painful symptoms are not present. If this occurs, an in-depth examination of a complex type is required. This is necessary in order to prevent the development pathological condition digestive organs.

When to See a Doctor

Diagnosis of a pediatrician is necessary at a time when the baby's health is not satisfactory, a number of symptoms are revealed that indicate painful process. With the following signs, you should immediately consult a doctor or call an ambulance team:

1. The volume of urine decreases sharply, the urine becomes dark in color;
2. The eyes become sunken;
3. The little patient becomes lethargic, capricious, he constantly wants to sleep;
4. The skin becomes rough, dry, peeling appears;
5. The child is constantly thirsty, complains of dryness in the oral cavity;
6. If the baby starts to cry, then his tears are practically absent;
7. If you press on the fontanel area in a one-year-old child, then he does not show anxiety or other signs of discomfort;
8. There is no appetite;
9. An increase in body temperature is detected;
10. Sleep becomes restless, not long, there is a problem to fall asleep.

The identified symptoms signal the development of more serious problems with the baby's body. Therefore, when white diarrhea is detected, one should not hope that it will pass by itself, it is better to consult a doctor and find out exactly whether the baby has pathological processes or not.

Thus, white diarrhea in a child manifests itself for various reasons, which may not harm the baby or, on the contrary, indicate the occurrence of a disease inside the digestive organs. If a pathological condition is detected, first aid should be applied and an ambulance should be called at home, or contact a local pediatrician.

The characteristic of feces is most informative in infants and younger age when a small patient cannot describe his condition on his own.

One of the most common complaints at a pediatrician's appointment is the appearance of light diarrhea in a child. Most often, this condition is caused by reasons not endangering the health of the patient, but in some cases, the appearance of a symptom may indicate the development of serious pathologies in the body.

Lactose indigestibility

Lactose deficiency is a disease caused by the lack of a special enzyme in the child's body that digests milk sugar. Pathology can be both congenital and hereditary, and acquired as a result of some previous diseases.

In infants under 1 month of age, lactose indigestion is often temporary and associated with immaturity. digestive system baby. As a rule, over time, the condition normalizes.

With congenital pathology, its signs are detected already in the first days after the baby is born.

At breastfeeding after each feeding, the child has a plentiful liquid stool of a frothy consistency and a sour smell.

Also state characterized by the following symptoms:

• intestinal colic;
• gas formation and bloating;
• frequent profuse regurgitation or vomiting "fountain";
• slight weight gain.

In older children, the disease is accompanied by:

• frequent bowel movements. Fecal masses are liquid, frothy, often light, have a sour smell;
• weight loss with a normal diet;
• pain in the abdomen after taking products containing lactose.

If a disease is suspected, a doctor's consultation and mandatory treatment is necessary.

Irrational nutrition

Light diarrhea in a child who is on food mother's milk, is often associated with an external factor, namely, non-compliance by the mother special diet excluding:

• smoked products;
• sausages;
• semi-finished products;
• foods rich in various preservatives (sauces, mayonnaise, etc.);
• fatty meat and fish broths;
• whole cow's milk;
• allergenic food (chocolate, seafood, exotic fruits, etc.);
• legumes, cabbage, beets, carrots, dried fruits.

In older children, light-colored loose stools can be caused by a number of foods that lighten stools:

• sweets;
• fatty foods;
• products containing a large amount of calcium (homemade cottage cheese, sour cream, milk, etc.).
• foods high in carbohydrates.

An excess of calcium and carbohydrates in the body of a child is indicated by white or gray stools.

Unsanitary conditions, violation of hygiene standards

Diarrhea, including light diarrhea, may appear in a child due to being in unsanitary conditions or if hygiene rules are not followed.

In these cases, a change in stool is associated with the ingestion of pathogenic bacteria that cause dysbacteriosis, poisoning, and intestinal infections.

Dysbacteriosis is a quantitative or qualitative violation of the intestinal microflora. Characteristic features conditions in children are:

• bowel disorder;
• bursting pains in the abdomen, the intensity of which increases during the spinning hours;
• flatulence;
• violation of the digestive process (determined by the presence of undigested food particles in the feces).

