Symptoms and causes of green poop in infants. A child has green stool: reasons, what to do

Upon birth, a newborn child begins to explore the world, adjust its body to the conditions of its environment, and learn to express its needs through instincts. Each new person is a special organism that has its own smells, the ability to feel, and a way of achieving its own. Parents from this moment become main source of protection.

From the first days of life, a small person begins the work of his main and integral organs. This includes the heart, stomach, intestines. The digestive system is far from perfect and takes time to recover from life in the womb. Because of this, new parents may be concerned that their baby's poop is variable.

What should poop look like?

Your baby's poop can come in a variety of textures and colors. As soon as the baby is born, his body begins to work hard and absorb the food that mother’s milk gives him. The unfinished formation of gastrointestinal systems can sometimes frighten parents color and shape of poop.

Normal baby stool should have a runny or mushy consistency. However, you should not run to the doctor if you see inclusions, mucus or green pieces of poop in your child’s poop. There is an explanation for all this.

Black Poop – Should You Worry?

When a baby is born, his digestive system has not yet adjusted to the food his mother gives him. While in the womb, the fetus ate not only what the mother ate. Through the umbilical cord you can get useful substances, vitamins and energy for growth and development. During pregnancy, the fetus may hiccup, yawn, or suck its thumb.

At these moments it can happen involuntary swallowing of liquid(amniotic fluid). It's not scary, on the contrary. If a child periodically “drinks” liquid, your body renews its habitat and produces new liquid.

Once born, the baby's intestines may be full. Perhaps he did not have time to empty it. The first poop will be black, called meconium.

Original poop consist of digested substances that were contained in the liquid. This color of feces will pass in 3-4 days. As soon as the baby starts feeding on mother's milk or powdered milk formula, the color of the poop will change. It will lighten in 3-4 days and become mushy.

Black poop in older children

If you notice that your child has started poop black poop, it is worth reconsidering his diet and the food he consumes. If the baby is breastfed, the mother should eliminate most foods that contain iron from her diet. A large concentration of the substance is contained in the preparations. A woman's stool color may also change. Even an apple eaten by the mother can affect an infant. Carefully review your diet, choose fresh foods, cereals from simple grains. Eliminate fruits if possible for 2-3 months.

Green poop, what does that mean?

Green poop on baby- This absolute norm. If he is breastfed, there is no need to worry. His body produces bilirubin, which gives poop its greenish color. If the baby is not capricious, does not cry, and poops without pain or crying, you should not treat him with drugs. Sometimes in the first days of life dysbiosis may occur in an infant, as evidenced by green poop. It is necessary to take tests and find out what was found in the child. Remember that it is not the tests that need to be treated, but the child.

If the baby is bottle-fed, green stools can be caused by switching from one formula to another. Some of them contain iron, so the color of the stool changes from light to a darker shade.

When should you worry?

If your child has:

Increased amount of mucus
Blood clots or drops
Foam in poop
Sour rotten smell
Excessive crying and lack of appetite

You should urgently go to the doctor. All this speaks of dysbacteriosis, which a child’s body cannot tolerate on its own.

If the child's temperature rises, there is a suspicion of the appearance of lactose intolerance. It can occur with a cold, cold or overheating.

Video: what a baby’s poop should look like

Poop with mucus: how dangerous is it for a child’s health?

If you begin to notice that your baby's poop contains mucus, there is no cause for concern yet. Poop may also have white inclusions, which indicates milk saturated with fatty components. Clots and thick stools indicate that the mother loves dairy products. Liquid poop with white “strings” indicates elements of food that have not yet been digested.

Specifically, the existing mucus is transparent clots that do not burst when pressure is applied to them. Everything else has nothing to do with mucus. Mucus appears when complementary foods are introduced. This does not depend on the products, their quantity or quality. This is the job of the child’s digestive system; parents need to be patient and keep grandma away from the poop.

