The appearance of feces, its quantity, consistency, color are important diagnostic signs that allow you to evaluate the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and draw conclusions about possible pathologies of the digestive organs. The appearance of uncharacteristic inclusions, impurities and streaks is an alarming symptom, which may be a manifestation of infectious and inflammatory intestinal pathologies, as well as diseases of other organs involved in food digestion (stomach, pancreas, gall bladder, etc.).

Parents may also become worried if black threads similar to worms appear in the child’s stool. In most cases, this symptom is not a cause for concern, but sometimes it is necessary to seek medical help. In what cases should this be done, and when there is no need to worry - this will be discussed below.

The appearance of small inclusions and threads of black color in a newborn baby usually occurs on the third or fourth day of life. This phenomenon is associated with physiological processes and the release of the intestines from original feces - meconium. Meconium has a viscous and sticky consistency and a deep black color. Original feces are formed as a result of the digestion of fetal hair, amniotic fluid, mucus, and epithelial cells during the period of intrauterine growth and are excreted from the body during the first 2-3 days of the baby’s life. The baby's original feces also contain a small amount of enterobacteria and lactobacilli, which produce lactic acid and take part in the formation of the fetal immune system.

The intestines are completely cleared of meconium on the third day of the child’s life. During this period, the consistency of the stool, its smell and color change (original stool has no odor). Feces take on a bright yellow or brownish color and a mush-like consistency and may contain small amounts of inclusions and particles of undigested food. Black strings on the 3-4th day after birth may be remnants of meconium, so in the absence of other unpleasant symptoms (bloated tummy, high temperature, etc.) there is no need to worry.

After a few days, the baby's stool becomes yellow-orange and mush-like. Black spots are the remains of meconium

Important! If by the end of the fifth day black threads in the stool persist, you should contact a pediatrician or neonatologist. Partial passage of meconium during this period may be associated with increased viscosity of feces, which is an unfavorable clinical symptom and may indicate congenital pathologies, for example, cystic fibrosis or meconium ileus (obstruction). Depending on the results of the examination, the child is prescribed medication or surgical correction.

Possible reasons for the appearance of black strings in feces

In most cases (more than 80%), such a clinical symptom is not a sign of any pathology and is associated with the characteristics of digestion in children. If parents notice any inclusions, veins, dots or black threads in the stool, it is necessary to carefully analyze the child’s nutrition and actions over the past 24 hours: perhaps the cause of this phenomenon is completely harmless, and there is no reason to worry.

If uncharacteristic impurities appear in the baby’s stool, you must first analyze what he has recently eaten

Poor hygiene

This is one of the most common reasons for the appearance of black threads in the stool in children in the first year of life (mainly from 6 months to 1 year). The development of sensory perception (sense organs) at this age occurs through direct knowledge of surrounding objects, their sizes, shapes and properties. Children are especially active in exploring their surroundings with the help of their taste organs, that is, they put into their mouths everything they can reach and grab with their hands.

Hair, threads, and pieces of tinsel can get into the child's stomach. If there are animals at home, there is a high probability of accidental ingestion of fur, so in areas where children under 12 months live, wet cleaning should be carried out regularly.

Ingestion of wool, dust and hair in large quantities can cause not only changes in stool, but also functional dyspepsia, which is manifested by bloating, abdominal pain, regurgitation (less commonly, vomiting), sleep and appetite disorders. The amount of digestive enzymes in the infant's gastrointestinal tract is insufficient to digest foreign substances, so they are usually excreted from the intestines undigested.

Excess iron

Iron is an essential mineral necessary for the proper growth of a child, ensuring hematopoietic function and preventing anemia (anemia). The recommended iron intake for a child is 7 to 11 mg per day. To ensure a sufficient supply of this element, it is necessary to give the child iron-containing foods daily: meat, liver, buckwheat, green apples. A large amount of iron is found in pumpkin seeds, dill, parsley, sesame seeds, and eggs.

An overdose of iron can occur as a result of heavy consumption of the listed products, as well as the use of tap water for drinking, into which the element enters along with rust (applies to houses with old pipes). To enrich a child’s diet with iron, many parents include various confectionery products that contain added iron, hematogen and other iron-containing products.

