It is scary to see blood in stool, particularly if it is a child of yours.
The scary surgical emergencies such as necrotizing enterocolitis, when intestine becomes weak and can rupture, intussusception, when one part of the intestine is telescoping into another part and volvulus, when one part of the intestine wraps around another require emergent medical intervention. Emergency room visit is required in above cases.
For kids of different ages there are different considerations.
Newborns and infants may have blood in stool due to allergy to milk. That has to be attended with appropriate formula change.
Kids of all ages may develop anal fissure with blood due to hard stool and a lot of pushing.
Hemorrhoids produce blood in the stool and/or toilet paper while wiping. It happens with constipation, excessive stool pushing, excessive pressure on the abdomen due to physical activity at any age.
Eating contaminated food with some bacteria such as salmonella can lead to sudden bloody diarrhea and may require hospitalization. It has to be differentiated from bloody diarrhea of ulcerative colitis (chronic inflammatory bowel disease) by laboratory testing and colonoscopy.
Inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease may have an insidious onset with failure to thrive and weight loss. It needs special laboratory, radiology work up followed by endoscopy and colonoscopy.
Your pediatric gastroenterology doctor will be able to help you and your child by directing proper work up to achieve proper diagnosis and treatment.
If you have any questions regarding your child’s situation do not delay scheduling an appointment at www.gastropediatrics.com/schedule
Author Dr. Erena Treskova