What does the presence of starch in the stool indicate?

Question

Hi doctor,

We had a stool test for my 2.5 year old daughter. The result reported presence of starch granules in the stool and the stool pH is acidic 6. What does it mean?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

1. I would be more interested in knowing the complaints of your daughter and the symptoms rather than the report findings.....

2. By seeing the stool report, I can just guess that your baby is suffering from loose stools.

3. Since you have asked particularly about the report I shall answer about it.

4. Generally, starch granules are seen in the stool if there is indigestion, which happens in diarrhea.

5. Normally, the pH of the stool should be alkaline or slightly acidic that is more than 7 to 7.7.

6. The stool becomes acidic when there is lactose intolerance that means lactose is a substance in the milk and the body is intolerant in digesting the milk.

7. Lactose intolerance is a temporary phenomenon seen in children with loose stools and that is the reason for our advice to stop giving milk and milk products for children with loose stools.

8. I suggest you not to worry about the report findings as they are temporarily abnormal. Once the child is off the condition, then she will be normal.