The presence of blood in the baby’s diaper is always a wake-up call for parents, however, in most cases, the presence of blood in the diaper is not a sign of serious health problems and can occur only by most common situations such as diaper rash, allergy to cow’s milk or crack, for example.
Also, when the baby’s urine is highly concentrated, it may contain urate crystals that turn the urine a red or pink color, giving the impression that the baby has blood in the diaper.
- To test if there’s actually blood in your baby’s diaper.
- You can put some hydrogen peroxide in the stain.
- If foam is produced.
- It means the stain is actually blood and that’s why it’s important to visit your pediatrician to identify the cause and start proper treatment.
Baby poop can turn reddish due to ingestion of red foods like beets, tomato soup, or certain foods with a red tint, for example, which can create the idea that the baby has blood in the diaper.
What to do: Avoid giving these foods to your baby and if the problem persists for more than 24 hours, consult your pediatrician to identify the problem and start treatment.
Diaper rash is the presence of red, irritated skin on the underside that can bleed after cleaning the skin, causing bright red blood to appear on the diaper.
What to do: If possible, leave your baby for a few hours a day without a diaper and apply an ointment for diaper rash such as Dermodex or Bepantol, for example, with each diaper change.See all the care needed to take care of your baby’s diaper rash.
The presence of blood in the baby’s stool may also indicate that the baby is allergic to cow’s milk proteins, for example.Even in breast-feeding babies only, cow’s milk proteins can be transmitted to the baby through breast milk when the mother eats cow’s milk and its derivatives.
What to do: Remove cow’s milk from the baby or mother and see if blood continues to appear in the diaper.Here’s how to know if your baby is allergic to milk protein and what to do.
The presence of blood in a baby’s diaper that is usually constipated may be a sign of a crack in the area, as the baby’s stool can become very hard and, when out, cause a small cut in the anus.
What to do: Give the baby more water and prepare the porridge with more water so that it is less consistent, facilitating the elimination of feces. See also a home remedy for constipation in the baby.
One of the main side effects of the rotavirus vaccine is the presence of blood in the baby’s stool up to 40 days after receiving the vaccine.Therefore, if this happens, it should not be given importance, as long as the amount of blood is low.
What to do: If your baby loses a lot of blood through his or her stool, it’s a good idea to go to the emergency room right away.
When the baby’s urine becomes too concentrated, urate crystals are removed through the urine, giving it a reddish color that can resemble blood.In these cases, when analyzing with hydrogen peroxide, the “blood” does not produce foam and, therefore, it is possible to suspect that it is only highly concentrated urine.
What to do: Increase the amount of water given to your baby to decrease the concentration of urine and urate crystals.
A severe intestinal infection can damage the inner intestine and cause bleeding in the stool, usually accompanied by abdominal pain and diarrhea, and vomiting and fever can also occur.Look for other symptoms that may indicate an intestinal infection in your baby.
What to do: Take the baby immediately to the emergency room to identify the cause of the problem and start proper treatment.
Although in most cases blood in the diaper is not an emergency, it is recommended to go to the emergency room when:
In these cases, the baby should be evaluated by a pediatrician for urine, stool or blood tests and identify the cause, initiating appropriate treatment, if necessary.