If the amount of incoming iron exceeds the daily norm, the body cannot always digest and break it down, which leads to the appearance of black thread-like streaks and other characteristic symptoms of an overdose. These include:

Note! Excess iron in a child's diet can lead to serious diseases, such as blockage of blood vessels with cholesterol plaques (atherosclerosis). Children whose diet contains a lot of foods rich in iron are more likely to get sick, since in large quantities this mineral exhibits toxic properties and reduces the body's protective functions. To prevent overdose, it is important to know the recommended daily intake of iron for children and adults.

Table. Daily iron requirement

Taking certain medications

The appearance of uncharacteristic black impurities in a child’s stool can occur during treatment with certain medications, for example, iron preparations (“Maltofer”, “Tardiferon”, “Sorbifer Durules”, “Ferrum Lek”, “Totema”), which are used in childhood for treatment of iron deficiency anemia, various neoplasms, as well as correction of hemostatus after heavy blood loss.

"Maltofer" is a drug that is used to replenish iron deficiency in the body of children

Taking vitamin and mineral supplements that contain iron hydroxide can also cause a similar clinical picture, especially if such drugs were not prescribed by the attending physician and the child did not objectively need their use.

Another group of medications, the use of which can cause thread-like black spots in the stool, are enterosorbents. In childhood, enterosorbents (“Activated carbon”, “Neosmectin”, “Enterosgel”, “Polyphepan”) are usually prescribed for the treatment of intestinal infections, allergic dermatitis and other pathologies accompanied by intoxication of the body. The action of sorbents is based on binding and removing toxic substances, wastes and allergens from the intestine, which can exit through the rectum along with feces in the form of dark brown or black threads. This picture may persist for 2-3 days after the end of treatment. If this does not happen, you should consult a doctor.

Nutritional Features

A very common reason for the formation of black threads in a child’s feces is an increased content of fiber-rich foods in the diet. Fiber is a coarse dietary fiber that is found in many plant foods and helps support digestion and cleanse the intestines of toxins.

Fiber is not affected by digestive enzymes, but at the same time it provides a breeding ground for beneficial bacteria that inhabit the intestinal microflora. Dietary fiber is necessary to support immunity, normalize weight, and prevent heart and vascular diseases (fiber prevents the absorption of bad cholesterol, which can form cholesterol plaques and cause blockage of blood vessels).

If a lot of plant fiber enters the gastrointestinal tract, it can leave the intestines unchanged in the form of threads and small dark spots. Pathological causes of insufficient digestion of coarse fiber in childhood may be:

• diseases of the digestive system (colitis, gastroenteritis, gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome);
  

  Colitis - inflammation of the intestinal mucosa

• intestinal dysbiosis (lack of beneficial microorganisms that normally process fiber and break it down);
  
• celiac disease.
  

If the child is not yet one year old, such a clinical picture is the norm, since before this age the baby’s digestive system is considered immature. Especially often, black strings in the stool can be found during the introduction of the first complementary foods (fruit and vegetable puree).

In order not to succumb to false panic, you need to know which fruits are rich in fiber, and if a pathological digestive reaction is detected, you should limit their amount in the children's diet.

Table. Fiber content in vegetables and fruits

Note! Small black strings in the stool may be the result of eating a large amount of fruits and berries containing small seeds (grapes, kiwi, gooseberries, etc.). The child may also experience slight dilution of stool, but diarrhea and other unpleasant symptoms should not normally be present.

Can threads be black worms?

Despite the fact that black threads in feces may look very similar to small worms, experts deny the possibility of helminthiasis with similar symptoms, since black helminths are still unknown to science.

However, in rare cases, helminths may be stained with various pigments (for example, bilirubin), including plant pigments, which are found in large quantities in dark-colored berries and fruits (currants, cherries, strawberries, etc.).

In some cases, worms may become colored due to the child eating food with coloring pigments.

It is possible to accurately determine whether the threads in the stool are colored helminths only after laboratory diagnosis. Parents should consult a doctor if their child periodically complains of the following symptoms:

• cramping abdominal pain;
• lack of appetite;
  

  Lack of appetite is one of the signs of helminthiasis

• itching in the anorectal area, as well as on the skin of the face, neck and abdomen;
• rumbling and gurgling in the stomach between meals or immediately after eating, which may be accompanied by painful pressure and distension in the abdomen;
  
• headache;
• skin rashes.
  

