Thanks to stercobilin, the stool of infants and adults turns brown. By the condition of the stool, you can determine how the digestive system works, evaluate how the liver and spleen function. An experienced doctor can make a preliminary diagnosis even before an examination, which will confirm or refute the specialist's guesses.
Baby
What is stercobilin
Stercobilin is a bile pigment, if not, the stool becomes colorless. It is formed from the bilirubin present in the feces of newborns. Bile pigments are excreted in the stool, partially excreted in the urine. It is normal for bilirubin to be found on stool examinations in children under five months of age. Because of it, it acquires a green tint. Therefore, parents should not be alarmed to see similar colored bowel movements in a newborn's diaper.
Basic concepts
Bilirubin is the main constituent of bile. It is formed after erythrocytes break down. When there is a lot of it, it means that red blood cells are destroyed in large quantities. It also suggests that the elimination of bilirubin from the body is difficult, impaired.
At the age of 5 months, the reaction to stercobilin is positive in infants, as well as to bilirubin. The situation changes in 2-3 months. In studies, bilirubin should no longer be determined, its presence indicates pathological processes:
- Dysbacteriosis, when harmful bacteria abound in the intestines that are unable to create stercobilin. They usually do not exceed 10% of the total number of microorganisms. If there are more of them, the balance is disturbed, the child's immunity and digestion suffer. The first signs of such a deviation are bloating, increased gas formation. The famous pediatrician Komarovsky claims that there is no such disease as dysbiosis. A change in the ratio between pathological and beneficial microorganisms is a symptom, like a temperature with flu. Eliminating it will not solve the problem, it has yet to be found;
- Violation of intestinal motility. In this case, the walls contract too quickly, and food passes rapidly through the digestive tract. Bilirubin remains unprocessed, which is why it is present in the feces.
Note! Normally, after the age of 5 months, the child has a positive reaction only to stercobilin, bilirubin should be negative.
When stercobilin is synthesized
When the baby's intestines are populated with beneficial microflora, and his work is getting better, bilirubin is processed into stercobilin. This means that bifido - and lactobacilli have a restorative effect on digestion, which also has a beneficial effect on the child's immunity. This occurs after five months, in both breastfed and formula fed babies.
Kid on gv
When to check feces for stercobilin
An analysis for stercobilin is prescribed for cholelithiasis and hepatitis. With them, the amount of bile entering the intestines decreases.
Young mothers often watch the baby's bowel movements closely. A change in the color of the stool, in particular, its discoloration, should be alarming. To find out the reasons, scatology, or a general analysis of feces, is used. This is the most common examination for children in their first year of life. It helps to assess the appearance, consistency of the child's feces, to determine the main indicators that are important for diagnosing the state of the digestive system, to find out whether a tiny food is completely absorbed.
How to prepare for analysis
You can collect feces for analysis in the evening, the main thing is to place it in a sterile container and put it in the refrigerator. It is better to purchase special jars at the pharmacy, they are in sealed bags and have a screw cap. The material cannot be frozen. In the morning, you need to deliver the container to the laboratory. Ideally, if you can transfer the material for research on the day it is collected.
To get a reliable research result, you need to adhere to the rules:
- Stop taking antibiotics at least two days before the procedure, be sure to act in consultation with your doctor;
- Do not use enemas and bowel stimulants.
You can collect material from a diaper or diaper. If you plan to attract a pot, it must be thoroughly washed in advance.
Note! Only half a teaspoon of the material is enough for analysis. You also need to make sure that no urine gets into the container - this will change the result, which can no longer be called reliable.
Stool examination
Examining the results
As the child grows, the indicators of the norm change. So, at first it is considered a good sign if there is no stercobilin in the feces. This is tolerated due to imperfect bowel function and continues until the age of 5 months. Then the bile pigment begins to be determined, and by the age of 8 months it completely replaces bilirubin, which should not be in the feces.
Deviation from the norm
If a child over five months old has a negative reaction to stercobilin, this is considered a deviation from the norm. In infants, the numerical values of the indicator are usually not determined. As a result, it is only noted that it is present or absent. Its acceptable value is in the range from 75 to 100 milligrams. This amount is found in 100 grams of the test material. Then the upper limit rises to 350 milligrams, which is recognized as the norm for children over 2-3 years old.
If stercobilin in crumbs older than five months is reduced, this indicates the development of pathology:
- Jaundice. With a disease, the outflow of bile is not disturbed due to physiological reasons, as, for example, in newborns. Stones and cysts interfere with its normal discharge. In the first case, the indicator will decrease slightly. Various neoplasms will lead to a noticeable change in the bile pigment;
- Inflammation of the bile ducts. It is caused by the activity of harmful bacteria in the bile. It also provokes obstruction of the biliary tract. With the disease, severe pain occurs, and the temperature rises;
- Hepatitis. It can be viral or toxic. In the latter case, drug poisoning usually leads to pathology. Therefore, taking medications, especially antibiotics, must always be under the supervision of a doctor. Only he will be able to determine the need for treatment and dosage.
When stercobilin in the feces of an infant is not only positive, but also overestimated, this may be due to the following reasons:
- Increased secretion of bile. The body cannot cope with its volume;
- Increased function of the spleen, while it increases, which is noticeable on palpation, the child feels pain;
- Destruction of red blood cells caused by various factors, including drug poisoning.
The presence of stercobilin in feces
When stercobilin in the stool is positive in a child 5-6 months and older, this confirms that the body is working normally, in accordance with age-related changes. If the rest of the indicators are normal, the liver and intestines are working properly.
Missing stercobilin: good or bad
If stercobilin is absent in feces in infants older than 5-6 months, this is considered dangerous and requires medical advice and treatment. The absence of coloring pigment is noticeable without examination. At the same time, the chair is light or even white, reminiscent of clay. In this case, the feces are called acholic. This condition is due to blockage of the bile ducts.
Note! Sometimes pale stool is explained by the fact that the child consumes too much dairy products. This fact should not be forgotten and, first, evaluate the baby's diet.
Excessive consumption of dairy products
The detection of stercobilin in the baby's feces suggests that beneficial bacteria have colonized the intestines. The amount of microflora that has a beneficial effect on digestion and immunity exceeds the number of pathological organisms. This affects the digestion and immunity of the child. In addition, due to the bile pigment, the stool has a brown tint. If it changes, in particular, it becomes light, one can suspect the presence of a disease.
