If you’ve ever changed your toddler’s diaper and noticed an unusual color or consistency, you understand the stress it can bring.
We recently sat down with world renowned doctor and pediatrician Dr. Greene to learn more about toddler’s poop; it’s color, consistency, and frequency.
The below toddler poop guide helps parents know what their toddler’s poop may mean.
Toddler’s Poop Color
Look out for the following colors of your toddler’s poop.
Black Toddler Poop
The most frequent causes of black stool are blood in stool and ulcers. If you see black poop in your toddler, get it checked out.
Red Toddler Poop
Red stool could be a problem or completely harmless. The main causes of this are blood in stool, ulcers, eating beets, eating red food coloring. Before you call your doctor, consider what they’ve been eating.
White Toddler Poop
White stool is very uncommon, but in most cases, it means either acholic stool, blockage, or a gallbladder problem. If your toddler is experiencing white stool, get it checked out.
Green Toddler Poop
Green stools alone can be normal. However, if green stool accompanies diarrhea, fever, or other abrupt changes in your toddler, get it checked out.
Brown, Tan, or Yellow Toddler Poop
Brown, tan, and yellow are all normal stool colors.
Toddler’s Poop Consistency
Overly Hard Stool
If your toddler has overly hard stools or trouble pooping, you may want to look to these main causes:
The D3 cycle. The D3Cycle stands for discomfort, dread, and delay. It’s common among toddlers who experience occasional hard stools. They feel discomfort once, then start dreading going to the bathroom. This dread causes a delay which can make matters worse.
Allergies. Your toddler may be allergic to many things in their diet. Some of the common allergens include nuts, milk, and certain fruits. If your doctor thinks their hard stool is being caused by allergies, try a simple elimination diet.
Type of potty. How your toddler goes to the bathroom may affect their stool. Since squatting is the most natural position, adult-sized toilets can cause a kink in the system. Insist on using a toddler-sized potty.
Runny Stool
There are many causes for runny stool, the most common being diarrhea. If your toddler suffers from diarrhea, seek fast relief with Children’s DiaResQ, a food for special dietary use that promotes digestive health and provides important nutrients to the digestive tract. Made with colostrum, DiaResQ is safe for kids as young as one year old.
If your toddler is not experiencing diarrhea, but still has runny stool, it may be caused by one of the following:
Lactose intolerance
Teething
Allergies
Bad ear infections
DDD Cycle
If your toddler has runny stool for more than three days, call your doctor.
Toddler’s Poop Frequency
Each toddler is on a different pooping schedule, and some may poop more than others. However, a general rule of thumb is that if your toddler poops less than every other day, get it checked out with a doctor.
On the flip side, if your toddler is experiencing more than three loose stools per day, they likely have diarrhea and need relief and hydration.
Other Factors
If you see the presence of blood, mucus, or pus in your toddler’s stool, seek medical attention.
Your Toddler
Every toddler is different, and you know your toddler best! The above information is only a guide and should not be taken as medical advice.
Always ask your doctor if you are concerned that your child has abnormalities with their stool.