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Medical Author:

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

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Medical Editor:

Bhupinder Anand, MD

Anal fissures routinely occur in infants, and are the most common reason for the presence of blood in the diaper. The most frequent cause is the passage of a hard bowel movement. The infant may grunt or cry when trying to pass the hard stool and drops of blood may be seen on the diaper. Blood is not mixed in with the stool.

It is important not to ignore blood in an infant's bowel movement or diaper because an anal fissure may not be the cause. It is reasonable and appropriate to contact a health care practitioner to arrange a visit.

If constipation is the cause of the anal fissure, adding corn syrup to the formula may be helpful. If the infant is older than 3-4 months, some fruit juice may also help with the bowel movement. The health care practitioner is a good resource for information.

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