to want this investigated - 5.5m old digestive issues and no solid poops

[OnNaturesCourse]

Posting in here for more traffic.

Heading to GP about this but have already been palmed off and dismissed before and today on the phone the GP actually said to me "well, what do you want done about it..." so looking for some guidance and support.
My 5.5m old has never had a solid poop - ever. Occasionally it is paste texture but 95% of the time its coloured water. Ranging from bright green to yellow/light bright to (just recently) maroon.
Was very colicy when first born and actually struggled to poop even though it was just water...so was on Aptamil Comfort milk pretty much from the start. Then gaviscon and omeprazole as started being sick after every feed and screaming more than not.
Seemed to settle after the indroduction of the meds in terms of the discomfort however the poops remained loose and stinky. Then got to the point where every nappy change was a dirty one and most were blow outs so GP suggested trying a milk free formula.
This was 5 weeks ago. The dirty nappy frequency reduced to two or three a day but every one is a blow out watery one. DC is extremely gassy too - I can hear the nappy being filled from another room with the gas and watery sounds. Sometimes when we change DC there is streaks like they've tried to poop but couldn't, or poop water has just leaked out. Then yesterday there was a streak but it was maroon like old blood. It was maybe about the size/amount of a 50p. Had five dirty nappies yesterday none with this maroon colour, all water and all green. Also passed undigested food (gets veggies to chew on in baby led weaning and for teething)
I'm at a loss as to what to do now as GP all seems to think this is normal? One of my older children had food allergies as a baby and had similar issues but not to this extreme so my gut is telling me something is going on.
Baby is gaining weight fine which is another reason GP isn't that concerned but baby is nearly always hungry and is draining 8-9oz bottles every 2.5-3hrs. No hard tummy, and no signs of being tender etc.
With the GP now saying to me "what do you want done about it.." and " what is it you think it is?" I feel a bit like I'm being over dramatic in wanting this investigated?
Has anyones little ones had similar? What was the cause and outcome? I'd like to go to the GP armed with information.

My eldest had similar, although never any blood. But horrendous green poo from the start. GP wasn’t concerned as she was always within a normal weight range, although not tracking on her percentile. She was nearly 8 when she was diagnosed with coeliac disease. They say it doesn’t show up before solids introduced but I think there were signs!
I don’t know if that’s helpful but I wish I’d had a baby before her so had the confidence to know it wasn’t normal. I would I push for an allergy screen including coeliac but they might make you wait until solids are introduced.

@RhodaDendron that's interesting about the solids as my GP is now trying to blame weaning for the issues but the issues were there before baby got a bit of broccoli to chew on.

Hmm. It’s so tricky, they are such little mysteries! How is he sleeping? Did your child with allergies have similar poos?
I wish I’d taken loads of photos of my DD’s poo and shown to GP. Obvs you need proper advice really but did want to share my experience!

My other little one had very green frequent poos but definitely not this loose or explosive.

GP today finally took pity on us and has given us a referral to peds for further checks.

Crohn's perhaps?

Hope the tests go well. So hard for you.

Poor thing! Sounds very stressful, and I'd be seeking a different GP's opinion.

My breastfed baby started having red poo or brown poo with red flecks between 3-6 months. Went to the doctors lots, they took a culture to see if it was a gut infection eg salmonella or listeria. It was all clear.

We never worked out what it was, the poo went to brown solid at around 5 months (still exclusively breastfeeding). And the blood never came back. It was soooo worrying though. I have tons of blood nappy pics on my phone

Does milk free formula have soya in it? As read that cam often be an allergen alongside dairy

My son had terrible tummy issues, was on comfort milk no meds but his poo smelled foul was green and loose. He was also on antibiotics at birth due to sepsis (in nicu) saw a paed dietician as they weren’t sure if it was an allergy but she felt pro biotic were worth a go and helped massively. Baby poo generally isn’t firm, it is soft but shouldn’t be as watery etc as you’re describing. Introducing solids changes it too.

Can you think of anything that you’ve given or has happened at the same time as the watery poos happened?…hopefully paeds can help you’d have you spoken with your health visitor. Write down his poo/frequency texture and how much he’s taking via milk/solids so you have reference if you’re asked in an appointment. Hopefully it’ll settle down in the meantime doesn’t sound very nice, my sons used to be worse if he was teething and his poor bum was raw and face would break out with all the saliva he dribbled everywhere. My son is now much older a walking food machine and no further issues but was a stressful time.

