Why does a newborn or infant on breast, artificial or mixed feeding have green loose stools? What kind of stool should a newborn have with breast, mixed and artificial feeding: baby feces by months

How many different questions arise every day for a young mother with the birth of a child, especially if he is the firstborn. One of the reasons for excitement, and sometimes panic, is the stool in the baby, its color and smell, the number of bowel movements and the frequency of the stool, the consistency and the presence of impurities. The norm and pathology of stool in an infant and will be discussed in the article.

Most often, mothers judge the norm and pathology by the color of the feces, and when it changes, they do not always reasonably panic. A change in the color of the stool in newborns, as well as the degree of density or consistency of feces, is the norm.

In the first 1-2 days after the birth of the baby, the stool is viscous, liquid, almost odorless, almost black or with. Such a primordial stool is an absolute norm, it is called "meconium".

The nature of the original stool in a newborn is due to the fact that the child swallowed along with amniotic fluid while in the womb. The appearance of meconium is very important, it indicates the normal activity of the intestine.

After birth, the baby's stool will depend on the type of feeding (, artificial or mixed), the volume and frequency of feedings. This is due not only to the color of the feces, but also to its consistency, and the frequency of bowel movements, and even the smell.

From the 3rd to the 6th day of life, the stool gradually acquires a gray-green color or grayish, becomes thicker. It reflects the adaptation of the newborn to a new diet and indicates a sufficient amount of breast milk received. If meconium continues to stand out on the 3-5th day, the child should be urgently examined by a doctor.

From 2 weeks, the color of the baby's feces becomes yellow or mustard, the consistency remains watery. The stool may resemble pea puree or mustard in consistency and color. The stools have a mild sour-milk odor. It is acceptable to have small white grains in the stool, a small amount of mucus. It is important that the feces are not watery or, conversely, very dense.

Breastfeeding frequency

The frequency of bowel movements in an infant on breastfeeding varies widely from 12 times a day in the first month of life to 1 time in 5 days - from 2-3 months.

Up to a month and a half, a breastfed baby can empty the intestines from 4 to 12 times a day. Subsequently, the frequency of bowel movements gradually decreases. The transition from colostrum with its laxative properties to mature milk in the mother leads to a decrease in the frequency of stools in the baby.

From 2-3 months of life, a child can recover with different frequencies: one baby - up to 4-5 times a day, the other - only 1-2 times in 5 days.

It is important for parents to understand that both options are the norm. Deviations are possible, and this is not a pathology. Some babies recover after every feeding. It is important that the consistency, color and smell of the bowel movements are normal, and the child is gaining weight.

The amount of feces also depends on the frequency of stools: a child can recover 1-2 times a day, but plentifully. Anxiety should cause watery stools more than 12 times a day.

If the baby recovers every 4-5 days, but the consistency of the feces is normal, the child is calm, then there is absolutely no need to give the child cleansing enemas, give laxatives or irritate the anus with a bar of soap or the tip of a thermometer to speed up bowel movements.

Such manipulations can lead to a decrease in the reflex normal movement of feces through the intestines. Irritation of the anus can cause inflammation of the rectal mucosa and atrophic changes in it under the influence of soap alkali.

The frequency and volume of bowel movements indirectly indicate whether the baby has enough mother's milk. They are counted along with .

The nature of the stool changes with the introduction. The color may turn brown or have green blotches. The smell becomes stronger. Undigested lumps may appear in the stool.

Norm or pathology?

The contents of diapers should be carefully examined in order to identify pathology in time. There are many options for the frequency and consistency of stools in breastfeeding infants, but the nature of the stool is an important indicator of the baby's health.

If the baby did not have sufficient stool volume and consistency during the first 3 weeks of life, you should consult a doctor. This may be due to insufficient breast milk. The control weighing will easily confirm this assumption.

The absence of daily stools with a good health of the child and normal developmental indicators is not considered if the stool is yellow and soft in texture. This is not a pathology and does not need any treatment.

Mother's milk is divided into foremilk and hindmilk, differing in taste and composition. So, back milk is more high-calorie, although less sweet, and it contains the enzymes necessary for the breakdown of lactose (milk sugar).

