Undigested Milk In Baby Stool: What Are Those White Curd-Like Things?

Well, who knew that poop could mean so many things. Yes, baby poop tells a lot about their health and well-being. When you become a parent, this is something you have to notice to know everything is all right with that little one.

Different colors and different textures do not always mean there is something unnatural about it. You might often notice undigested milk in baby stool, some things like white curd in their poop. Do not get hysterical about it.

Spotting undigested milk in baby stool is normal. It is the milk fat from the formula you gave them or from your breast milk. There are some other reasons as well. But most of the reasons are harmless

Understanding Baby Poop

Typical baby poop can be of different color and appearance depending on what you are feeding them at that specific age. Newborn poop is mostly black and thick. This is popularly known as meconium. This has amniotic fluid, skin cells along with other things the fetus had when they were in the uterus.

It takes a few days to transition from that. It transitions to a more yellow-green color and is relatively less thick than it was during their newborn phase. Moreover, when they are a few days older, their poop turns yellow and soft.

However, this depends on whether they have formula or breast milk. There are certain formulas which make their poop turn green. When they are around six months, they start eating solid food, or homemade baby food.

Whatever they are eating is reflected in the color of their poop. If they are eating pumpkins and carrots, they may have orange poop.

White Curds or Undigested Milk in Baby Stool

There are numerous reasons why you may notice white chunks in your baby’s poop. The most common reason is breast milk. The white chunks are mostly undigested milk fat from breast milk. Moreover, it could be the milk proteins that have turned into curd.

Babies who are only fed breastmilk can have strange poops. Formula-fed babies can also get these white chunks in their poop. Let’s dig deep and check the possible reasons.

Undigested Milk Fat

Milk fat does not always digest completely in the stomach and gives a curd-like appearance in the poop. Breast milk that has a high content of fat often causes this. This is rare in the case of formula, as it contains less fat, but happens.

If your baby is getting this white curd-like appearance in the poop, but has no symptoms of other illness, then this is happening because of undigested milk.

Undigested Food

This could be undigested food as well. If you have started giving them solid food this can happen. They cannot chew their food yet. Their stomach is not yet used to these foods and is trying to tolerate it.

So, it is natural that they will have difficulty digesting food before it gets to the digestive tract.

Infection

Infection is a rare reason for white curds showing in baby poop. However, parasitic infection, viral, or bacteria can change the texture and color of poop. You can identify an infection from the following symptoms as well.

• Rectal temperature is more than 38 degrees Celsius
• Runny nose
• Irritability
• Cough

If the color of poop is changing suddenly, then it is best to consult a pediatrician.

Baby Poop and Milk Allergies

If your baby is having bloody poop, it could be because of milk allergies. Their bowel movement also becomes frequent and runny and can contain mucus. The symptoms are a lotlike diarrhea.

This is often known as cow’s milk protein allergy. This happens when the baby has difficulty digesting milk protein. However, it is not just about cow milk, this can happen from goat milk or sheep milk as well.

Babies often react to the dairy proteins that are there in breast milk and formula. This makes the immune system attack the proteins and release histamines. However, some people initially think of it as lactose intolerance, which is not true.

Symptoms

Apart from noticing a change in their stool, there are some other symptoms as well. Those are:

• Congestion
• Hives or rashes
• Coughing
• Stomach upset
• Colic
• Vomiting
• Wheezing

The symptoms are mostly immediate, but some take time upto 2 hrs after coming in contact with the milk. Some reactions come even after 20 hours, which doctors call delayed-type hypersensitivity.

These symptoms are gastrointestinal. You might notice these symptoms in this case:

• Lethargy
• Change in stool
• Pale skin
• Bloody diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Weight loss

Decoding Baby Poop Colors

There is an entire spectrum of baby poop colors, and all of those mean that your baby is in perfect health. So, when you notice your baby pooping in various colors don’t panic. Here are the possible baby poop colors mentioned along with the probable causes.

Poop color	What it means	Is it scary?
Brown	They are digesting their food perfectly.	No
Yellow	This is quite normal among breastfeeding infants. This means their metabolism is working fine.	No
Green	1. This is newborn poop or meconium. 2. They have a viral illness. 3. You are feeding a lot of green vegetables to your baby.	It is a temporary situation and is not scary.
Red	1. Your baby consumed dye or something that had a red food color. 2. It could be a food allergy or infection. 3. Some cereals cause constipation, or they might have rectal irritation from diarrhea.	Even if there is a hint of blood in their poop, immediately check with a doctor.
White (grey/pale)	This means there is something that is not allowing bile movement in the liver.	This can be serious. So, get immediate help from a professional.
Black	1. Newborns pass meconium, and their poop turns black. 2. Some medicines can cause black stool. 3. The baby is bleeding in the digestive system.	If your baby has passed the newborn phase, then consult a doctor. Check for other symptoms as well.
Purple/blue/bright green	Your baby consumed dye or something that had a red food color like gummy snacks.	There is nothing to be scared of. Just keep a check on them.

Tips for Parents

There are times you hesitate to contact the doctor, because you think you are calling them too many times, and they will start to judge you. That is simply not true. Whenever you are unsure about anything, just talk with your doctor.

However, in the majority of cases, undigested milk in baby stool is nothing to be concerned about. But you should contact the doctor if you notice any of these symptoms.

• If there are other GI symptoms like mucus or blood in their poop if they are constipated, or if they get diarrhea.
• Look for allergy symptoms like wheezing or hives.
• If they have a fever.

Moreover, remember these are all about white curds or undigested milk in baby stool, and not when they are pooping grey or white. These could be signs of liver infection. If this happens, you should take the baby to the doctor immediately.

Conclusion

Overall, white curbs are mostly undigested milk in baby stool and nothing serious. This is a common thing you will notice in breastfeeding babies. However, this can also happen when you give them a formula.

You do not have to change anything in your diet or do something differently because of this. However, if this is happening suddenly, or you notice some other symptoms with this, then it could be a sign of illness or allergic reaction. This is when you should contact the pediatrician.