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EAT => Food Allergies => Topic started by: EMMommy on July 10, 2007, 15:34:04 pm

Title: BF'd baby with mucus in stool..
Post by: EMMommy on July 10, 2007, 15:34:04 pm
Hi I'm new to these boards.  Stumbled across them last night and am already amazed by the wealth of knowledge here!!  I hope to stick around!!

I have a 9 week old exclusively breastfed daughter.  She's a pretty happy, easy-going baby.  When she hit the 6 week mark she suddenly started having mucus appear in her stool.  Her poop is still a nice breastfed yellow color, but every BM now has mucus in it.  I'm wondering if I should be concerned?  Up until her 6 week appt she had been gaining weight quite rapidly and now that seems to have leveled itself off...I'm not sure if this is/isn't related.  Her anus appears a bit red as well.  Some of her BMs are completely liquid as well.  When she does have a BM she grunts and groans extremely loudly and passes a lot of gas...I'm thinking that part is completely normal considering her age.

I was to see our doctor last week and he didn't seem concerned at all simply because she appears to be happy and growing.  The mucus doesn't sit well in my books though and I'm wondering if I should be looking at potential food allergies as the culprit?
Title: Re: BF'd baby with mucus in stool..
Post by: Samuel's mum on July 10, 2007, 16:21:16 pm
Liquid poos/ grunting/ groaning/ passing gas - these are all completely normal.

Weight gain does level off at this point (or they'd be elephants by 12 months ;))

If the poo is a nice yellow colour I wouldn't worry.

If it was green and mucousy that would be a warning sign as the green colour with the mucus indicates malabsorption or milk passing through the system very quickly or a potential lactose issue. The mucus in this case is sometimes frothy. The frothy green poo can also happen when baby has a virus too. Bloody and mucus is also clearly not great news and that can be an indicator for a bf baby with a food intolerance/allergy.

You've checked with your doctor. I don't think you should worry. Potential food allergies in a ebf baby are very rare and you'd be seeing other indicators:

From kellymom.com:
If a breastfed baby is sensitive to a particular food, then he may be fussy after feedings, cry inconsolably for long periods, or sleep little and wake suddenly with obvious discomfort. There may be a family history of allergies. Other signs of a food allergy may include: rash, hives, eczema, sore bottom, dry skin; wheezing or asthma; congestion or cold-like symptoms; red, itchy eyes; ear infections; irritability, fussiness, colic; intestinal upsets, vomiting, constipation and/or diarrhea, or green stools with mucus or blood.

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/food-sensitivity.html#signs

She wouldn't be happy, easy-going but possibly described as 'colicky' and you'd certainly see more signs than you are IMO.