It is also necessary to consult a specialist if the listed signs are accompanied by a deterioration in general well-being and a decrease in the body’s resistance (the child often suffers from colds, he periodically has allergic reactions to substances that were previously well tolerated).

If a child has undergone surgery on the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, it is necessary to especially carefully monitor his well-being and the appearance of feces, since it is the change in the color of feces that is the first symptom of hidden (internal) bleeding in the intestines or stomach. If the bleeding is intense, the blood accumulates in the stomach, coagulates and in this form enters the intestines, from where it is excreted as a black, sticky, tarry mass, which some people mistake for excrement.

Small threads and veins of bright black color can be a signal of bleeding at a very early stage, therefore, if such signs are detected, parents should immediately inform the attending physician. Dark threads in the stool during gastrointestinal bleeding usually appear without any other symptoms, but the child’s condition deteriorates very quickly, and the clinical signs of the pathology rapidly progress.

Symptoms of internal bleeding in the active phase may include:

A laboratory test of blood and urine can detect an increase in ESR and platelets, as well as an increase in urea levels against the background of normal creatinine levels.

Important! To treat mild forms of gastrointestinal bleeding, hemostatic agents (Vikasol, Dicynon) are prescribed, as well as a gentle diet for faster healing of the mucous membranes. In more severe cases, endoscopy, surgical treatment and blood transfusion (in emergency cases) are indicated.

What to do if black threads appear in the stool

The first thing parents should do in such a situation is to carefully analyze what the child ate, since foods rich in plant fiber, iron or containing small bones are the main cause of such symptoms. If the child is already quite old, it is necessary to ask him in detail whether he has accidentally swallowed threads, hair or other foreign substances.

If the child is not bothered by pain, nausea and other unpleasant symptoms, there is no reason to worry. The child must be provided with sufficient drinking regime: water softens stool and helps remove foreign substances that the child may have accidentally swallowed.

1. To normalize stool, you should exclude from the child’s diet any foods that can negatively affect intestinal function or create additional stress on the digestive tract (chocolate, spices, marinades, fatty sauces, sausage, fried foods).
   
2. For 1-3 days, all fruits and vegetables should be given in the form of casseroles or purees. This will avoid intestinal inflammation associated with increased consumption of plant fiber.
   
3. If the child is small, the room must be ventilated and wet cleaned daily. Dust should be regularly removed from furniture and carpets; toys should be washed with soap and warm water several times a week. This is necessary to prevent re-ingestion of hair and fur.
   
4. If there are long-haired animals in the family, it is recommended to regularly trim them until the child is 1 year old and his sensory perception system is fully formed.
   

You should also protect your child from increased physical activity and emotional stress. If possible, it is recommended to provide bed rest for 1-2 days.

When to see a doctor

You should definitely seek medical help if black threads appear in your child’s stool regularly. This is an unfavorable diagnostic sign, indicating a stable digestive disorder, which may be a consequence of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. A doctor's examination and consultation are also necessary if the stool does not return to normal within 2-3 days (even if the child feels well and does not have any complaints).

You should consult a doctor if stool with black strings appears for a long time

Reasons for urgently seeking medical help if dark threads and streaks are detected in the stool are:

• heat;
  

  Pale skin and general weakness are warning signs

• severe weakness, apathetic syndrome.

If such symptoms occur, the child will undergo a comprehensive examination (coprogram, coagulogram, fluoroscopy of the stomach and intestines, ultrasound diagnostics), which will help identify the cause of pathological changes.

It is necessary to conduct a comprehensive examination of urine, feces and blood

Black threads in a child's stool are, in most cases, a harmless symptom that is the result of eating habits or taking certain medications. However, in some cases, this sign cannot be ignored, as it may indicate diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and organs of the hepatobiliary system. , read our article.

Video - Black strings in baby's stool

Examination of stool in children allows one to obtain data on the functioning of the digestive and excretory systems of the body and identify diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Black stool in a child may be the result of eating certain foods that contain pigments, taking medications, or having a medical condition. Examination of children allows us to establish the cause of the pathology and provide adequate treatment.

