Undigested food in feces for a 3-year-old child. The baby has loose stools: diarrhea, dysbiosis, intestinal infection or normal. Causes of Food Lumps in Stool

Disorders of stool in a one-year-old child, unfortunately, are quite common, but what to do if undigested food particles appear in the feces? Such phenomena do happen and are often a cause of concern for young mothers. Often experts devote whole programs to stool disorders in babies, for example, one of them is Dr. Komarovsky.

The saddest thing is that in most cases it is the parents who are to blame for such violations, because of their excessive efforts to “do everything for the baby”. Although there are also problems that require medical treatment, in such cases, contacting a specialist is mandatory! Today we'll talk about why there are undigested food residues in the stool of a child and what to do in such a situation.

Causes of the problem

The digestive system of a small child takes a long time to develop, so stool disorders under the age of one year are commonplace. At the same time, there are various disorders, and sometimes there are such troubles as the appearance of food debris in the feces. This can be vegetable peels, small pieces of nuts, and more. In this case, it is worth making allowances for the fact that the quality of the fruits and vegetables you buy does not stand up to criticism. Moreover, if the act of defecation does not provide for the presence of any unpleasant sensations, there is no reason for panic. It will be possible to avoid food particles in the child's stool by purchasing better quality products.

At the same time, there are certain signs by which disorders of the gastrointestinal tract in a child can be detected. These deviations include:

• the presence of mucous or bloody impurities in the feces;
• soreness during bowel movements;
• an abundance of intestinal noises during intestinal peristalsis and much more.

An improper diet can also become the reason for such phenomena, especially when it comes to excessive amounts of fiber. It is important to know that food moves through the child's digestive tract quickly enough, and there may not be enough enzyme capable of breaking down such substances. Then small lumps of undigested fiber may appear in the feces. In this case, there is also no serious cause for concern and there is no need to treat the baby with medical means. It is possible to eliminate such troubles by limiting the amount of plant foods in the diet.

The next problem to focus on is functional dyspepsia. The appearance of food particles in the stool is just one of the symptoms of this disease. There may also be such manifestations as:

1. Frequent belching.
2. Decreased appetite.
3. Loose stools.
4. Mucous impurities in the feces.
5. Bloating, etc.

Among the reasons for such problems can be noted the mother's refusal to follow the diet when feeding, the lack of a diet, too large portions when feeding. Also, such problems sometimes appear at the moment when the child's teeth begin to cut, or they are a consequence of taking certain medications. Also, to avoid trouble, do not rush to start feeding your baby with food for which he is not yet functionally ready.

Dysbacteriosis. A problem that adults can suffer from, but it is much more difficult for children. The fact is that when a baby is born, his intestines are sterile. It lacks both useful and harmful microflora. At the same time, bacteria colonize within a few hours from the moment of birth. In this case, beneficial microorganisms may not be enough. Such problems are manifested by a change in the color and consistency of feces, as well as the possible appearance of food particles due to intestinal disorders.

So, we figured out the reasons for such phenomena, but what to do if they occur? We will talk about this further.

How Digestive Problems Are Corrected

We draw your attention to the fact that medical help is not always needed. Of course, it will never be superfluous to consult a specialist, but in most cases the parents themselves are the culprits. Why is this so? We will talk about this in more detail.

First of all, when correcting digestive problems, the age and type of nutrition of the baby are important. Is your baby breastfed? This means that mom needs to revise her own diet in the first place. Professionals recommend following a special diet to help you correct the chemistry of breast milk. To do this, it is advised not to eat:

• high fat foods;
• fried foods;
• smoked meats.

If none of this helped, or you strictly adhered to the specified diet and limited yourself to food, then most likely the problem lies in the child's gastrointestinal tract. There is only one way out of the situation - going to the doctor.

Often the appearance of food particles in the feces is associated with the beginning of feeding the baby and teaching him to solid or mushy food. Indeed, bowel movements may become more frequent, and the stool may change. Perhaps it is simply too early for the child to eat such food, or you are feeding him too large pieces. Again, do not rush to the beginning of complementary feeding, and if such problems begin, postpone it for a month. Did not help? Contact a specialist.

