There are black strings in a child’s stool (photo): why do they occur and what is it?

Based on the feces leaving the body, one can draw a certain conclusion about the processes occurring in it. That is why it is so important for parents to regularly monitor the type of children's excrement, its consistency, composition, possible inclusions, etc.

Particles of black or white color with a consistency that is not typical for normal feces, especially in a small child, cause understandable anxiety in parents.

What to do in such a situation? To get started, we recommend reading this article. This article describes in detail methods of controlling parasites. We also recommend that you consult a specialist. Read the article >>>

You can often see this in a child’s stool

The first thing that comes to their mind is worms. Young children are especially susceptible to helminthic infestation, as they rarely observe personal hygiene rules. However, do not rush to panic - in most cases, if you find black threads in a child’s stool, as in the photo below, this has nothing to do with worms.

Another photo of feces with unusual inclusions

Please note that science does not know of any human parasite that has a thread-like shape and a dark color. Typically, worms have a whitish-yellowish coloration, because, living inside the human body, they do not have to attract individuals of the opposite sex with the help of color or frighten enemies with it. So the idea of black worms can be safely discarded.

Take a test for worms

Of course, under no circumstances should black threads in the stool be ignored. Try to remember what your child ate in the previous three days and carefully monitor the appearance of stool over the next few days, and also write down everything you give your child. This is especially true for infants and children about one year old, who are given complementary foods in the form of fruits, berries, etc.

What could be black strings in a child’s stool?

The structure of the digestive system in children is somewhat different than in adults, and it happens that some foods are not completely absorbed.

Most often, black strings appear in poop for the following, completely natural reasons:

The baby was fed a banana, apple, pear, kiwi or prune, and not necessarily on that day, maybe the day before. These products contain a lot of iron, and the child’s fragile gastrointestinal tract is not yet able to ensure its complete absorption, which manifests itself in the form of dark threads in the stool. Over time, iron absorption normalizes;
A similar effect is achieved by baby food fortified with iron;
If the child takes certain medications, primarily iron-containing ones, which are often prescribed, for example, for anemia.

Can threads be black worms?

Inclusions in stool that resemble black worms in appearance can occur as a result of eating bananas. Such inclusions are often perceived by adults as worms, but in reality black worms do not exist (they are almost always white or yellowish worms).

Despite the fact that black threads in feces may look very similar to small worms, experts deny the possibility of helminthiasis with similar symptoms, since black helminths are still unknown to science.

However, in rare cases, helminths may be stained with various pigments (for example, bilirubin), including plant pigments, which are found in large quantities in dark-colored berries and fruits (currants, cherries, strawberries, etc.).

It is possible to accurately determine whether the threads in the stool are colored helminths only after laboratory diagnosis. Parents should consult a doctor if their child periodically complains of the following symptoms:

cramping abdominal pain;
lack of appetite;
itching in the anorectal area, as well as on the skin of the face, neck and abdomen;
rumbling and gurgling in the stomach between meals or immediately after eating, which may be accompanied by painful pressure and distension in the abdomen;
headache;
skin rashes.

It is also necessary to consult a specialist if the listed signs are accompanied by a deterioration in general well-being and a decrease in the body’s resistance (the child often suffers from colds, he periodically has allergic reactions to substances that were previously well tolerated).

Doctor Komarovsky's opinion

Dr. Komarovsky, who is perhaps the main authority in the field of pediatrics for all mothers, believes that when examining a child under one year old, a pediatrician should definitely inquire about his stool, since the characteristics of the stool are a very informative indicator of the baby’s health.

Changing the nature of stool, according to Dr. Komarovsky, is a completely natural process, and it begins from the moment of birth. First of all, meconium comes out of the newborn’s body, and then the characteristics of feces are determined by the type of feeding - breast or artificial.

In general, normal stool in infants is a flexible concept, since each baby may have its own norm. It is important to carefully monitor both the child as a whole and his stool. Based on its appearance, certain conclusions can be drawn:

The appearance of a large number of white cheesy lumps indicates overeating - an excess of breast milk or formula that the digestive system does not have time to process.
The presence of mucus in the stool of infants, according to Dr. Komarovsky, is normal, but he recommends monitoring the frequency of mucus and its volume and carefully monitoring the child’s general condition.
If the feces have turned black, Dr. Komarovsky recommends urgently consulting a doctor. This color may be a consequence of taking certain medications, for example, antibiotics or activated carbon, but if the child did not take them, then the pediatrician must figure out the reason.

