Dragon fruit benefits overshadowed by blood in urine in children

Author: Unspecified. Reviewer: Unspecified. Curator: Unspecified. Production/Organizational Information: Unspecified. Title: Dragon fruit benefits overshadowed by blood in urine in children. Parents concern over "blood in urine" after red-fleshed dragon fruit is unfounded; experts say it's just natural pigment discoloration. Keywords: ["Children's health", 'Dietary Science Popularization'] Main text: "My daughter seems to have blood in her urine! What should I do?" My friend called me in a rush, her tone full of anxiety. I quickly asked her if the child was crying excessively or experiencing frequent and urgent urination. How was her spirit? Had there been anything unusual in her diet these past few days? My friend said the child was in good spirits, eating and playing normally; it was just that the day before, she had eaten red-fleshed dragon fruit, something she had never had before.

Hearing her say this, I had a rough idea of what was going on, so I quickly tried to reassure her. It was likely just the dragon fruit causing this, and there was no need to panic. However, to be safe, I still suggested taking the child to the hospital for a check-up. Later, my friend informed me that the child's urine routine results were completely normal; indeed, it was just "pseudo hematuria" caused by the dragon fruit, and it turned out to be a false alarm. Red dragon fruit contains a large amount of betacyanin, which is a natural pigment. The human body cannot fully absorb it, and it gets excreted through urine and feces, which can turn these substances red and may resemble blood in urine or stools. However, this is a normal phenomenon.

In situations like this, parents can first make a simple distinction without immediately panicking: 1. Observe the color: The red caused by pigments is a uniform pink or bright red, similar to watermelon juice; whereas, the color of true hematuria is often dark red or black, and may contain streaks of blood or clots. 2. Smelling: The red urine caused by pigments does not have a specific odor; true hematuria may have a fishy smell. 3. Food Suspension Observation: Stop eating dragon fruit for 1-2 days, and the redness may gradually fade. Of course, the safest method is to go to the hospital and let a doctor assess the situation. If the child is in good spirits, not experiencing abdominal pain, and does not have a fever, and the only issue is that their urine or feces has turned red after eating dragon fruit, then simply drinking more water is sufficient. There is no need for special treatment, and parents can rest easy.