Many babies will have blood in their stool at least once during infancy. Straining to poop, small anal fissures, and other minor conditions may cause blood streaks in a baby's stool. More serious issues — such as bleeding in the intestines — may also cause bloody stool, however.
If your baby was born prematurely or is younger than 3 months old and you notice blood in their diaper or poop, call their doctor to be on the safe side. Otherwise, if you notice blood in your baby's poop and you know the cause, there's no need to inform your baby's doctor.
Blood in baby's diaper: anal irritation and constipation
A baby's skin is very delicate and can get irritated. Dr. Eric Ball explains, “Probably the most common reason would be external irritation around the anus. This blood is usually minimal, bright red, and often on the wipes, as well as the diaper.
A little blood in your baby's nappy is usually nothing to worry about, but you should always tell your health visitor or GP about it. Your baby could be constipated or have a cow's milk protein allergy. Or, if you've got cracked or bleeding nipples, your baby may have swallowed a little blood when breastfeeding.
Urate crystals in your newborn's urine can leave a pink or red-orange stain in their diaper. This can be alarming for parents, who sometimes mistake the stain for blood. But unlike blood, urate crystals dry to a powder, and they're not as red in color.
However, what you're seeing is likely urate crystals in your newborn's diaper. While it's important to make sure it isn't blood, the brick-colored stain of urate crystals is common, and usually harmless, in newborns. Typically, urate crystals in a diaper have a drier, thinner texture and color than blood.
“Brick Dust” Baby Pee
A common descriptor of a red-brown hue in baby pee is “brick dust.” It actually looks a bit like dust from red bricks sprinkled into the urine, often mistaken for blood. When you see this in your baby's pee, it could mean they're not nursing enough or consuming enough formula.
Newborn Vaginal Bleeding.
It can start any time from 2-10 days of life. This is normal and called false menses. The cause is the sudden drop-off in the mother's estrogen (a hormone) after birth. The blood-tinged or pink discharge should not last more than 3 or 4 days.
Many believe that the increased saliva produced during teething can cause stool to become slightly loose. Keep in mind, diarrhea can be a sign of a more serious infection so contact your infant's pediatrician if the stool becomes watery, because your infant could be at risk for dehydration.
Blood in the urine, or hematuria, may make your child's urine look red, brown, or pink. There may be blood every time your child urinates or just from time to time. You can't always see blood in the urine, but it will show up in a urine test.
This isn't blood but urate crystals and is completely normal. These crystals develop because babies' urine is concentrated until they start taking in more fluids.
Hemangiomas are clusters of extra blood vessels on a baby's skin. They may be there when a baby is born, or form within a few weeks or months of birth. Some may look like rubbery, bumpy red "strawberry" patches while others resemble deep bruises.
Blood spots under the skin may be either purpura or petechiae. Purpura might look like bruises, but they aren't caused by an injury as most regular bruises are. Petechiae don't look like bruises. They are tiny, flat, red or purple spots in the skin.
Occasionally, blood in the stool may be due to breastmilk oversupply. Per Dr. Jack Newman, bloody stools in some babies have been eliminated completely by resolving mom's oversupply.
It's caused by bacteria called Serratia marcescens. When S. marcescens makes its way into an infant's gastrointestinal tract, the result is a pinkish reddish diaper that will probably totally freak you out. Even weirder: The pink coloration might not set in on your diapers, clothing or nursing pads until the next day.
If your child suddenly develops blood in their bowel movements and also becomes lethargic, or has abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, a distended (swollen) abdomen, or other unusual symptoms, call their health care provider immediately.
Signs and symptoms may include: Drooling more than usual (drooling may start as early as three or four months of age, but is not always a sign of teething) Constantly putting fingers or fists in the mouth (babies like to chew on things whether or not they are teething) Swollen, or puffy area on gum.
Around three months of age, newborns frequently begin gnawing on their hands and drooling. As they learn to explore their environment and hone their hand-eye coordination, this behavior is typical of a child's growth. Another indication that your baby is uncomfortable or teething is when they chew on their hands.
If your baby is teething, the mucus may be the result of swallowing a lot of saliva. Infection. If your baby has a viral or bacterial infection, inflammation in the intestines can cause mucus in their poop, which may also be green. They may also have some blood in their poop if they have a bacterial infection.
Since mom herself will be back on her period soon, there's no valid, medically-proven reason that someone's menstrual cycle would cause any harm to a newborn.
Up to 1 out of 4 (up to 25%) of all pregnant women have some bleeding or spotting during their pregnancy. Bleeding and spotting in pregnancy don't always mean there's a problem, but they can be a sign of miscarriage or other serious complications.
It's important to keep your baby's genitals clean. This helps to prevent infections and keep your baby healthy. To clean your baby's genitals, you can use warm water and a soft washcloth or a cotton ball. Add a small amount of mild baby cleanser with a built-in moisturiser to the water.
Drooling and blowing bubbles is common in babies during the phase of development when getting what they need is centered on the mouth. This becomes especially apparent at 3 to 6 months of age.
In the first week after birth, you may see a pink or brick-red stain on the diaper, often mistaken for blood. In fact, this stain is usually a sign of highly concentrated urine, which has a pinkish color. As long as the baby is wetting at least four diapers a day, there probably is no cause for concern.