Melena

- intestinal bleeding - is diagnosed by a black chair surrounded by a red rim on the diaper, which differs from meconium (the original feces of dark green coloration). Often melena is accompanied by bloody vomiting. Typically, intestinal bleeding is repeated throughout the day, uninvolved, can be a single dose. Less common are severe forms, in which blood is squeezed out of the anus almost continuously, there is persistent bloody vomiting. In this case, there are signs of anemia (anemia) - a drop in blood pressure, a decrease in muscle tone, an increase in lethargy, pale skin, a weak scream, a violation of breathing, a rapid heartbeat along with deafness of heart sounds. If untimely assistance, the child may die.
The cause of melena is considered the formation of small ulcers on the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum because of the increased content of adrenal hormones in the newborn baby after the birth stress, increased acidity of the gastric juice. Sometimes ulcers are not found, i.e. The leading role in such cases and grains, probably, the anomalous superconductivity of the walls of blood vessels.
Melen in children of the first day of life must be differentiated from the "swallowed up blood" of the mother (when passing through the birth canal, as well as from the nipple cracks).
The prognosis for uncompleted course of hemorrhagic disease of newborns is favorable, there is no transition to further types of hemorrhagic diseases in the future.