If you discover what appears to be blood mixed with your toddler’s poops, first ask yourself if your toddler has just started a course of antibiotics.
“Antibiotics can have many side effects including diarrhea, upset stomach and discolored stools,” says Dr. Charnetta Colton-Poole, MD, a board certified pediatrician based in Atlanta, GA.
“For example, a commonly used cephalosporin [a class of drugs] often causes red/brick colored stool which can appear to look like blood.”
These medications can alter the gut environment, irritate the intestinal linin, or interact with other substances in the digestive tract.
For example, antibiotics like cefdinir can bind with iron in the diet or in supplements, forming a harmless red-colored subtance that then comes out in bowel movements.
Additionally, antibiotics can disrupt gut bacteria, leading to mild irritation or changes in stool consistency and color.
The redness of a toddler’s stools is harmless, as long as this discoloration isn’t due to bleeding.
A pediatrician should make the determination that any reddish color isn’t due to blood.
Dr. Colton-Poole explains, “Antibiotics can, however, disrupt normal gut bacteria and can allow for overgrowth of C. difficile which leads to antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis — which often results in bloody stools.”
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