Blood in baby poop. Mucus in baby poop. What does it all mean? If your baby is breastfed, you may be scratching your head…
Isn’t breast milk supposed to protect against allergies? And do good things for baby digestion?
In short, YES. In addition to macro nutrients and micro nutrients, breast milk contains:
- Cytokines, which help modulate the immune system
- HMOs, a prebiotic that feeds good gut bacteria, binds to harmful gut bugs, enhances the gut barrier, and supports the production of SCFAs (short chain fatty acids, important for baby immune health)
- Immunoglobulins, which support baby immune development and – like HMOs can bind to harmful gut bacteria while also feeding good bacteria
- And good, probiotic bacteria
And also…
Breast milk (and some formulas) can contain common allergens. And these common allergens can trigger tummy troubles.
👉 Blood in baby poop can indicate a condition called FPIES, or food protein induced enterocolitis syndrome. And if we want to get even more granular, blood in baby poop is most often a symptom of chronic FPIES.
A list of FPIES symptoms
Just as our understanding of FPIES has evolved over time, how we define FPIES symptoms has also evolved.
Currently, FPIES is defined as a non IgE food allergy. And there are delayed symptoms after a trigger food is ingested.
Acute FPIES symptoms include:
- Profuse and repetitive vomiting 1 – 4 hours after consuming a trigger food
- Pallor, or pale face
- Lethargy, or increased sleepiness
- Diarrhea
- Resolution within a few hours
- Shows up in older babies, around the time solids are introduced
Chronic FPIES symptoms include:
- Intermittent vomiting
- Baby poop that looks like diarrhea
- Mucus or blood in baby poop
- Fussiness
- Shows up during early infancy
Sometimes FPIES shows up with IgE sensitization. And this is called atypical FPIES. It’s been estimated that atypical FPIES makes up 5% – 25% of cases. And it’s thought to be more common for cow’s milk and egg.
Diagnosis of blood in baby poop and FPIES
Watery baby poop with blood, mucus, or both is a sign of chronic FPIES…
What is chronic FPIES? See the list above.
While acute FPIES shows up when beginning solid food and in older kids, chronic FPIES is thought to exclusively affect babies in early infancy. In other words, chronic FPIES symptoms begin within the first few months of life.
And it’s estimated that 99% of chronic FPIES is in response to cow milk or soy formula. Buuuut I’ve worked with enough parents who breastfeed to know that blood in breastfed baby’s poop is more common than it sounds.
As far as diagnosis goes, if it’s not visible, you can measure occult blood in a baby’s stool.
Otherwise, there are currently no lab tests or imaging tests to confirm a FPIES diagnosis. A positive oral food challenge can give confirmation, but it’s not necessary.
Common FPIES food triggers
At first, like way back when in the 1970s, FPIES was observed in response to milk or soy formula. Then, in the 1990s, there were reports of cases triggered by solids, such as:
- Rice
- Chicken
- Green peas
- Oats
👉 And now, we understand that almost any food can be an FPIES trigger.
Location and cultural food trends matter too. For example, cow milk reaction is pretty common worldwide. But…
- The US and Australia sees more response to oat, rice, and egg,
- Europe reports seafood and egg as common triggers.
- Japan says eggs are an emerging trigger.
And other countries have identified grains along with bananas, sweet potatoes, and white potatoes.
65% – 80% of littles have FPIES to a single trigger. Also… FPIES to cow milk or soy early in life can mean an increased risk of response to solid foods. And reactivity to one solid food can mean a greater likelihood of response to other foods. Especially grains.
How to manage acute FPIES symptoms with baked cow’s milk
In the first months of life, avoidance of cow milk and soy – either through breast milk transfer or through formula – usually helps to resolve chronic FPIES symptoms.
Afterall, cow milk and soy are the most common triggers of early, chronic FPIES.
When beginning solids, cow milk can also trigger acute FPIES symptoms. Along with egg, cow’s milk is one of the most common food triggers, regardless of location or cultural food trends.
But why baked milk?
