Baby has yellow stools with white seeds, what's wrong?

The article is professionally consulted by Doctor Nguyen Thai Ngoc Chau - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital.

Young children are very susceptible to gastrointestinal problems, especially abnormal stools such as white grained stools or blood in the stool.... So when this situation occurs, parents how to handle?

Typically, infants who are exclusively breastfed will have loose, slightly thick, yellow, grainy, and foamy stools. On average, children go outside about 5-7 times/day. The color of stools is determined by bile pigments and bile salts. If the secretion is less, the stool may contain white particles, which are milk protein particles.
If the child has white granules in the stool but does not have abdominal pain, is not fussy, feeds normally, sleeps peacefully, gains weight well, then there is no need to worry. Parents just need to continue to monitor the child, if there is any abnormality, take the child to the hospital for examination.
In addition, the child may pass out white, mucilaginous, raw stools if the digestive system is affected by problems such as: fever, formula allergy, bacterial infection... If the child is fussy If you stop breastfeeding, you should take the child to the doctor immediately.

Newborn baby stools sometimes contain blood that worries many parents. Blood in the stool can be bright red or dark red. There are many causes of blood in the stool, such as:
Anal fissure: anal fissure when a child is constipated, hard stools that cause the child to try to push, causing anal bleeding, causing bloody stools. Anal fissures can heal on their own or apply ointment to the site of the fissure. When you see a baby passing blood due to an anal fissure, the mother should eat more fiber and healthy foods so that breastfed babies can have easier bowel movements. For formula-fed babies, try a different type of formula. Colitis: Blood in the stool can be caused by colitis or inflammation of the large intestine. This is a hereditary factor. In addition, the digestive system of children is still immature, so it is easy to get infections that cause inflammation. Crohn's Disease: Crohn's disease is a disease that causes inflammation in the walls of the small intestine and large intestine. Crohn's disease is also one of the hereditary diseases. If you have a family member with Crohn's disease, you should take your child to the doctor when he or she sees blood in the stool. Allergies: Allergies to milk or foods can cause blood in the stool or with mucus or particles attached.

When seeing a child passing blood, the first thing parents need to do is to classify the cause and check the child's condition. If the child still eats and sleeps normally, does not cry, then monitor more. If the condition of bloody stools persists, or the child is unusually fussy, the child should be taken to the doctor immediately.
To protect the baby's immature digestive system, it is necessary to breastfeed the baby for at least the first 6 months. Breast milk contains many important nutrients, especially some antibodies that help protect babies from harmful agents.
Doctor Nguyen Thai Ngoc Chau has 09 years of experience in the field of Pediatrics - Neonatology, former Deputy Head of Pediatrics Department of Phuong Chau International Hospital (Can Tho). Dr. Chau regularly participates in training courses on child nutrition, pediatric emergency resuscitation, pediatric pathology treatment.