Baby Not Passing Stool - When to Worry?

It is natural for you to feel distressed if all of a sudden your baby stops passing stool. Stool passing is crucial for babies because it helps in eliminating waste, bacteria, and undigested food. Thus, you need to monitor stool frequency in your baby to identify potential signs of constipation or other stomach disorders.

It is advisable to consult the best child specialist in Siliguri or a location of your convenience if you observe any abnormalities in your baby’s stool passing. In this blog, you will learn the warning signs that you should not ignore if your baby is not passing stool.

Know When To Worry If Your Baby Is Not Passing Stool

Here are the most prominent warning signs that need to be monitored if your baby is not passing stool:

• Newborn not passing stool within the first 48 hours: This must not be ignored or delayed because it might be due to intestinal obstruction or functional blockage. There is a rare condition called Hirschsprung disease that indicates missing nerves in the intestine, which in turn leads to a failure of stool passage. Thus, immediate medical evaluation is required if no stool is passed within the first 48 hours after birth.
• Blood in the stool: This can be caused by tears in the anus that make it difficult for the baby to pass stool. In addition, it can be caused by cow’s milk protein energy. If you observe a large amount of blood being passed that is accompanied by fever or diarrhoea, then immediate medical attention is necessary.
• Hard and pellet-like stool: This is a common sign of constipation that can be caused by dietary changes, dehydration, or temporary illness. If your baby is not passing stool frequently or passing every 3-4 days in the form of pellet-like stool, then it is advisable to consult with a paediatrician near you. In addition, the presence of blood in the pellet-like stool is a major warning sign.
• Vomiting and lack of stool: If your baby is vomiting without passing stool, then it can be a potential warning sign. This is because conditions, such as severe constipation, bowel obstruction, or dehydration, can lead to such symptoms. Thus, it is highly advisable to seek expert help if your baby is vomiting forcefully and not passing stool for several days.
• Bloated and tight belly: A bloated and tight belly, along with not passing stool in babies, can indicate potential constipation or sometimes a serious blockage. Although it is common for babies to have distended bellies, a hard belly that remains firm between feedings requires medical attention. In addition, the presence of high fever with a hard belly and non-passing of stool must not be neglected under any circumstances.
• Extreme crying or distress while passing stool: If your baby is crying or is distressed while passing stool regularly, then it must not be ignored. This is because conditions, such as constipation or bowel issues, may lead to such distress. Therefore, consulting a child specialist near you is highly recommended if you observe such symptoms so that any underlying health issues can be ruled out.

Why Should You Consult a Paediatrician for Stool Passing Issues In Your Baby?

These are the top reasons to consult a paediatrician if you observe stool passing issues in your baby:

• To differentiate between normal and abnormal stool passing issues: The stool passing pattern of babies is not stagnant. Thus, it becomes difficult to differentiate between normal and abnormal stool passing patterns. A paediatrician has all the relevant knowledge and experience in terms of identifying normal stool patterns and abnormal stool patterns.
• To treat painful bowel movements: If your baby is crying excessively or clench the back to pass hard stool, then a paediatrician or child specialist doctor can help provide safe remedies. The remedies can prove to be immensely effective in terms of easing the pain or discomfort that your baby experiences while passing hard stool.
• To address chronic constipation: In situations where a baby has less than 3 bowel movements a week, it can be due to constipation. The worrying aspect about constipation is that if it remains unaddressed, then it can turn into chronic constipation. Thus, a paediatrician can prevent such conditions by offering relevant treatment and medications.
• To address associated symptoms: Some of the common associated symptoms with non-passing of stool among babies are persistent vomiting, swollen belly, and refusal to eat. Thus, seeking clinical intervention can address such associated symptoms based on offering a holistic treatment approach.
• To ensure early detection of serious underlying conditions: Although not passing stool is normal among babies, sometimes it can be due to underlying conditions, such as neurological issues or Hirschsprung’s disease. Thus, seeking clinical intervention from an experienced paediatrician can help in the early detection of potential underlying conditions, which in turn leads to timely treatment.

Final Thoughts

Non-passage of stool is common among babies, which can be caused by various reasons, such as dietary changes, dehydration, or digestive problems. However, it is also advisable not to neglect major warning signs, such as newborns not passing stool within 48 hours of birth, or prolonged stool delay accompanied by fever, pain, and vomiting.

If you want to rule out the potential of underlying conditions causing your baby not to pass stool, then consulting a top paediatrician, such as Dr Brahma Dev Singh, is highly recommended. This is because such experienced child doctors can accurately identify the root cause of stool issues in babies and also suggest safe remedies.

Do not let the worry about your child not passing stool cause mental distress. Consult the best child specialist in Siliguri or a location of your convenience.