Often it seems that all your baby does is sleep, eat, poop, and repeat. Even though it is not the most appealing aspect of having a baby, poop is still the biggest worry of any parent. By the time you have your 2nd child, it’s a possibility that you will have seen poop in every color possible, including black.
Black specks in your baby’s poop are not that rare. Numerous undigested foods, including beans, bananas, blackberries, and blueberries, can cause these specks. However, if you are observing poop that looks like wet coffee grounds, it could be a symptom of a gastrointestinal issue. In that case, immediately contact your pediatrician and follow his/her instructions.
Keep reading to learn the possible reasons that can cause black specks in a baby’s stool and when you should be worried.
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Why does my Baby’s Poop have Black Specks?
The working mechanism of a baby is quite straightforward: they sleep, eat, poop and repeat. As a responsible parent, you should pay close attention to how long your babies sleep, how much they eat, and especially what their poop resembles.
While the first 2 topics are for fun and entertainment, the last one has a serious nature. A baby’s poop can give you tons of information about their health. Therefore, even the slightest change in health and food can alter their poop’s color and shape.
To give you more insight, let’s talk about formula-fed and breastfed babies.
Compared to formula milk, breast milk is much easier to process. Therefore, most breastfed babies digest their food faster than formula-fed babies, which reduces the risk of constipation and diarrhea. Newborn babies that consume breast milk generally have seed-like, mustard-color poop.
On the other hand, a formula-fed baby will feature a tan-with-green or yellow poop, which is quite firmer.
As time passes, the digestive system of a baby becomes stronger, which makes it easier to process different foods. Up to that point, any indigestible food will go right through their belly to their diaper. The black specks in a baby’s poop could be harmful and harmless. In most cases, it is just some particles of undigested food. While, in some rare cases, it could be a sign of gastrointestinal bleeding.
No matter what the actual reason is, if you are observing black spend in your baby’s diaper, you should visit your pediatrician and get it checked.
Are Black Specks in Baby Poop normal?
Black specks in a baby’s stool are not that rare. In fact, every parent must have encountered these at least one time in their life.
If your baby has black specks, but the shape of their stool is normal, you don’t have to get worried. They have probably just eaten some indigestible food that is causing these specks. For instance, milk, berries, beans, and even homeopathic medicine can produce black specks in stool.
Keep in mind that black specks are not always a harmless thing. In some rare scenarios, black specks in a baby’s stool could be a sign of serious health conditions, including gastrointestinal bleeding.
Is it normal for Baby Poop to look like coffee grounds?
Now, if your baby’s poop resembles wet coffee grounds, you should visit your doctor immediately.
Poop that looks like coffee grounds is not a normal thing. This condition is usually caused by bleeding in your baby’s digestive tract, which is a severe concern. So, if your baby’s stool resembles coffee ground, don’t throw the diaper and visit your pediatrician without wasting any time.
Just keep in mind that a baby’s stool can feature several different textures and colors – especially during their 1st year. So, unless it’s like wet coffee grounds, you don’t have to worry.
What causes Black Specks in Baby Poop?
As mentioned earlier, a baby’s stool alters its texture and color according to their food and health. During the 1st week of their life, their stool, known as meconium, will feature a tar-like, black-colored appearance. This appearance is pretty normal and will start to look normal as time passes.
The black specks in a baby’s stool will become a regular thing once they start to consume solid foods. If your child eats foods that are hard to digest, their diaper will have dark-colored poop or black specks in it.
There are numerous foods that are indigestible to newborn babies, such as barriers, beans, milk, and more. To help you out, below, we have compiled a list of foods that might cause black specks in your child’s poop.
Dairy products like milk
Newborn babies are required to consume milk. While some parents give breast milk to their children, others prefer formula milk. If there are black specks in your newborn baby’s stool, it might indicate that your child is suffering from a milk protein allergy.
You should never alter your kid’s diet without the consent of your pediatrician. If your baby has a milk protein allergy, consult with your doctor and remove milk protein from your baby’s diet. You can add milk to your child’s diet once their digestive system becomes stronger and more mature.
To attain a more natural poop texture and color, we recommend giving your baby breast milk instead of formula milk. With this approach, the poop won’t be too firm and will be in normal color.
Fruits like bananas
Babies love bananas. However, bananas can also cause black specks in a baby’s stool.
If your newborn baby consumes bananas, there might be little black-colored threads in their stool. These threads are actually the center part of a banana, which your baby cannot digest effectively. If the black specks are caused by bananas, there is no need to be concerned.
According to many pediatricians, you should mash up bananas before offering them to your kid. This is because mashed bananas are easier to digest and can be considered a permanent addition to your baby’s diet.
Blackberries and Blueberries
Berries are hard to digest, even for some adults. If you or your kid consume berries, you might encounter some black specks in the stool.
Compared to other foods, berries are more difficult to process. As a result, the seeds or skin of blackberries and blueberries might pass through the stool to the diaper. Furthermore, because berries feature a dark and bold color, it’s possible they will alter the color of your baby’s poop. However, there is no need to worry.
Until your kid is one year old, you should offer berries to your baby as a puree.
Black Beans
In general, beans are not a common food for babies. However, most parents offer their kids cooked beans that are extra soft.
Keep in mind that iron-rich food can also cause black specks in a baby’s stool, such as black beans. Usually, these specks are caused because black beans’ skin and outer parts are not easy to digest. Just like the above-mentioned foods, you don’t have to worry if your baby has consumed black beans.
Once your kid is 10 months old, you can give them mashed, cooked black beans. However, this should be done in moderation.
Colic Calm Gripe Water
Some homeopathic medicine can also cause black specks in a baby’s stool, including Colin Calm Gripe Water.
The main ingredient of Colic Calm Gripe Water is vegetable charcoal. Vegetable charcoal is indigestible for babies and will totally eject through stool. This ingredient can also darken your baby’s poop, along with creating black specks. However, there is no need to be concerned.
Colic Calm Gripe Water is a safe, effective homeopathic medicine for reflux, gas, and colic. This medicine is completely made of natural ingredients. So, you can offer it to your baby; it won’t cause any health complications.
Blood
Keep in mind that if the black specks are caused due to old blood, you have to visit your pediatrician immediately.
The black specks in a baby’s stool caused by gastrointestinal bleeding will be different compared to the specks formed due to the homeopathic medicines, milk, and even indigestible food. In this scenario, the stool will resemble coffee grounds and will look different from seeds and fruit skins.
This is the rarest case, but it is still a possibility. So, if you see black specks that look like coffee grounds in your baby’s poop, go to your doctor.
When should I worry?
As you can see, black specks in a baby’s stool are not that rare or harmful. These are usually parts of indigestible foods, such as beans, milk protein, bananas, and more.
However, if the black specks look like wet coffee grounds, it is time to visit your pediatrician. It would be best if you save the diaper for the pediatrician and take it with you. With this approach, your doctor will be able to examine it and determine the reason for the blood quickly.
If your kid is suffering from gastrointestinal bleeding, they will show some additional symptoms along with black specks in their poop. The common clinical signs of gastrointestinal bleeding include:
- Fever
- Apparent distress
- Lethargy
- Gas
- Vomiting
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