Bleeding bottom - cause for concern?

[aufaniae]

DS is just 4. I wiped his bottom just now and the tissue was red with blood. I looked at his bum and he had blood which had come from his anus.

He had just done a poo.

The blood on his cheeks was dry, but he had been on the toilet for a while! It was very red, my dad suggests that that means it's fresh, so less likely to cone from further inside his body.

My dad (who usually gives good medical advise) says quite possibly a small tear from the poo, and to monitor, if the same happens next time, or seems to be bleeding later then seek advice.

What do you think? Would you be concerned, and seek more advice at this point or wait and see?

Hopeful bump!

ds(8) had problems like this for while when he was 5-ish.

he used to have HUGE poos that were rock solid so was pretty sure it was small tears from struggling to pass them.

asked doc, who never examined him, but asked about his diet and told us to give him more fluids/fruit/veg (he previously refused a lot of fruit and veg so we made a huge effort to get him to eat more) and it eventually sorted him out

Hi, I have come across this both with DS and also lots of times as a health visitor. Yes your Dad is right about source of the blood. Does your DS suffer with constipation?

It's likely to have been a hard and constipated poo that's done it.

It is worth seeing the GP though as sometimes if they get bleeding it makes pooing more painful the next time so he might well need a mild laxative to keep everything soft iyswim

DS had real poo problems for a good while but thankfully it's all now sorted.

Hope that helps .

DS1 also had this when he was little, it was a little tear from being constipated.
Lots of fruit and drinking plenty of water sorted it.

Ds1 had this too. He seems to have had a "slow bowel" and irregular bowel habit, until he was about 9. I think it caused a small anal fissure.

I sorted it by switching to wholemeal bread, pasta and rice and increasing his fruit, veg and fluid intake. I also gave him a small daily dose of lactulose to start with; the problem eased almost immediately and his bottom stopped bleeding and now, 2 years on. he's fine.

Thanks for the replies everyone :)

He does usually get a fair amount of fruit and liquid. Been away visiting ILs and has had a lot of chocolate different diet for the last couple of weeks. I'll make sure to up his liquids tomorrow, and try to avoid foods which can constipate.

Will try more wholemeal too.