Pediatrics

Slimy stool in the baby

introduction

Bowel movements in babies can be very variable in color, consistency and texture.
Sometimes slimy bowel movements also occur.
The contents of the diaper can appear damp and shiny and the mucus can be deposited on the stool.
In most cases, slimy stool in infants is largely harmless and occurs naturally during teething, for example.

Nevertheless, parents should then pay close attention to their child and notice warning signs such as diarrhea, blood or pain at an early stage so that they can consult a doctor in good time.

If your baby has diarrhea and you are looking for treatment options, check out our article:
Diarrhea in the baby - these are the treatment options

What are the causes?

excessively swallowed saliva when teething
Change of diet
Allergies, for example to food
Food intolerance
Gastrointestinal infections
after prolonged use of antibiotics
less often after vaccinations

Antibiotics

A typical reason for slimy stool in infants is taking antibiotics for infections.
The intestinal flora is unbalanced by antibiosis.
As a result, an increased amount of mucus can be found in the diaper.
If it is only a one-off addition of mucus or if only a little mucus is generally visible, it is usually worth waiting for a day until the symptoms go away on their own.

However, if the infant shows other symptoms such as diarrhea, blood contamination or is very cranky, parents should consult a pediatrician to clarify the problem.

Everything you should know about a newborn infection can be found at:
How dangerous is a newborn infection?

teething

Probably the most harmless cause of slimy stools in babies is teething.
When the first teeth erupt, the constant stimulus in the mouth leads to increased saliva production.
Many babies swallow the excess saliva.
This is not completely taken up in the intestine and shows up as slimy-watery deposits in the diaper.
Parents don't have to worry here.
The mucus usually disappears when the tooth has broken through and the saliva subsides.
But even in this case, if the child shows other symptoms in addition to the mucus deposits, a pediatrician should be consulted.

Read more on the subject at: Diarrhea while teething

After vaccination

Occasionally, after a vaccination, an infant's stool may be temporarily mucous.
Many parents report slimy stool in their baby, especially after vaccination against rotavirus.
This phenomenon can usually be regarded as harmless.
Often it is just a sign of the activated immune system, as it should be after a vaccination.

Nevertheless, there can be another cause behind the slimy stool.
If the baby shows signs of pain or other symptoms, the infant should see a doctor.

You can read about the side effects of vaccinating the baby in our article:
Side effects from vaccinating the baby

Duration & forecast

In most cases, bowel movements return to normal quite quickly.
Often this happens completely without therapy.
If the slimy stool has existed for a long time, for example in the context of an intolerance, it can take a few days before the intestinal mucosa has fully recovered and the stool appears normal again.
The prognosis is therefore very good for almost all causes, especially if they are recognized early.
In the case of an allergy, however, it may sometimes be necessary to forego the corresponding food for life.
Often, giving a so-called hypoallergenic, i.e. allergy-friendly, food in infancy can slow down or prevent the development of new allergies.

These symptoms show that the child's slimy stool is abnormal

Parents should pay particular attention to any other symptoms associated with the slimy stool.
If the addition of mucus is the only symptom, it is usually harmless.

Parents should consult a pediatrician if the infant has diarrhea in addition to slimy stool, i.e. if there is thin stool in the diaper at least five to six times a day or if the baby's stomach feels hard and tight.
Attention must also be paid to the color of the excretion.
If the stool is completely discolored or bloody, pathological changes can also be the cause.
It is also very important to pay attention to the general condition of the child: Is the baby behaving differently than usual, especially lethargic or apathetic?
Does it drink less than usual or nothing at all?
Does it look dried out and does it show standing skin folds when the skin is pressed together?
This is also usually an indication of an infection or an intolerance and should be clarified.

In addition, there are a number of other symptoms that require clarification. Most importantly, these include a fever and rash.

Slimy stool with blood

If there is blood in the stool in addition to mucus, this is often a sign of an infection or allergy, which must be clarified by a doctor.
Some types of bacteria can cause bloody, slimy diarrhea.
Such an infection may require antibiotic therapy.
An allergy to cow's milk can also cause such symptoms.
This causes inflammation of the colon.
Infants with cow's milk allergy need special food and need pediatric care.

Another cause of bloody, slimy diarrhea can be intussusception.
One section of the intestine turns inside another.
Typical symptoms are, in addition to the stool, also known as "raspberry jelly-like", severe pain in the abdomen.
Here, the patient needs quick care, as the affected part of the intestine can be damaged.

Slimy stool with diarrhea

If diarrhea occurs in addition to the mucus, the child often suffers from an infection or intolerance.
Diarrhea in infants is defined as at least five to six thin bowel movements per day.

One of the most common causes of these symptoms is a gastrointestinal infection.
This can be of viral or bacterial origin.
Depending on the cause, antibiotic therapy may be necessary less often.
It is usually sufficient to give an electrolyte solution to protect the infant from dehydration.
An intolerance to certain foods can also be the cause.
Then the symptoms are found in pulpy form, especially when switching to new foods.

Is your baby suffering from diarrhea and looking for treatment options?
Then read our article on this: Diarrhea in the baby - how to treat it

This is how the therapy takes place

Many causes of slimy stool in infants do not require therapy.
This includes especially the slimy stool when teething.
After a few days the problem will resolve itself.
Therapy is usually not required even if there is a single appearance of mucus in the diaper.
This can occur as part of normal dietary changes to porridge or bottle-fed food and it disappears after a few days.

The same applies to the appearance of symptoms after vaccinations.
If the slimy stool is due to an infection, targeted therapy is not necessarily necessary.
In some cases, an electrolyte solution should be given to prevent the baby from becoming dehydrated.
Antibiotics are rarely necessary.

In the event of food intolerance or allergies, the triggering food must be identified.
This must then be avoided to prevent symptoms from occurring again.
If it is a cow's milk allergy, the child needs a special milk that does not contain the causative cow's milk protein.
As a result, the symptoms usually improve quite quickly.

That's the diagnosis

If the baby is presented to a doctor, he will first look at the diaper.
The nature of the bowel movement can provide information about the cause of the symptoms.
It is also important that parents report whether their baby has behaved abnormally, changed drinking habits or shown any other signs of pain.

It should also be mentioned if blood, diarrhea, fever or increased flatulence occurred.
The doctor can then listen to and palpate the baby's stomach and thus determine changes in bowel function and pain.
In addition, the little patient should be looked at from top to bottom in order to discover possible rashes, such as those that occur with some infections. Sometimes an ultrasound or blood draw may also be needed.
With these measures, many causes of slimy stool can be clarified.