Bloody stool in a child: is it dangerous and what to do?

Sources of blood in stool

The presence of blood in the stool of a 2-year-old child does not always indicate the presence of a serious illness. But despite this, it is recommended to visit a doctor as soon as possible and undergo the necessary tests.

There are three options for the presence of feces with blood in a child.

This phenomenon is not pathological and does not pose a threat to the baby’s health.
Blood in the stool is a symptom of serious diseases that require immediate treatment.
“False” blood – a change in the color of stool is caused by foods or medications.

Experts identify two main sources of blood in the stool of children.

The first is the anus, large intestine, rectum. The blood will be bright red. There may be streaks of blood in the child's stool or mixing with the bulk of the stool.
The second is the small intestine and stomach. In this case, the baby’s feces can be dark, almost black. This coloring occurs due to the effect of stomach hydrochloric acid on blood hemoglobin. This is the most dangerous condition that requires prompt treatment.

What does it look like

The gastrointestinal tract contains substances and microorganisms necessary for its normal functioning. All of them affect the blood that appears and can change its color. Diseases of the digestive system can be recognized by the appearance of blood formations in the stool:

bright red, fresh, after defecation - rectal cancer, anal fissure, hemorrhoids;
loose stools with blood in an adult – food poisoning, intestinal infection;
a dark, almost black color is a sign of severe bleeding and the presence of cancer.

Dangerous symptoms indicating serious problems in the body that require urgent intervention:

clots or streaks of blood in a child’s stool are a sign of intestinal inflammation;
discharge mixed with mucus – polyposis, ulcerative colitis, development of neoplasms;
the presence of hidden blood detected during stool analysis - helminthic infestations, polyps in the large intestine, rectal cancer, ulcers, stomach cancer.

Causes

Various pathological factors can provoke the appearance of blood in the stool of a 2-year-old child. Let's look at the most common of them.

Rectal fissures. This is the most common cause of blood in the stool in children of this age. The child already has adequate adult nutrition, which can cause hard stools. This causes problems with bowel movements. With constipation, feces pass with difficulty, damaging the rectal mucosa. These microtraumas can cause the child to have small amounts of bloody stool. As a rule, cracks heal quickly when stool returns to normal. If constipation continues to bother the baby for a long time, this can lead to the development of hemorrhoids, in which during bowel movements you can see a significant amount of scarlet blood in the stool, as well as the appearance of hemorrhoids. When microdamage to the rectum appears, a child will feel pain during defecation, so at this moment he begins to cry or groan. Some children, for fear of pain, refuse to go to the potty. This should be one of the first symptoms for parents.

Allergic reaction. Basically, this cause of feces with blood in a child occurs in infancy. But there are situations in which food allergies provoke irritation of the intestinal mucosa even at an older age. In this situation, the baby also exhibits other symptoms that are worth paying attention to.

Nosebleeds. It happens that blood in the stool of a 2-year-old child appears due to ingestion of a small amount of it during nosebleeds.

A dangerous cause of blood in the stool can be intussusception (obstruction). Along with bleeding, the child complains of severe paroxysmal abdominal pain, loose stools with mucus, and frequent vomiting. This pathology occurs in most cases in children under 2 years of age. Requires immediate medical attention.

Helminths. The presence of blood in the stool of a 2-year-old child can be caused by worms. When passing through the intestines, feces carry along with them parasites, which, breaking away from the walls of the organ, provoke damage to its mucosa. For this reason, small blood clots may appear in the stool.

Formation of polyps in the large intestine. These are benign growths that can cause the presence of blood in the stool of a child 2–7 years old. This pathology is characterized by bloody stools, but without any accompanying noticeable symptoms.

Meckel's diverticulum. This is a disease in which protrusion of the walls of the large intestine occurs. In this case, gastrointestinal bleeding is observed, which occurs systematically. Severe anemia develops. This is a very dangerous disease that threatens the baby’s life.

Colitis. Inflammation inside the colon caused by small ulcers that cause pain. The reasons for the occurrence of pathology are not precisely known. Genetics is believed to play a large role in this.

Very rarely, the cause of blood in the stool in children is malignant tumors, intestinal tuberculosis and other equally dangerous diseases.

It happens that parents find brown or greenish stool with blood and mucus in their child. There is also an unpleasant odor and foamy appearance of the stool. This may be a sign of the presence of enterovirus, staphylococcus or other infections that can be dangerous for a small organism. Therefore, if symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor, since without proper treatment, intoxication of the body may develop.

Reasons for a child

Parents should immediately consult a doctor when their child has bloody stool. Such problems occur at any age, and symptoms vary depending on the disease. Bloody discharge may come out:

in infants with dysbacteriosis;
if the anus is damaged as a result of prolonged constipation;
in case of intestinal obstruction caused by improper diet.

