Toddlers bowel movements

intothewest

Hi All – I have a 28mth old, active boy who more often than not, has very loose stools. In my ignorance (he’s the first), I assumed it was from getting squished in the nappy, but it was my mother at the wend who mentioned it wasn’t really normal. I asked his childminder what she thought from her experience, and she too feels his are far softer than a ‘normal’ child. He’s a good eater, but of the food he likes/knows so his diet wouldn’t be very varied. Nor would he eat a lot of fruit despite us constantly trying. He has a bottle first thing, ready brek/porridge/Weetabix soon after that, toast mid morning. Lunch would be yoghurts and banana (doesn’t always eat banana) and some toast if he looks for it. Dinner is a mashed version of an adult dinner, i.e. potato, veg and meat. He has a sever peanut allergy, so he’s limited in the treats he gets, so just rich tea, custard creams and from time to time he gets smarties or buttons.

Just wondering should I be bringing him to the doctor? If so, should I bring a sample of his stool for testing. The time he was tested for the peanut allergy, it also brought up that he was allergic to dust mites, and they said they tested for eggs but it was fine, however lactose/gluten wasn’t tested for and wondering if either of those two items would cause this? He would also go around 2-3 times a day.

He has good weight gain, lots of energy and a normal boisterous fella besides. I’m not neurotic about things, but at same time if this isn’t normal I feel I should be doing something about it.

January

My second daughter had loose stools up until she was about 2 and a half, I didn't worry about it and they're solid now.

donegal.

one of my children is like that. And he is the onlyone having readybrek most mornings so i put it down to that.

Hobbitfeet

My 14mth old has quite loose ones too. Over Xmas we all ha vomiting bug, he was vomiting and had diahorea(sp). He got over it fine but his stools were still loose, they had been very solid before, they also smelt awful very sour nasty smell. I put him on brat diet for awhile and started a probiotic. The smell went and they firmed up a good bit but they are still quite loose. I think he had a little trouble getting his gut back to normal after the bug but the diet and probiotic solved the problem. After taking to my gp, pharmacist and le leche counsellor we think that he is fine and its nothing to worry about, they are just loose.

How Strange

My sons bowel movements are always loose. It's quite rare that they'd be hard. I notice when he's a bit off form etc that they get very loose, pale and smelly. Otherwise that's just how they are.

ene

why is a 28 month having mash food?

he should be eating exactly what you have!

intothewest

Thanks for the feedback…good to hear he’s not alone! Hobbitfeet..both my kids had a bug a couple of months ago, and it took them a good three weeks to be back to themselves. I also wondered if his system was still not fully over that too. At times it can be solid, but predominantly loose. Ene – is giving him mashed dinners (they’re not pulverized mashed, has lumps of veg and meat) not better than nothing. He’s very limited with what he will eat, not sure if it’s to do with his allergies, but keeping him nourished with a variety of meats and veg is my priority, in whatever form I can get them into him!!

Thumby

It might be an idea to give him a bit more solid food as in instead of mashing his veg with potato if you're giving him carrots give carrot sticks instead. It may just be that his digestive system is already breaking down foods which as mashed up and aren't as solid. Like you said your priority is getting his veg etc into him no matter what way he eats it. If he won't eat the veg as "finger food" fair enough.just go back to how you normally prepare it. So long as your little lad is happy and healthy then it doesn't matter how he eats them. I only suggest trying it as my daughter was the exact same and once i stopped blitzing her dinner into a baby foodish consistency he bowel movements solidified to what they "should" be like.

intothewest

I’ll defo give that a go..he’s due an op at the end of may (adenoids and tonsils removed), so I might wait until he is over that, because they want him bulked up as much as poss beforehand, so I don’t want to interfere with his intake right now. His lil sis is far more willing to try anything, she’ll just lob it into her gob and then spit it out if she doesn’t like it (which is very few things!). He, on the other hand, seems to be far more visually/touch sensory driven..if he’s not sure of the look of something he won’t even touch it, and if you get him to touch it the chances of him trying it are slim. It’s like he knows what he likes and he’s closed down to items beyond that. Fussy another words!

Thumby

Oh def wait until after his op then intothewest. You don't want him adjusting to "finger foods" along with his potatoes only to have to go back to having him on everything mushyish and then trying to reintroduce him to "solids". My little one was the exact same as him, very fussy about what she would eat and if she didn't like the look of it she wasn't eating it, but once we got past the initial temper tantrums of not having everything mashed up together there wasn't a bother on her. She will eat anything and everything now. Her favs being chicken stirfry and spag bol. It has to be the exact same way i'm eating it now. She won't even eat her stews mashed up. Her bowel movements are perfect now as well. Not too hard/soft and regular too. Sometimes it's just the way they are eating and not what they are eating, and other times it's just the way their little bodies produce stuff. I wouldn't worry about it anyway unless there are other signs that have you concerned, if so bring your little man to the doc if not just do what you feel is best for him.

littlemissfixit

It is actually quite common for toddlers to have loose stools, look up toddler diarrhea. It's unlikely to have anything to do with the texture of the foods going in, more at what speed of the transit ie going a few times a day. If he drinks a lot of milk and other dairy it can worsen it, so can the very high fibre foods like whole cereals.
My daughter is 30 months and still have the loose bm, once a day but is otherwise in great form. The only downside I can see is I cant imagine starting the potty training while its like that, but apparently it will resolve itself at some stage.

Re mashing the food, I don't think you're talking pureed food anyway... I (and a lot of people I know) mashed up my food like a "dog's dinner" until I reached adulthood don't think there's anything wrong with that!