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Health

Why is the child feces yellow and what should I do?

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 22.11.2021
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Cal is all that remains of food after getting into the body. In order for the food to turn into feces, it takes from one to three days. Feces consist of undigested food, dead cells, mucus, bacteria. By their color, shape, smell, consistency, one can judge the condition of the internal organs of a person. If the child is still very young and can not tell about their problems, most parents carefully monitor the condition of the feces, in order to timely respond to deviations in health. What is the yellow feces in the child?

Causes of the yellow feces in the child

The color of stool, like the consistency, is different at different ages. After birth, it depends on the type of feeding: during breastfeeding - light-yellow, mixtures - may have a different shade. Most often normal for infants is yellow-orange. At an older age, the color of the stool is directly dependent on the natural color of the food. So, dairy and vegetable food gives the shit a lighter tone. Affect the shade of the reception of certain medications. The causes of feces of yellow color in the child, which parents should know about and take measures for diagnosis, are:

  • celiac disease - a violation of absorption of certain food proteins - gluten, avenin, hordein, etc .;
  • disease of the liver and biliary tract;
  • disruption of the intestine ( dysbiosis );
  • pathology of the pancreas.

trusted-source[1], [2], [3], [4], [5]

Risk factors

The risk factors for pathologies associated with the appearance of yellow feces in a child include:

  • hereditary predisposition to cholecystitis, the formation of gallstones;
  • diabetes mellitus;
  • obesity;
  • irregular meals;
  • rapid loss of body weight;
  • chronic inflammatory processes of internal organs.

trusted-source[6], [7], [8], [9], [10]

Pathogenesis

Normal normal brownish stool color is caused by bile salts, contained in bile and taking direct part in digestion. Together with fatty acids they form soluble complexes, contributing to their absorption. Also in the bile is an enzyme - alkaline phosphatase, which removes phosphate from organic substances. It is bile neutralizes the hydrochloric acid content of the stomach before it enters the duodenum, strengthens the intestinal motility, forms fecal masses, affects their color.

trusted-source[11], [12], [13], [14], [15], [16]

Epidemiology

According to statistics, more than half of children under seven have problems with the gall bladder. There are no data on the prevalence of celiac disease in our country, according to WHO, each of the 200-300 Europeans has this disease. Among the inhabitants of Japan and China, it is extremely rare, because they hardly eat bread. Gallstone disease affects 15% of the world's population, and in Ukraine, according to the latest data, 100 thousand. People almost 700 have concrements in the bile.

trusted-source[17], [18]

Symptoms

Caring parents always show an interest in their children's excrement, because understand that this is one of the indicators of their health. The first signs signaling various digestive disorders in the child, when the feces of a child of this color:

  • light yellow - may indicate inflammation of the pancreas. Confirmation of this is worrisome pain in the navel and above, nausea, bloating, possible increased body temperature;
  • yellow-green - a companion of dysbiosis, in addition, mucus is present in the stool, the stool is liquid with an unpleasant putrefactive odor, accompanied by pains in the abdomen, skin rashes are possible;
  • white-yellow - until white becomes feces with hepatitis. This can occur earlier than the skin and sclera of the eyes turn yellow. Another confirmation of the diagnosis is a darkening of the urine to a dark brown color;
  • liquid yellow - on the first day the rotavirus infection manifests itself, on the second or third day the feces becomes a greyish shade. Connects headache, fever, there may be a runny nose, reddening of the larynx;
  • yellow-gray - Whipple's disease, a fairly rare pathology of an infectious nature, can manifest itself in this way. Changes in feces are characteristic for the second stage of the disease, the first one causes pain in the muscles, redness in the joint area, an increase in lymph nodes, an increase in temperature to 38 ° C.

Other alarming symptoms of yellow feces in a child are:

  • yellow feces with mucus may indicate food poisoning. If the chair is still frequent, it is necessary to call a doctor, and before his arrival, give the child a drink of still mineral water or a solution of water with salt and sugar (per liter of boiled warm water on a tablespoon of each ingredient). Infrequent stools can be a signal for the presence of helminths, so is often accompanied by teething or taking some medications;
  • yellow lumps in the feces - talk about incomplete digestion of food. This is due to a lack of digestive enzymes, which occurs with pancreatitis, decreased gastric acidity, accelerated intestinal motility;
  • yellow frothy feces - in infants, this phenomenon is associated with the introduction of feeding new products into your diet, and if the child does not express any other concerns, then everything is in order. Maybe the mother does not breastfeed and only the front non-fat milk gets to him. Other causes are food allergy, dysbacteriosis, infections (staphylococcal, rotavirus, food), fermentation dyspepsia due to the large number of carbohydrates consumed;
  • yellow oily feces - a sign of increased release of fats from the body (steatorrhea). This diagnosis is made when more than 7g are excreted per day. The emergence of steatorrhoea is most often associated with insufficiency of the pancreas and a violation of the function of fat absorption.

