C-diff and infants?

[javanurse2000, BSN, RN]

I am in geriatrics and when we have a pt with c-diff it is medically treated...and fast! My 2 month old niece has been having blood tinged mucus in her stool for several weeks. Her samples came back negative for everything but c-diff. The pediatrician told my sister that it is normal for an infant to carry c-diff the first year of life. He is thinking that the sx are from a milk allergy so the pediatrician has my sister on a dairy-free diet. Does this all make sense? Isn't breast milk itself considered dairy and full of lactose? I would really appreciate your response if you have had experience with c-diff in infants.

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Somewhere by the process of elimination is the world's worst doctor and somebody has an appointment with him tomorrow.

[javanurse2000, BSN, RN]

I am in geriatrics and when we have a pt with c-diff it is medically treated...and fast! My 2 month old niece has been having blood tinged mucus in her stool for several weeks. Her samples came back negative for everything but c-diff. The pediatrician told my sister that it is normal for an infant to carry c-diff the first year of life. He is thinking that the sx are from a milk allergy so the pediatrician has my sister on a dairy-free diet. Does this all make sense? Isn't breast milk itself considered dairy and full of lactose? I would really appreciate your response if you have had experience with c-diff in infants.

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Somewhere by the process of elimination is the world's worst doctor and somebody has an appointment with him tomorrow.

[Jolie, BSN]

I can only recall caring for one infant who was positive for C-diff, and she was a very sick preemie who had been on every antibiotic in the book.

I am very concerned with the notion of bloody mucous in the stools. Infants are born with a sterile gi tract, so where in the world would she pick up C-diff? I am concerned that the pediatrician is blowing off a potentially serious problem. Has she been examined to rule out anal fissures? Has she had an abdominal X-ray, or CBC? Does she show any other s/s of illness such as irritability, lethargy, poor feeding or temperature instability? Is she gaining weight and growing appropriately?

Please encourage her parents to take her to another pediatrician or a pediatric gastroenterologist.

[DDRN4me]

I agree ..this is not normal...any child with bloody mucousy stools has SOMETHING going on..may be minor, but should be looked into furthur...if mom is still BF it may be something she is eating..but just lactose free will not always give an answer.

[javanurse2000, BSN, RN]

thank you for your responses! She is going to get a second opinion and in the meantime will remain on the dairy free diet. An upside is that she has lost 3inches from her waist since she gave up the dairy...hmmm.