Is it normal for babies to have foamy stools and how to prevent it?

Newborns are very susceptible to gastrointestinal diseases because their digestive systems are not fully developed. Especially, foamy and mucusy stools are common in babies from 0 to 36 months, making many parents worried. Is it normal for babies to have foamy stools and how to fix it?

Foamy stools, loose stools, no mold, ... are symptoms that many babies often encounter. Is this a symptom of a medical condition? What should parents do when a newborn baby has foam and mucus? The following article of SignsSymptomsList will help you answer these questions.

Is it normal for newborn babies to have foamy stools?

According to the normal physiology of the baby, if the baby is exclusively breastfed, the baby can have 5 to 7 bowel movements per day. Normal baby poop has a slightly soft texture and has a natural yellow color. This leads many parents to misunderstand that their baby has diarrhea. If the infant has diarrhea , the number of stools increases from 10 times or more per day, accompanied by loose, foamy stools, in addition, the baby has symptoms such as crying, refusing to breastfeed, etc. 

The main reason is that the digestive system is not fully developed and the immune system is still weak. If the child has effervescent stools, parents need to monitor whether this condition persists and is accompanied by other signs, then take the child to the hospital for a timely examination. In case, the baby also has foamy stools but the frequency of stools does not change, the stools are not abnormal, the child is still eating and sleeping well, does not fuss, parents should calmly monitor, this may change. gone after a few days. 

In addition to the weak digestive system, if the infant has foamy stools, even weight loss, the child may have intestinal disorders, indigestion or intestinal infections . This case has the following characteristics: 

  • Stools are dark green, few, with mucus. 
  • The stools may be hard, with mucus or blood on the outside, indicating that your baby is constipated.
  • Pea-like stools, green with mucus, this may indicate that the child has an intestinal infection.

Newborn babies have foam and mucus, which may be due to digestive system disorders, weak immune system

Why do children have foamy stools?

In addition to digestive problems, some of the following causes also cause foamy stools in children. 

Baby drinking formula milk

Currently, on the market, there are many types of formula milk with different content of active ingredients and suitable for each different baby. Formula milk is convenient and can be added to a baby's diet when breast milk is not available. However, there are formulas that are not suitable for each child. Today's formula milk often contains lactose, an active ingredient that is very sensitive to the digestive systems of adults and children. If your baby is allergic or intolerant to the lactose in formula, they are more likely to have diarrhea , which can lead to loose, foamy stools. 

Is it normal for babies to have foamy stools and how to prevent it? For babies who drink formula milk, due to the ingredients in milk, babies have foamy stools and diarrhea

Toddlers just learning to eat solids

Babies from 6 months and up enter the weaning stage . New foods such as flour, pureed porridge, make it easier for the baby to pass foamy stools. Studies have shown that the digestive system is only used to breast milk at first, so when you first approach the weaning diet, it will create a reaction that causes the baby to have soft and foamy stools. Parents can rest assured that this reaction is completely normal and will disappear after a while the baby adjusts to solid foods. Parents' task is to monitor and control food for children to eat and prepare solid foods to ensure food hygiene and safety to minimize the cases that cause the baby to have foamy stools. 

Do newborns have dangerous foam and mucus in their stools?

The phenomenon of baby passing foamy stools is quite common. However, if parents do not have the skills to take care of children or do not pay close attention to early treatment, it can lead to dangerous complications. If the child has soft, foamy stools for a long time, the body will be tired, lose water quickly and can cause dangerous complications such as respiratory failure, organ failure, ... Therefore, parents need to follow them. Follow up to take the child to the hospital as soon as possible if there are abnormal signs. 

Newborns have foamy stools but are not accompanied by other signs such as fussiness, stop feeding, parents do not have to worry much, what to do is to check the food the mother eats or feed the baby solids. In this case, you should avoid eating a lot of fat, foods that are difficult to digest, spicy, hot, etc.

In case the baby has foamy stools, prolonged loose stools accompanied by a lot of fussiness, breastfeeding, slow weight gain, it may be due to medical causes such as indigestion, intestinal infection, etc. Then parents need to take the baby away. Visit as soon as possible to check and diagnose, find the cause and treat accordingly. 

In addition, the phenomenon of foamy or mucusy stools can be caused by using formula that is not suitable for the body, the baby is allergic or lactose intolerant , needs to stop milk and monitor.

How to prevent children from having foamy stools

Note the mother's nutrition

The mother's diet directly affects the quality of milk that the infant sucks on a daily basis. For nursing mothers who often eat fried, greasy, spicy, ... or lack of nutrients, breastfed babies can have effervescent stools . In addition, the amount of colostrum is quite liquid, contains a lot of water and few nutrients, so the baby may have loose stools when feeding. Therefore, it is better for the mother to express the colostrum and feed the baby with thicker breast milk to ensure nutrition and limit indigestion.

The food that a nursing mother consumes also affects the quality of milk and affects the nursing baby

Nutritional supplements for babies

Children entering the weaning phase, parents need to pay attention to supplementing with fruits and a full balance of nutrients. Scientific nutrition helps children build resistance to resist agents that cause children to have mucus or foamy stools. In addition, parents should also pay attention to food allergies in meals, to minimize digestive disorders in young children. Babies need to supplement the necessary micronutrients such as zinc, selenium, chromium, vitamins B1 and B6, vitamin C, ... to improve taste, eat delicious, full of nutrition to gain weight, improve have a strong immune system, fight disease, and experience fewer digestive problems.

Whether it is normal or not to have foamy stools depends on the frequency and accompanying symptoms. If you are worried, it is best for parents to take the baby to the doctor, not to self-medicate. With the information shared above, mothers must have better understand the condition of babies with foam and mucus, along with appropriate prevention and care.

See more:  How many times a day is it normal for a newborn to have a bowel movement?


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