The following signs may indicate a lack of hindmilk to a child:

stools have a normal color, but a liquid consistency, somewhat foamy and have a pungent odor;
irritation appeared in the anus;
the baby is restless both during feeding and after it;
the child is underweight.

In such cases, the mother should change breasts less often when feeding the baby.

If the amount of mucus has increased, and the stool is yellow, green or brown, but the child's health and behavior has not changed, then this may be due to the rapid teething. If greens and mucus are noted for several days in a row, you should consult a pediatrician.

Urgent medical attention is necessary for copious, watery, fetid stools. Most likely, there is an intestinal infection and the threat of dehydration of the baby's body is brewing.

Black coloration of thick or soft stools may appear if the child has received iron supplements for treatment. If there was no such treatment, then you should immediately seek medical help. In such cases, an examination is performed to rule out internal bleeding.

Liquid scarlet blood in the stool or streaks of it in the mucus may appear with an intestinal infection, be a manifestation or a crack in the anus. In any case, such a symptom indicates the severity of the process and requires immediate medical attention.

A manifestation of lactase deficiency in a child can be:

green chair;
sharp sour smell of stools;
redness in the anus;
child anxiety;

The allocation of solid feces in small pieces with a strong straining of the child, tension in the tummy, accompanying the act of defecation with crying are noted with constipation. The reason may lie in the wrong diet of a nursing mother or in a product that is not suitable for the baby, introduced as complementary foods. A pediatrician can help you understand the cause of constipation and give advice on how to eliminate it.

A change in the color and consistency of feces, an unpleasant odor appear in the baby with the introduction of complementary foods. Distinguishable pieces of vegetables may be present, but this is due to the fact that vegetables (even boiled) are difficult to digest, since the digestive system is not yet fully formed.

Summary for parents

The nature of the stool and its frequency in infants vary depending on the age of the child, the composition and amount of milk in the mother, complementary foods. The bowel movements also change with some diseases of the baby. If there is any doubt about the health of the crumbs in the event of a change in the consistency and frequency of the stool, if there is mucus or other pathological impurities in the feces, you should contact the pediatrician, and not self-medicate.

Pediatrician E. O. Komarovsky answers the question “Why does a breastfed baby rarely poop?”:

Pediatrician E. O. Komarovsky answers the question "What if the child does not poop every day?":

Breastfeeding consultant L. Sharova talks about the baby's stool:

With the birth of a new life, every new mother has many new worries and concerns. All women who have just become acquainted with motherhood are very closely monitoring the health of their child and note all the changes that occur with his tiny body.

Including all mothers, be sure to pay attention to the baby's chair. This is not without meaning, because the color and nature of the bowel movements can tell about the state of health of the crumbs and the presence of pathologies in its internal organs. However, in order to determine whether everything is in order with the chair of your child, you need to know what it should be like for babies who are on natural, artificial or mixed feeding.

What should be normal bowel movements for a newborn baby?

While the unborn baby is in the womb, meconium accumulates in his tiny intestines.

With a successful pregnancy, it begins to stand out only after the baby is born, so it is often called the original feces. Meconium in most cases is a homogeneous mass from dark olive to black, odorless and similar in texture to tar.

Approximately 8 out of 10 babies pass primordial feces for 2 or 3 days until the young mother has a rush of large amounts of breast milk. In some cases, meconium may pass within hours of labor being completed, and then the baby may not have any bowel movements at all for up to 72 hours. This is due to the fact that the colostrum, which the baby eats during this period, is almost completely absorbed by its gastrointestinal tract, and there are no toxins and toxins left in the intestines, so there is simply nothing to stand out.

If the mother has sufficient lactation, and the baby continues to feed exclusively on breast milk, the baby’s stool acquires a mushy texture, a characteristic sour smell and a yellow-green tint. Such babies usually poop after each feeding. A little later, the stools become pure yellow and uniform. Such a chair in the baby persists until the introduction of the first complementary foods, however, its frequency decreases over time.