The condition is accompanied by:

• vomiting;
• pain in the abdomen (especially in the navel);
• temperature increase;
• headache;
• weakness and lethargy.

climate change

Acclimatization for a child almost always passes with the appearance of a variety of symptoms, including:

• stool disorder;
• emotional disorders;
• sleep disorders;
• temperature increase;
• signs of respiratory disease.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

Pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract are always occur with changes in the nature of bowel movements. gray diarrhea characteristic of diseases such as pancreatitis - inflammation of the pancreas. The pathological process is accompanied by a number of clinical symptoms:

• diarrhea;
• staining of feces in gray or white;
• sharp pains in the abdomen;
• nausea and vomiting.

Also, stool disorder is associated with Crohn's disease, a chronic digestive disorder caused by allergic reaction, psychosomatic and infectious diseases.

When a child is ill, there is a lightening of the feces, often a thinning of the stool. Also vomiting, high fever, and blood in the stools.

Functional disorders of the gallbladder

It is known that stercobelin affects the color of feces - bile pigment. With difficulty in transporting this pigment, discoloration of the feces occurs (gray, white, light brown).

The most common cause of light-colored diarrhea in a child is a blockage of the bile ducts - cholelithiasis. Diarrhea in a child with this disease can appear every hour and be accompanied by a fetid odor.

With biliary dyskinesia, diarrhea develops after eating and has a light shade and a putrid odor.

The alternation of light-colored, liquid, fetid stools with constipation may indicate cholecystitis in a chronic course.

Rotavirus infections

For rotavirus infections, the clinical picture is typical.

Against the background of the appearance of diarrhea, the child begins to suffer from fever and signs of intoxication.

The stools of a baby with rotavirus are also typical - a liquid consistency, a pale yellow color, which changes to white or gray after 2 days.

Along with the signs of rotavirus, the baby is often concerned about the symptoms of SARS, such as:

• headache;
• nasal congestion or runny nose;
• cough;
• sore throat when swallowing;
• lethargy;
• lack of appetite.

Hepatitis

One of the most dangerous reasons white diarrhea in children is hepatitis. The disease is accompanied by pain in the right hypochondrium, fever, dark urine, headaches and skin rash.

Interestingly, in children, signs such as yellowing of the sclera and skin, characteristic of the condition, may not appear immediately. Only a specialist can determine the presence of hepatitis, based on the results of laboratory tests.

The disease requires immediate treatment, often in a hospital, and adherence to a certain diet.

Untimely treatment of hepatitis in a child leads to serious irreversible disorders in the liver.

Treatment

First aid

prolonged diarrhea can lead to dehydration, which leads to dangerous complications and even death. If you have white or light-colored diarrhea that does not go away for more than 2 days, urgent medical attention is needed.

To alleviate the condition caused by disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, you can give it activated charcoal (at the rate of 1 tablet of the drug per 10 kg of weight) or Smecta, which protect the digestive tract from further exposure to irritating factors and adsorb harmful agents.

Be sure to observe the drinking regimen.

To avoid dehydration of the child's body, it is necessary to give the baby warm water (not carbonated!) Every time after a bowel movement or vomiting.

You should also limit the child in food and exclude fatty, fried foods, raw vegetables, juices from the diet.

Every 2 hours, the child should be given a little rice water, which has a “fixing” effect, fennel tea or chamomile.

Levomycetin, which is acceptable for adults with diarrhea, is forbidden for children without a doctor's recommendation!

In which case self-treatment is unacceptable and the help of doctors is necessary?

You should contact a specialist if, along with diarrhea, the child has:

• dark urine;
• the presence of mucus or blood in light diarrhea;
• abdominal pain;
• repeated vomiting, nausea;
• temperature increase;
• weakness, drowsiness;
• unquenchable thirst.

Consultation with a specialist is required if the frequency of bowel movements exceeds 10 times a day or lasts longer than 2 days.

How to determine dehydration and what to do?

• moderate degree of dehydration - feeling of thirst, restlessness and irritability, severe clouding of urine, dry skin;
• severe degree - confusion, lack of urination, cold hands and feet, tachycardia, pallor of mucous membranes and skin, lowering blood pressure.

Severe dehydration develops rapidly and, if left untreated, is fatal.

To prevent dehydration, the child needs to take a saline solution, which is prepared at home (1 tsp x 1 liter clean water) or purchase a pharmacy (Rehydron, Citroglucosolan).

Ready-made solutions are given to children, according to the instructions:

• up to 1 year, 130-200 ml per 1 kg of weight per day (in small portions);
• from 1 to 5 years, 100-160 ml per 1 kg of weight;
• from 6 to 10 years, 70-110 ml per 1 kg of weight.