It is worth noting that mucus in baby poop is only present where the baby eats mother's milk. When breastfeeding, the baby's poop does not change color, except when the baby is sick.

If you find it in your child's poop white mucus with streaks or lumps, this is:

It is necessary to immediately go to the doctor to establish a diagnosis and the cause of the appearance in the stool. foreign particles.

Yellow poop on a baby

Poop that is yellow or the same shade is normal for any baby. If you are breastfeeding, yellow poop only indicates that the mother has a stable diet. If the baby is bottle-fed, yellow is ideal.
Some women like to eat cheeses and dairy products. All this can affect the baby's stool and cause poop yellowish tint.

There is nothing scary about this, because the color of stool does not indicate changes in consistency or composition.

If you suspect your child has poor appetite, lethargy or malnutrition, you should take him to the doctor. Perhaps the child’s well-being will tell you about the beginning of a problem that poop will not have time to tell you about.

Green poop in a baby can be the result of various reasons, including those that do not harm his health. However, when green stool appears, it is important to pay attention to factors such as stool consistency, frequency of bowel movements, odor, and the presence of impurities.

If there are any doubts about the child’s well-being, you should urgently seek advice from a specialist, since this symptom may also mean the presence of diarrhea in the child’s body.

The baby's stool should be yellow.

The norm is that the baby's stool is yellow in color, has a mushy consistency and a sour odor.

This is usually what happens in bottle-fed children who regularly receive a stable composition.

A breastfed baby's stool may vary in color, smell, and consistency. The reason for this is the composition of breast milk, which can change under the influence of many factors:

mother's diet;
her psycho-emotional state

The baby's first stool after birth is black with greenish streaks, it is very thick and tight. This (meconium) is normal and should not cause concern.

These are epithelial cells, mucus and amniotic fluid accumulated in the intestines of a newborn. With proper development and breastfeeding of the baby, after a few days the stool becomes liquid and turns green.

During the first two months of life, the baby can have bowel movements from three to twelve times a day, ideally after each feeding. Also, stool during this period can be an indicator of proper lactation. If the baby has not had a bowel movement for 24 hours, this may indicate that he is not receiving enough milk.

If a child does not poop for 6 days and nothing bothers him (the baby is active and cheerful), then this means that mother’s milk is completely suitable for him, is well absorbed and is digested to the maximum.

Causes of green poop in babies

During the period when teeth are being cut, there may be greenness in the stool.

The child's body, in this way, gets rid of;
after being exposed to open air, feces oxidize;
there are hormones in the stool that reach the baby through breast milk;
green poop appears with the development of viral infections;
the appearance of green poop at the age of 1 month indicates that the child’s body has not yet developed enough beneficial bacteria;
development is accompanied by a sharp putrid odor.
the child feeds only on liquid front milk, and cannot reach the hind (fat) milk, which gives color to the stool;
During the period when teeth are being cut, intestinal dysfunction occurs, which can cause green stools for a short time.

The child began to be fed foods with which he was not yet familiar. For some time, until adaptation has passed, how can it be green. Typically, the color of stool depends on what the baby eats along with breast milk. Green poop may appear due to:

Mom ate little milk and a lot of greens (broccoli, dill, parsley, lettuce);
Mom ate a lot of carbohydrates;
the mother suffers from food poisoning, toxins that enter the child’s body through breast milk affect the color of the stool;

Green stool in formula-fed babies can occur if the baby is given a formula containing iron. The formula needs to be replaced and everything should be back to normal soon. Very often, baby poop turns green for no specific reason. If your baby is active and there are no other signs of pain, then there is no need to worry.

Thematic video will tell you about the baby’s stool:

Green stool in a child after one year

Allergies provoke green stools.

Green stool in a child, no matter what age, should always have a logical explanation for its origin.

In any case, if the color of the stool changes, you need to be examined by a doctor and take tests to diagnose the disease and prescribe surgical treatment.

When to worry

A high temperature is a sign that the baby is not feeling well.

Determining on your own why the color of a child’s stool has changed to green is not easy.

