White clay stool TMI?

[BabyMine]

DH decided to tel me today that M's stools have been white for the past 2 days. I saw one tonight and yep it's white. I called our ped and she said to wait a couple of days and see if it subsides. If not then we are bringing him in.

While I was waiting for her to call me back I was googling and saw some reports that stool can sometimes be white after a viral infection. M had the norovirus last week so I don't know if that had a hand in anything.

M's stomach is still a little bloated from the gas from the infection but that is the ony other lingering symptom. He has not had any new food or meds in the past couple of weeks.

[chlobo]

If he had norovirus I would think that would be contributing. I would get a good probiotic from a health food store & start giving that to him twice a day to help replenish his gut flora after his illness.

[Gena]

My very good friend is a pediatric gastroenterologist. She always told me that the only stool colors to worry about are red, black, and white/clay. White or clay colored stool is caused by a lack of bile and can indicate a liver problem or a blocked bile duct.

Personally, I would want to have it checked sooner rather than waiting.

[sste]

My very good friend is a pediatric gastroenterologist. She always told me that the only stool colors to worry about are red, black, and white/clay. White or clay colored stool is caused by a lack of bile and can indicate a liver problem or a blocked bile duct.

Personally, I would want to have it checked sooner rather than waiting.

Yes, my husband is gi doc and I recall hearing this same thing from him in our many analyses together of DS's baby poop.

[Dr C]

Yes, white poop is caused by a lack of bile in the stool... also called an acholic stool. While they can be a sign of more serious liver disease (like a bile duct blockage), they're quite common in kids for a few days after a stomach bug. I'd definitely get it checked out if it doesn't go away after a couple of days but would not panic right away, especially if your son is acting ok and doesn't look yellow. I agree with your ped's advice.