It is normal for a child's stool to turn gray

Your baby and toddler will definitely need your help to change their diapers. If you change diapers and find that your child's stool is gray, you must be worried. In fact, is it normal for children to change the color of the stool? Come on, find out the answer below.

Is it normal for a child's stool to be pale gray?

Baby's stool can be yellow, green, brown, black, red, even grayish white. In babies who only drink breast milk, the stool tends to be bright yellow.

After he starts eating a variety of foods, the color of the stool will turn darker. However, food can also change the color of the stool to green and brown. This generally occurs if the child eats a lot of green vegetables or grapes.

However, red stool can also indicate the presence of blood in the stool. This condition can certainly be a sign of certain medical conditions. So, if the child's stool is grayish, should you be worried?

Quoted from John Hopkin Children's Hospital, it is very rare for babies or children to pass white, gray, or pale yellow stool. The reason is, in the first few weeks of life, babies will have a bright yellow or brown stool color.

Meanwhile, the Seattle Children's Hospital website states that children's feces that are gray or white tend to belong to children who only drink milk. This can also happen if the child is taking medications, such as aluminum hydroxide (antacid) or barium sulfate.

Not only that, this pale stool can also indicate that the child has damage or blockage in the liver or bile ducts.

Some liver and bile problems that cause gray stools in children include:

• Have hepatitis A, B, and C
• Have an autoimmune disease that attacks liver function and liver cancer
• Biliary atresia, which is blockage and swelling of the gallbladder while still in the womb
• Cholestasis, which is reduced bile flow which results in bilirubin entering the bloodstream and causing jaundice. This condition can result from untreated biliary atresia.

When to see a doctor

If the child's stool turns gray, don't panic yet. Panic can make you even more anxious. Apart from feces that turn pale, there are several other signs that require you to immediately take your little one to the doctor, including:

1. The length of time stool color lasts

Take your child to the doctor if any pale, pale yellow, gray, or white stools occur 2 or more times a day.

If your child has only had one gray stool stool that day, pay attention to the color of the stool the next day. If it has passed 24 hours, the stool is still pale, immediately see a doctor.

2. Watch for other accompanying symptoms

Changing the child's stool to gray due to liver and bile problems, usually accompanied by other symptoms, such as:

• Nausea and vomiting
• The baby looks lethargic even though he usually looks active
• Babies have swelling in the ankles and hands

In addition to a physical exam, the doctor will ask the child to undergo several medical tests such as blood tests, imaging tests, and a biopsy of the liver.

Most importantly, don't panic just yet, because panicking will make you even more anxious and find it difficult to think clearly.

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