Black feces in an infant

In the first 2–3 days after birth, the baby defecates with meconium, a tarry black stool that accumulated in the intestines during the prenatal period. From the 4th–5th day of life, the baby's feces become golden yellow. This color is given to them by bilirubin and biliverdin - pigments that enter the intestines from the liver with bile. The stool of a bottle-fed or mixed-fed baby depends on the choice of formula.

For anemia, for example, children are prescribed adapted mixtures with a high iron content - Similak, Detolact, Nutrilon 2, Samper. This is the cause of black stool.

After transferring the baby to complementary feeding, the color of the feces depends on the products included in the menu. During this period, it is important to monitor changes in the nature of the stool. From 6 months of age, vegetable and fruit purees are usually added to the diet, which can greatly affect the color of the stool. For example, black strings appear in a child’s stool when eating bananas. This is normal, because the baby’s digestive system is developing, and the necessary enzymes are not enough.

The presence of fluff, fibers, or inclusions in the stool in the absence of diarrhea is not a cause for concern. Black grains in a child's stool are the remains of undigested food. By the age of one year, digestion will be formed, the stool will acquire a uniform consistency and natural color.

Causes of darkening of stool in an older child

In children older than one year, the stool is light brown in color due to stercobilin, which is formed from bilirubin contained in bile. The high content of this pigment gives feces a dark color, this is observed when eating large amounts of solid animal fats and meat products. Bile pigments are synthesized in the liver from hemoglobin in red blood cells. With hemolytic anemia, the destruction of a large number of red blood cells, hypercholia develops - excess bile in the intestinal contents and stercobilin in the feces, which causes the feces to become dark.

The cause of black stool is the presence of blood in food products - blood sausage, steak, poorly processed meat products. Dying substances of plant origin, which enter the body with blueberries, currants, and beets, also give stool a black color. Some medications, vitamin complexes with bismuth and iron (De-nol, Gatro-norm, Pilocid), activated carbon also make stool dark.

Black feces in children with illnesses

When bleeding from the lower intestines, blood is found in the stool. Feces acquire a dark color if blood loss occurs from a source located in the upper gastrointestinal tract - the esophagus, stomach, duodenum. This happens because the hemoglobin in the stomach is oxidized to hematin hydrochloride, which gives the stool a dark color.

Melena, black mushy stool due to massive blood loss, can be true or false. False is observed, for example, when the cause of black feces in a baby is bleeding from cracks in the mother’s nipples. True melena occurs due to blood loss from varicose veins of the child’s esophagus, stomach or duodenal ulcers. When bleeding occurs, it is often accompanied by hematemesis.

Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn is the cause of black stool in infants. Pathology develops due to a lack of vitamin K. The early form appears immediately after birth, the classic form develops in the first week of the baby’s life, the late form - at the age of 1–3 months.

In what cases should you sound the alarm?

Experts in various fields of clinical medicine have developed a “red flag system” - a list of clinical signs that signal a serious pathology. In pediatrics, when the color of stool changes, the symptoms of alarm are:

• stomach ache;
• increased body temperature;
• high ESR, increased number of leukocytes in the blood;
• lack of weight gain in the baby.

Any pain is a signal of trouble, requiring identification of the cause, diagnosis of the disease and treatment. Older children may complain about unpleasant sensations and describe their location and nature. The situation is more complicated with infants. Until the 70s of the last century, it was believed that a newborn does not feel pain due to the immaturity of the nervous system. It turned out that this is not so; infants acutely perceive painful impulses, which adversely affect their development, which becomes the cause of health problems in older age.

Pain in a newborn is manifested by prolonged, monotonous crying, which is accompanied by appropriate facial expressions - a wrinkled forehead, frowning eyebrows, a trembling chin. The child moans, shudders when touched, refuses to eat. The pulse quickens, the heart rate increases, and the pupils dilate. All these symptoms mean you should immediately contact your pediatrician.

Black stool in a child with elevated body temperature, high ESR and leukocytosis in the peripheral blood, loose diarrhea with mucus are symptoms of an infectious inflammatory process. Lack of weight gain in accordance with age norms and developmental delays are characteristic signs of most childhood diseases. A change in the color of stool in combination with symptoms of anxiety is a reason for a detailed examination in a hospital setting.