Remember: Unless it’s atypical, FPIES is non-IgE mediated.
When we think of food allergy, we’re usually thinking of a type of response to common allergens that is IgE mediated.
Which means we see a quick response and symptoms like hives or even anaphylaxis, which is a whole body reaction that requires immediate attention. Skin prick test and blood test can be used to diagnose IgE allergy.
In order to navigate IgE milk allergy, we generally want to start with baked milk. Since baked milk is often well tolerated. And baked milk can even speed up the resolution of IgE milk allergy.
🤔 But is baked milk also a good starting point for non-IgE allergy, like FPIES?
Well, a small study with babies 6 – 24 months old looked into this. Researchers found that babies with milk FPIES may have a good tolerance to baked milk. Because this was the first study of its kind, more work definitely needs to be done.
And also, it suggests that…
- Baked milk in toddlers with milk FPIES is safe and well tolerated
- Kids older than 12 months old were more likely to do well with baked milk
- As the immune system matures, toddlers are able to tolerate baked milk protein first
Take care of your own health when managing blood in baby poop and chronic FPIES
Chronic FPIES is often best handled by removing the trigger food. Remember, we don’t want this to be a forever thing.
This can mean switching formulas. Or, when breastfeeding, doing an elimination diet.
☯️ Traditional Chinese herbal medicine can also offer relief. Click here to schedule a call.
When doing an elimination diet, be sure to work in small steps. The most likely triggers are cow’s milk and soy. So, start there. And make sure you’re getting adequate nutrition. This means:
- Plenty of nutrient-rich, homemade (or made-for-you) food, which includes fermented foods
- A prenatal that makes sense with your diet; more about that here
- Fatty acids, like DHA and GLA; Nordic Naturals is fabulous
My now 8 month old son first showed signs of allergic protocolitis at 2 weeks old (there was never visible blood in his stool, but it was positive for microscopic blood when tested, and it was very watery, explosive, and mucousy. He also spat up A LOT). I cut out dairy and soy under the guidance of my pediatrician, and we saw some good improvement. But over the next few months I also had to cut out gluten, all other grains, and egg, and we continued to have symptoms. I tried eliminating almost everything at one point or another, but finally settled on the above eliminations as the main culprits. When he was 6 months old I started taking prescription pancreatic enzymes, and saw a massive difference within 3 days. Finally we started having some stools without mucus. Now, at 8 months old, I am still soy, gluten, dairy, and egg free, but I have stopped the enzymes and my son is also eating many different fruits and vegetables, and his stool had been blood and mucus free for weeks now. He also very rarely spits up now. It was a tough and stressful journey, but I am grateful to my son for leading me to better health through the elimination diet. I don’t plan on returning to eat any of the things I eliminated, as I feel much better without them. My heart goes out to any other mama going through this, but hang in there! It’s so worth it to finally see your baby thriving in every way.
Hi Skye,
Thank you so much for sharing your story <3 ! Glad to hear you're seeing improvements.
xo,
Megan
What do you eat then?
Right? 😉 The AIP diet is usually a good place to start, but you can modify it to include those foods you *can* eat (for example, maybe seeds aren’t a problem for your little one). Here’s more information on the AIP diet: https://aiplifestyle.com/what-is-autoimmune-protocol-diet/
So happy to see this! I’ve been reading your posts while dealing with my baby girl’s dairy allergy and always thought that more information about this has to go out there. I feel that breastfeeding support is key, because an elimination diet is quite (or can become) a difficult and lonely journey. From Argentina, this is my story (spanish) http://proyectonatal.com.ar/recorrido-en-singular/
Thank you Megan!
Thank you , Lucia!
Love this! I would add though, that I went on the elimination diet with all the above foods you mentioned and most of the time all was well. However, even with all of those eliminated, he still had sporadic eczema outbreaks always followed by bloody stool. Turns out the culprit was shellfish. We finally had testing done and along with my food diary it fit the picture perfectly. Just a thought to add to the list of foods! We have no family history of asthma or food allergies so it’s been a strange experience.
