What causes mucus in baby stool?
There are many possible causes of mucus in baby stool. It may just mean that your baby has been drooling more than normal. However, mucus in poop can also be a warning sign of a medical problem, like an allergy or infection.
The intestines make mucus to help stool pass through smoothly. Sometimes, this mucus can end up in your baby’s diaper. When your baby’s poop contains mucus, you’ll probably notice that the inside of their diaper looks slimy. The poop tends to be a greenish color, with shiny strings streaking through it. The mucus may look jelly-like, rather than string-like.
If your baby has been drooling a lot recently, the mucus may just be from undigested saliva. Babies can drool frequently when they’re teething. Excessive saliva in digestive tract and teething pain may irritate the intestines, which increases the amount of mucus in baby’s stool. Babies who have infections, like strep throat or tonsillitis, can also drool more than normal until they start feeling better.
Some babies are allergic to cow’s milk proteins. This type of allergy is known as allergic colitis, — around 2 to 3 percent of babies have it. Usually, symptoms appear within the first two months of a baby’s life, though they can appear later. Symptoms can include blood or mucus in the stool. Babies with allergic colitis can also vomit or have diarrhea. If your baby has this milk allergy, you may also notice that they’re very fussy.
Mucus in baby poop can also be caused by an infection, like a stomach flu. These infections irritate a baby’s intestines, so they can lead to inflammation and mucus. If your baby has an infection, they may have other symptoms in addition to the mucus in their poop. They could have a fever, or they could be irritable.