Red mucus in the stools of children is generally caused by an anal fissure. More than 90 percent of children with blood-streaked stools have an anal fissure, according to Children’s Hospital Colorado. Anal fissures are so common that 80 percent of infants have an anal fissure by the time they’re 12 months of age, reports PubMed Health.
Identification
Your child may struggle while having bowel movements because of the level of discomfort as stools pass through the rectum. Blood will tinge the outside of the stool and a small amount of mucus is sometimes found on the stools. The blood is often noticed when your child wipes after having a bowel movement, since the blood is bright red on the toilet paper. Sometimes drops of blood land in the toilet during bowel movements. The anus often itches or appears irritated, and a visible crack is often present.
Cause
Constipation, chronic diarrhea and large, hard stools often lead to anal fissures. Your child’s risk of anal fissures increases if he strains during bowel movements. A diet that lacks fiber and fluids makes your child susceptible to constipation and hard stools. Dehydration from not consuming enough fluids also increases your child’s risk of anal fissures.
Treatment
Anal fissures usually heal without treatment within a few weeks. Cleanse the area with a wet towel after bowel movements and pat the anal region dry with a towel. Avoid scrubbing and vigorous wiping, which irritate the area and worsen the fissure. Give your child a sitz bath by having him sit in warm water for 20 minutes several times per day. Numbing creams and petroleum jelly can ease painful bowel movements and make it easier for your child to pass stools with a fissure. Your child’s doctor can prescribe a stool softener to ease discomfort while your child passes stools. Ensure your child gets at least 25 g of fiber each day by eating fruits, veggies and whole grains. If the anal fissure is severe and not going away, surgery is often needed to relax the sphincter. Botox injections to the muscles of the anus can reduce spasms and pain from a chronic fissure.
Considerations
Bloody mucus on your child’s stools does not always indicate an anal fissure. A skin infection from a streptococcus bacterium can cause blood to be present on the stools. Bacterial infections that cause diarrhea, such as salmonella and campylobacter, can also cause blood on the stools. There are several foods, drinks and medicines that can give stools a blood-like appearance, such as beets and penicillin.
Medical Attention
Even though an anal fissure is likely causing your child’s symptoms, always consult with your child’s pediatrician anytime bloody mucus is in the stools. A fever, vomiting, nausea, body aches and overall malaise are not symptoms associated with an anal fissure. Blood in the stools indicates there is bleeding somewhere along the digestive tract and it's difficult to determine the location and cause of the bleeding without examining your child. Cauterization or a chemical injection could be needed to stop the bleeding.
References
- PubMed Health; Anal Fissure; Sept. 21, 2010
- Children’s Hospital Colorado; Stools-Blood In; Barton D. Schmitt, M.D.; Aug. 1, 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Anal Fissure; Aug. 31, 2010
- Aurora Health Care; Anal Fissure; Debra Wood, RN; September 2010
- John Hopkins Children's Center: Gastrointestinal Bleeding or Blood in the Stool
