Thanks to the analysis of the feces of children, it is possible to diagnose infectious and inflammatory diseases of the digestive system in babies, as well as to identify internal bleeding and parasitic invasions.
When do I need to get tested?
Coprogram is prescribed for diseases of the digestive tract and suspicion of them. The study is carried out to determine the state of the intestines, liver, stomach, pancreas. The analysis helps to identify occult blood in the feces, helminth eggs, pathogenic bacteria, and also to determine the composition of the intestinal microflora.
Training
Since the use of drugs can affect the results of the analysis, before doing a coprogram, it is recommended to stop taking anti-inflammatory and antacids, any antibiotics, laxatives and antidiarrheal drugs, iron preparations and some other medicines in 1-2 weeks (after consulting a doctor). If you have not had time to cancel these types of drugs, be sure to warn the doctor that the child was taking them during the test.
It is also important to warn the doctor that the child, shortly before the analysis, was given an enema or had an X-ray examination in which barium was used. Rectal suppositories should not be injected for three to four days before the coprogram.
Preparation for the analysis also includes adherence to a specific diet. On the eve of the delivery of feces for analysis, fish, vegetables, herbs, meat and fruits are limited in the child's diet. Give your baby eggs, dairy products, cereals, butter, baked goods.
How much stool should I take?
For the coprogram, approximately one teaspoon of stool should be provided.
How to assemble correctly?
Feces in the right amount are collected in a clean container, which has a tight-fitting lid. The best choice is a sterile jar designed specifically for stool testing, available from your pharmacy.
In babies
Feces should be collected from the diaper, since the absorption of some of the liquid by the diaper can affect the result of the coprogram.
In older children
Before collecting stool, the child must urinate so that no urine gets into the stool. Next, you should wash the anus area with warm water using baby soap, which must be thoroughly washed off. The feces are placed in a clean container and tightly closed.
You should not collect feces from the toilet if it has been previously treated with disinfectants or cleaning agents.
How, where and how long can you store?
It is best to bring "fresh" stool collected within three hours of analysis to the laboratory. If this is not possible for various reasons, a tightly closed container with feces can be stored in a refrigerator for up to five to eight hours. Note that the study for eggs of parasites is carried out only with "fresh" (still warm) feces.
The decoding of the coprogram in children is discussed in detail by us in another article. It gives not only the values of the norm, but also presents the possible causes of deviations.