Hey Allison,
Adding to the list now. Thanks for the heads up (;
xxo!
Hi everyone.
First time mom.. my two months old baby girl just started having some blood in her stool, one day before her 2nd Month birthday. It’s been 6 days since am eating boiled rice and boiled chicken with some potatoes, onions, ginger and garlic. Still some blood is there every now and then. Very scared what’s going to happen. How long does it take to resolve? Can I eat potato chips fried in vegetable oil? What about fruits? Do I have to survive in boiled chicken and rice for as long as i breastfeed?
This is Neevee, from California!
Nive from California…
Hi. I just thought I’d share my experience. My bub had mostly green mucousy poos for almost 3 weeks, I noticed a huge improvement as soon as I eliminated onion and garlic. Almost immediately they returned to mustard yellow colour. Just another thought.
Hope you find some answers!
Alliums! YES, good one. Thanks for adding that, Katie xxo!!
My son is 4 months old and his first stool with blood was 3 days ago. My wife barely produces any milk and our baby is fed formula which is prescribed by the Pediatrician (Milumil Pronutra HA Start Optima Hypoallergenic). His stools exactly matches the description as being soft, frothy and filled with mucus. The blood present in his stools is light red and within mucus. Our baby’s mood is normal, he does not present any symptoms such as pain or eczema. His apetite has not changed, but he poops more often then before. Everything described on the website matches, other than him almost exclusively being fed formula. After the first bloody stool, my wife stopped breastfeeding him. It is also valid to point out that his first bloody stool appeared 2 days after he had his vaccine against Pneumococcus PCV (2nd shot) and the multi vaccine against Diphteria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Poliomyelitis and H Influenzae B (3rd shot). He did not present any symptoms after the first shots of the same vaccines. His second day into his bloody stools had a break with one of the stools presenting a darker bloody mucus, and the following stool was absolutely normal and presented no blood and no mucus at all.
Hey Rubens,
Thank you for sharing your story. When it comes to baby’s developing immune system, there are still many unknowns.
I hope your little one is doing better, all the best xxo
Megan
Hi,
I hope you see this, as I see this comment was posted years ago. I have been searching the web for weeks about this and you are the first to mention the link between blood and mucus in stool and this vaccine. My baby got all these symptoms the day after the second dose of these as well. Perfectly normal breastfed baby poop up till the day of the vaccination, green mucus filled poop with blood ecer since. Every doctor I have told this too has dismissed the idea of any connection between the two but I am convinced they are correlated. However, I do find that certain foods (dairy, eggs etc.) trigger these symptoms and make them worse, but even with eliminating everything I can think of from my diet, the poop has never actually gone back to normal. I will now try the digestive enzymes and hope to see a drastic change. Your baby is now 4 years old, correct? How did this whole thing end for you? What worked and when? How is your baby’s digestion and health now? Thank you so much for contributing to this post!
Brenda, mom of Phoenix
Hello there,
I am so glad that I found this page , my daughter started having blood specks in her poop when she was 1.5 month old (also just one day after her vaccination), I eliminated dairy and soy but the blood specks were still there though the freequency got reduced, after one month of dairy and soy free diet , I eliminated wheat , eggs, peanuts and treenuts, her poop got so much better with constant yellow color and no visible blood . Occasionally I saw tiny spot of blood if I have consumed wheat or egg but otherwise everything was good. Now she is 5 months old and since couple of days I am observing very tiny specks of blood and I am so confused that which food triggered that since I am following the same diet. My question is when will this be resolve and how to start her solid journey as I am so scared that what will trigger her as sometimes the blood specks are so random .
PS : she has no other symptoms other than tiny specks of blood , she otherwise a happy healthy baby
Hi Pallavi,
This indicates inflammation and really happy to hear that removing common allergens was helpful. And YES, with conditions like this or eczema, the big concern for parents is how to approach solids and trigger foods.
I prefer using Chinese herbal medicine in conjunction with slowly adding these foods to your diet (since you’re breastfeeding) and then to you daughter’s as she begins solids.