Forms

The deviation of the color of stool from the usual brown, non-food-related products such as beetroot, elderberry, black currant, krovyanka, fruits and vegetables, rich in keratin, or taking certain medications ( activated charcoal, multivitamins), indicates the presence of pathological process in the body, metabolic disorders. Saturation of the same color, lasting for quite a long time, shows the stage of the disease. The types of possible diseases, in which the color of the stool acquires a yellow color, are described above.

trusted-source[19], [20]

Diagnostics of the yellow feces in the child

To diagnose a disease that causes yellow feces in a child, a clinical picture, analysis, and instrumental examination of internal organs are important. To begin with, the doctor will ask parents about when the health problems started, what they were involved in. Next, the language will look: its color, plaque, dryness or humidity, stiffness - all this matters when making a diagnosis. Then the doctor palpates the baby's belly, its shape, symmetry, muscle tension, movement of the walls during breathing matters.

trusted-source[21], [22], [23], [24], [25]

Analyzes

The most important analysis in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal disorders is a coprological examination of stool or coprogram. This laboratory test evaluates the consistency, color, composition of the faeces and provides a picture of the processes of digestion of food and absorption of nutrients. The analysis determines the presence or absence of mucus, blood, epithelium, glue, starch, fatty acids, helminths and a number of other indicators that indicate this or that coprologic syndrome. So, the presence of starch in the feces, connective tissue, unchanged muscle fibers indicates gastrogenic problems; erythrocytes, mucus, leukocytes - on the colitis syndrome; liquid yellow-gray feces, starch, fat, altered muscle fibers - for pancreatitis, etc. Biochemical and bacteriological analysis of feces, analysis of feces for carbohydrates, for example, with suspicion of dysbiosis for the determination of intestinal microflora, is also possible . It will also require a general blood test and a urinalysis to see if changes in the body are occurring.

trusted-source[26], [27]

Instrumental diagnostics

Instrumental diagnosis, in the first place, includes endoscopy, which makes it possible to visually examine the esophagus, stomach, small intestine of the upper intestine. If necessary, this procedure is used for examination of the colon and rectum. The endoscopic ph-metry determines the acidity of the stomach. Manometry is also used - pressure measurement in various parts of the digestive tract. Electroenterogastrography is a method of studying the motility of the gastrointestinal tract. It gives an idea of the peristalsis of the organs, on which depends the grinding of food introduced into the stomach, mixing it with gastric juice, further advancement. But fluoroscopy and ultrasound can see the organ and its pathology entirely.

Differential diagnosis

The task of differential diagnostics is to isolate from all the symptoms and studies the characteristic features of a particular disease, although in the case of pathologies of internal organs providing food and removal of food waste, the failure of one system most often pulls violations in the other. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the primary and concomitant diseases.

trusted-source[28], [29], [30], [31], [32], [33], [34]

Treatment of the yellow feces in the child

Treatment of pathologies that cause the appearance of yellow feces in a child depends on the diagnosis. Acute pancreatitis is treated with a starvation diet, anesthesia is carried out with narcotic analgesics, droppers are placed with saline solutions, medications that block the synthesis of enzymes are introduced. In chronic inflammation of the pancreas a strict diet is indicated, and enzyme and analgesic preparations are prescribed.

Dysbacteriosis, which essentially means a violation of the balance of the intestinal microflora, requires treatment, depending on what the tests reveal, what conditionally pathogenic flora prevails in it. Probiotics, prebiotics, bacteriophages, digestive enzymes can be used.

Hepatitis A in children is not treated medically, only cholagogue preparations are used. Other disorders in the liver and biliary tract can be cholecystitis, dyskinesia of the gallbladder, cholelithiasis. With such diagnoses, cholagogue, hepatoprotectors are used.

Celiac disease requires a special diet that excludes products containing gluten (confectionery and pasta, chocolate, drinks made from grains).

Medications

Enzyme preparations (mezim, pancreatin, creon) are often the required medical remedies for yellow feces in a child.

Pancreatin forte - coated tablets, capsules, jelly beans. Promotes digestion of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Take it during or immediately after eating, washing with plenty of water. The dose of the drug is calculated in translation for lipase - the enzyme of the pancreas. Children under one and a half years old are assigned 50tys. Units per day, over 100 thousand. Unit / day. Contraindicated in acute pancreatitis, hypersensitivity. It is able to cause allergies, raise the level of uric acid in the urine.

Probiotics are living organisms for the healing of existing microflora. These include linex, bifikol, acylact, enterol.

