Conference moira::parenting

    nancy,
    
    Is this red bloody or coffee-ground colored bloody?  If it is the
    former, it sounds like there is a fissure somewhere near her rectum. 
    If this is the case, when she starts on solids again, you may want to
    make sure you use whole-grain rice cereal or add bananas to the
    processed rice cereal to keep things flowing more smoothly.  She may
    have strainsed someting hard enough to open a fissure up.
    
    I am only guessing here.  FWIW being an IBS person, I have learned from
    experience that these fissures will often self heal with a little more
    attention to diet.  However it takes time.  Definitely see your Dr.
    about this.
    
    meg

    It could be some kind of virus.  My son is 4.5 yrs and had a loose 
    bowel movement at nursery school and they called me because there was
    blood and mocus in it.  I called the doctor she said as long as there
    was no pain, cramping or nausea associated it was probably a virus.  
    This only happened once and two days later another girl at his school 
    had the same thing.  
    
    Regards,
    
    Mary    

    
    My husband had the same thing earlier this week. Since the baby is so
    young though (under 6 months) I would still call the doctor. Be
    prepared, they may want a stool sample, i.e., a dirty diaper with the
    bloody mucos.
    
    Patty

    I just got back from the doctor.  I brought last night's diaper and one
    from this morning.  The one last night definitely had blood, the one
    this morning did not.  (They ran tests on the stool sample).
    
    The doctor was baffled, she called a specialist from Mass General
    who was also baffled.  My doctor examined for fissures - there were
    none.  It was a very thorough examination (ouch).
    
    I asked if it could be a virus, the answer was no.  I asked if it
    could be something in my diet, the answer was no.  (I have had no
    deviations from my normal diet), my only vice is a cup of ice cream
    now and then.  I eat incredible amounts of food, because if I don't
    I can (for the first time in my life) lose several pounds a week from
    all this nursing.
    
    Th doctor said to basically wait and see, she thought it might be a
    reaction from last week's squash....it seemed like she was grasping at
    straws trying to come up with a reason.
    
    Meanwhile I have to collect stool samples and bring them in to be
    analyzed every day.
    
    If anyone had recommendations for a pediatrician in Massachusetts, let
    me know.  I would prefer to get another opinion on this if possible.
    
    Thanks for all the comments so far.
    Nancy

    nancy,
    
    Your Dr may be on to something with a reaction.  

    
    re: .4
    
    My son Alex had blood in his stool once.  His pediatrician said that
    the irritated bowel linings takes a long time to heal and that its not 
    always possible to correlate the cause of the blood to what was
    eaten on that specific day - it may have been something several
    days before.
    
    Have you just started eating the ice cream occasionally or have you
    eaten it all along?   The baby could be reacting to dairy products
    that you eat.   When she had a bad reaction to formula, was it
    a milk-based formula or soy?   That may be an indicator of her
    ability to tolerate the milk protein.
    
    cj/
    
    
        

    My daughter Samantha had blood in her stool when she was an infant
    also.  The pediatric gastroenterologist diagnosed it as an allergic
    reaction to something she was eating.  She was on formula and we had to
    change her formula. 
    
    I wonder if breastfead babies can have allergic reactions to something
    you are eating ?

    A friend of mine has a 3 year old granddaughter, who was told by the
    mother that the 3 year old is having blood in the urine.  She (the G/M)
    isn't aware how much or how frequently or what else is involved. 
    Possibly there is pain in the stomach too.   Supposedly
    the pedi did not find a cause, but I'm curious if anyone else has
    had similar experiences that I might be able to tell her about.
    
    Thanks
    
    
    

    Blood in urine can be caused by a bladder or kidney infection.
    The pedi should rule out infection fist aand send the girl to a 
    specialist ASAP.
    
    nancy

<    Blood in urine can be caused by a bladder or kidney infection.
<    The pedi should rule out infection fist aand send the girl to a 
<    specialist ASAP.

I second that.  Wendy Thomas (and Marc Nozell) wrote for a time about
one of their children who had *major* problems with this.  Have this
checked right away.

      Carol