Question
A 2-month-old baby has diarrhea with blood in the stool, but does not cry during bowel movements. A stool test reveals an abundance of red blood cells. What should be done? Is it serious? The patient is a male, 2 and a half months old. Condition: 1: Diarrhea after frequently changing formula milk. 2: Recently, the diarrhea has become watery at the end. 3: Blood in the stool, but the baby does not cry.
Answer
Hello. Infants have active proliferation of lymphatic tissues throughout the body to resist bacterial and viral invasions. The rectum, colon, and even the lower part of the small intestine have lymphatic tissues that gather into clumps. Some lymphatic follicles are larger and protrude beneath the intestinal mucosa, arranged neatly and closely together. The follicles near the anal opening, which are more prominent, often experience slight bleeding due to friction from feces and compression from intestinal wall contractions. This bleeding may stain the stool or even flow out of the anal opening, which is why infants occasionally have blood in their stool. Consider dietary treatment, such as milk and honey: Boil 250 grams of milk and add 30 grams of honey, then take it for consumption. Wishing the baby health and happiness, please do not worry; the issue is not serious and differs from clinical significance of blood in adults’ stool. Symptomatic treatment is recommended.