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Toddler's diarrhea is characterized by three or more watery stools per day that persist for 2–4 weeks or more. [2] [6] Newborns and infants may normally have soft and frequent stools; however, any noticeable changes in stool frequency or form (i.e. watery) can indicate toddler's diarrhea. [7]
Blood in stool looks different depending on how early it enters the digestive tract—and thus how much digestive action it has been exposed to—and how much there is. The term can refer either to melena, with a black appearance, typically originating from upper gastrointestinal bleeding; or to hematochezia, with a red color, typically originating from lower gastrointestinal bleeding. [6]
The presence of bright red blood in stool, known as hematochezia, typically indicates lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Digested blood from the upper gastrointestinal tract may appear black rather than red, resulting in "coffee ground" vomit or melena. [2] Other signs and symptoms include feeling tired, dizziness, and pale skin color. [18]
Oily stool, a.k.a. steatorrhea. Steatorrhea refers to bulky, foul-smelling, oily stool that tends to be pale in color and float in the toilet bowl, resisting flushing.
Eating beetroot can cause harmless red-colored feces because of insufficient metabolism of a red pigment, and is a differential sign that may be mistaken as hematochezia. Consumption of dragon fruit or blackberries may also cause red or black discoloration of the stool and sometimes the urine (pseudohematuria). This too, is a differential sign ...
A mucous rectal discharge may be blood-streaked. With some conditions, the blood can be homogenously mixed with the mucus, creating a pink goo. An example of this could be the so-called "red currant jelly" stools in intussusception. This appearance refers to the mixture of sloughed mucosa, mucus, and blood. [12]
In the US, infections causing gastroenteritis are the second most common infection (after the common cold), and they result in between 200 and 375 million cases of acute diarrhea [17] [18] and approximately ten thousand deaths annually, [17] with 150 to 300 of these deaths in children less than five years of age.
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