Enterol - has two pharmaceutical forms: capsules and powders. Powders in the dosage of 100 mg of active substance are considered to be child. Take an hour before meals, previously dissolving the powder in a glass of water. In a day two receptions up to 3 bags at the age of 1-3 years are allowed, children older - up to 4 packages. Among the side effects were unpleasant sensations in the stomach, allergic reactions.

Prebiotics are prescribed to accelerate intestinal motility and improve its microflora (dyufalak, hilak forte, export).

Dufalac - stimulates intestinal motility, promotes the absorption of calcium salts and phosphates. Produced in the form of syrup, before taking can be diluted in water. The dose for children under the age of 5ml, 1-6 years - 5-10ml, 7-14 years - 10-15ml a day. In the first days of application, flatulence can occur, nausea and vomiting are possible. Contraindicated in acute intestinal obstruction. Care is needed for patients with lactose intolerance, diabetes mellitus.

Bacteriophages are designed to fight bacteria that cause pathogenic processes. Their name contains that group of bacteria that they suppress: staphylococcal, dysentery, potassium, streptococcal.

Cholagogue drugs include allahol, cholenzyme, flamin, berberine.

Flamin for children - granules, from which a suspension is prepared (the contents of one packet are combined with 1.5 teaspoons of boiled water and shaken before taking). The resulting mixture is divided into 3 doses, the dose for different ages is the same:

  • 1 month - year - 1 package;
  • 1- 3 years - 2 pieces;
  • 3-5 years - 3 pieces;
  • 5-12 years - 4pcs.

Duration of therapy is from 10 to 40 days. There may be allergies, should be taken with caution to diabetics. Contraindicated in children with congenital intolerance to fructose, stones in the gallbladder.

Hepatoprotectors are of plant origin (karsil, silymarin), animal (hepatosan, sirepar), essential phospholipids (Essentiale, phosphoglue), amino acids (heptral, arginine), ursodeoxycholic acid preparations (ursophane, ursosan ).

Ursofalk - exists in a form convenient for children - a suspension. Reduces the production of liver cholesterol stones, promotes their dissolution, increases the secretion of the stomach and pancreas. The recommended dose of the suspension depends on the body weight:

Body weight (kg)

Dose (ml)

5-7

1.25

8-12

2.50

13-18

3.75

19-25

5.0

26-35

7.5

36-50

10.0

It is taken in the evening before going to bed, washed down with water. It is not prescribed in acute periods of cholecystitis, violations of the kidneys, liver, pancreas. May cause nausea, diarrhea, allergies.

Vitamins

Vitamins A, E and C are prebiotics that stimulate the growth of useful microcloflora in the large intestine. They are a part of many food additives and medicines. When hepatitis A doctors appoint complex vitamins of group B, vitamins C and PP. Patients with celiac disease require vitamins K, C, PP, folic acid.

Physiotherapeutic treatment

Physiotherapy is very important in the treatment of pathologies of internal organs involved in digestion. Widely used hydrotherapy, the most famous in our country and abroad mineral springs are in Truskavets, Mirgorod, Morshin. For the treatment of pancreatitis using electrophoresis with a solution of novocaine, ultrasound on the area of the projection of the pancreas. New methods of physiotherapy of pathology also appear: the use of low-energy laser radiation, energy-neurostimulation, and a variable magnetic field of low frequency. The advantage of the latter over high-frequency is that it does not create a thermal effect.

Physiotherapy procedures are also shown for most pathologies of the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts:

  • UHF, diathermy - reduce inflammation, restore hepatocytes;
  • electrophoresis with magnesia and aminocaproic acid - has a choleretic effect, prevents the formation of stones, relieves spasms;
  • tjubazh - cleanses the liver, removes stones;
  • mud treatment - relieves inflammation, improves the synthesis of bile;
  • hydrotherapy - removes toxins, prevents stagnation of bile;
  • laser therapy - relieves pain, has an anti-inflammatory effect;
  • LFK - improves blood circulation, bile secretion.

Treatment of dysbacteriosis is accelerated by the use of procedures such as diathermy, Novocaine electrophoresis, dry heat on the stomach, warm rhodonic or coniferous baths, paraffin, ozocerite, mineral waters.

Alternative treatment

Applying this or that method of alternative treatment to the child, it is necessary to get the doctor's approval, because There is no single approach for all. Among the possible recipes can be:

  • rub the raw potatoes, squeeze, take a third of the juice before eating;
  • chop and squeeze the juice of raw cabbage, you can connect in equal parts with carrots, drink half a glass;
  • prepare the jelly from the broth of oats;
  • from a small pumpkin to scrape the middle through the cut top, pour honey, seal the hole with a test, to stand in a dark place for 10 days; for half an hour before eating, eat a tablespoon three times a day;
  • Small pieces of propolis chew shortly before eating.

trusted-source[35], [36], [37], [38], [39], [40]

Herbal Treatment

Herbal therapy plays an important role in the complex treatment of digestive, liver, and pancreatic diseases. When pancreatitis use decoctions of such herbs: flax seeds, immortelle, licorice, horsetail, chamomile, St. John's wort. To treat the liver use calendula, corn stigmas, milk thistle, tansy, sage, oregano. Dysbacteriosis is treated with herbs: mallin, mint, dill seed, violet, chamomile; another - yarrows, St. John's wort, chamomile, sage.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy also has the right to exist in the treatment of pathologies associated with digestive disorders.

