Blood in nappy

[tex111]

DD, 3 months, has had blood in her nappy off and on since Thursday. It's usually mucousy and stringy but sometimes just a pink stain in her nappy. DD is bottle-fed and is taking Gaviscon for reflux. She's had some diarrhea, but we all seem to have had a tummy bug over the past week. She hasn't been constipated.

We went to the GP on Thursday and I left a sample to be tested on Friday morning. Unfortunately, it was the doctor that I trust the least so I don't feel very reassured. The blood is worrying me. Has anyone else experienced this?

Ok, if it is just a little pink stain in the urine then that is something different, and as far as I know completely normal. But actual blood in the nappy I have no experience of and, like you, would be worried. I hope someone else can advise you. If the GP does not reassure you, see somebody else until you get the information you need.

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we had very mucousy nappies with specks of blood from 3 months old with ds. Though he was solely breastfed they diagnosed dairy allergy [through milk protein from my diet into my milk.] It didn't totally resolve until i grudgingly introduced neocate formula [prescription only] into his diet. I kept breastfeeding and we are both now on a dairy free gluten free diet and he is doing really well. Push for a consultation with a paed gastronenterologist if it continues. The presence of mucous alone signifies that the gut is struggling with something. HTH.

Agree with Ruty.
We had this at 9 weeks with ds and he was terribly upset too. We took him to the hospital - straight to the Childrenward and refused to go until he's been seen. They diagnosed colitis and he had to go on Neocate formula too.

He grew out of his lactose intolerance and it has to be said if he was was he ate he's be a big lump of cheese!

DS had this from 6 weeks and progressively got worse and more frquent over 2 weeks. He had blood in his stools and loads of mucous. About 8 dirty nappies a day. The GP sent us to the hospital for assessment and turned out to be a cow milk protein intolerance. Things totally cleared up after we changed to Nutramigen formula (I still bf a bit for another 3 weeks on a milk products free diet). We had to avoid all milk products when weaning but we introduced it at 12.5 months and no problems at all now. It was so horrible and scary at the time and never believed he would grow out of it by one. I wouldn't leave it too long waiting for an unreliable GP to get the test results. I would go to A&E if I were you, just to put your mind at rest and speed up the tests etc.

Unfortunately, our surgery is closed today. They're sending the sample off to check for a bacterial infection.

The dairy allergy is interesting. Were there anymore symptoms? If DD doesn't have the Gaviscon in her milk she gets tummy pains, pulls her legs up and has very restless sleep. She's also extraordinarily windy. I know all babies can make some very loud noises but sometimes it's like letting go of a balloon! She does the longest, loudest bottom burps I've ever heard.

Bakacake, yes, almost every nappy is a dirty one since Thursday. I'm definitely going to see someone else about this.

i really think neocate would be better for your child than regular gaviscon in her milk. Is this just a gp prescription? I think you need to see a paediatric gastroenterologist ASAP.

Ruty, how can I make that happen quickly? I can only imagine that my GP will make it difficult. Getting the Gaviscon was hard enough. We do have private insurance but I think I would still need a referral for that. Any advice?

who diagnosed her reflux? Is the gaviscon making a difference?

I only ask because I know that milk problems can cause similar symptoms to reflux (the terrible wind, colic type pain).

If the sample comes back clear for any nasties/bacteria, tell the doctor that it is still happening (if it is) and he will probably have no choice but to refer you to a paediatrician. Hopefully, when you go back, you'll get an appointment with a doctor you trust better.

yes like foxinsocks says, try to see a more sympathetic gp. Actuially, because we were waiting on the NHS for a consultant and were worried, we went to see someone at the Portland in London, Mike Thompson i think [we had private insurance for ds but not for us ] who was great, but he could only give us a private prescription for neocate, and it is extremely expensive, something like 30 quid a tin. But if you had a private prescription, perhaps a better gp would give you an nHS prescription on the advice of a private consultant. Otherwise you can insist your GP refers you - your child's problems are quite enough to warrant referral.

tex I've just read your 1st post again and it could be possible your dd's bowel is just a bit irritated from her upset tummy. DS had one or two episodes of blood after a course of AB's that really upset his tummy. Also, if it was a milk problem, I think it normally presents itself before 3 months. Not sure though.

Anyway, I think when your baby has blood in their nappy, it is hugely worrying when you don't know what it is. It is certainly worthy of a visit to A&E if you are at all worried. We did the same as Meggmoo- were seen on the children's ward and refused to go away until things were resolved. Hopefully though, it's irritation from a tummy bug and maybe her reflux has worsened from being unwell too.

my ds's milk intolerance started at 3 months. sometimes it is an accumulative effect from birth. lso, as tex said her dd's nappies usuallu mucousy that made me think that the gut is not tolerating something. Only an experienced paed will be able to tell tho.