The causes of the formation of a dangerous pathology are:

congenital anomalies that cause blood clots in the stool;
inflammation of the intestinal mucosa;
infectious diarrhea;
rectal polyps;
food allergy, in which there is loose stool streaked with blood;
rotavirus infection with frequent diarrhea and fever.

Non-pathological causes

In addition to the above reasons, the coloring of stool in dark, blood-like shades can be caused by the child’s consumption of certain foods and medications. These include:

beet;
chocolate;
bird cherry;
blueberry;
tomatoes;
products containing food coloring;
black currant and others.

Medicines that can cause changes in the color of stool include:

iron-containing preparations;
Activated carbon;
some types of antibiotics.

Dangerous symptoms

It happens that in addition to the appearance of blood in the stool, a 2-year-old child develops additional signs that can be used to judge the development of pathological conditions in him. Symptoms that, if detected, should immediately contact a medical facility include:

increased body temperature;
prolonged constipation;
prolonged headache;
the appearance of signs of an allergic reaction - for example, a rash;
detection of helminths in feces;
abdominal pain;
disturbance of consciousness;
abdominal cramps;
painful bowel movements;
detection of feces with mucus and blood in a child;
refusal to eat;
vomit;
rapid weight loss.

Diagnostics

If you notice any of the above signs, you should contact your pediatrician as soon as possible. He will decide to refer you to one of the highly specialized specialists - an infectious disease specialist, proctologist, gastroenterologist or allergist.

Typically, the examination begins with a rectal examination, with the help of which the doctor can determine the cause of the appearance of blood in the stool.

Laboratory tests are mandatory - general blood tests, urine tests, stool tests and coprogram (volumetric study of all stool indicators), analysis for dysbacteriosis.

Then instrumental diagnostic methods may be required. These include:

ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs or other necessary organs;
X-ray examination;
fibrogastroduodenoscopy – examination of the upper parts of the digestive tract with a special device and others.

hidden blood

If certain diseases are suspected, one of the main diagnostic methods will be an analysis for the presence of occult blood in the child’s stool. This condition is called sideropenia and does not manifest itself by external signs. To carry out the analysis, special sensitive substances are used, which, when oxidized, change their color.

A few days before the procedure, you need to follow a diet that excludes meat dishes, cucumbers, cabbage and some other foods. You should also stop taking medications as prescribed by your doctor. This is necessary so that hidden blood is not detected in a healthy baby. The stool must be placed in a sterile jar and delivered to the laboratory within three hours.

Why does blood appear during bowel movements?

Hidden blood in a child’s stool is a very dangerous symptom that may indicate serious illness.

There are many reasons for bleeding. All of them are serious and require examination by a doctor and further therapy. One of the most common causes of this phenomenon is a hemorrhoid or anal fissure. In this case, the blood is scarlet in color and may remain on the napkin. There is no need to panic in this case. Call a doctor, he will prescribe treatment. Such pathological processes are quite easy to treat. The main thing is to notice the problem in time. There are many other causes besides hemorrhoids and anal fissure.

By the nature and consistency of stool, one can roughly judge the pathology. If drops of blood appear on the surface of the stool, remain on the napkin, or on the walls of the pot, most likely we are talking about a hemorrhoid. If the consistency is liquid and dark, infection of the gastrointestinal tract is possible. Usually, against the background of such bowel movements, a high body temperature rises. These symptoms often indicate salmonellosis or dysentery. If the stool is black, we are talking about internal bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Often, blood in stool is hidden and difficult to see with the naked eye. This phenomenon indicates serious problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

There are a number of reasons that can cause bleeding.

All of them, one way or another, relate to malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract. The main reasons include:

Inflammation of the gastric mucosa or gastritis. With this disease, bloody bowel movements may occur.
Inflammatory processes, dystrophic changes in the small intestine (enteritis).
Inflammatory process of the colon, in other words colitis.
Stomach ulcers can also cause blood in the stool. With this disease, the formation of a defect in the gastric mucosa is observed.
Duodenal ulcer.
Helminthiasis and infectious diseases are often accompanied by bloody stools.
Food allergies and poisoning can also have the following symptom – blood in the stool.
Hemorrhoids, fissures and polyps.

The appearance of blood in a child's stool may also indicate a serious disease such as cancer. In this case, the blood is scarlet, it can be seen on the walls of the pot, on a napkin; when defecating, blood can flow in a thin stream or drip. After the act of defecation everything goes away. There is also pain, which is often external. However, such a manifestation can occur with hemorrhoids and with a fissure. In any case, you need to take your child to a doctor, only he can make the correct diagnosis.

