Some stressful situations that occur in a child’s life, pathologies and various ailments can negatively affect the absorption of fatty acids. In such a situation, fats begin to come out together with the baby’s feces.
This pathology is called steatorrhea. At the first symptoms of the disease, you should immediately go to see a pediatrician, who will diagnose and prescribe effective treatment. Fatty acids in a child’s stool indicate the development of the disease.
general characteristics
Coprogram - analysis of the physical, chemical and microscopic characteristics of feces. The method is an important diagnostic component for identifying dysfunctions of the stomach, intestines, pancreas, and liver. Macroscopic examination of feces includes the study of physical characteristics: quantity, consistency, color, smell, presence of impurities. During microscopic examination of stool, native and colored preparations are examined. The method is used at the diagnostic stage and to monitor the effectiveness of treatment.
Coprogram: senseless and merciless
Coprogram (general stool analysis) is one of the most common tests in a domestic children's clinic or hospital. If you open the medical history of a patient with ARVI, tonsillitis, or even a traumatic brain injury, there, along with a clinical analysis of blood and urine, you will definitely find a coprogram. Most doctors have become so accustomed to this since Soviet times that the question does not even occur to them: why, in fact, stool microscopy in the treatment of otitis media or pneumonia?
We sometimes see the same picture in outpatient settings. Let’s say the child is healthy, gaining weight well, and has normal stools—it seems, what else is needed for happiness? Of course, it is a coprogram, which pediatricians must prescribe to all healthy infants at least twice, without any indication.
According to the “protocol,” the coprogram is the most important diagnostically significant analysis and is used to diagnose various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).
Patient preparation rules
feces
Standard preparation conditions (unless otherwise determined by the doctor):
3 days in advance Stop taking antimicrobial drugs, laxatives, enemas, suppositories.
Immediately before the examination Do not drink alcohol. Do not eat foods that increase fermentation in the intestines. Notes:
Collect a sufficient amount of stool (1/3 container) after involuntary bowel movement (more than 5 g or ml if the sample is liquid). Feces should not contain foreign impurities. Material for research collected after an enema, taking medications that affect peristalsis, taking castor or vaseline oil, after administering suppositories, or medications that affect the color of stool (iron, bismuth) is not accepted. You should not collect biomaterial during menstruation, in the presence of bleeding hemorrhoids, blood in the urine, or after significant effort during defecation.
You can add this study to your cart on this page
Symptoms of pathology
The main symptoms of steatorrhea in children include:
- loose, copious stools with fatty impurities or frequent constipation;
- the greasy sheen of feces firmly settles on the walls of the toilet and practically cannot be washed off;
- the shade of the stool may change and become lighter or, on the contrary, grayish;
- frequent dizziness experienced by children;
- bloating and rumbling in the abdomen;
- feeling tired throughout the day;
- dry mouth;
- decreased activity level;
- a dry cough may occur;
- aching joint pain and weight loss.
According to the clinical picture, the baby’s subcutaneous fatty tissue does not develop enough, dry skin appears, lips turn pale and cracks form in the corners of the mouth. Often with steatorrhea, the child suffers from stomatitis and bleeding gums. There may also be some fat in the urine.
During palpation, the specialist detects rumbling sounds in the left side of the abdomen. The spleen cannot be palpated. Sigmoidoscopy shows that the mucosa is atrophied. X-ray shows a decrease in the tone of the mucosal folds. Using the results of a biopsy, you can confirm or refute mucosal atrophy and recognize the level of reduction in terminal hairs.
Swelling of the connective tissue and gross deformation of the nerve plexus contribute to disruption of the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The disease can reach a chronic form. Considering the ease of provocation by a number of negative factors, a high frequency of relapses can be noted. Due to the inability of fats to be fully absorbed into the body, their deficiency occurs.
The coprogram allows you to study the main indicators of fecal mass
The body also begins to experience a deficiency of:
Why does the left hypochondrium hurt after eating?
