Talking about toddler’s poop is surely not very glamorous. However, a mom cannot ignore certain topics especially if there is issue such as very soft toddler’s poop.
It has been quite some times now that my son’s poop is very runny. The frequency of the bowel movement is quite regular. He does poop at least twice a day or sometimes more.
Of course, this is totally fine. What worry me is how loose is the stool most of the time.
Normal vs loose stool
Well, I won’t show any picture to avoid any disgusting emotion. But, you surely have an idea.
Normal stool in children are supposed to be formed. The size and shapes change accordingly to the quantity of food eaten. Also, the smell should not be too repulsive.
In opposition, loose stool are just the one which has unformed shape. It’s mushy and watery. And, as for my son, there are sometimes undigested food particles in the poo.
Nothing to worry about…
A few months ago, I did address this issue to a healthcare practitioner when doing the routine check up at the baby clinic. She did not seemed alarm by my concern. She just wanted to make sure it was not diarrhoea. As it was not the case, she told me there was nothing to worry about but if I still have concern I can always discuss this with my son’s doctor.
By searching online to get more information about the subject, I’ve realized there are a lot of mothers who are experiencing the same issue.
Actually, loose stool in children are called toddler’s diarrhea. Not to be confused with the normal diarrhea, which is very liquid.
According to Patient.info website, toddler’s diarrhoea is common among young children (1 and 5 years old) especially in boys.
They added that toddler’s diarrhoea is not serious and the child is fine.
This website is owned and written by health professionals, and also accredited by NHS England’s quality mark. So, obviously, they know what they are talking about.
Still not convinced…
And, yet, there is something that still bothers me about this mushy stool, not even to mention the terrible smell linked to it.
I wanted to know more and then decide what to do in order to improve my son’s digestion system.
Obviously, if my son’s poop issue was just occasional like after eating a very greasy food (which is rare), I would not be worried. But, it is now almost systematic. And, in the past, he did have normal poo.
Very soft poop does indicate something
So, I continued searching for more answers, and then I found the blog of Robin Ray Green, a paediatric acupuncture specialist. You can check the full post here and do watch the video as well. It is very informative.
According to her, a child who has soft stools is a sign that he/she is not digesting the food very well. This is what I always thought specially when I see food particles in the poo. But, according to “patient.info” it does not mean that.
So, what to believe, who to believe?
The doctors from the website Patient.info mentioned that toddler’s diarrhoea is not due to an intolerance of a type of food. However, the paediatric specialist mentioned earlier, said that food sensitivities could cause loose stool.
I suppose it may be true because two days ago, my son has a poop explosion after drinking cow milk (he drinks rarely cow milk but does have often yoghurt containing cow milk).
Also, not to forget that like some adults, strong emotions (fears or anxiety) for whatever reason in the child can cause very soft stool.
In addition, Dr Green, the paediatric specialist said that loose stool might be associated with frequent illness, stomachaches, poor appetite, chronic sinus congestion, runny nose or throat clearing, allergies and fatigue.
Strangely enough, I don’t know if it is a coincidence (I believe that nothing happen by chance), since a few days, my son has a persistent blocked nose. I’ve used a physiological serum to clean the sinuses. I’ve noticed a bit of improvement but the congestion is still there.
Action Plan
Now, my plan is to monitor carefully what might be causing very soft or explosion poop for my son. Could it be after certain foods or/and when he is upset?
In the meantime, I have planned to re-introduced probiotics in his diet. In the past, I used to give him probiotics for breastfed baby when he was much younger to help his immune system. Since the bottle is empty, I could not find any suitable for toddler without sugar.
Now, I am glad that I’ve stumbled upon this paediatric doctor website. She suggested using Flora Boost from Ortho Molecular.
I have ordered it and hope I will be able to give a feedback after a certain time (maybe in a month time depend on when I receive the product and how long my son will have used it). So, please do check the Product review page in a near future.
Remember, to consult a doctor if you want to use any remedies in case of contraindication.
In conclusion, I do believe that my son’s very soft poop issue does indicate some underlying issue. By investigating and creating a plan to heal loose stool, I should be able to see an improvement. Otherwise, I will need to go to see a paediatric doctor to make some analysis.
I will keep you update on the subject.
Please, do let me know your story and let us know if you found a solution that you can share here. Thank you in advance.