Therefore, parents need to be especially careful, monitor the slightest physiological changes in the baby and, if necessary, seek medical help.

If, in addition to green stool, the child is lethargic, is capricious, refuses to eat, or has a fever, then these symptoms indicate that he feels unwell. Signs requiring immediate medical attention:

the baby has loose, foamy stools with a putrid odor;
observed in feces;
the appearance of green mucus in the stool;
liquid green stool with frequent urge to defecate;
The child does not behave calmly: he cries, writhes his legs, refuses to eat, cannot sleep, and burps frequently and a lot.

Blood, mucus and an unpleasant odor are alarming symptoms that require immediate consultation with a pediatrician. If necessary, to make a correct diagnosis and proper treatment, you will need to do a stool coprogram.

What does green diarrhea mean?

Dysbacteriosis is the cause of diarrhea.

If an infant has loose green stools for several days, and the baby is lethargic and restless, then this may be due to the following reasons:

Intestinal infection. Occurs under the influence of E. coli, various microbes, dysentery, paratyphoid microorganisms. The first sign is a high temperature. The baby behaves restlessly, often burps, refuses food, and loose stools appear.
Dysbacteriosis. The most common diagnosis. This develops as a result of a disturbance in the composition of the microflora, which leads to malfunctions of the digestive system. In addition to green diarrhea, the child experiences bloating, colic, and skin rashes. The specialist prescribes various types of lactic bacteria and yeast.
Viral infection. Due to the fact that the child’s immune system is not yet developed, it depends on the state of the intestinal microflora. Therefore, green diarrhea can develop from a viral infection, or even from a simple cold.
Allergy. Mothers can be triggered by diet, changing formula, or medications. Also, when antibiotics are prescribed, diarrhea is inevitable in most cases.

What to do if you have green stools

A stool analysis will show the state of the child’s intestinal microflora.

It is important for parents to know what to do when their child has green stool. Having an idea of what could have caused it, you can provide timely assistance to prevent serious consequences.

If there is confidence that this problem could not have been caused by the introduction of complementary foods or an incorrectly selected mixture, it is necessary to undergo a series of laboratory tests to establish the true cause of the pathology.

The analysis will require the baby's stool. Using laboratory tests, and taking into account the smell, consistency, and presence of impurities, the child’s condition is revealed. Based on the test results, the necessary treatment is prescribed. Attempts at self-medication, especially in children under 1 year of age, are fraught with serious consequences.

If dysbiosis is diagnosed in the baby, the doctor prescribes prebiotics. For more severe pathologies of the intestinal tract or the presence of infection, treatment takes place in a hospital under the supervision of specialists. If a child has green poop, and no other signs or deviations in behavior are observed, then the parents are able to eliminate this problem themselves. To do this, mom needs to do:

Normalize breast nutrition. Make sure that the baby is fully fed with fore and hind milk. If the food is artificial, change the milk formula.
If the nipples have an irregular shape, then you need to use special covers.
Minimize until the condition stabilizes, green foods in the mother’s diet, such as greens, apples, salad.
Try not to use synthetic drugs.
If there is no idea why the feces changed color, then you need to wait a day and observe the baby’s behavior.
If no other symptoms are observed, then this phenomenon in this case is not considered dangerous.
Make sure your child is gaining enough weight for his age. If there is enough food, then the baby should urinate at least 8 times a day.
Do not give on your own to normalize intestinal microflora. It must be populated with enzymes and beneficial bacteria without external influence. In addition, bifido products are prescribed by a doctor only in the presence of gastrointestinal disease.

While the baby is in the womb, meconium accumulates in its digestive organs. This substance is not yet feces and looks like a homogeneous mass of almost black color without any odor, similar to tar. Meconium contains particles of the mucous membrane of the digestive system, digested amniotic fluid, etc.

After the baby is born, meconium is usually released within 1-3 days. It is called original feces. As soon as the baby begins to receive breast milk or formula, the first feces begin to form in the intestines.

