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What does the presence of starch in the stool indicate?

This Premium Q&A, reviewed and published, features a real conversation between an iCliniq user and a physician.

Patient's Query

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?

Answered by Dr. Prashant Kumar Singh

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Prashant Kumar Singh is a Family Physician and a Pediatrician specializing in Child Health and Pediatric Allergy with 17 years of clinical experience. He completed his MBBS at the J J M Medical College and MD in Pediatrics at the Manipal Hospital. He manages children's physical, behavioral, and mental care from birth until age 18. Currently, he is practicing in Astra Healthcare, Hyderabad, Telangana.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

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.

Medically reviewed by Dr. K. Shobana
Published At April 19, 2017
Reviewed At February 14, 2024

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Prashant Kumar Singh is a Family Physician and a Pediatrician specializing in Child Health and Pediatric Allergy with 17 years of clinical experience. He completed his MBBS at the J J M Medical College and MD in Pediatrics at the Manipal Hospital. He manages children's physical, behavioral, and mental care from birth until age 18. Currently, he is practicing in Astra Healthcare, Hyderabad, Telangana.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Education:

BDS

Professional Bio:

Dr. K. Shobana is a Dental Surgeon specializing in oral health and dental care. She is skilled in preventive dentistry and provides oral hygiene education. She can do restorative treatments such as fillings and crowns. She can handle periodontal problems such as gum diseases and periodontitis. She can do root canal treatment.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

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Starch in your child's stool?

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Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Prashant Kumar Singh is a Family Physician and a Pediatrician specializing in Child Health and Pediatric Allergy with 17 years of clinical experience. He completed his MBBS at the J J M Medical College and MD in Pediatrics at the Manipal Hospital. He manages children's physical, behavioral, and mental care from birth until age 18. Currently, he is practicing in Astra Healthcare, Hyderabad, Telangana.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

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