Not sure why you’d expect a solid poo from a milk fed baby or why you’d be giving it broccoli. Hold back on the veg and try a bit of porridge if you must but I’d wait till past 6 months.

No changes to cause the issues as the issue has been there since birth - I can't see it getting better or worse in that type of pattern either

Same as first poster, my DD was the same and also diagnosed with Coeliac disease aged 3 (no one else in family has it so it was a surprise). From birth she was extremely colicky, no solid BMs, often explosive - as you describe, basically. Doesn’t really explain it though as obviously she wasn’t eating gluten until she was weaned at 6+ months. I think perhaps they are born with a sensitive tummy as I have heard similar from others with coeliac children but could just be coincidence.

I would definitely hold off on the weaning for now.

Mine had huge explosive pood every 5 days but were breastfed, sometimes it was green if I’d eaten too much sugar! It settled once on solids quickly

My little one still wasn't having solid poos at 2: celiac. The pain suggests an issue. Worth asking x

I haven't rtft but none of my three children had anything even resembling a solid poo until they were well established on solid food. Liquid stools in babies whose diet is only milk (or almost only milk) is totally normal.

But surely every nappy being like that isn't normal. My others weren't like this. And it's not that it's not solid. It's pure water

Why wouldn't it be normal? Milk is mostly water. And it's not that I've forgotten as my youngest is only 7m. His nappies are a mix now of liquid poos from milk and some that are now a thicker consistency when hes eaten more solid food. I've always been told that's totally normal, never really given it a second thought. They change as they age and become firmer when they're well established on solids. The only people I know whose babies didn't have liquid poos had long term issues with constipation which obviously was an issue.

Watery poos are definitely not normal. Especially not in a formula fed baby whose on solids.
Mushy, paste like or curry sauce can be normal but not water.

Contact your health visitor or go and talk to them at baby weighing clinic.

Unless your baby is reliably and firmly sitting up then 5.5 months is early for BLW.

Another poster has already asked this - is the formula soy based? A lot of babies with CMPA are also allergic to soya, you can get completely amino acid based formula. I’d pursue that as an avenue if you can

I think it does contain soya so I'll mentiom that to the GP. Going to speak to them again today as baby has started throwing up clear liquid randomly and violently. (did this to a lesser extent when younger and had reflux) this is combined with the ongoing spit up episodes.

Poops have reduced to once or twice a day since Friday but they are still complete liquid - so much so that it's absorbing into the nappy when not leaking out.

Baby has eaten nothing new in the last week.

Neither of my kids had solid poos till they started solid food but I think all other symptoms thst you mention sound a lot like dd. Lots of very runny and explosive poos, at least 4 times a day. Often green so didjt spend much tkme in digestive tract. Gassy, bloated ahd a bit colicky. It was only much, much later that we picked up on that she is lactose intolerant.

The maroon colour in the poo would worry me a bit. Did you take a photo? If ask the gp to be prescribed special lactose free formula. I don't know if formula contains gluten but if it does it might be worth seeing if you csn get one without and try that as well (though not at the same time)

She is going to start weaning soon so keep an eye for intolerances and allergies.

Good luck. I'm not sure if you have got anything to worry about but it doesn't sound entirely normal to me. I'd keep going back to the gp and maybe suggest an elimination diet (I.e. the equivalent with formula).

We have tried a lactose free formula as that is in the family but symptoms persisted..

Was the poops your children had just water? Not paste or thick water? My older children were paste, sometimes looser when weaning (occasional blow outs etc)

Update : got moved onto a milk and soya free formula, and removed this from his diet as well. Almost instantly better. Referred to hospital where consultant confirmed nappies that are running water are not normal nor are the other symptoms ongoing for so long. Referred to dietitian who said babies with milk allergies are more likely to have soya issues as well. On their advice continued with free from diet and formula before reintroducing normal formula one scoop at a time to watch for reaction - it happened in 24hrs and continued for 48hrs after. Done the same with the soya - slower reaction but happened. Dietitian confirmed allergies on this basis and advised to continue the free from diet until 12 months then be reviewed again.