- squirrel;
- vitamin B9, B12;
- nicotinic acid;
- thiamine;
- folic acid;
- fat-soluble vitamin.
Lack of vitamins contributes to the development of:
- hypoproteinemia;
- hypolipia;
- hypochromnia;
- leukopenia;
- anemia;
- hypernatremia.
How to fight
If fats are found in the child’s stool, the specialist will be able to select a course of treatment or prescribe additional tests. Most often, diet and taking a certain amount of vitamins help get rid of negative manifestations.
During the diet, you should exclude all foods high in fat. Spicy and salty foods also have a negative effect. It is best to temporarily only eat foods that have been steamed. To absorb fats, you can start taking vitamins A, D, E and K. Such drugs are also used to prevent the development of the disease.
Medications are prescribed only in cases of severe steatorrhea. Maalox, Gastal, Almagel and Creon are very popular in this area. Only a pediatrician can choose the right course of treatment. It also determines the dose of the drug that will need to be taken.
Sterile container for collecting stool for analysis
Neutral treatment options will only give results if they are additionally combined with a diet. You will need to completely exclude fatty, spicy and fried foods from the menu. The diet should also not contain smoked meats. It is best to opt for lean meat or poultry that is cooked exclusively by steaming.
All food that you plan to eat during the day should be divided into small meals. Their number should vary from 4 to 5 times. The baby should be taught to drink a glass of water before breakfast. During the day, it should also enter the body in sufficient quantities. You can also drink fruit drinks, compotes or teas. Various vitamins will help improve the functioning of the immune system. They can be drunk in synthetic form or eat more fresh vegetables and fruits.
Manifestation of the disease in a child at three years of age
During the first year of life, the child's intestines continue to form. That is why the presence of fatty acids in small quantities is considered normal. However, if the child has already reached this age, and the manifestation does not disappear, then the cause should be sought in poor nutrition. Foods with large amounts of fat, seasonings and smoked foods should be completely excluded from the diet.
The child can only be given meat with a minimum fat content. It is best to use steam to prepare it. Remember that the baby’s body must receive all the necessary microelements in sufficient quantities.
Inflammation occurs only in rare cases in young children. It can affect the pancreas, intestines or organs of the endocrine system. Against this background, fatty acids cannot be fully absorbed. The component begins to be excreted along with the feces. Only a properly selected course of treatment will help eliminate this unpleasant manifestation.
How to detect fatty acids in a child’s stool
The first sign of fatty acid salts, of course, will be oiliness in the stool. The baby's stool will be frequent and loose. To confirm the diagnosis, you will need to take tests to the laboratory. Only more than 7 g of a substance per day, which leaves the body together with feces, may indicate the presence of a disease.
To determine the origin of the disease in a newborn, the doctor prescribes radioisotope studies, which will indicate the cause of the disease. Using the fat loading method, you can both confirm and exclude ailments from the intestines and pancreas.
We collect material for analysis correctly
Coprogram of infants allows you to study the main indicators of fecal mass. To get a reliable result, it is important to adhere to the basic rules when collecting:
- For collection, you can only take a sterile container purchased from any pharmacy chain.
- At least 2 teaspoons of feces should fall into the collection container.
- Collection should only be carried out in a washed and thoroughly dried container. It is also possible to transfer feces from a clean diaper, which is important when taking tests on a baby. It is worth remembering that collecting feces in a diaper is contraindicated! It contains a significant part of the sorbent, which will distort the real clinical picture. Why? Because any impurity distorts the test results for fatty acids in feces.
- Only fresh stool can be collected and the material can be stored for analysis for no more than 8–9 hours. However, this amount of storage time is advisable only in cases of constipation in the baby. A long storage period will distort key indicators. It is best to store the collected material on the refrigerator door.