The situation may resolve on its own as her immune system develops and gut stabilizes (the gut microbiome on average is “mature” at 3 years old and there’s a lot of immune priming that takes place before 6 months old).
Hope this helps xxo!!
Hi Meghan,
Thanks a lot for reply , where can I get this Chinese medicine and is this for me or my baby as well?
Hey Pallavi,
I work with patients to determine this.
And the herbal medicine is directly for baby, through a TCM herbal supplement or bath.
xxo!!
Hi Brenda,
I see your comment is couple of years older but would be helpful if you could let me know that how things work out for you ? Did you get any particular food which was triggering or how was your journey with solid food ?
My second baby didn’t have the bloody stool but she had terrible acne, her skin was very red, she didn’t have very many poopy diapers, she was inconsolably crying the majority of the day. All of those things resolved themselves when I stopped eating diary! I also can’t eat onions or spicy foods but cutting diary was the game changer for her! My oldest has an awful egg alergey but I never noticed it affecting her if I ate it (I pumped milk for her and supplemented with formula) . Unfortunately that was her first food and how we discovered how allergic to them she is :/
So sorry to hear this, Brooke! It can be so hard when trying to comfort a colicky baby and trying to pin down food intolerances. Both cow milk and eggs are HUGE triggers. I’m glad you figured it out. xxo
I am so desperate for help. My daughter is 4 months and exclusively breastfed. She has had blood in stool since 2 months. It’s every day either streaks or flecks. As soon as I saw the blood, I eliminated dairy and soy. Since 2 months I have been to my ped. And pediatric GI. Both said probably dairy and maybe soy allergy because she is happy and healthy. I have slowly also cut out the top 8 allergens as well as beef and have not added them back in. Still no change. She is happy, good sleeper, good eater but still blood in stool. I have tried the TED diet recommended by Dr. Sears (only turkey, rice, potatoes, pears, squash/zucchini, rice milk) for a week and a half. No change! I called the the GI and he is recommending an endoscopy and something else, which absolutely terrifies me, the thought of putting her under anesthesia! I’m willing to do whatever. I just want to continue breastfeeding and the blood to go away. Based on this article you wrote, I am going to try and eliminate potatoes and rice this week as my last “Hail Mary.” I also am going to add that supplement you recommended to help digestion. This emotional roller coaster is killing me. Any words of wisdom would be much valued!
Hi, my infant experienced the exact same thing – in 1998. We did go to UCSF to do an endoscopy, and they didn’t knock her out- they just went in and out very quickly while I held her on my chest. What they found was “excessive lymph tissue” that seemed to bleed. They told me they were seeing this trend of otherwise seemingly healthy babies with blood in their stool, that it seemed to last until around 6 months old, and then it stops. And thats exactly what happened with my kiddo.
However, now she is 19 and having diarrhea several times a week, and I can’t help but think back to that time….is this “unknown” rearing its head again?
It’s hard to say – although, gut dysbiosis can be a factor, regardless of age. It’s something that can take place with prescription medication use (and most folks have been on meds at some point) and that baby can inherit. Has she been on antibiotics recently? Sometimes this can trigger C. diff overgrowth and diarrhea. Sending love to you both <3
Hi, did you ever figure out how to eliminate the mucus? We have exactly the same story and I have cut so much
YES. A combination of prebiotics and probiotics gave the quickest results. Have you tried that yet?
Feel free to email if you have more questions, xxo!!
How do you take them i mean which ones did work the best and in which order? I saw you recomend few but I wasn’t sure were they for the baby or for you?
Thanks a lot
Hi there! Your story sounds similar to mine! I was wondering how everything turned out for you? My baby has had blood in her stool for 3 months and I’ve been off dairy and soy for more than a month now – saw some improvement at first and then it came back. Less explosive diapers though for sure since cutting out dairy. I’m looking into TED and I’m taking a probiotic and soon going to try the enzyme. I’ve been so discouraged. She’s been happy and growing well and the doctor isn’t too worried, but I’m at my wits end. Anyways i would appreciate hearing the rest of what happened if you have a chance!