Don't overfeed your baby! Many parents often try to force feed the baby, believing that he is not feeding enough. Never try to do this! In infants, the gastrointestinal tract has not yet been formed, and the stomach is small. Therefore, the baby himself knows how much food he needs in order to be satisfied. At the same time, overfeeding can lead to a number of all kinds of troubles.

Firstly, excess weight should be attributed to those. The child should develop gradually, there is no need to try to speed up this process artificially. Secondly, you have a negative effect on the baby's gastrointestinal tract, which is simply not ready to digest large volumes. In this case, not only disorders of the digestive system at a young age may appear, but also problems already in adulthood. Be careful.

In general, we have listed the simplest situations that you can handle on your own. Feed your baby in adequate doses and on a schedule, then you can prevent a huge number of digestive problems. However, there are situations in which the problem does not go away. It seems that the diet is being followed, and you are avoiding complementary foods for now, and besides, you are not overfeeding. We draw your attention to the fact that in the event of any troubles, you must visit a specialist!

Good afternoon everyone! We have such a problem: child 2.10 hardly chews food, swallows everything. Sweep a plate of porridge with spoonfuls full of top, leaving it all in your mouth, in 3 minutes - easy! Our single portions in such a way shifted from 350 g in one sitting to 650 g. I did not notice this inconsistency with the age norms, now, on the recommendation of the pediatrician, I brought and keep a single portion within at least 400 g. And we must strive for 300-350 (to reduce the dosage very smoothly and gradually, not abruptly - as I did), as recommended by the pediatrician and gastroenterologists, whom I consulted. To do this is daunting, because a hungry child leaves the table every time for the same 400 g at a time. The battle for every piece that has fallen comes to hysterics: a berry or some macronine that has fallen to the floor must be washed and returned to the plate (well, or it is necessary to pretend that the food has been returned), otherwise an utter shout begins.
In the anamnesis: the gastroenterologist ascertained the last six months food intolerance (gastrointestinal form), bacterial overgrowth syndrome. The allergist said to exclude gluten, dairy, chicken eggs; take nalcrom course. We have been following the recommended diet for milk and gluten for 2 years now. Homemade chicken eggs - while we will be staying in the village with our grandmother for a couple of months - have not been ruled out yet. In the fall, we will arrive in Moscow (now we are 1000 km away from it) - we will go through the stages of donating blood for all products and excluding celiac disease using the same blood tests at least.
Teeth in the mouth - a complete set, all crawled out. And the child does not want to chew them at all. as a result of either the problems suspected by the gastroenterologist (it will be possible to finally, check in the fall, the question is not about that), or from the constant swallowing of undigested food (this option is also very possible), all undigested food goes into the feces in pieces. With an excess of mucus, sometimes 2-3 hours after eating. For 3 months we have been suffering with such a frequent, abundant (3 times higher than normal daily volumes), disintegrating into separate small pieces in the urine (if the child peed in the pot at the same time). Recently constipated. We constantly see these 2 extremes for 3 months - constipation and undigested stools. From time to time, the child is afraid to poop at all and sometimes pee at the same time, although the stomach clearly asks to release him from the accumulated. Sometimes a child complains of abdominal pain immediately after a snack or meal.
Question: Here's the part about not getting through food(the crisis of 3 years greatly aggravates the situation for us, the child can do the opposite with a specialist, and not as she is told, they explain: what to chew - otherwise the stomach will ache, it will hurt to poop, etc.) - maybe who had a similar problem? How did you overcome and normalize the situation? How long can it last in children of about three years of age and is it normal that it (as an option) results in undigested feces for several months?

In medicine, the concept of lienorrhea is used when displaying disorders in the work of the digestive system, in which fragments of undigested food are observed in the feces. Solitary manifestations are not classified as pathological changes. This can happen if a type of fiber was consumed that is not digested by the digestive organs and causes rejection or malfunction of the digestive tract, a similar situation can be observed with other types of hard-to-digest products.

Lienorrhea, as a pathology, then can become a cause for concern when two more symptoms are added to the identified problems, directly indicating malfunctions in the digestive system.

