Question
A 2-month-old baby has diarrhea with blood in the stool, and the stool test shows many red blood cells. What should be done? Is it serious? The patient is a male, 2 and a half months old. The condition description is as follows: 1. Loose stools after frequent formula changes. 2. Recently, the diarrhea has become watery at the end. 3. Bloody stool with no crying during defecation.
Answer
Hello. Infants have an active proliferation of lymphoid tissue throughout their bodies to resist bacterial and viral invasions. The rectum, colon, and even the lower segment of the small intestine have aggregated lymphoid tissues. Some lymphatic follicles are larger and protrude beneath the intestinal mucosa, arranged neatly and tightly. The follicles near the anal opening, which are more protruding, may occasionally experience minor bleeding due to friction from feces and squeezing by intestinal wall contractions, which can stain the stool or even flow out of the anus. This is why infants may occasionally have bloody stool. It is recommended to consider dietary treatment, such as milk and honey: Boil 250 grams of milk and add 30 grams of honey, then take it together. Wishing the baby a healthy and happy life; do not worry, the problem is not serious, and it differs from clinical significance in adult hematochezia. Symptomatic treatment is sufficient.