Mumsnet Talk

Help! My baby is 5 and half months and has always had some gut issues we have suspected. he was uncomfortable as a new born and used to grunt all night long and arch his back etc, tried infant gaviscon for reflux. He then got the point more recently where he only poo-ed every 3 days or so but when he did it was expolsive to the point where we needed to cut his clothes off and bath him! The poo at this point was green / yellow and very slimy, not solid in any way.

The dr did a blood test for lactose intolerance - came back negative. Then put him on dairy free formula in case of cows milk intolerance. BTW he also has some infantile excema. This changed his bowel pattern straight away, he started going more frequently, very very green poos and very very mucousy - texture of egg white, really slimy. He got to the point after being on the formula for 2 weeks where he is pooing so often (even changing his nappy all through the night) that his bottom is on the point of bleeding bless him.

The dr has said switch straight back to original formula (aptamil 1) and see what happens next. I have also asked for referral to consultant. He hasnt had any sort of formefd or solid stools for a good couple of months now. I have not started weaning him yet but did start baby rice around the time this all started getting worse.

Any ideas/ experience / advice / support gratefully received!

No advice/ experience sorry but every time I go to the Dr with bad bowels (have very bad IBS) they always check that there is no blood or mucous coming away with stools so I would go back to Dr and really push to see what's happening.

Did I read right? You started giving your child solids around three and half months? Perhaps for him this was a little early and you should lay off solids a bit? Just a thing to try, no reason for thinking it will work. I assume the Dr already knows he is on solids.

Hope all goes well x

Thanks, no he is not on solids, just a few spoonfuls of baby rice once a day from 15 weeks as he was a big baby and started waking at night. He doesnt seem hungry for more yet luckily as they keep telling me to hold fire until we have sorted this. The mucous suggests irritable bowel to me too, just hope we dont have to wait long for consultant.

You definitely need to push for a Gastroenterologist appointment.

Seems like something is irritating the gut.
Mucous is normally a sign of inflammation.

Once a Gastro specialist investigates, they will most probably suggest a better formula.
What dairy free formula was he put on?
Hope he is feeling better soon.

another request for what formula yr child was put on?!!!, sounds like you needed a fully protein changed milk formula, like neocate, rather than partially changed. if formula was a fully changed, it takes weeks for improvement to start, due to inflammed gut linings, normally 6 weeks.

night waking is very common for babies with food intolerence, prop up feet or head shoulders as tummy pain as gut flattens in bed is really painful.

blood tests for food intolerence are not very reliable, if testing for igG.

history and milk being main food does explain the cause imo.

get reffered to a doc,and ring them to get a missed appointment every day. you dont get anything sorted unless you fight for it.

Thanks for the advice. It was nutramigen formula and I understand what you are saying about the neocate. It kind of confirms my suspicions. I spoke to the GP today, he is going to expedite the referral if possible and I have the name of the consultant he has been referred to so now can hound the secretary for info.

GP says neocate is usually helpful when the baby has a severe allergy so would expect them to have sudden severe symtpoms, severe excema etc and doesnt think my son has those signs. he also says what is most puzzling is how the nutramigen made him so much worse on the diarrhoea front although he does admit it doesnt 100% rule out milk allergy.

Keep you posted!

I would also suggest Neocate or pepti junior. Good Luck.
Hope your child is feeling better.