What Does Your Chikiting’s Poop Tell You?

Pooping is part of our everyday routine. Sa kabila nito, marami pa rin sa atin ang may pag-aalinlangan kung ano ang normal at hindi, lalo na when it comes to our chikitings’ pooping. It is important to maintain a healthy gut, since as much as 80% ng ating immunity ay nasa loob ng ating digestive tract ! Marami tayong matutunan about our chikitings’ gut health just by paying attention to their pooping. Nag-iiba ang katangian ng poop sa bawat bata, at kahit sa araw-araw, pero may mga ilang katangian ito na dapat tandaan: 

• Consistency and shape
  • Ang Bristol Stool Chart  ay isang visual guide na dinevelop upang masuri ang stool quality. Ideally, gusto natin na ang poop ay kagaya ng Types 3,4 and 5. 
  • Ang Types 1 at 2 ay nagpapahiwatig ng constipation. 
  • Ang Types 6 at 7 ay mas watery kaysa sa normal na consistency or diarrhea. Ito ay maaring sanhi ng infections or pwede ring galing sa mga food sensitivities, katulad ng lactose intolerance, na common sa ating mga Southeast Asians.  
     
• Color
  • Normal poop color can range from any shade of yellow to brown to even green!
  • Pero ang black or red poop ay maaaring magsabi na may pagdurugo na nanggagaling sa bituka, na minsan nakikita natin sa cow’s milk protein allergy. Pwede rin na ito ay sanhi ng pag-inom ng ilang klaseng gamot o pagkain. 
  • Ang light gray or chalky-white na kulay ng poop ay laging abnormal.
     
• Frequency
  • How frequent your child poops reflects the transit time o kung gaano katagal dumadaan ang poop sa buong gut. Nag-iiba ito depende sa edad, as younger babies poop 3x/day at sa mga nakakatandang chikitings, pwedeng once a day, which reflects the normal stooling pattern sa adults . 
     
• Unusual materials in stools: mucus, floating poop and undigested food
  • Normal na may makikita kang mucus or sipon na kasama sa poop just in small amount, pero seeing them more than usual lalo na kung mayroon ibang abnormal signs, katulad ng pagtatae o lagnat, ay maaaring nagsasabi ito na may pamamaga sa bituka ni chikiting.
  • Oily materials or floating poop may tell you na hindi naabsorb ng maayos ang mga fats sa pagkain ni chikiting. Kung madalas mangyari, maari itong magpahiwatig ng mga sakit na may kaugnayan sa fat malabsorption.  
  • Ang mga hindi natunaw na pagkain (undigested food) na nakikitang kasama ng poop ay karaniwang sanhi ng pagkain ng madaming insoluble fiber, katulad ng gulay - corn, carrots at iba pa. Kapag patuloy itong nararanasan ni chikiting, lalo na kung mayroong pagtatae at failure to gain weight o pagpayat, maaring tanda ito ng mas malalim na sakit sa bituka. 

Walang magulang na gustong makita ang kanilang mga chikitings na nahihirapan from tummy troubles. Knowing the clues in their poop equips one to seek help needed. It is important to discuss your chikiting’s pooping patterns with your doctor, lalo na kung may mapansin ka sa alinmang mga nasabing abnormal poop characteristics. Do not try to diagnose your child’s health problem on your own. It’s always best to seek help from a healthcare professional.  It is important to keep an eye on what food our chikitings eat and the poop that comes out, para healthy and happy ang kanyang paglaki. 

Sources

Wiertsema SP, van Bergenhenegouwen J, Garssen J and Knippels LMJ. The Interplay between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System in the Context of Infectious Diseases throughout Life and the Role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies. Nutrients, 2021 Mar 9; 13(3):886. doi: 10.3390/nu13030886

Lewis SJ and KW Heaton. Stool form scale as a useful guide to intestinal transit time. Scand. J. Gastroenterol, 1997. 32 (9): 920–924.

Heine RG, AlRefeae F, Bachina P, De Leon JC, Geng L, Gong S, et al. Lactose intolerance and gastrointestinal cow’s milk allergy in infants and children – common misconceptions revisited. World Allergy Organization Journal, 2017. 10:41 DOI 10.1186/s40413-017-0173-0.

Fontana M. Bianch C, Cataldo F, Conti Nibali S, Cucchiara S, Gobio Casali L, et al. Bowel frequency in healthy children. Acta Paediatr Scand, 1987; 78:682-4.