Babies nappies.

I think it is worth a doctor’s visit. It may be normal for him, or it could be food intolerance or a mild infection. Has he had antibiotics? It sometimes takes some time for the gut to rebalance its flora.

If he has recently started weaning it could be an intolerance, a neighbour's child was found to have Coeliac disease when they complained about runny, smelly nappies.

It may be normal for him and that's why the parents are not too worried. But it's good to keep an eye on him. I may sound stupid here.....when I looked after my grandbabies, I was more concerned when their nappies were dry.
However, keep an eye on the nappy and always let the parents know .

Not enough to eat ?

Bopeep the poor little man must be so uncomfortable it sounds like he needs to be seen by the Doctor to make sure nothing is untoward.
Does he let you know straight away when he has been so you can change him straight away,he may even have a water infection ? I have my GGS once a week and when I change him I load on zinc and caster oil cream which makes a barrier against the skin and guards against any soreness,can you ask the parents to make an appointment and you take him to the surgery yourself.

Definitely needs to see the doc. Sounds more like the nappies of a breast fed baby, and he can't be that!

I don't know about the cause of the problem, but if the poor mite's bottom is sore I'd advise what my mum was told - put a little bicarbonate of soda in his bath water (it neutralises the acids from the nappy contents). I never had a sore bum, used the same methods for my son, and my mum (who'd been given the advice by a children's nurse) passed the advice to lots of people. One was a customer in the chemist's where she worked - the baby had really bad nappy rash and nothing had helped. A few weeks later the customer was back with the baby who then really did have baby soft skin.

If he has recently started weaning it could be an intolerance, a neighbour's child was found to have Coeliac disease when they complained about runny, smelly nappies
Harrigran, thank you for that - I have only just made the link!
Too late now but I wish I had known all those years ago - but no-one seemed to be aware of Coeliac disease in those days.

Thanks for all your thoughts, i have thought it may be an intolerance, possibly lactose as his mum says his nappies have always been like this. Its not just started since he has started eating solids. Poor little one is in so much pain today with his sore bottom, he cries so much when i change his nappy. I have given him calpol and he is having a nap now.

Please don't start cutting out any foods until he has been seen by a doctor.

He shouldn't need Calpol! This needs fixing properly.

I was going to say he needs checking as well.

When I lived in the tropics the local solution for a sore bottom was to rub egg white on it. Just run your finger on the inside of an eggshell and rub it on the affected area after bathing and drying. Worked sometimes 😀
OP, if the parents are unconcerned I'd be tempted to take him to the doctor myself.

I agree with Gonegirl get some advice about this, Calpol is not the answer.

Definitely worth checking as it could indicate a disaccharide intolerance. One of my daughters became very ill with this (and other complications) and needed a special formula diet.

What does he eat/ drink? Is he gaining weight normally?
Could be lactose intolerance. But best to ask the doctor.

It certainly does sound like an intolerance or auto-immune disorder which needs checking out by the GP asap.

Esspee, you beat me to it. I used to use egg white on one of our boys when he had a sore bottom. It worked everytime , as I think it makes a barrier on the skin. I kept an egg white, in a lidded container, in the fridge, so one egg lasted a while.

Sudocrem is pretty good for prevention of nappy rash. Cicatrin powder was great, but not available any more. Like others have said, it sounds like he should be seen by doctor.

One of my children got persistent diarrhea around the age of 1. Samples were taken by doctor to see what might be causing it and though nothing specific showed up, he prescribed Lomotil and Neomycin. It did the trick, though that son (Now 36) still has intermittent problems - probably some form of IBS.

We have tried sudocrem, doesn’t help. He was that distressed his mum took him to the out of hours clinic, and was given some cream. He is a much happier little boy now.
Thank you for all your suggestions.

My daughter had something the gp called toddlers diarrhoea. She grew out of it. Definitely worth a trip to the Drs I'd say.

Definitely needs to see a Doctor. Could be anything from mild to severe cause. Could I suggest Trinity Ointment for his bottom. Absolutely wonderful cream. Made by a pharmacy in Hawick and available by post. Not the cheapest of creams but works wonders on little ones' bums.

I do agree that he needs to be seen by a doctor, but in the meantime the best stuff I found for my GD’s sore bottom was Baby Bottom Butter from Waitrose. It worked like a minor miracle to soothe her.
Doctors appointment ASAP then Waitrose.

I can vouch for egg white, I used to use it on DD when terry nappies were the only covering available.