As a rule, the stool of an infant who does not receive breast milk, that is, is on mixed or artificial feeding, has a slightly thicker texture, a rather unpleasant putrid odor and a darker color with a brownish tint. Normally, the baby should poop at least 1 time per day, if this does not happen, the baby can be safely diagnosed with constipation.

Causes of green stool in infants with mixed feeding

With any kind of feeding, there should not be greens in the baby's feces, however, within a few days after the baby is born, this is considered a variant of the norm.

If the baby’s stool has already been established, but it retains a visible greenish tint, this may indicate the presence of the following factors:

malnutrition. Often, a young mother replaces only one or two feedings with a specially adapted milk formula for babies, and feeds the baby with her milk the rest of the time. If at the same time the baby does not receive enough mother's milk, his bowel movements may acquire a greenish tint. In this case, the amount of formula consumed by the infant should be increased;
the predominance of fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet of a nursing mother and the lack of meat products;
intestinal dysbacteriosis;
if the baby's stool has a greenish or mustard tint, a watery consistency, a sharp sour smell and sometimes even foams, most likely, we are talking about lactase deficiency. With this problem, the immature digestive system of the crumbs cannot cope with milk protein. A nursing mother should, first of all, exclude fresh milk from her diet and reduce the amount of dairy products consumed, and also, together with a pediatrician, choose a suitable lactose-free mixture. As a rule, lactase deficiency resolves on its own by the age of 9-12 months;
finally, in some cases, green stools in infants are observed with an intestinal infection.

Causes of constipation in infants with mixed feeding

Constipation in an infant is called not only the absence of stool for more than 24 hours, but also difficult bowel movements, which is accompanied by pain and discomfort. As a rule, a baby who is trying to poop, with constipation, pushes hard, strains and cries loudly angrily.

Since a fairly rare bowel movement, or prolonged constipation, almost always causes dysbacteriosis, often greens appear in the baby's stool. That is why these two problems are related to each other and require careful observation and an integrated approach to their solution.

Causes of constipation in a mixed-fed infant may include:

malnutrition of the mother, which is expressed in the predominance of foods rich in easily digestible carbohydrates and proteins in her diet, and a lack of dietary fiber. If your child has constipation, you need to adjust your daily menu, namely, eat as many cereals as possible, made from buckwheat and oatmeal, as well as brown rice, include boiled and steamed vegetables and whole grain bread in the diet. In addition, you should eat foods that have laxative properties, in particular, boiled beets, figs, dried apricots, prunes, fresh peaches and apricots. In the absence of lactase deficiency in an infant, it is useful to drink fresh kefir, this drink will help a young mother normalize both her own stool and the stool of a newborn baby;
Constipation in formula-fed or mixed-fed babies can be caused by choosing the wrong infant formula. In such a situation, it is imperative to contact the pediatrician in order to choose a product that is best suited for the baby together with the doctor;
various disorders of intestinal motility, including spasm and hypotension of the anal sphincter. In such a situation, the baby, as a rule, behaves very restlessly, because he does not leave gases, and pronounced intestinal colic is observed. A child who is suffering cannot fall asleep, and if he falls asleep, he constantly wakes up, screaming and crying for several hours in a row. All this exhausts not only the crumbs, but also his entire family. Under such circumstances, the treatment of constipation in a newborn mixed-fed infant should be carried out under the strict supervision of a physician. In most cases, children older than 3 weeks of age are prescribed various fermented milk mixtures, as well as drugs such as Microlax microclysters, glycerin suppositories or the popular Dufalac syrup.

In the vast majority of cases, a green stool in a baby does not indicate that he has serious health problems, however, it requires mandatory observation and some adjustments in the diet of a young mother and baby.

Miledis Mil

Good afternoon Irina Viktorovna. I would like to get advice from you. We haven't added anything in a month. Although we were born with a weight of 4220 and discharged 3850. In a month we weigh only 4000 kg. There was milk, the child sucked from the chest, and then fell asleep even for 4-4.5 hours. As a result, after we weighed in, I realized that I did not have enough milk. I began to express and I get 50 ml of everything from each breast. Sometimes one has it, the other doesn't. They began to supplement with the usual Nutrilon mixture, and he began to sleep less. Eat and 1.5-2 hours can lie without being capricious, and then falls asleep and if you do not wake him up, he can oversleep for a very long time. I wake him up. The chair on the first day after the introduction of the mixture was like granular cottage cheese. Today he pooped like thick semolina. We don't seem to have a rash. Tell me ... what kind of chair should the baby have and why did he sleep so little ?!