A few days before collecting material for coprogram, it is necessary to avoid taking any medications. Even laxatives or drugs aimed at combating diarrhea are contraindicated. You should also reduce portions of dishes containing meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
Diet soup should be included in your daily menu
Instead, it is better to supplement the menu with cereals, eggs, soups, and dairy products. If the baby, whose feces should be collected for coprogram, is breastfed, it is necessary to adhere to a special menu and his mother. Only this will allow you to get a reliable result.
A nursing mother should remember that an increase in the salt of a fatty acid can be triggered by eating chocolate the day before, carbohydrates that increase sugar levels, and citrus fruits. It is best to completely exclude them from the diet for 4-5 days. It is also unacceptable to drink alcoholic beverages and smoke cigars. A nursing woman should create a menu based on:
- liquid porridge;
- steamed cutlets;
- diet soup;
- low-fat kefir and cottage cheese.
Following the recommendations will help you get the most accurate result and see the real clinical picture in order to choose the appropriate type of treatment.
Features of steatorrhea in children
The presence of fat in a child’s stool is most often a consequence of a lack of pancreatic enzymes and the immaturity of the enzyme system.
Enzymes involved in the lipid metabolism of a newborn begin to be produced in sufficient quantities only by three months, which leads to inadequate digestion of fats. Also, steatorrhea in infants can be caused by poor liver function caused by genetic disorders, which can be structural and metabolic in nature. In weakened infants, metabolism is restored only by 4-5 months of life.
With proper therapy, signs of steatorrhea in infants can be smoothed out until they disappear completely.
Vitamin E is one of the most powerful antioxidants, vitamin D regulates the absorption of calcium in the intestines, and vitamin K is a blood clotting factor, so even their hidden deficiency must be corrected.
Preventive actions
The disease is dangerous even for an adult. It can have a negative impact and become dangerous for the child. Parents should be attentive to the nutrition of the baby. When diagnosing the disease, it is important to completely eliminate fatty foods from the diet. Instead, you should eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. If this is not possible, then synthetic vitamin complexes are taken instead.
The child should eat small portions. This will help minimize the likelihood of overeating. It is also recommended to drink a glass of plain water on an empty stomach.
You can get rid of this unpleasant manifestation if you stop taking certain medications or antibiotics. The child's body is still very weak, so inflammation can develop if medications are abused.
If parents notice increased fat content in their baby’s stool, they should seek advice from a specialist in this field. The doctor will be able to analyze the situation and, based on the test results, prescribe the required course of treatment.
Celiac disease treatment
The main treatment for celiac disease is a diet completely eliminating foods containing gluten. All grains should be excluded from the diet, except rice, buckwheat, corn, as well as products that may contain them, including sausages, sausages, and some canned food. Usually the diet is supplemented by eliminating lactose and allergens.
Children 1 year of age may be prescribed soy formulas or formulas based on casein hydrolyzate.
In case of celiac disease, adherence to the diet should be lifelong, since departure from it is not only fraught with a possible exacerbation of the process, but significantly increases the risk of developing malignant neoplasms, including intestinal lymphomas.
Strict adherence to the diet with timely initiation of treatment helps ensure the normal development of the child. In case of strict adherence to the diet and adequate additional therapy, children with celiac disease do not lag behind their peers in either physical or mental development.
Causes
Fats (lipids) from food are digested in the intestines under the action of the enzyme lipase, produced mainly in the pancreas. Congenital lipase deficiency sometimes occurs , but in newborns this deficiency is more often temporary, associated with immaturity of the pancreas . As a result of this immaturity, the production of enzymes, including lipase, is insufficient. This deficiency occurs especially often in premature infants and children with intrauterine growth retardation.
Meanwhile, nature has foreseen this situation and provided babies with reliable insurance: breast milk contains lipase, which facilitates the digestion of fats. However, if the baby is formula-fed, pancreatic lipase immaturity may manifest itself clinically.
In addition to lipase, a certain composition of bile is required for the digestion of fats, so disorders of fat metabolism can also be observed in children with diseases of the liver and biliary tract . Such diseases are characterized by not just fatty, but also lighter-than-usual stools.