Causes of the phenomenon

The process of digestion of chewed food occurs due to the work of the gastrointestinal tract and under the influence of accelerated peristalsis in two ways: in waves, or gradually, therefore, the reasons that caused failures in the system may differ.

• In the first case, a failure occurs based on the nature and physiological characteristics of the body, manifested against the background of improper selection of food or for other reasons, for example, swallowing unchewed pieces of food while eating.
• Pathological changes occur against the background of chronic diseases, where lienorrhea is one of the symptoms.

Physiological

The physiological reasons for the manifestations of lientorea include factors that do not cause absolutely any harm to the body and do not significantly affect the work of its organs.

• Functional dyspepsia. Most of this type of manifestation is the result of a negligent attitude towards a proper lifestyle and healthy eating. In addition to incomplete digestion of food, there are: belching, pain in the upper part of the stomach and nausea.
• As a side effect of medication. Some medicinal substances in the course of treating diseases can create conditions that inhibit the work of the digestive system by reducing the secretion, which is responsible for the secretion of gastric juice and a number of enzymes.
• Dysbacteriosis. A change in the balance of microflora useful for the body towards a decrease can negatively affect the quality of assimilation of food.

Pathological

In addition to the presence of food particles in the feces, other symptoms can be observed that directly indicate the format of the development of the disease.

Common Causes for Children

For the manifestations of lientorea, the characteristic reasons are the presence of ingredients with a high fiber content in food, against the background of diarrhea and with chronic (hereditary) diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Doctors identify two main reasons that explain the situation provoking failures in the work of the digestive tract:

• Immaturity of the organs that are involved in the assimilation of food - the backwardness of their development or an excess of the amount of food that has to be processed. This happens more often in children in infancy, especially at a time when the baby is partially given food containing vegetables and fruits with a high fiber content in the form of bait.
• The second moment comes at a time when the child, when processing food, does not completely chew it, which leads to large fragments entering the stomach - the organ simply does not have time to fully assimilate them.

Unless other symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, pain or vomiting are observed, parents should not panic. Only if such manifestations are observed constantly, one should seek help from specialists for an explanation.

Determination of causes by concomitant symptoms

Like any of the diseases, lienorrhea can differ in the forms of manifestation. In this symptom, there are a number of symptoms that can appear, either one-time, at the time of exacerbation of the disease, or constantly. The presence of mucus, blood clots or other manifestations that are not typical of the usual format of bowel movements may become a cause for concern.

Undigested pieces with mucus in stool

Rarely does anyone pay attention to the format and color of feces during bowel movements, but in situations where the digestive tract organs fail, you have to do this too. In the case when abundant mucus is found in the toilet along with feces, in which pieces of undigested food are visible, most people indulge in panic.

In part, this fear is justified, since the regular appearance of mucus speaks not just of a malfunction in the intestines, but of the development of diseases against the background of certain factors.

• IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Additionally, constipation, nausea after eating, and bloating may occur.
• Deviation from the norm against the background of microflora pathology in the digestive tract.
• Neoplasms on the walls of the intestines and other organs.
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in acute or chronic form.

In some cases, mucus can form into lumps, this condition is characteristic of hemorrhoids, especially if the mucous tissue is secreted separately from feces and food fragments.

With blood

The presence of blood in the feces signals problems associated with either an exacerbation of diseases, or with a violation of the integrity of the walls of the digestive tract. In addition, the cause of such manifestations can be neoplasms on the surface of the walls in the form of tumors. The exact reason for the presence of blood and pieces of undigested food in the feces will be helped by taking tests, but first, this symptom may indicate the development or presence of the following diseases:

If blood in the feces is observed in a child, in order to exclude the development of serious consequences, it is advisable, without delay, to seek help from specialists. The reasons for the presence of bloody discharge along with feces depends on the factors that provoked this type of symptom.

• Lack of lactose.
• Violation of the integrity of the walls of the anus.
• As a manifestation of an allergic nature to certain types of food.
• The presence of juvenile polyps on the walls of the large intestine.