Hello! The chair can be any - and like gruel, and with grains, and even with an admixture of greenery and mucus; and 5 times a day, and every other day. Every day the child will sleep less and less. Only in the first month of life, the baby either eats or sleeps; then the period of sleep naturally decreases, and wakefulness increases. There are also scientific works that prove that when using milk formulas, children are more excitable than their peers on HB (some kind of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid accumulates more in the brain, or something, if I remember correctly). You can brush me off, but I'd do anything to keep my lactation going right now. Now its formation is still taking place; transitional milk has just been replaced by mature milk; Now you can still "force" the mammary glands to work more actively. You and the baby are still adjusting to each other, and it seems to me that in the coming weeks you need to leave everything and try to be as close (literally) as possible to the baby (just seeing him, they say, stimulates milk production). If you want enough milk and no problems with feeding, now apply it to your breast as often as possible. Nothing stimulates milk production like suckling a baby. Even if it seems to you that he is uselessly pulling his chest, he “causes” milk by sucking, and it comes. No pumping shows the true amount of milk in the breast; there is always more of it. In any case, even with a lack of milk, supplementary feeds are not immediately introduced, and for weeks 2 they fight with all their might for breastfeeding: in one feeding they apply both to one and to the second breast; they give food on demand, eat well and drink more, get enough rest, put the baby next to them, etc. You can add another massage of the mammary glands. If you really don’t dare to refuse the mixture, first apply to both mammary glands, and only then supplement the baby from a bottle with a tight nipple if he does not get enough. You have no idea how many problems GW saves from; how many mothers of artificial children suffer ... Hear me, please! Grow big and healthy!

Noticing the green “poop” in their child, unknowing mothers take this as a violation in work. Unfortunately, such fears are not always in vain and may require timely diagnosis and treatment.

To avoid unnecessary worries, it is necessary to understand the options for the physiological norm of the intestines in infants.

Effect on stool type of food

The intestines in infants are at the stage of formation and often lead to infrequent malfunctions. The factor leading to such imperfections is the type.

Breastfeeding, bottle-feeding or mixed-type feeding (alternating breast and artificial, complementary foods) can lead to green “poop” in babies.

Did you know? During the first year of life, the development of the enzymatic system leads to a change in the child's stool up to 5 times, which is a sign of normal intestinal development.

breast

With a good weight gain and activity of the child, the color of the feces does not matter.

For a mixed type of feeding, a combination of artificial mixtures and breast milk of a nursing woman is characteristic. There are good reasons for switching to this type of feeding, which will be mentioned below.

Rules for organizing mixed feeding

In order for a child to be transferred to mixed feeding, there must be serious reasons. These reasons include:

decrease in the rate of weight gain in infants;
insufficient production of breast milk in the mother;
infectious diseases in a nursing woman, as well as taking certain medications;
activities of a nursing woman, involving frequent weaning from the baby.

To ensure maximum comfort and benefit, the correct organization of mixed feeding is important. For this purpose, a nursing woman is recommended to use the following tips:

The introduction of artificial mixtures is not a reason for the complete rejection of breastfeeding. It is recommended to continue breastfeeding if possible.
It is not recommended to give formulas to a child through a bottle with a nipple. For this purpose, it is better to use a spoon. The use of nipples causes the baby to refuse the breast.
For mixed feeding, it is recommended to use special (adapted) nutrient mixtures, the selection of which is carried out by a pediatrician or a breastfeeding specialist.
The last feeding before bedtime is best done with an artificial mixture, and during the night it is recommended to apply the baby to the breast on demand. Such tactics will improve the baby's sleep and have a stimulating effect on the lactation process.
Before each feeding, it is recommended to prepare a fresh nutrient mixture, avoiding heating the previous one.
Particular attention should be paid to the cleanliness of the dishes from which the baby is fed. For washing children's dishes, it is recommended to use special (children's) detergents that do not contain aggressive chemicals.
It is strictly forbidden to use a microwave oven to heat the artificial mixture. IN this case the mixture loses its nutritional properties.
With mixed feeding, a woman is recommended to continue following a diet for breastfeeding.
To dilute the dry mixture, only boiled water is used, which does not contain harmful substances and impurities.
It is recommended to resort to the use of a nutrient mixture only if there is a shortage of breast milk.

