Black Poop In Babies: Is It Normal, Causes And When To worry

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Parents often observe the color of their baby’s poop to ensure that they are pooping right. However, a change in bowel movements or poop’s color, such as black poop in babies, can raise concerns.

Baby poop can be of different textures, colors, smells, and consistencies. They can usually be seen in green, yellow, tan, brown, and some other colors as well(1)。The usual color should be brown because of thebilirubin pigmentⁱXThe yellowish pigment made by breaking down red blood cells that travel through the liver and excreted out of the body.secreted from the liver。The bilirubin flows into the small intestines and turns brown as it passes through the small intestines (2). However, any other color of poop in babies could be due to an underlying condition and may require doctor consultation.

Read on to know about black stool in babies, including its cause, meaning behind the colors, and when you should worry.

Is Black Stool In Babies Normal?

While black poop is common in newborns, youshould be concerned if you notice it in your baby who is over three days old(3)。

The first stool of newborns is called meconium. This sticky stool consists ofamniotic fluidⁱXA liquid in the amniotic sac that surrounds and protects the fetus in the womb during pregnancy, intestinal epithelial cells, lanugo, mucus, bile, and water swallowed in utero. Meconium is often black, green, brown, or yellow and passed 24 to 48 hours following birth.

Several reasons could cause your baby to poop black or tarry feces.While black stools in babies can often be caused by food and medications, which is normal, black stools due to other reasons, such as bleeding in the stomach or any part of their digestive system or gastrointestinal tract, warrants immediate medical attention(4)。

If your baby’s black poop is accompanied by a foul smell, it often signals a problem in your baby’s upper digestive tract(5)。

What Causes Black Poop In Infants?

The most common causes of black poop in infants include(4)(6)

• Specific foods

Foods such as blueberries, licorice, oreo cookies, dark chocolate, and grape juice can give your baby’s poop a tarry black color.

• Medications

Iron supplements and bismuth-containing medicines, such as Pepto-Bismol, can cause black poop in your baby。These are generallynot a cause for concern。

• Digested blood

In some cases, babies digest blood that appears as black poop. This can occur if the baby is breastfeeding and has swallowed blood from the mother’s cracked, bleeding nipples.

These causes are usually not concerning.However, black poop can also result from bleeding in the baby’s digestive tract。The bleeding can occur either in the upper or lower gastrointestinal tract.

Some concerning causes of back poop in babies include(7)(8)

• Internal bleeding such as bleeding in theesophagusⁱXA muscular tube that passes food and liquids from the mouth to the stomach., stomach, or upper part of the baby’s small intestine
• Gastritis — inflammation of the stomach lining
• Intolerance to milk protein
• Complications of the liver, such as cirrhosis
• Clotting disorders
• PolypsⁱXA protruding growth of tissue on a surface inside your body or a mucus membrane

When To Seek Medical Attention For Black Poop In Babies?

If you find any of the following signs and symptoms along with your baby’s black poop, call their pediatrician right away(8)。

• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Fever
• Blood in the stools
• Vomiting of blood
• Child looking pale

How To Manage Black Stools In Babies?

The treatment for your baby’s black poop depends on the cause.

• If your baby’s black poop results from taking a food item, discontinuing the food item can help resolve the problem。

• If the black stool is due to a medication, the healthcare provider may eitherstop or prescribe an alternative medicineto resolve the problem.

• If your baby presents other symptoms, the underlying cause needs to be identified and resolved. Diagnostic tests along with medical history and other investigations may be required to determine the cause of your baby’s black poop.

Other Colors Of Baby Poop

Apart from black, the following are otherbaby poop colorsthat may indicate an underlying problem.

1. Red poop

Also called bloody stools,90% of red baby poop is not a result of bleeding。大量的食物会引起宝宝的阿宝op to turn red. These include beetroot, cranberries, tomato-based foods, and red Jell-O. However, this is usually harmless and disappears with a change in diet(4)。

In a few cases, red streaks on your baby’s diaper may indicate something more serious, such as(9)

• Constipation
• A small anal tear
• Bacterial diarrhea (due to infection caused by bacteria)
• Bleeding in the lower part of thedigestive system
• HemorrhoidsⁱXSwollen and enlarged veins in and around your anus and lower rectum, also called piles

2. White poop

如果你的宝宝还’t producing enough bile. Chalky white stools are a cause for concern as theymay indicate a liver orgallbladderⁱXA small pear-shaped internal organ on the upper right portion of the abdomen under the liverproblem(7)。If you notice your baby passing white orpale gray poop, seek medical advice right away.

3. Dark gray poop

A dark gray baby poop indicates that the baby is not digesting food properly. This is common in formula-fed babies during digestion, as the formula can be difficult for babies to digest.

4. Dark green poop

While green baby stool is normal and often common in breast milk-fed babies, waterygreen poopcan cause worry. Green watery baby poop is common with diarrhea and needs to be treated immediately(9)。

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