Pieces of food in loose stools

The presence of undigested food in the feces with diarrhea is not so rare, this is explained in different ways: overeating, improper combination of food, alcohol abuse. Patients can independently find out the reason for this manifestation:

• Eliminate the consumption of beer and other alcohol.
• Limit high-fiber foods such as watermelon.
• Temporarily exclude (partially or completely) fatty fish and meat.
• Do not include in the menu dishes with spicy seasonings and smoked meats.

If a peculiar diet, and abstinence from taking certain food products, does not restore normal bowel function, then the help of a specialist will be required. It will help to find out the reasons that provoked systematic loose stools with fragments of food not assimilated by the digestive tract.

When the cause of watery stools is the presence of inflammatory processes, additional diagnostics using stationary methods of analysis is required. The culprits of such symptoms are most often:

• Development of gastroenteritis.
• The initial phase of colitis.

Failure to treat diseases can trigger the development of more complex ailments, such as acute pancreatitis, which can further exacerbate health problems.

What to do?

There are many reasons why the digestive system does not always perform well with its functions. The situation when food particles come out along with the feces can cause pathological changes, physiological and any of the psychological factors, for example, stress, which enhances the work of the stomach and other organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Experts in such cases recommend independently investigating the cause of the failure.

• Do not be distracted while eating and chew food correctly.
• Reduce the amount of food by crushing.
• Organize a diet using separate meals, for example: use proteins with proteins and so on.
• Exclude from the diet drinks (alcoholic, carbonated) and products (fatty meats and fish) that can provoke malfunctions of the digestive system.

When organizing meals for meals, you should consider which of the foods are most suitable for eating. Some of them are well absorbed, but there are also those in which there is fiber that the body cannot digest.

Experts advise paying attention to the format of the food, the frequency of consumption and the amount of food eaten at a time. In the diagram, it looks like this:

• Use a crushed food method, increasing the amount of food intake up to 5-6 times a day.
• Pay attention to the quality of food chewing.
• Apply a separate method of nutrition, in which dishes are compiled in relation to the content of substances, for example, products in which there are carbohydrates separately, enriched with proteins separately.
• Use products on the menu that are baked or well-cooked, this will facilitate their digestibility.
• Refuse alcoholic beverages, strong coffee.

Experts recommend excluding from the diet food that is difficult and not fully perceived by the body in the process of assimilation, replacing it with an analogue of products taken from the plant world. You may need to use one of the diets that will help reduce body weight, this will also help partially solve the problem with the organization and restoration of normal functioning of the digestive system.

Healthy lifestyle

In combination with a diet, gastroenterologists advise paying attention to the patient's lifestyle. Many diseases are caused by a sedentary or sedentary lifestyle. What should be changed in your life if problems appear in the work of the digestive tract:

• Morning exercises. There are special exercises that improve the functioning of the digestive system.
• Proper nutrition, rejection of bad habits. A balanced meal, avoiding spirits and alcoholic drinks helps to improve the digestion of food.
• Regular outdoor activities. Walking, simple sports exercises in gyms, going to recreation areas, all these activities will help to improve health and lose weight.
• Exercise therapy. Physical therapy will help restore the functioning of the digestive system.

How to treat?

Lienorrhea refers to a specific manifestation, which is classified as a symptom, and in some cases as a disease. Treatment of lienorrhea includes a set of measures using drugs that eliminate the effects of a symptom. A preliminary study of feces is carried out, which will help establish the cause of the lack of enzymes.

With the help of a coprogram, it is possible to determine with great accuracy the type of microorganism that caused the infection. On the basis of research, experts prescribe enzymatic preparations that help digest food and restore the intestinal microflora.

Enzymatic preparations

This type of drug is intended to help break down food:

• Pancreatin, Penzital, Mezim, Lycrease, Creon. This type of remedy is made from the pancreas of a pig.
• Degistal, Enzistad, Festal. The preparations are made on the basis of the pancreas of cattle.
• Wobenzym, Orazu, Unienzym, Pepfiz. Medicinal plants are the supplier for the manufacture of medicines.

All of these drugs have a complex effect on strengthening the digestive system and improving the work of peristalsis.