Analyzes and examinations

Laboratory examination of stool begins with a macroscopic examination and examination of the delivered sample. Fresh blood is visible in the form of separate clusters, veins, and clots. Oxidized hemoglobin, which gives feces a black color, is not detected by macroscopic examination. For examination under a microscope, black spots in the child’s stool, grains, and areas of stool with dark staining are selected. Microscopy reveals crystals of hemoglobin hydrochloride. After adding ammonia to them, the drug turns yellow.

The benzidine blood test is highly sensitive. It is used in the absence of crystals in the feces being tested to exclude other causes of black coloration of feces. To a small piece of feces add 0.025 benzidine and 0.15 barium, a drop of 50% acetic acid. In the presence of blood, the drug turns blue. To distinguish true from false melena, alkali is added to the stool being tested. The brick-red color of the drug indicates the presence of mother's blood in the feces, and the absence of a color change is evidence of bleeding in the child.

Prevention of digestive disorders in children

The baby's health depends on the parents. It is good if the expectant mother undergoes a medical examination at the stage of pregnancy planning, so that she does not have to treat chronic diseases during the period of gestation. A pregnant woman should be registered with a gynecologist and follow all medical recommendations.

In order to avoid problems with the adaptation of the child’s gastrointestinal tract to new living conditions, it is necessary to do everything possible to maintain natural feeding. Mother's milk is the best food for infants; it contains all the necessary components for the growth and development of the child. For long-term lactation and proper nutrition of the baby, you must follow the following rules:

• early breastfeeding;
• refusal of nipples and other objects that imitate the mother's breast;
• feeding not according to a schedule, but at the request of the baby during the period of lactation;
• introduction of complementary foods no earlier than 6 months of age.

The transition to feeding new foods for the child should begin with small portions, a few drops of vegetable juice or half a teaspoon of vegetable puree. Complementary feeding is done at the same time, gradually increasing the volume of food. It is necessary to carefully monitor the reaction of the baby’s body and the nature of the stool. Every month the baby's diet expands. From 8 months it contains vegetable dishes, lactic acid products, cereals, from 10–11 months meat products are added to the menu.

Dark stool in a child is most often the result of eating foods with coloring properties or taking certain medications. However, this can also be a symptom of a serious pathology. Therefore, at the slightest disturbance in the general condition, it is necessary to contact a pediatrician and conduct a comprehensive examination of the baby to find out the cause of the problems.

Parents pay attention to any changes in the child’s body. Everyone knows that early diagnosis of pathologies is the key to quick and effective treatment. Moms and dads monitor the appearance of the child, his skin and the nature of the discharge. It happens that a baby's urine or stool changes color. Parents need to know why this happens and when to see a doctor.

What should normal stool look like in a newborn, infant, or preschooler?

The consistency of stool, its density and color change with the age of the baby. This is explained by the structure of the digestive system, the quality of digestion and metabolic processes, and also depends on the food eaten. The nature of the excrement can indicate the state of health, so it is important to monitor changes in the stool.

During intrauterine development, the baby's digestive system does not function. He receives all the substances necessary for growth through the umbilical cord. After birth, the work of the digestive organs begins. In the first days of life, the stool of newborn children is a dark viscous mass - meconium. Its color varies from black to dark green. This is a completely normal phenomenon, since in this way the intestines are freed from trapped fetal hairs, swallowed amniotic fluid, separated stomach cells and bile. After 1–2 days, the stool returns to normal.

The stool of a child under 6 months is a light-colored liquid paste. The excrement of breastfed babies and formula-fed babies differs.

Breast milk is completely suitable for feeding a newborn. It changes the composition depending on the needs of the baby. It is worth noting that white grains and lumps in the stool of a breastfed baby are not a cause for concern. It's just undigested milk fat.

Many mothers begin to worry when they see greenish foamy stools that look like diarrhea in their baby. In this case, it is necessary to reconsider the feeding technique. The fact is that the so-called foremilk, located in the breast closer to the nipple, is more liquid and contains fewer nutrients. Hind milk is more nutritious and thick. If hind milk remains in the breast after feeding, the baby should be placed on the same breast when feeding again. Receiving only foremilk causes the stool to turn green.