To determine the possible cause of bleeding, parents should closely monitor the baby. This will help you collect a correct history when examined by a pediatrician, prescribe the necessary tests, and undergo other examinations.

Useful video - Blood in a child's stool:

Read: What does black poop mean? — Causes and consequences

If blood appears in the stool, you should immediately consult a doctor, even if you do not experience symptoms such as fever, pain during bowel movements, nausea or vomiting. Unclean feces indicate a pathological process within the body that will not go away on its own. It needs to be treated under the supervision of a pediatrician, and not independently. This is especially important when it comes to children under two years of age.

After the birth of a child, parents must monitor the baby’s health and bowel movements. Timely identification of the problem will help prevent the pathological process from starting and leading to oncology.

Diagnosis of pathologies

Colonoscopy is an effective diagnostic tool for the condition of the inner surface of the colon.

A number of studies will be required to make a diagnosis. First of all, the doctor will examine the baby by palpation and ask about the nature of the bowel movements. Next, the little patient will be sent for a clinical blood test, as well as stool to identify helminths and occult blood.

If the picture is unclear, a procedure such as sigmoidoscopy may be required. It is needed to examine the lower intestines; the examination is carried out using an endoscope. The procedure involves inserting a small camera into the anus. If the bleeding does not stop, such a study is not performed. To obtain a clear and clear picture of the condition of the lower intestine, the child should be prepared for the procedure. To do this, he is put on a diet prescribed by the doctor, and several hours before the examination he is not allowed to eat at all.

If sigmoidoscopy reveals nothing, a colonoscopy may be required.

Modern equipment will help identify the real cause of anal bleeding, the presence of hidden blood in the stool. Along with colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy, an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity is also prescribed. Usually, ultrasound and blood tests already provide a clear picture of the disease. The main thing is to seek help in time and not to self-medicate.

Reasons for the presence of occult blood

In most cases, this pathology in children occurs due to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. These include:

Stomach or intestinal bleeding. Signs of anemia appear, as there is an almost constant loss of blood that is not visible to the naked eye. Nausea, severe weakness, and chills also begin to bother me. Vomiting of blood may occur, and the blood will be dark in color, similar to coffee grounds. Sometimes, as the disease develops, streaks of blood appear in the child’s stool. In advanced cases, if left untreated, black blood appears in the stool.
Malignant tumors in the stomach. Manifested by anemia, weight loss, refusal to eat, pain in the abdominal area.
Malignant tumors in the intestines. Concerns about intestinal obstruction, stool disorders, and more.
Tumors of the esophagus.
Stomach ulcer.

Types and nature of bleeding

Bloody discharge in children can have different colors (rich scarlet blood in the stool, red or dark) and different shapes (drops on top of the stool, red streaks or strings in the stool).

The consistency of the feces themselves is also important: diarrhea with streaks of blood, mucus with blood in the stool, loose stools with mucus and blood, or hard, dark-colored feces.

All these characteristic features indicate certain symptoms of a particular disease.

Types of rectal bleeding:

Finding fresh, deep red blood in a child's stool indicates blood loss in the lower part of the digestive system or a fissure in the anus.
Green or any other shade of diarrhea with blood in a child, especially with acute pain and high body temperature, may indicate dysentery and infectious intestinal diseases. For example, with rotavirus or infections of other pathogenesis, bloody discharge may often be present in the stool.
Red dark blood clots in a child's stool, red threads or blood streaks are often characteristic signs of inflammatory processes in the digestive system, and diseases such as nonspecific or specific ulcerative colitis.

With diarrhea or normal stool, blood may not always be visible to the naked eye. The presence of blood in children's stool can be indicated by its black or dark color or a positive reaction to occult blood in the stool.

Hidden blood in a child’s stool can be a clinical manifestation of malignant tumors, parasitic infestations, blood loss in the upper part of the digestive system, or polyps in the large intestine.

Darkening of the stool may also indicate bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Rich black, tarry, thick stools with a liquefied consistency (melena), which occurs during blood loss in the stomach and small intestine, are especially dangerous.

Blackening of feces is associated with chemical processes that occur in the body. Hemoglobin, found in the blood, interacts with stomach juice and is converted into a substance such as hematin hydrochloride, which has a black color. If a child has such a stool, then over time vomit may appear, which will also be dark.

When should you not panic?

Black stools are not necessarily a sign of stomach or intestinal bleeding. Darkening of stool can be caused by taking certain medications or foods. If children previously consumed foods such as currants, blueberries, prunes, and beets, the stool may darken. Also, black or dark stool in a child can be caused by taking certain antibiotics, iron-containing drugs and activated carbon.

If, after stopping these medications, the feces do not become a normal color, and other signs of illness are noted, this is a reason to visit a doctor and get tested for hidden (invisible) blood.