Hi Natasha,
Your message is a year old but how is your little one doing? I am now at wits end and really want to hear out what happened to those who overcome the period
I hope you get this message. Thanks!
hi. i have same problem. please tell me what u did and what happened?
Hello,
I’ve read your story. My baby is facing the same things too. She is 2 months old now. She’s happy, sleep well, eat well, doesn’t cry. And she has been pooping red for a month now. I would like to know if your baby did endoscopy? And how is your baby now. What was your baby condition called?
Hi Huysang,
I hope you get this message. You left this is in June. I am faced with same problem for two weeks now. How is your baby now? How long does it take to heal???
Thanks a lot!
I know this feed is very old but I am currently going through the same thing. What happened with your little one?
Hi Michelle!
I am currently going through the exact same thing with my three month old. I have tried eliminating everything but rice and potatoes. Been to ped and gi and both said milk protein intolerance as she is happy and healthy. They suggested I put her on neocate which is the last thing I want to do. Did your issue ever resolve?! I’m at my whits end 🙁
Hi what ever happened?
Hey Megan,
My wife and I have a 1-month old that recently moved from mustardy poops to more yellowish or mainly green mucusy looking poops. We exclusively are breastfeeding him. My wife has no problems producing to the point where the milk comes to quick for him. One night he seemed overly fussy and we noticed a couple strands of blood in his stool. His rectal temp was just over 99F and we were a little concerned. He ended up feeding and falling to sleep fine. He woke up with a normal temp and his temp has been good since. He is gassy a lot after feeding and we are noticing more green poops, some with strands of blood still. I’m wondering if it wouldn’t be a good idea to start him on a probiotic and get some probiotic for my wife as well. I saw a list of recommended products in your article. Could you provide me with your latest recommendations? Also, is the prebiotic only for mom, or was that also for the baby? Thank You!
Would you recommend the probiotics for a baby less than 2 weeks old? I feel like most of these are for 6months+. My son has painful gas and troubles getting it out. He has greenish mucousy, watery poops, often they seem like explosive wet farts with very little solid waste. He is breastfed.
Hi Megan
My son passing red mucus since 9 months.we showed to pediatric doctors and they prescribed antibiotics but it doesn’t help then we went to gastric doctor.he did colonoscopy and taken biopsy. Result is normal nodular lymphoid hyperplasia and he prescribed food allergy medicine. We cut down dairy products, egg,and soy. But which doesn’t help .now doctor want do meckels diverticulm test and other test.we have appointment next week. The kid seems healthy and play well. He doesn’t show any discomfort during passing stool. It has been very tough to us. Please give any advice
Do vaccines affects if my baby has CMPA?
Hey Andrea,
It’s hard to say but some folks speculate a connection between food allergies (many times egg or cow milk) and vaccines.
Hey, glad to have found this article and these comments! My 2.5 month old started having bloody, mucousy stools at one month, and I’ve been dairy soy free since then, egg free for two weeks. Nothing has improved other than she doesn’t seem to be in pain passing them now, but still all mucousy and loose, and occasional blood specks. My pediatrician said not to worry about trying to cut out more foods as they are so infrequently an issue it will be a wild goose chase to track them down, and not to worry about the diapers if the weight and milestones are fine. But I haven’t seen anyone who has done exactly that. (i.e. “given up” on trying to determine allergen). Are you saying as well that a little blood in the stool/mucous resolves on its own? I’m so torn as to what to do next
Hi Sarah,
How did this work out for you? I am also on the verge of giving up and just accepting the bloody flecks.
Our baby had jaundice and was a little slow to gain back weight so when she was 1 week old they tested her for occult bleeding and they found it. They had me cut out dairy (despite there being no other symptoms). My milk came in that day, and her weight gain picked up. She is now 62nd percentile for weight (6 weeks old) and still seems totally healthy. Every time we go to the doctor, they test for blood and keep finding it. They have asked me to take out soy, too. This confuses me. Is the occult bleeding with no other symptoms really all that serious? Should I add back dairy and see if there is a difference?