Probiotics

Probiotics are inherently microorganisms that help the human body absorb most of the food. Drugs of this type may differ in the type of bacterial strain. The secondary task of the drugs is to suppress the pathogenic flora, enhance immunity and as a medicinal substance to fight other diseases. Probiotics are prescribed in the following cases:

• With infectious diarrhea.
• When diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome.
• With other disorders of the stool, the presence of heaviness in the stomach, pain, colic.

All drugs of this type are prescribed by a gastroenterologist depending on the nature and form of the disease.

Primadophilus, Narine.

Folk remedies

To troubleshoot and malfunction of the digestive system, traditional healers recommend using a number of preparations based on medicinal herbs in tincture format.

• Mint. The broth is prepared from 3 tbsp. l. leaves of the plant, which are poured with a glass of boiling water and closed, excluding the access of air. When the substance has cooled, it can be used by dividing the liquid into 4 parts and consuming it throughout the day.
• Medicinal chamomile. 2 tbsp. l. dry raw materials are poured with a mug of boiling water and insisted, covered with a lid and wrapped in a towel. The tincture is consumed in 50-70 ml at the time of exacerbation of the symptom, after having filtered the substance.
• Chimney + chamomile + sage. All plants are taken in equal proportions and, after mixing (3 tablespoons of collecting a glass of liquid), pour boiling water. The liquid can be used as a tea, taking the tincture for 1.5-2 months.
• Infusion of eucalyptus. 3 tbsp. l. dry leaves are poured with a glass of boiling water, insisted until they cool completely, after which they are decanted and, divided into three parts, are consumed throughout the day, half an hour before meals.

Prophylaxis

Some diseases of the digestive tract and the digestive system are considered difficult to treat, therefore experts advise adhering to certain rules and following the recommendations of doctors regarding their prevention.

• Eating less food at a time will help you process food better. In this case, fractional and frequent meals will help, thus, two goals are achieved: overeating is excluded, and the digestive organs do not work in an enhanced mode.
• Use separate food. It is better for the digestive organs to assimilate food of one group: proteins with proteins, carbohydrates with carbohydrates.
• At the moment of eating food, it is important to focus on chewing food fragments: thoroughly chewed food will be processed faster by stomach enzymes.
• Experts recommend not drinking food with water due to the difficulty of digesting it in this form: gastric juice and hydrochloric acid in low concentration or diluted with liquid reduce their effect on food that enters the stomach.
• The daily use of fermented milk products will help to constantly maintain the body's microflora in good condition.
• The use of unloading diets in the form of fruit and vegetable dishes.
• Moderately treat the use of alcoholic, carbonated and strong (coffee, tea) drinks.

Overeating, inadequate meals on the go with fast cooking, overly salty or spicy foods, this is not a complete list of factors that can adversely affect the functioning of the digestive tract. Experts advise you to take your health with full responsibility: it is easier to prevent a disease than to cure.

Pieces of undigested food in feces ( lientoreya) can occur both in a healthy child and in a child with pathology. The difference lies in the quantity, frequency and connection with the food consumed. Depending on the nature of the changes in the stool, the pathological condition may be called, or - the appearance in the feces of undigested starch, fats or muscle fibers, respectively.

Non-pathological causes

The gastrointestinal tract of a newborn and an infant is gradually colonized by microorganisms, and the enzyme systems are at the stage of functional immaturity for some time. This explains the appearance in the feces of a healthy child of a small amount of undigested food, both naturally and artificially fed.

A similar condition occurs with the use of indigestible fiber. Thus, sesame seeds, flax seeds, peels of fruits, some vegetables and root crops (tomatoes, celery, etc.) normally pass through "transit". Their appearance in the stool is not considered a pathology.

Pathological causes

• Congenital exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. It occurs against the background of organ developmental abnormalities, Sheldon-Ray syndrome, cystic fibrosis, Pearson's and Diamond-Schwachman's syndrome.
• Acquired insufficiency of exocrine pancreatic function. In childhood, there are acute pancreatitis against the background of an infectious process, anomalies in the development of the bile ducts. A similar complication is characteristic of kwashiorkor, a protein-energy deficit due to starvation.
• ... This is a group of diseases that is often found in children, and also occurs with a transient disruption of the stomach, pancreas, and intestines.
• Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (). Excessive reproduction of opportunistic microorganisms in the lumen of the colon also disrupts the digestion processes.
• ... This is a congenital or acquired pathology in which the child's body is not able to normally break down milk sugar due to a deficiency of a special enzyme - lactase. The leading syndrome of the disease is (impaired absorption and digestion of food).