Medical treatment

Depending on the cause of the development of light diarrhea, various drugs can be used, appointed exclusively by a specialist. These can be enzyme preparations, antibiotics, enterosorbents, probiotics and drugs that inhibit intestinal motility.

Acipol

The drug is a dry biological mass that restores the balance of intestinal microflora.

It is used for diarrhea caused by a violation of the intestinal microflora.

Contraindicated in case of individual sensitivity to the components.

The average price of Acipol is 350 rubles.

loperamide

Antidiarrheal drug involved in the inhibition of intestinal motility.

Loperamide is not used to treat diarrhea in children, which is caused by pseudomembranous enterocolitis, infectious diseases.

The average price of the drug is 60 rubles.

Enterofuril

A broad-spectrum antimicrobial drug used to treat diarrhea caused by intestinal and stomach infections in children.

Among the contraindications for use are hypersensitivity to the components of the drug and age up to 1 month.

You can buy Enterofuril for 350-400 rubles.

Folk remedies

Application folk remedies must be agreed with the doctor. The use of medicines prepared according to traditional medicine prescriptions is not recommended for children under 4 years of age.

Prepare a mixture of equal parts fennel fruit, sage leaves and oak bark. 2 tbsp. l. the resulting mixture, pour 400 ml of water at room temperature and leave for 15-20 minutes. Bring the infusion to a boil and simmer for another 15-20 minutes.

Strain the cooled broth and give the baby 30-75 ml three times a day before meals.

Mix the rhizomes of the snake mountaineer, chamomile flowers, plantain and blueberries in a ratio of 4:4:5:5. 1 st. l. collection pour boiling water (200 ml) and boil for 30 minutes. After cooling the broth, it must be filtered and given to the child 1 tsp. twice a day before meals.

Prepare a decoction from a mixture of bird cherry and blueberries (3:2). 1 st. l. mixture pour boiling water (300 ml) and boil in a water bath for at least 20 minutes. With diarrhea, give the child 1-2 tbsp. three times a day

3 art. l. dry chamomile flowers pour 200 ml of boiling water and soak in a water bath for 15 minutes. Strain the broth and give the baby with the addition of honey 1/5-1/4 cup after meals.

Prepare a collection of knotweed grass (1), goose cinquefoil (1), plantain (2). 1 tbsp mixture pour 200 ml of boiling water and insist for 45 minutes.

Strain the medicine and give to drink to the child 20-40 ml every 8 hours.

Diet and drinking regimen

During the period when the child has light diarrhea, it is necessary to follow a diet that excludes:

• fresh fruits and vegetables;
• nuts and legumes;
• fatty dairy and sour-milk products;
• juices;
• rye bread and confectionery;
• carbonated drinks;
• refined sugar;
• pickled, canned, smoked products;
• fried foods.

A child who has clear liquid light stools is allowed to use:

• mucous soups with rice, buckwheat;
• cereals from rice, oatmeal, buckwheat;
• low-fat dairy products (subject to lactose tolerance);
• lean meats and fish;
• baked vegetables and fruits;
• eggs;
• wheat bread is not fresh.

• a decoction of raisins;
• rice water;
• decoctions of wild rose, carrots, chamomile;
• green tea (without sugar);
• mineral water.

Sample menu for the day

1 breakfast: 2 steamed egg omelette, a slice of bread, green tea.

2 breakfast: baked apple.

Lunch: slimy rice soup with potatoes and carrots, buckwheat, steam chicken cutlets.

Afternoon snack: biscuit cookies, fermented baked milk.

Dinner: boiled vegetable salad, steamed fish.
Watch one very helpful video on the topic of diarrhea in children

Further prevention of the condition

Main preventive measures to prevent light-colored stools in children, the following are considered:

• compliance with hygiene and sanitation standards;
• eating clean, well-processed foods;
• drinking clean water;
• vaccination against influenza, rotavirus;
• compliance with the diet;
• timely treatment of diseases.

Diarrhea in a child is an unpleasant and sometimes dangerous symptom.

In addition to dehydration, which all types of diarrhea lead to, white loose stools in a child may indicate various pathologies in the child's body, which, without timely treatment, can lead to serious complications. It is very important not to self-medicate, but to contact a pediatric specialist who will identify the cause of the condition and recommend the necessary treatment tactics.