The feces of formula-fed babies are thicker and darker. After switching to regular food at the age of 2–3 years, children's feces take on the appearance of adult feces. The digestive organs begin to work at full capacity.

Black feces in a healthy child

Black feces in a child are most often a reaction to food and medications. It is necessary to clarify what the baby ate in the previous 3 days and monitor feces in the near future. Food stays in the digestive system for about 2-3 days, so your baby may have black stool for several days after eating certain foods.

Eating foods high in iron or taking iron supplements

The color of excrement is affected by the foods consumed. For example, beets, prunes, cherries, apples, and liver can cause black stool in a child. In children under one year old, small inclusions, villi, veins and dots may be present in the stool - these are particles of undigested food.

In a formula-fed infant, black or green stool may appear after the introduction of a formula with a high iron content. Once in the body, it oxidizes due to a reaction with gastric juice containing acid. As a result, the feces turn black.

If a child takes vitamin supplements with a high iron content or iron supplements, his stool will turn black. The body does not absorb the substance in full; after digestion is normalized, the coloring will stop. This phenomenon is not a pathology, so there is no need to exclude foods or interrupt treatment.

Taking activated carbon

Activated carbon is a medicine used to improve digestion. It acts as a sorbent, absorbing toxins. By absorbing a large amount of liquid, the tablets increase in volume, but their color does not change. Activated carbon colors stool because it cannot be digested and does not enter the blood, but comes out, combining with feces. After stopping the intake, the color of the stool returns to normal.

Taking certain medications

Some medications can turn stool black. As a rule, the instructions for the product indicate in the side effects that the active substance changes the color of feces. These include:

Black inclusions (grains, dots, strings, etc.)

Food with fiber, grains and seeds

The digestive system of children is not adapted to break down solid food. Introducing new complementary foods and eating berries and fruits that have seeds and grains contribute to the appearance of black dots, strings, lumps and specks in the excrement. For example, when eating a banana, black strings may appear in a baby's stool. This is due to the fruit's fiber-like texture.

If a child eats strawberries, currants and blackberries, small undigested seeds, mucus or peel particles are present in the excrement.

Lint, fragments of fabric, pencil lead - anything that gets into your mouth

Children actively explore the world around them and taste all objects. Keeping track of your baby's actions can be difficult. Getting small pieces of fabric or pencils into the digestive system does not pose a danger, since the fragments are easily excreted undigested. As a rule, strings, sticks or dots appear. It is necessary to ensure that the child does not put large objects into his mouth, as their entry into the respiratory tract can cause suffocation.

Black feces along with other symptoms of ill health

A change in the color of stool and the appearance of various inclusions and stripes in it may indicate the presence of diseases. In this case, the child develops other symptoms against the background of darkening of the feces. In this case, it is necessary to seek help from a doctor in order to promptly diagnose the disorder and begin the necessary treatment. Ignoring the signs can negatively impact your digestive system and overall health.

Gastrointestinal diseases

Symptoms of digestive diseases:

These symptoms appear with stomach and duodenal ulcers and other inflammations. It is necessary to consult a doctor to confirm or exclude the diagnosis.

Problems with the liver and pancreas

The pancreas and liver produce enzymes that promote rapid digestion of food. The appearance of black stool with mucus may indicate cirrhosis or hepatitis. At the beginning of the disease, the feces are white, then become very dark. With pathology of the pancreas, there are inclusions in the stool, and the stool takes on a gray tint.

Internal bleeding

Internal bleeding occurs when the walls of the digestive organs are damaged. It can be caused by inflammatory processes or the entry of a foreign object. The excrement turns black due to the specific effect of gastric juice on the blood. During the reaction, it oxidizes and the feces become dark in color. If blood appears in the lower parts of the digestive system, it comes out unchanged, and the baby develops red stool.

Black stool in a baby raises questions: “Why?”, “How?” and most importantly, “What to do?” Dark stool in a child is not always a sign of indigestion. The color of stool is influenced by many factors - both pathological and physiological (natural). Natural causes are the age, type of nutrition of the child, food eaten by the mother, medication taken, and frequency of stool.

