What to do When Baby Has Blood in Stool
When it’s Normal
Virtually all babies will have blood in stool at least once during their infancy. Blood can also show up in the urine, especially during the newborn period. The first thing to realize is that this is not a serious emergency. You don’t have to rush into the ER. You don’t even need to page your doctor for this. Simply observe the poops or the urine and report to your doctor when the office opens what you are seeing.
When to Consider This an Emergency
There is really only 1 situation when this does deserve an urgent call to your doctor:
Dark Red Jelly-like Blood
If your baby or child is having moderate to severe abdominal pain and passes a stool that looks like dark red jelly, then this deserves an urgent page to your doctor, and/or a trip to the ER. If your child is in no pain at all and is acting fine, then no need to worry.
Severe Bloody Diarrhea
If your infant or child has severe diarrhea with blood in it, this can mean that there is an infection that requires treatment. You don’t need to page your doctor just for one or two bloody diarrhea stools. Wait until the office opens. If your child is passing a bloody diarrhea stool every 1 or 2 hours for several hours, and your child is in severe pain, is significantly dehydrated, or is acting lethargic, then this probably shouldn’t wait until the office opens. Page your doctor or go to the ER. You can read more about diarrhea and how to determine dehydration by clicking here.
Virtually all other cases of blood in the stool or urine do not warrant an urgent call to the doctor. See your doctor when the office next opens.