Treatment

In any case, the therapy should be selected by a doctor. Self-medication can aggravate the course of the disease and cause serious complications. If you have obvious symptoms, you should immediately call an ambulance and do not take any action until they arrive. Do not give your child painkillers, give an enema, or use a heating pad. Also, ice should not be applied to the stomach. You are not allowed to drink or eat until the doctor arrives.

The treatment method will depend entirely on the cause of blood in the stool of a 2-year-old child.

Allergy. Quite a common occurrence. If allergic reactions are the cause of bloody stool in a child, antihistamines are prescribed. Complete exclusion of the allergen is recommended.
Intestinal infections. Treatment in this case will be selected strictly individually, taking into account the baby’s age, health status and the causative agent of the infection. Antibacterial drugs, antiviral, hemostatic agents and enzymes are prescribed. In most cases, treatment in a hospital is indicated.
Helminths. Antiparasitic drugs, antibiotics and vitamin complexes are used in treatment.
Cracks in the rectum. In this case, anti-inflammatory and wound healing agents are used. Nutritional correction also plays an important role in the treatment of this cause. It is recommended to consume vegetables and fruits rich in fiber, some types of cereals and fermented milk products.
Hemorrhoids. This pathology rarely occurs in children 2 years of age. The treatment uses ointments and suppositories with hemostatic, wound healing and anti-inflammatory effects.
Infectious type diarrhea. In this case, complex therapy is very important, which will be aimed at preventing dehydration of the body, removing toxins, eliminating the infection itself and preventing the development of dysbiosis. Plenty of drinking regimen, the use of sorbents and antimicrobial drugs are indicated.
In other, more serious situations, treatment includes surgery and medication. For cancerous tumors, radiation therapy or chemotherapy is used.

It is worth noting that nutrition has a great influence on rapid recovery.

If you notice a one-time appearance of stool streaked with blood in a child, you should monitor his condition. If the baby behaves as usual, then, as a rule, there is no reason to worry. But it is still recommended to consult a pediatrician for advice.

What to do in such a situation

One of the important therapeutic measures is nutritional correction. Parents need to analyze which foods cause dangerous symptoms and change their diet. The necessary diet is recommended by the doctor. In case of congenital diseases, you will have to adhere to it all your life.

What to do:

For intestinal infections that occur with bloody stools and vomiting, the child needs hospital treatment. Metabolic processes are accelerated, dehydration in children under 3 years of age develops within 3-4 hours. The condition is life-threatening. Antibiotics cannot be given on your own.
An ambulance is also called after injuries resulting in intestinal bleeding.
Inflammation in the anal area indicates helminthic infestations. Home measures - reducing the load on the digestive system. Medicines must be prescribed by a doctor.
If you have lactase deficiency, you will have to give up breastfeeding and switch to special mixtures with split milk protein or a soy substitute.
For anal fissures, hemorrhoids and constipation, reduce the load on the digestive system and increase the amount of relaxing foods in the diet. It is possible to use laxatives and enemas with sea buckthorn oil. To accelerate damage and nodes in the rectum, suppositories with a healing and anti-inflammatory effect are prescribed.

Important information: How to take Duphaston to stop bleeding and whether it can bleed while taking the drug

If you suspect intestinal obstruction, you should call an ambulance. Surgery may be required. Urgent operations are performed for ruptures of hemorrhoids, severe abdominal injuries, planned operations are performed to remove polyps and for Hirschsprung's disease. Parents should trust their pediatrician. When treating young children, if possible, preference is given to conservative therapy.

Complications

In the absence of adequate treatment, pathological conditions that cause the presence of blood in a child’s stool can provoke the development of serious complications that will threaten the health and life of the baby.

Scars in the anal area. This can occur with frequent occurrence of microtraumas of the rectum.
Development of infections. With constant damage to the skin and mucous membranes, pathogenic bacteria can enter the wounds, which can spread to the genitals, thereby worsening the situation.
Crohn's disease and colitis can cause intestinal obstruction.
Prolonged internal bleeding is life-threatening.

Prevention

Preventive measures in this case will include proper nutrition, rich in fiber and dairy products. Proper drinking regime is also very important. Nursing mothers should monitor their diet, avoiding the consumption of foods that can cause allergic reactions. To prevent infectious diseases, you need to ensure that the child washes his hands after a walk, does not lick his fingers and does not eat unwashed fruits and vegetables. Systematically inspect the anal area for damage and cracks. It is necessary to carefully monitor your child’s condition and, at the first suspicious symptoms, contact a medical facility for examination and undergo the necessary tests. After all, many diseases can be treated quite successfully if detected early. In some cases, delay can threaten the health and life of the baby.