18 month old with poop problems?

Question

My 18 month old son has always had problems with poop. He goes 3+ times a day, and his poop burns his bottom. We always change him immediately, but he always gets a red butt, and sometimes (like now) he gets open blisters. I can't stand it. It hurts him so much. He screams when we clean him up (even just putting on desitin) and refuses to sit down in his bath tub. We had him to a gastroenterologist last spring, but the Dr. acted like he was still in the normal range. My pedi doesn't act very concerned when I tell her about it either. He is otherwise healthy, active, and happy.....but this is killing us. I hate seeing him suffer with this. Do any other kids have this problem? Is this actually normal? What can we do?

Answer 1

hi my daughter is 23 monhs old n has the same problem it started 2 weeks ago when i change the brand of nappy (babylove) i had used 3 types of creams n 2 ypes of powders i have now gone back to using huggies n it is clearing up, try putting him in the shower with u or even giving him a sponge bath n remember no one knows ur child the way u do so kp seeing people untill u and he r both happy once again

Answer 2

He probably has sensitive skin, is probably sensitive to certain foods, and in winter it gets much worse because it is colder and drier outside, and also drier inside because of the heater. Keep a food diary and try cutting out certain foods each week (acidic foods one week, dairy the next, etc.) and see if there is any pattern. Keep a humidifier going where he sleeps at night and any the room he is primarily in during the day.

To heal the redness/blisters, let him be naked as much as possible. If you have to put something on him at home, just put him in plain cotton underwear or shorts, and change him as soon as he wets/poops. Put a changing pad/puppy pad/plastic tarp covered with a blanket in a playpen if you have nowhere else to contain the mess when you can't keep a constant eye on him. Slather his bottom with Aquaphor , which is readily available in most US pharmacies in the lotion section (you might have to do some research to find foreign equivalents). It's basically a super-medicated petroleum jelly that works great on damaged skin. If you can't find that, or if he's sensitive to it as well, try A&D Ointment (the yellowish ointment, not the white zinc-oxide cream), which is almost as good, also in any pharmacy usually with the baby care items. Some babies just get no relief from the standard diaper-rash zinc oxide creams and it actually makes it worse, which sound like your son. As long as your son doesn't have any reactions to the Aquaphor, you should see an improvement in a couple of days, especially if he's naked a lot.

I'm afraid the condition is probably not going to go away, and that you will have to use these tactics periodically when it flares up. The good news is that it should much less frequent, if not gone, when he is potty trained and out of a diaper. The sooner you can train him, the better.

Answer 3

Sounds like allergies. Start keeping a detailed log of his days. Record foods, bm colors, consistency, and all that fun stuff. In a few weeks, you may notice that his bottom is better or worse on some days. If he has better days, try feeding him only those foods.

Give him baby aveeno oatmeal baths every night (no soap, just the bath stuff), use newborn or sensitive wipes, and see the ped again. You could also go to the gastro again since the baby's older. It may have been normal then, but not now.

When my son was just over 2 years, he had never had a solid bm, had bloody diaper rashes, and was always in pain. We found out that he was allergic to the whey protein in all dairy products. We still have some allergies to figure out, but since his diagnosis, he's been so much better.

**My son was always given prescription Nystatin for his rashes. It didn't seem to sting, and if we used the right amount he could be clear over night (of course the rash would be back later, but it did provide some relief for him). Maybe you could ask the ped for some stronger diaper cream.

Answer 4

I had a friend with a problem that sounds like yours. It turned out that it was a yeast infection of sorts. Not the womanly kind, but there is a high concentration in your baby and his pee and poo. That can cause blistering and terrible skin irritation instantly even if you change him right away. You would want to ask your doctor of course but I think you can use an over the counter yeast cream for him.

Answer 5

my son actually did and he is 12 months. and the doc put him on soy milk and he was also having bowels movements 3-4 times daily. and had a rash every day too. so i took him off the soy and put him on regular cows milk and the poop subsided. but as for the rash use beaudraux's butt paste. the is the greatest stuff in the world. my son had the same rash with open sores and all and the next day after i put him to sleep with this cream it was gone totally the next day. and bonus it doesnt sting at all. it smells good too smells like vanilla. p.s. my doc was the same way but i decided that i knew what was best. they dont really care because as long as its not a yeast infection or the sores arent bleeding they say well this is just something that your baby has to deal with. to heck with your ped, do what you think is best! try the paste too. its only i think like 6.00 bucks or so. your babies butt will thank me.

Answer 6

I actually had a child that did that too. The doctors really didn't help me either. None of their medicated stuff worked. I personaly prefer balmex....works better I think. We also used bag balm (little green can). you can find it at the drug store (used for chaffing and such started as a producted used on cows utters.) You can also mix baking soda and warm water and spray it on his bottom instead of wipes (which burn for the alcohol) and when you bath him put baking soda in his bath water. It sooths the sores and helps him heal faster. Airing his bottom out as much as possible is always a plus. I wish you luck

Answer 7

i don't know what to do about fixing the cause, but the result (the sore bottom) I may be able to help with!
my daughter has diarrhea very frequently...we're not sure why, but it seems to happen when something in her body changes (shots, new food, lack of sleep, a cold...)
Her pcp said to do a "corn starch sandwich" when we notice a bad rash coming on...
that is, cornstarch on the dry bum, then whatever cream you use (i recommend ButtPaste, it's expensive, but clears up a bad rash overnight), then cornstarch again. It makes a huge mess, but does help.
Also, when you wipe him put Vaseline on first. Over the poop. Then, wipe with the wipe. Same when you put him in the tubby....slather his bum with Vaseline first...that's my mom's tip, and it really really works! My daughter's bum bleeds sometimes, and the vaseline makes a HUGE difference pain-wise..
well goodluck with that poor sore bottom! :)

Answer 8

Have you tried cutting back on acidic foods? Tomatoes/tomato sauce, juice, acidic fruit, etc? Some people have problems from eating these foods. Try cutting them out for a week or two and see if that helps. Ask the doctor if they think that could be a problem and ask if there is something he can take for it.

Answer 9

I've never heard of this happening to a child but it's possible that he could be allergic to his own poop or maybe the diapers you're using. Most parents have a hard time getting the doctor to take their concerns seriously but if you feel like your doctor is incompetent, get a second or third opinion. It never hurts. I mean if you can be allergic to the sun or water, surely you can be allergic to your poop.