We got an appt with a pediatrician yesterday and took the diaper along. Upon seeing that he immediately said that it wasnt blood (which it appeared to us to be) but urine crytals reacting with chemicals in the fibers of the diaper. We had never heard of this before and it sounded rather nebulous.
As of today She has not urinated for the last 24 hours, although had her usual wet bowel movement and there may or may not have been urine with that also. My wife is busy trying to get her in to see another pediatrician, but I wanted to know what a conservative course of action should be and if you'd ever heard of such a thing as diaper discoloration of this type. Jeffrey, Farmer City, Illinois
A. Since she is not urinating very often, your Pediatrician was probably right. It is not uncommon to have urate crystals, which have an orange or red, brick dust color, in an infant's diaper. This is especially common when a child is getting a little dehydrated, although even healthy babies can have them.
Since she is not urinating regularly, at this point, you should get her evaluated right away to check her weight and to see if she really is dehydrated.
Is she breastfeeding? If so, then a lactation consulatant might also be helpful to evaluate her mother's milk supply and make sure she is latching on and sucking well.
If she is being fed baby formula, then you should make sure that you are preparing it correctly and that she is eating enough each day.