If your child has this color of stool, consult a doctor immediately

When complementary foods are introduced, changes in stool patterns occur again. During the period of adaptation of the digestive system, that is, getting used to new types of food, lumps of undigested food, mucus and even bloody streaks may be observed in the stool of infants.

This usually frightens mothers very much, but they should pay attention to the baby’s behavior: if he feels well, eats well, sleeps soundly, and is active during periods of wakefulness, then everything is fine, and changes in stool are not caused by any disease.

If such stool is accompanied by fever, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, skin rashes, sleep and appetite disturbances, restless behavior and weight loss, then this requires immediate consultation with a doctor.

Perhaps the child is allergic to certain foods, or his body does not digest them well or does not tolerate them at all, or some errors were made in feeding - your pediatrician will help you figure out why this is happening.

By the way, Dr. Komarovsky names specific foods, frequent consumption of which can cause the appearance of dark spots in the stool, and not only in infants. These are eggs, liver and other offal. Adjust the child’s menu, reduce the amount of these products, and everything will return to normal.

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Is this the norm?

The child’s body, which is not fully formed, is not able to completely break down, completely digest, or completely absorb complex or heavy substances that come with food. Therefore, you can often find pieces of food, grains or black strings in the diaper. This phenomenon is considered completely normal and disappears over time.

It’s another matter when this is accompanied by additional symptoms:

High body temperature.
Fever.
Nausea.
Diarrhea or constipation.
Vomit.
Colic.
Skin redness, rash.
Restless behavior and tearfulness.
Sleep disturbance.
Lack of appetite.
Weight loss.

The reasons for this feeling may be poor digestibility of certain foods, an allergic reaction, intolerance to certain substances, or errors in feeding.

Why might a child have black strings in his stool?

As you can see, most often the appearance of such threads in a child’s feces is associated with iron. When his body is fully formed and is capable of completely breaking down, digesting and assimilating complex or heavy substances that come with food, these phenomena will stop.

In the meantime, it can be considered completely normal if black strings, grains or undigested pieces of food are found in the diaper, especially if this happened after the introduction of a new infant formula with a high iron content. This is within the age-related physiological norm and does not require treatment; You should also not exclude this product from your baby’s diet.

Sometimes a one-year-old baby's stool color may change to black or black-green. This is again connected with his diet - the introduction of fruits and especially berries with intense color, such as blueberries, blackberries, red and black currants, and cherries. Juices and vitamins also contain a lot of iron, which is oxidized under the influence of gastric juice and gives stool an unusual color. Once you find out the reason for this, you should not exclude them from your diet.

This is what an undercooked banana looks like

Very often the cause of this problem is bananas, which have a fibrous structure, so the black strings are most likely just undigested banana fibers.

Black threads, as well as various kinds of inclusions, grains, grains or grains of black sand are collectively called black dots. Sometimes it can just be raspberry, currant, kiwi seeds, grape seed particles, poppy seeds, etc.

Here are the traces the most common fruits leave in baby stool:

Banana - thin black threads or dots like a poppy seed;
Persimmon, kiwi - the same points;
Chblocks, pears - black threads.

When to see a doctor

You should definitely seek medical help if black threads appear in your child’s stool regularly. This is an unfavorable diagnostic sign, indicating a stable digestive disorder, which may be a consequence of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. A doctor's examination and consultation are also necessary if the stool does not return to normal within 2-3 days (even if the child feels well and does not have any complaints).

Reasons for urgently seeking medical help if dark threads and streaks are detected in the stool are:

heat;
vomit;
stool disorder (profuse diarrhea, profuse diarrhea);
severe sharp or cramping pain in the central or lower abdomen;
unnatural pallor of the skin and mucous membranes;
severe weakness, apathetic syndrome.

If such symptoms occur, the child will undergo a comprehensive examination (coprogram, coagulogram, fluoroscopy of the stomach and intestines, ultrasound diagnostics), which will help identify the cause of pathological changes.

Black threads in a child's stool are, in most cases, a harmless symptom that is the result of eating habits or taking certain medications. However, in some cases, this sign cannot be ignored, as it may indicate diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and organs of the hepatobiliary system. Flaxseed oil for constipation, read our article.