Thus, the constant or frequent appearance of unbroken food in the feces may indicate congenital or acquired pathology from the pancreas, small or large intestine.

Associated symptoms

Undigested lumps of food in the stool of a child is one of the symptoms of the disease. Consequently, the pediatrician makes a complete examination of the child, conducts a thorough survey. As a rule, signs of congenital pathology appear in the first days or months of a baby's life.

With exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, congenital diseases such as cystic fibrosis and Diamond-Schwachman syndrome occur. Typical signs of cystic fibrosis (in addition to impaired digestion of fats, fiber):

The following symptoms occur in Diamond-Schwachman syndrome:

• growth retardation, skeletal anomalies (clinodactyly, narrow chest, phalangeal hypoplasia);
• a decrease in the level of platelets, neutrophils in the peripheral blood, which contributes to increased bleeding and a tendency to frequent infections;
• anemia (weakness, pallor of the mucous membranes and skin, dizziness).

With an acute intestinal infection in children, there appears:

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea usually occurs with repeated loose stools, pain in the umbilical region. At the same time, feces contain many streaks of mucus, greenery, and has a fetid odor. The body temperature remains normal, and a history of the disease must necessarily be a recent intake of systemic antibiotics.

In the case of lactase deficiency, the child will be disturbed by intestinal colic, frequent bowel movements up to 10 times a day, constant bloating, regurgitation, and abdominal pain. With the progression of the disease, dysbiosis develops, there is a deficiency in body weight due to impaired absorption of nutrients and microelements. To relieve symptoms, all foods containing lactose should be excluded.

Diagnostics

To establish an accurate diagnosis, the pediatrician or gastroenterologist may need additional research:

The range of examinations is determined by the estimated diagnosis and the age of the child.

Treatment

The approach to treatment depends on the nature of the pathology, against the background of which undigested food particles are found in the feces. Sometimes strict adherence to the diet is enough; in some cases, long-term drug treatment may be required.

Drugs

Since the appearance of unbroken foods in the stool of a child is most often a sign of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, synthetic enzymes are the drugs of choice. In childhood, preference is given (contains amylase, protease, lipase), which consists of microgranules enclosed in a special protective shell.

This drug can be prescribed for exacerbation of pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, lactase deficiency and acute intestinal infection. They also use such enzymes as Panzinorm, Micrasim, Pancreatin.

With acute intestinal infections of a bacterial nature, systemic antibacterial drugs (penicillin, cephalosporin series), intestinal antiseptics, silicon sorbents are prescribed. They are taken by the course until the pathogen is completely eliminated.

May or may help improve digestion. In pediatrics, preference is given to Linex, Bak-Set-Baby, Bifiform and Acipola. Their pharmacological action is aimed at restoring normal intestinal microflora, improving digestion processes.

In case of lactase deficiency, in addition to a strict diet, doctors prescribe special low- or lactose-free formulas for infants. Substitution preparations containing the enzyme that the child lacks, lactase (Mamalak, Lactazar), have a good effect.

Diet

If such symptoms appear in an infant, it may be necessary to change the milk formula (to adapted or fermented milk). Complementary foods should be introduced not earlier than the due date, gradually, starting with a few milliliters of fruit juice. Porridge is cooked in water, without adding oil. Fruits and vegetables are given to the child in mashed, mashed or boiled form.

The basic principles of feeding a child in the event of undigested food pieces in the stool:

The food should be balanced, contain the optimal amount of fermented milk products (in the absence of lactase deficiency), vegetable fiber. The diet should be varied.

Products that need to be excluded for a while:

• tomatoes;
• sesame;
• beans, peas;
• spinach, sorrel;
• onion garlic;
• radish;
• mushrooms.