The decision to switch to mixed feeding should be made in conjunction with the pediatrician. The final decision is made on the basis of information about the health of the child, about the characteristics of his development, about the presence of a tendency to allergies, as well as about weight indicators.

How to choose a mixture

It is recommended to approach the issue of selecting a dry formula for feeding with the utmost responsibility. There are certain criteria that influence the choice of an artificial mixture.

These criteria include:

The level of adaptability of the milk mixture. Similar information is contained on the packaging of the mixture. The younger the child, the higher the level of adaptability of the milk formula should be.
Baby's age;
Individual features of the digestive system of the child (tendency to constipation, intestinal colic);
The health status of the baby;
The child's ability to digest lactose and cow's milk proteins.

Calculation of milk/mixture ratio

With a mixed type of feeding, the risk of overfeeding the child increases. To prevent this situation, it is recommended to carry out a preliminary calculation of the ratio of artificial mixture and breast milk.

At the age of 6 months, the child begins to receive complementary foods, which include vegetable, fruit and meat purees, juices and cereals. All of these products should gradually replace artificial milk formula.

The development of constipation against the background of mixed feeding is caused by such reasons:

The nutritional mixture itself can provoke irregular stools in a child. The chemical composition and structure of milk mixtures is alien to the child's body. When breastfeeding, the baby's intestines are in a reduced tone, which significantly increases the risk of constipation. The ingestion of unfamiliar food into the intestines provokes its reflex contraction, which develops into constipation.
Another reason for this condition is a violation of thermoregulation in the child's body. Excessive wrapping of the baby can lead to this condition. The body overheats, the child sweats heavily and loses a large amount of moisture. Fluid loss affects the process of formation and movement of feces in the intestine. As a result - constipation.

Additional causes of constipation may be hereditary metabolic diseases, insufficient production of thyroid hormones, as well as hereditary hypotonicity of the smooth muscles of the intestine.

You can identify constipation in a child by the following symptoms:

anxiety, frequent whims and crying;
the frequency of stools in a child is less than once a day;
in the prone position, the child constantly rubs the leg against the leg and groans;
when trying to empty himself, the child strains heavily, groans and cries;
during feeding the child is restless;
touching the tummy causes anxiety and crying in the baby;
the child has bloating (flatulence) and difficult passage of gases.

How to prevent constipation with mixed feeding

The key to the prevention of constipation during mixed feeding is the correct and careful selection of the milk mixture. Parents should seek prior advice from a pediatrician or lactation specialist.

If the child is prone to constipation, then parents are advised to prepare an artificial mixture of liquid consistency. However, we should not forget that this issue must be agreed with the doctor.

It is strictly forbidden to overfeed a child, as overeating contributes to the development of stagnation of feces in the intestines. It is recommended to feed the baby on demand, and not by the clock.

The temperature of the finished mixture plays a significant role. Warm food has a stimulating effect on intestinal motility. In this matter, it is important not to overdo it so that the child does not develop diarrhea.

undress and lay the baby on a hard surface covered with a clean diaper;
perform gentle stroking of the tummy clockwise and counterclockwise;
gently bend the baby's legs at the knees and press them to the tummy, performing the “cycling” movement;
daily water procedures help to increase intestinal motility and normalize the stool in a child.

The most effective way to prevent constipation is to maintain breastfeeding. Mother's milk has a unique chemical composition and nutritional value. It is recommended to reduce the use of milk mixtures to a minimum, and use them only if there is a shortage of breast milk. If the child began to introduce complementary foods, then parents should pay attention to additional products. Some of them can have a firming effect, causing stagnation of feces in the intestines.

If constipation becomes prolonged, then parents should seek the advice of a pediatrician to review the baby's diet.