Your baby’s feelings of discomfort might depend on whether his or her digestive system is okay. That said, infant stool varies from baby to baby, day to day. Stools can be yellow, green, or brown, with consistency from applesauce to play dough, and still be considered normal. However, you need to be able to detect abnormalities to take action for your baby’s health.

Baby constipation

Several factors can lead to your baby becoming constipated, having difficulty passing stool, passing stool that is hard and dry, or having bowel movements less frequently than usual:

• Eating solid foods for the first time: It’s possible that some of the foods you feed your baby for the first time — such as rice cereal and oatmeal — don’t provide enough fiber to promote regular poops.
• Dehydration: The body, when not properly hydrated, absorbs fluids from whatever your baby eats and drinks, including fluid from waste, leading to passage of firmer stool.
• Illness or other medical conditions: Some babies develop diseases or have underlying medical conditions that result in chronic constipation. Check with your doctor if your baby has difficulty passing stools.

What can you do to ease your baby’s constipation?
Exercise the legs to break up the hardened stools in her bowels, or gently massage her stomach if symptoms continue. Do not give your baby over-the-counter stool softeners unless advised by your paediatrician or healthcare professional.

Baby diarrhea

When your baby’s stool suddenly becomes more watery and frequent than normal, she might have diarrhea caused by an infection, or an inability to properly digest certain nutrients in her food.
 

When should you sound the alarm?

If the diarrhea becomes excessive in frequency or volume, or if you notice any of the following symptoms, call your paediatrician or healthcare professional:

• Blood or mucus in stools
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Irritability
• Refusal to eat
• Decreased or coloured urine
• Decreased activity

If baby constipation or diarrhea continues or worsens, talk to your healthcare professional.