Amarin - oral drops, complex herbal homeopathic preparation has antispasmodic, antimicrobial, analgesic, anti-inflammatory effect. Recommended for children from 11 years old. Method of application for children: 10 drops, combined with a small amount of water 3 times a day. Contraindicated in peptic ulcer, functional dyspepsia. Allergic manifestations are possible.

Biolain candida - antifungal tablets. Children of 2-12 years are recommended half of the pill under the tongue until completely dissolved 4 times a day, people older than this age - for the whole. After taking it for half an hour, you do not need to eat, drink or rinse your mouth for greater effectiveness of the drug. As an adverse event, an allergy is possible and is contraindicated in people with hypersensitivity.

Galstena - tablets, oral drops. Are indicated for acute and chronic diseases of the liver and biliary tract. For children under 5 years, only drops are used: up to 1 year by drop, diluted in a teaspoon of milk or water; for 2-4 years 2-4 drops on a tablespoon of water; 5-12 years for 5-7 drops. From 5 to 12 years you can take pills - 0.5 times twice a day. Children after this age are recommended 1 tablet. The drug should be drunk in the intervals between meals, the tablets should be kept in the mouth until dissolved. Duration of treatment for different diagnoses is different, it will be determined by the doctor. Allergy is possible with sensitivity to components.

Gastrokind - tablets, are prescribed for functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. In acute conditions for children up to a year you can drink a pill every hour, but not more than 6 pieces per day, chronic - 4 times. From one to six years, two tablets are allowed in the same regime. The method of administration is the same as that of the previous preparation.

Enterokond - a fluid for infants and young children (up to 6 years). Indicated for intestinal disorders. Single dose - 3 drops three times a day, if necessary, you can increase up to 6 times. Thoracic can dissolve in water. Side effects and contraindications are not known.

Surgery

To surgical treatment resorted to pancreatitis in case of suppuration and destruction of pancreatic tissue. In this situation, the removal of necrotic tissue, and sometimes a complete resection of the pancreas. Endoscopic treatment is also used to drain pseudocysts in order to remove fluid accumulating in the abdominal cavity. Stones in the gallbladder, severe cases of liver abscesses also cause surgical intervention.

Complications and consequences

The consequences and complications of pathologies when they are neglected can be very deplorable for the child. So, the dysbacteriosis conceals the risk of gastritis, colitis, peptic ulcer, furuncles, purulent abscesses, bronchial asthma, arthritis, atherosclerosis, urolithiasis.

Pancreatitis is dangerous for the development of diabetes mellitus, with this pathology affects the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. On the inflamed pancreas, cysts and erosions, fraught with bleeding, may occur, which can result in peritonitis.

Disturbances in the liver and gallbladder deliver a lot of physical suffering, especially when there are stones in it, and also adversely affect the functions of the whole gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, bile is involved in the breakdown of fats, activates the production of intestinal hormones, neutralizes the effect of pepsin gastric juice, etc.

Celiac disease is dangerous in violation of reproductive function, musculoskeletal system, late puberty, blood diseases.

trusted-source[41], [42], [43], [44], [45]

Prevention

In the case of hepatitis A, early diagnosis is important for the prevention of epidemics. This makes it possible to disinfect the source of the infection, prevent it from spreading in children's groups, monitor the health of children, monitor the quality of food, drinking water, and hygiene. Prevention of other pathologies that cause a symptom of yellow stool in a child is to organize a healthy baby and a lively lifestyle. From the diet it is necessary to exclude fatty, spicy, containing dyes, taste improvers, flavors, preservatives, food. Easily assimilated carbohydrates also do not benefit the child. When breastfeeding these recommendations must be followed by a nursing mother. Another preventive measure is a cautious approach to the use of antibiotics, and patients with celiac disease should adhere to a lifelong, gluten-free diet.

trusted-source[46], [47], [48], [49]

Forecast

Prognosis of digestive system disorders in childhood is favorable in case of timely treatment of pathology, and if necessary, and surgical intervention. Ignoring the disease will turn into a serious problem in adulthood. Thus, in severe acute pancreatitis, mortality occurs in a third of patients. Gallstone disease causes painful seizures and complications, and timely removal will not affect the quality of later life.

trusted-source[50], [51]

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