Ah, OK ruty I didn't read your post properly . I always thought it strange that DS didn't have any symptoms til 6 weeks but I guess you're right about the accumulative effect.

Update - took DD to GP again and was referred to a consultant. I saw them today and they diagnosed reflux (which I knew) and gastroenteritis (spelling?). I've got to take a sample to the hospital so they can double check for any nasties. The sample I took to the GP came back clear but they want to make sure.

I feel reassured as the GP was one that I trust this time and the consultant was very thorough. At first they thought DD might have an intestinal blockage but were able to rule that out, thank goodness.

Thanks so much for all the info. It helped me to trust my instincts and to get some help.

glad you got some help.

Unfortunately, this situation is ongoing. The diarrhea got worse and the frequency and amount of blood in DD's nappy increased. When I couldn't get an appt with our GP I took DD back to A&E after a very nasty nappy yesterday. They ran some more test and came back to the conclusion that it was viral and we would need to ride it out.

We did discuss the possibility of a milk allergy/sensitivity but they thought it was unlikely since DD doesn't have cradle cap, has no rash, eats well and has been gaining weight. I pointed out her symptoms that have been put down to reflux and the current systems and asked if they could all be related. They said it might be milk sensitivity but that there's no test to prove it and I could try a soy formula and see if it made a difference.

Those of you with babies with milk sensitivities, what were your baby's symptoms? How was the diagnosis made? Is there a soy formula that you recommend? I'm not terribly happy with the idea of treating DD like a guinea pig and chopping and changing her formula but at this point I'll try anything.

Ok, I have 2 plus me with milk intolerance.

Screaming often as a baby, complaining now as older child of stomach cramps after anythig with milk (I get the stomach cramps, worse than labour pains IMO), diarrhoea, a strange sort of detachment from the world, headaches, I get eczma all the time, ds3 not at all and ds1 erratically.

RE: formula, yiu need to exclude dairy to establish but I would personally avoid soya for longer than necessary- DS1 has had several teeth removed as a result of the high sugar, my cousin had to have all hers out by 5 for same reason. There are Nannys Goat formulas available which are good for some people, ds3 is prescribed Enfamil Lactofree formuls and I could eulogise about it for ages... it's fantastic, tastes nice (even I like it), doesn't smell either which is a boon.

sorry this is still ongoing tex but I'm glad you have been seen by a consultant

dd's milk problem was fairly obvious - dreadful vomiting, rashes (hives), horrible wind but hopefully someone else will see this and post because there are others who have children where the milk problems were not necessarily that obvious.

In your shoes, I would be tempted to try the soy formula. Unfortunately, babies can have sensitivities to soy aswell (my dd did) but I think it is worth trying just to see if it makes a difference (especially as the doctors have suggested this). I would just go with mainstream Wysoy (from the chemist) as she's still so little. It's not necessarily a life sentence of soy but at least you can try it and report back to the GP/consultant if you notice any difference.

Good luck

the person you saw at AandE would not be an paed experienced in these issues i think. I really think you need to see a gastro paed. My ds had some eczema, but only on his forehead, and he was a big baby. His only real symptom was blood and mucous in his stools. Neocate is quite high sugar too, but it seems necessary in cases like this. i just brush my ds's teeth and hope for the best, tho he is off it now and on rice milk with calcium. [he's 17 months]. My feeling is you should give neocate a try and see if it works. I too was told by gp and Aand E it might be viral for a while. Then when i saw two gastro paeds they both said it was a milk allergy. So push for that consultant or go private.

BTW we too found ourselves in A&E three times last year because of the blood in the nappy. Each time they were a bit puzzled after checking for structural problems and didn't really know what it was. very worrying when they just send you home with no idea!

Ruty, was the blood over a long period of time? It's been 11 days with DD and she's had blood in her nappy at least once every day, usually much more than once. I think I will make another appt with the GP and request a private refferal as you suggested. It is so worrying not knowing for sure what's causing it. I'm guessing the Neocate is prescription only?

yes neocate is prescription only. Yes, my ds's blood was over a long period of time, we'd had it for about two weeks by the time we saw a private paed, about four weeks by the time we saw the NHS one. I can't tell you for sure it is a milk allergy, but i would guess that a gastro paed would tell you to try neocate and see if it improves. AS i mentioned before, if you go privately, you will only get a private prescription for neocate, which means you'll have to pay for it, but your gp may then prescribe it on the advice of the private paed. It is so worrying, i was going out of my mind, but the right person should be able to improve matters.

ds was getting specks of blood in diarrhoea at first, then mucousy stools with darker streaks of blood - i was terrified. He was getting two a day at least. It might be viral in your case, i just don't know, but if it goes on you've got to see the right person to get it sorted.

any news, tex111?