If the child's feces suddenly become very dark, almost black in color, this will not go unnoticed by the parents. What are the reasons for such a change in the color of the baby's feces?
What can be connected with?
The black color of the stool can be a symptom of serious diseases of the digestive system, but there are also harmless reasons for this color of stool. It is also important to note that black color for a baby's stool immediately after birth is completely normal. This stool is called meconium.
Harmless reasons
Acquisition of a black color in feces can be caused by the use of prunes, blueberries, dark grapes, blackberries, cherries, pomegranates, beets and other products.
Black grains
If you notice inclusions of various forms of black color in the stool, then most often these are food debris that have not been digested in the children's intestines. Fragments of the skin and seeds of grapes, currants, raspberries and other food can stand out in the form of black dots with the child's feces.
Worms, strings, streaks
Inclusions in feces that resemble black worms can occur due to the consumption of bananas. Such inclusions are often perceived by adults as worms, but in reality black worms do not exist (they are almost always white or yellowish worms).
Iron preparations, activated carbon
Black stools are caused by medicinal substances containing iron. It can be both iron preparations and vitamins or dietary supplements, which include this element. In artificial children, mixtures with a large amount of iron can cause black feces. Also, the stool of a child who was given activated charcoal takes on a black color.
Drugs that can cause black stools include drugs that reduce blood clotting and anti-inflammatory drugs. By themselves, they do not change the color of the stool, but can cause internal bleeding, manifested by black diarrhea.
Serious reasons
One of the most dangerous reasons for the acquisition of black feces is internal bleeding from one of the parts of the digestive tract. Discharge with such bleeding looks like black diarrhea. Blood that is secreted from the esophagus and other parts of the gastrointestinal tract changes color under the influence of intestinal bacteria and enzymes. Pathology is manifested not only by the black color of the stool, but also by dizziness, weakness, and pallor.
With blood
If your baby has black stools with blood in it, it may be a symptom of some serious bowel disease (for example, Crohn's disease). With this type of feces, you must definitely call a doctor.
After operation
Black stool during the postoperative period may indicate open internal bleeding.
Temperature and black-green color
Such symptoms are characteristic of intestinal infections and are also accompanied by nausea and abdominal pain.
Grey colour
This color of feces often appears after the introduction of a new mixture into the diet of the artificial crumbs. Also, a grayish tint is typical for the stool of babies receiving undiluted cow's milk. Some complementary foods and medicines can also cause this color of stool.
The gray color of liquefied feces is characteristic of rotavirus infection, which, simultaneously with diarrhea, is manifested by fever and abdominal pain. In addition, a light gray color of feces is possible with pathologies of the liver and pancreas.
What to do?
Noticing the darkening of the child's feces, you need to analyze what foods, medicines and drinks the baby has consumed in recent days. If the food that the child ate was familiar, and the parents did not give medicines that could change the color of the stool to the baby, you should immediately consult a doctor.
If the child's menu included foods that could affect his stool, or the baby was taking medications with coloring properties, observe the child for one or two days.
In the case when black feces are excreted for more than two days or such a change in the color of the stool repeats from time to time, you should definitely go to the pediatrician with the child.
It is also important to immediately call a doctor if the baby has a fever, vomiting, weakness, abdominal pain and other adverse symptoms at the same time as the appearance of black feces.