The baby's stool takes several weeks to form. The process takes place in several stages. Thus, transitional stool is a combination of original meconium and mature stool. It usually looks like a yellow-greenish paste with a sour odor. Then he gradually becomes mature. This type of baby feces has a yellow color, a more uniform consistency similar to porridge or sour cream, and the smell of sour milk.

The smaller the baby, the more often feces are released. For example, infants in the first month of life can have stools up to ten times in one day. Over time, the frequency of bowel movements decreases to one to three times a day. Breastfed children sometimes have bowel movements within normal limits once every 1-4 days. This is due to the fact that human milk is almost completely absorbed by the baby’s digestive system and feces accumulate in small quantities and slowly. If nothing bothers the child (no bloating, no pain), then such stool can be considered normal.

If the baby is on artificial or mixed nutrition, then his stool is not much different from the bowel movements of an infant. Sometimes “artificial” feces have a thicker consistency and a dark, almost brown tint. The smell may also be different and be more like an “adult” one. Evacuation in children who are completely bottle-fed should occur at least once a day. Lack of stool for more than one day is considered constipation and requires intervention.

What does the color of stool mean in children?

Yellow feces in a baby are the best option. But it is worth remembering that in infants the color of feces may change depending on what the mother eats. Over time, the child receives complementary foods, which means the intestines react to it by changing the color of the stool. Let's look at the main changes in stool color, as well as signs of what they may be.

White stool in a child

Stool acquires its standard yellow-brown color thanks to a special pigment in the body - stercobilin. When disturbances occur in the child’s digestive organs, the production of this component may decrease or stop altogether. In this case, the feces lighten or become white.

Let's look at the main reasons that cause white stools:

Gallbladder pathology. Such violations may include bends, twisting, and obstruction of the ducts. As a result, bile is not able to enter the gastrointestinal tract in normal quantities. Bile is one of the main pigments that are responsible for the color of stool. Therefore, in its absence, the stool becomes lighter and even white. Only a doctor after an ultrasound examination can confirm or refute the presence of gallbladder pathology.
Hepatitis. The inflammatory processes that occur in the liver during this disease can affect the shade of stool, discoloring it. In addition, the urine becomes darker in color. To determine this disease, it is urgent to undergo a comprehensive examination.
Dysbacteriosis. This disease is a consequence of an incorrect ratio of the number of microorganisms in the microflora of the digestive organs. An unbalanced composition of bacteria affects the color of stool, making it white. In such cases, the stool liquefies and becomes foamy. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, and weakness.
Pancreatitis. A disease accompanied by inflammatory damage to the pancreas. The stool becomes white and profuse. There is also increased body temperature, nausea, and vomiting.
Rotavirus infection. This is a disease that can also affect the digestive organs. Pathological microorganisms can discolor stool and affect its consistency. The stool may be clay-like, liquid, vomiting and symptoms of ARVI appear.
Whipple's disease. This is a fairly rare disease, the causes of which are not fully understood. A symptom of this disease is frequent white stool mixed with mucus, blood, and an unpleasant odor. The pathology is also accompanied by inflammation of the joints, increased body temperature, and anemia.

If there are white lumps in the child's stool, similar to cottage cheese that has not been digested, then these may be food particles consumed in excess of the norm. This is how the body gets rid of excess nutrients. If the baby does not show anxiety and is not bothered by discomfort in the intestines, then you should just review the diet and, possibly, reduce the portion sizes. If at the same time the child is underweight and eats poorly, then we are probably talking about an enzyme deficiency of the digestive organs. This pathology does not allow the body to properly digest food and obtain nutrients. In this case, the child must be shown to a pediatrician so that he can prescribe special therapy using enzymes.

Also keep in mind that white stool will appear if there was an X-ray examination with barium sulfate ingestion.