Age and diet type

The younger the child, the less hard his stool is. The baby’s short and still functionally imperfect digestive tube does not allow feces to thicken and form. Accordingly, the feces also do not have time to darken. The first stool of a newborn is meconium, which is also called primordial feces, released immediately after birth and over the next two to three days. The color of meconium is always dark and can be black or dark green. Meconium is not full-fledged feces; it is a thick sticky pulp of separated cells of the gastrointestinal tract, bile, swallowed amniotic fluid and fetal hairs.

The consistency of a baby's feces resembles semi-liquid porridge. The color is usually milky or gray-mustard. Normal stool in a breastfed baby may contain white lumps.

Greenish stools are not a disorder in themselves. The foods that the mother consumed can give this color to the stool. It is worth considering such a factor as the type of mother's milk. The milk located closer to the nipple is called foremilk. It is not very thick and low in calories. Located deeper in the mammary gland, milk contains more fat and nutrients. When feeding each time with a different breast, the baby receives only foremilk. To feed your baby with hindmilk, you should feed from the same breast twice in a row. If only foremilk is given, the stool may turn into a green, foamy mass.

With rare feedings or a small amount of milk from the mother, “hungry stool” may occur. It has a black dark green or dark brown color.

In a breastfed baby, a new portion of milk stimulates the intestines and promotes bowel movements. Otherwise, the intestines do not move food further, and almost everything that is eaten is absorbed. This is not considered a violation if the child is gaining weight and feels well. For the same reason, constipation may occur in a newborn (no stool for 3 days). Constipation is also caused by foods in the mother's diet that contribute to the thickening of stool (rice and oatmeal porridge, cottage cheese, potatoes, dark tea, etc.). However, if the baby does not gain weight, or is underweight, you need to urgently contact your pediatrician.

Grains in stool

Normal stool in a formula-fed baby looks like a thick porridge, and the color is close to brown. The transition from natural nutrition to mixed, and then to artificial food for the intestines is not so easy. The introduction of complementary foods to a 4-month-old baby also changes feces. The body digests new food reluctantly, therefore, at first it simply passes everything swallowed through the intestines, absorbing almost nothing from it. You can find in the stool what you gave your baby to eat 2 days ago.

If nutritional mixtures contain a lot of iron, then its oxidation in the intestines causes stool to turn black.

The black color of stool can be caused by foods contained in complementary foods, which contain a lot of iron. These include:

• beet,
• berries and dark fruits (currants, blackberries, cherries, prunes, apples, pomegranates),
• offal (liver, heart, kidneys).

The chair can be partially changed. If you have just recently started introducing complementary foods, then various inclusions in the stool are completely normal.

Grains of sand and grains are pieces of undigested food. This chair with numerous black fibers resembles a carpet. Seeds and pieces of fruit skin, as well as undigested meat fibers, appear as streaks in dark-colored stool. Gradually, the child’s body will learn to digest such food. Sometimes mothers notice black threads in the stool that resemble worms. These are traces of a recently eaten banana. Unlike these stripes, intestinal worms are not black in color. They are always white or yellowish.

Taking some medications is also accompanied by darkening of the stool. These are activated carbon, dietary supplements and vitamin complexes containing iron. At 2 years old, the feces are already quite hard and brown in color. Children aged 5 years are more likely to experience constipation. Mothers give their children laxatives or activated charcoal. The effect is liquid, dark-colored stool. There is no need to be afraid. This is due to the presence of that same iron in the medications taken.

Pathological causes: bleeding

If you notice black feces in your child for several days in a row, then serious problems should be ruled out. Diseases accompanied by a change in the color of the stool, one way or another, come down to a violation of the integrity or functioning of the digestive organs (inflammation, infections, ingestion of sharp objects). Violation of the integrity of the mucous membrane leads to the destruction of small blood vessels, from which blood flows, which ends up in the feces. Blood in the stool may be red or black. A one-year-old child's feces mixed with bright red blood may have the following reasons:

• allergy to cow's milk protein,
• bleeding from the anus due to constipation (hard stool causes tears in the anus when straining),
• bloody diarrhea may be a consequence of an intestinal infection.