Hey Anna,
It’s hard to say without knowing more. Occult bleeding is worth avoiding if you can while continuing to breastfeed.
Hi Megan! My EBF 7 month old has had dark green loose stools, sometimes even liquidy or with mucous, on and off for weeks. Does this type of stools make you think dairy problem in my diet? I have started Mary Ruth’s Liquid Probiotic. Thanks!
Hey Mel,
Dairy may be an issue. It’s hard to say without knowing more. I really like the GutPro Infant probiotic, it’s more $$ than others but it lasts well over a year. Hope this helps xxo!
Hi!
I am stumped with my son too! He’s happy, gaining, sleeping no skin problems. We are dairy, soy, corn and egg free. Just wondering if I need to cut out all corn like xanithan gum and citric acid too?
Hey Christy!
I would need to know more to give any feedback.
xxo!!
Hi,
I am so so glad I found your site. I live in Mongolia and there are zero sites that discuss about allergic colitis. My baby girl is 3 mo, we have bee misdiagnosed twice for bloody stool. Doc put me and her on Fluconozale for two days citing yeast infection when we first had green mucuosy poop with blood spots and last when we had streaks of blood. She suggested I eat apples, which I did and b/c I was convinced I had yoghurt. Since then it has been 8-9 diarrhea a day with blood. Fortunately, a week ago we visited another doc who said allergic colitis. I tried elimination diet but not working so two days ago I stopped breastfeeding 🙁 Number of diarrhea is on the decrease but still see blood. Blood is not in spots or streaks it is alarmingly a lot. But my baby is thriving-sleeps well, plays well, eats well. I read the blood stops not from the moment you stop but stops when the colon gets healed. So was wondering how long did it take for your babies to heal? 1-2 weeks? Is it dangerous? can it develop into ulcer or other complications?
Hey Khulan,
I think it’s a good idea to continue breastfeeding, even with blood in stool. There are so many benefits to breastfeeding and baby’s immune system is going a lot of changes. With formula, that can be a trigger itself and even elemental formula for sensitive babies sometimes does not give improvement with blood. After working with parents I have found that when baby is thriving, the bloody stool is temporary.
One thing I do recommend quite often for babies is a prebiotic and this is because it can help modulate the immune system. Please keep in mind that I am not a doctor and I’m speaking purely from experience. I hope this helps xxo!!
H! I’m so happy to have found this. My baby has had blood in her stool since 2 months of age. She is now 5 months and I have cut out dairy, soy, wheat, tree nuts, chocolate and eggs. She has improved but does relapse. I went to a pediatric GI specialist in Boston and she wants me to switch to formula like it’s no big deal.
The number one ingredient of the formula she prescribed is corn syrup solids–55 percent! My daughter is healthy and in the 95th percentile for height and weight. She does have discomfort passing stools sometimes. The GI is worried she could be anemic and not absorbing the protein she needs. I want to continue to breastfeed and am heartened by everyone’s stories. I’m going to try the enzyme and the AI or Ted diet. Thank you for empowering me to continue to breastfeed!
Hey Anna,
If I was in your situation, I would definitely stick with breast milk. I have worked with mothers who have a similar story and even if baby accepts the formula – it may not resolve the problem and occult tests will still come back positive.
If anemia is a concern, you can start now or soon with solids. And center meat and other iron-rich foods. Also, baby needs very little protein. And formula tends to be too high in protein. So it’s thought this is why it’s linked to excess weight in adulthood: the excess protein upregulates insulin like growth factor 1.
Also, allergen exposure matters! So you do want to get those foods back into your diet – and into your breast milk – to protect against the later development of food allergies.
xxo!!
Thank you so much for this post, I’ve been on the up and up with our baby. I found the irritants (corn, soy, dairy, oats, rice, wheat, onions) and have stirred clear from them. Still battling some patches on skin here and there but bloody stools rarely happen, only IF I eat something with the irritants mentioned above.
