While a change in a child's stool color can be alarming to parents, stool color discolorations are not always a sign of serious illness. To know how to handle a stool color that is anything other than brown or tan, parent must recognize which stool colorings may be cause for concern based on an understanding of a child's dietary habits, and which require medical attention.
Causes
Stool color changes are often the result of dietary intake, according to PediatricEducation.org, and are often the result of dyes placed in foods, medications and drugs. Everything from fruit juice to non-toxic crayons can lead to a stool color change, so it is important to rule out dietary choices when evaluating potentially serious problems.
Color Variations
Stools can range in color, and parents may notice their child's stool are green, black, red, yellow, or hues of these colors. The color is not nearly as important as the cause, notes PediatricEducation.org.
Harmless Colorings
Medications like the antibiotic ampicillin or the anxiety medication Diazepam, along with foods like Jell-O and rehydration drinks given to infants have red food coloring that can change stools red or pink. Heartburn medications with aluminum hydroxide can cause stools to appear chalky white, says PedicatricEducation.org, and foods like black licorice, blueberries and green-leafed vegetables can turn stools black. Formula-fed infants are likely to have yellow-tinged stools, while the stools of babies who are exclusively breastfed are often greenish in color.
Causes of Concern
There are times when stool discoloration is cause for concern. Parents who rule out diet and find their child has black stools should consult a doctor to rule out ingestion of lead, charcoal or coal. Parents should also be aware that white or clay-colored stools are a symptom of intestinal malabsorption problems, while light gray or pale yellow stools are a sign of blocked bile ducts. Gray or yellow stools are also a symptom of barium ingestion, which Intermountain Healthcare says can occur from drinking water contaminated with high levels of the element barium found near untreated drinking sources near barium waste sites.
Bloody Stools
Blood in the stool or red-tinged stools are often a sign of digestive tract bleeding caused by inflammation, irritation or infection according to KidsHealth.org. Passing hard stools, known as rectal fissures, can also cause blood in the stool. The amount of blood will depend on its source. Parents should consult their pediatrician whenever they are concerned about red or blood-tinged stools.