If the blood loss is insignificant and one-time, then this will not affect the baby’s well-being. Minor bleeding leaves no traces in a child's stool and can only be detected by a fecal occult blood test. With severe bleeding from the stomach or intestines, the blood is exposed to digestive enzymes. Iron, which is part of the hemoglobin of red blood cells, oxidizes in the intestines, and the stool becomes a black, tarry mass. This type of stool is called melena.

If blood loss has occurred for a long time, then symptoms of anemia gradually develop. These include dizziness, general weakness, weight loss, pale skin. Black grains in a baby's stool can occur if the mother's nipples are bleeding and the baby swallows blood with milk.

Infections and inflammation

With rotavirus infection, a child experiences diarrhea, and on the 3rd day the stool becomes dark, most often turning gray. It should be noted that some anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant drugs can contribute to the rupture of small capillaries and internal hidden bleeding. Green, loose stools and a high temperature may indicate an intestinal infection. Small amounts of feces with mucus are considered normal. However, very slimy stool in children at any age most likely indicates a disorder. Mucus can have different shades, depending on the reason for its appearance:

• yellow or green mucus occurs due to infection and inflammation, such colors are the result of a large number of leukocytes (yellow) and pus (green),
• a transparent color indicates a viral infection, not only of the intestines, but also of the nasopharynx,
• a pink tint of mucus appears due to bleeding ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract,
• white mucus may indicate an abnormality in intestinal development.

If you have established a connection between natural factors and the change in stool color, then you do not need to worry. You should pay attention to the combination of a change in the color of the stool with a deterioration in the child’s condition, especially with an increase in temperature. In this case, you need to urgently contact your pediatrician. Remember that food is less digestible in solid form, so it is better to give fruits and vegetables in pureed form.

The human digestive system reacts differently to different nutritional environments. This is especially pronounced in children. A child's stool is rarely the same color and uniform consistency. The same applies to inclusions excreted in feces. Black strings found in a child's stool shock many parents and force them to rush to the doctor for examination. Should we really be worried?

Very often, the ignorance of many parents allows them to detect worms when they see black threads in their child’s stool.

The reasons for black inclusions found in feces of completely natural origin:

1. The digestive system in children is structured somewhat differently than in adults. Many foods are not always completely digestible.
2. The appearance of black worms may occur during the period of the beginning of complementary feeding with food rich in iron. These can be apples, pears, bananas, kiwis. The child’s gastrointestinal tract does not allow this element to be completely absorbed and traces of it are visible in the feces. As the child’s body matures, the process normalizes.
3. Taking some medications, especially those containing iron, leads to the formation of these dark-colored threads.
4. Some baby foods fortified with iron have the same effect.

If you find black worms that look like threads, do not panic. First of all, analyze what you fed your child the day before.

Is this the norm?

The child’s body, which is not fully formed, is not able to completely break down, completely digest, or completely absorb complex or heavy substances that come with food. Therefore, you can often find pieces of food, grains or black strings in the diaper. This phenomenon is considered completely normal and disappears over time.

It’s another matter when this is accompanied by additional symptoms:

• High body temperature.
• Fever.
• Nausea.
• Diarrhea or constipation.
• Vomit.
• Colic.
• Skin redness, rash.
• Restless behavior and tearfulness.
• Sleep disturbance.
• Lack of appetite.
• Weight loss.

The reasons for this feeling may be poor digestibility of certain foods, an allergic reaction, intolerance to certain substances, or errors in feeding.

What to do?

If, during the next diaper change, black threads resembling worms are found, you need to pay attention to the following points:

• The emotional state of the child is smiling, playful, good mood.
• Physical well-being – no fever, soft, non-painful abdomen, clean skin, normal stool.
• Proper nutrition – no errors in feeding, regimen.
• Availability of certain products - apple, pear, banana, kiwi, persimmon.

If all these components are present, the appearance of black threads in the stool should not cause concern to parents; the child is completely healthy.

If you feel unwell and have dark threads in the form of worms for several days, you should consult your pediatrician. After a physical examination of the child is performed and tests are studied, the doctor will be able to establish the correct diagnosis and prescribe the necessary treatment.

Until this moment, you should not mistake black threads in children’s stool for worms and self-medicate.