Our pediatrician said it’s fine as long as baby is alright, growing and happy, which he is thankfully.
Was your baby okay with occasional slip ups and light bloody streaks whenever you had an irritant by mistake?
Which probiotics would you recommend for me, a breastfeeding momma?
Thanks again!!
Hey Levi,
With time, you can generally expect a greater tolerance to these foods. Baby’s age is a factor.
For probiotics, I would use one that works for your body. Certain strains will have their own unique effects. In general, I like Seeking Health’s probiotic for women.
xxo!!
Hi there,
Wow best thing I’ve read since dealing with this. My 14 week old started having streaky red blood in his poo last week, there are days with out it and then just a tiny bit. It is mucusy too. He strains when he poos, sometimes worse than others. I am exclusively breastfeeding, I don’t eat dairy or soy, but I’m thinking it has to be something else in my diet.
My GP said if it keeps happening I should get an ultrasound sound and see a paediatrician. My son also has an umbilical hernia. I thought we were in the clear because it hadn’t happened in 3 days but today I noticed a tiny bit of blood and my heart just sank.
I also notice when he feeds, sometimes he crunches up, like he’s cramping. He’s so happy, feeds and sleeps well and is definitely in the healthy weight range.
Just about to send off stool samples, so hoping for some answers.
Alisha
Hey Alisha,
It sounds like you’re right and it may be something in your diet – sometimes this can be hard to pin down. And even without visible blood, there may be occult blood in stool samples.
In my experience, food allergies/triggers can show up differently for differently babies. Baby’s immune system is learning so it’s often temporary. Which is great news! And it’s so good to hear that he’s sleeping and gaining well.
From a TCM perspective, umbilical hernia can be related to digestion. And – depending on the type of hernia – there are herbal formulas to successfully address it. Something to keep in mind and possibly explore in the future!
Thank you for sharing your story xxo!!
Hello .This is the best website i have come across regarding blood in poop.My baby showed few drops of blood in poop a couple of days ago.It was accompanied with mucous . We ran a test on the stools and it revealed occult blood. It seemed to have stopped after a few days as we noticed no drops of blood evertime my baby pooped.Now three days back i noticed some drops of blood again .I had consumed prawns yesterday and realised that prawns were the culprit. I stopped the intake of prawns and everything else which is mentioned on the website.Her poop seems to have gotten better with very less spots of blood with every passing day. I would kindly like to know as to how long does it take for the poop to be completely fine and with absolutely no remnants of blood visible once the suggested foods or the problematic foods are stopped ? Thanks again for all the help.
Hey Anna,
It doesn’t take long, about 3 – 4 days once the trigger food is removed.
Just be mindful that you do want to eventually bring these foods back into your diet, ideally before starting solids and in small quantities. In order to build immune tolerance.
xxo
Thank you Megan for your reply.
A quick update. I just noticed two dots of blood yesterday. I had a wee bit of tartar dip for dinner along with chicken. Could that be the culprit?
It’s possible that eggs may the issue! Eggs and dairy are extremely common allergens.
Hello everyone. I m relieved that I m not alone in this. My baby girl is 5 months old, and we ve been having streaks of blood in her poop since she was 2.5 months old. First I stopped dairy products. To be followed later on with soy, nuts, eggs and finally wheat. Now it has been almost 3 weeks since I last ate wheat, and my baby s still having occasionally minimal streaks of blood. To note that I m consuming oats and rye flour. Any ideas what to do next? And concerning the reintroduction of allergens, how to do that and in what order ?
Thank you all
Nastia
I tried Dr. Sears’ diet first (rice, potato, sweet potato, squash), and determined that it was rice pretty quick. Added wheat back in and blood came back. Blood comes within 24 hours with us. I am still learning, but maybe try rice!
I know this feed is very old but I am currently going through the same thing. What happened with your little one?
Going through this now any advice? Constant mucous and specks
Hi Kayla,
This post is more than a few years old and need to be updated, since there is new research on the topic.
In the meantime, you can email me hello@megangarcia.com if you have any questions xxo!
Please check your email
I realize this is older post. But my daughter started getting small like pin head specks of blood in her poo just over two months (right after her vaccines which I find strange) she did always have a lot of spit up tho but always happy and content and slept well. I have been off dairy and soy off and on as it seemed like it wasn’t the culprit as it still would show up once a week or two to three times a week. Fast forward to 5 months…I went strict, dairy, egg, wheat, soy free (with one day of accidental dairy and soy hidden culprit) for two weeks…I have seen the most consistently the last five days and it’s been the longest off all those foods. I have never seen it so many days ina row…she did have Covid two weeks ago. Is that coincidence that there is more GI issues after Covid or a brand new culprit food? She spits up way more thicker spit up and more spit up in general as well. Feeling defeated that I can’t find it out. Whatever foods we have consumed I have had many times with no issues so can they just randomly appear? Thanks!
Hey Richelle,
Yes, it’s most likely related to covid. And also, may involve food – but I see covid as the primary immune trigger. Typically I see respiratory allergies and eczema flares after covid.
So, next move would be balancing immune response. Especially since solids are coming into the picture. IMO Chinese medicine herbal medicine is really great here. Also making sure she has *plenty* of bifidobacteria to support gut health and immune balance. Smidge Infant is one of favorite probiotics.
Hope this helps xxo!!
What kind of Chinese medicine is reccomended for a baby? Thank you
Hey Richelle,
I take patients for this. You can sign up here: https://megangarcia.janeapp.com/#staff_member/1
Hi Richelle,
How is your baby now? My baby also started having blood in her stool when she was 6 weeks old and then after elimination diet it got so much better but after she turned 5 months old i have started seeing blood more randomly few events after reintroduction of triggered food and few I am not even sure why, and now as she is about to turn 6 months old after started solid she is relapsing frequently. Dr is asking to switch her on neocate and also asking to get her ultrasound blood test and colonoscopy done. I am scared as hell and at the edge of breaking my head.
So relieved to come across this blog! My 7 weeks old has been having dark green poop for a few days now and today we discovered strings of blood and mucus in her diaper!
As per asian origins, I will try going off Dairy and gluten as first attempts!
Her blood seems to come from anal cuts and seems in pain because if that! 🙁
She is also experiencing nasal mucus.. are these all signs of poor digestion?
What prebiotics do you recommend?
Thank you for your work! Your blog is a gem 💞
Hey Elisa!
Dairy and egg are common triggers, so you may want to start there. Be sure you are also well nourished! When removing foods, we want to make sure you’re getting enough nutrients for yourself and breast milk.
And yes, the congestion is a sign of TCM “dampness.” From a functional medicine perspective this may be due to histamine, or an allergy type immune response. In other words, it makes sense.
I would make sure she’s getting a bifido probiotic. Your breast milk contains HMO prebiotics (so that’s great) and see how she does when removing dairy and egg.
**Since it sounds like you’re breastfeeding, be sure to reintroduce these into your own diet before beginning solids**
Common thing that I see is avoidance of foods once they’re removed. And we don’t want to do this. If this sounds like a lot, I have a first foods class here.
Or we can schedule a call here and do some herbal support.
xxo!!
Hi Megan Thank you so much for your feedback!
I actually have an old version of the first foods ebook class ! I loved implementing the teachings with my older daughter, so I will definitely take it into account while introducing solid to the little one!
I am on my 2nd day off Dairy, and still don’t see much of a difference! I should maybe stay off gluten too? ( I live in France and It Is extremely hard!)
In how long should I see results after being on an elimination diet?
And would love to schedule a call, but it is now a little bit out of budget 😔 hopefully next month!
Thank you!
Elisa
Okay! I updated the class last year, there’s some new content that may be useful when starting solids. And you can also email me 💗
It doesn’t take long to see a shift off dairy, I would give it a full week but it may take less to see an improvement. For gluten, I would remove if it’s an issue *for you* or as a next step after gluten.
Egg is another very common trigger to keep in mind. Hope this helps!