Green stool in children

Often, babies' stool is greenish in color. In this case, it is also important to monitor its consistency and the baby’s mood. If the stool has become watery and foamy, then the cause of the greenish tint may be due to dysbacteriosis. When artificially feeding, green feces may indicate that the selected formula is not suitable and you should choose another one.

Also, dark green feces in a baby may appear due to malnutrition. It is also called “hungry stool”. A baby is malnourished if there is no weight gain or loss, and also if he has rare urination.

Green feces also appear in case of improper breastfeeding. The baby can only eat “fore milk”, get full of it and leave the breast. At the same time, hind milk is fattier and more nutritious, so it is important that the baby empties the breast completely. A nursing mother can eat a lot of greens, and then the baby will also have greenish stools.

Also, green feces may be evidence of pathological inflammatory processes occurring in different parts of the small intestine. When taking antibiotics, the stool becomes greenish because many dead white blood cells accumulate in the intestines due to inflammatory processes in the body.

With such a dangerous disease as dysentery, the feces also turn green. This intestinal infection is accompanied by high fever, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and body aches.

Another reason for green stool in a child may be a disease of the hematopoietic organs. When red blood cells break down, hemoglobin is converted into bilirubin. Entering the intestines in large quantities, this substance gives the stool a greenish tint. If the child is under one year of age, then unchanged bilirubin can independently enter the intestines and not be processed there. If no dangerous signs are observed, then this phenomenon is within normal limits.

Light-colored stool in a child

Stool may become lighter for physiological, natural reasons, and such deviations from the norm will not be considered pathological. Among the factors that contribute to the acquisition of light-colored stool are the following:

Age-related changes. If a newborn baby defecates with dark meconium, then over time his stool becomes lighter.
Changes in the diet of a nursing mother. If the child does not eat complementary foods, but eats only mother’s milk, then the mother should think about what she ate and what product could affect the lightening of the baby’s stool.
Changing formula milk. Formula-fed babies may have lighter-colored stools when their diet changes.
Introduction of complementary foods. When receiving the first “adult” food, the baby’s stool may become lighter in color as a reaction to complementary feeding. Also, the color of the stool may change with the introduction of new complementary foods that were not previously in the diet.
Deviations in diet. This reason occurs in older children when they consume large quantities of dairy products, as well as plant foods. In addition, light-colored feces are also observed with a high-carbohydrate menu. Rice and potatoes in large quantities can affect the color of stool and lighten it.
Teething. This is a difficult period in a baby’s life, which also affects the color of his stool. The stool may become thinner and lighter in color. As a rule, this goes away on its own within a few days.
Taking medications with calcium and antacids. Certain remedies include substances that affect the digestive organs, causing stool to change color. These are usually drugs to relieve diarrhea.

If the problem went away on its own within a day or two and the child did not complain of discomfort, then there is no reason to worry.

Dark-colored stool in children

Black or excessively dark-colored stool in a baby can frighten a parent, but it is rarely a dangerous symptom. Black meconium is normal in the first few days of a baby's life. Later, dark stools may indicate that the baby is not getting enough milk. In this case, he will be capricious and ask for the breast.

Also, the color of a baby’s stool may become darker if the nursing mother ate foods high in iron: apples, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, cherries. Also, taking activated carbon by a nursing mother or an older child can cause dark stools.

The only life-threatening option for a child when the stool turns dark is bleeding of internal organs. In this case, it is important to pay attention to the consistency of the feces. They become tarry. The child feels very bad, and it is difficult not to notice.

What does the color of a child’s stool mean? Look at the video:

The color of feces in a newborn is usually under the close attention of parents and pediatricians. This is the main way to determine the health status of a baby who cannot yet express discomfort in words. In older children, the condition of the stool is also an important symptom, which can be used to establish a number of pathological disorders in the body.

A newborn's stool resembles a sticky mass. It is black in color and practically odorless. The discharge from the first days of a baby's life is called meconium. This is the so-called original feces. It is formed from cells of the intestinal mucosa and partly from amniotic fluid swallowed by the child in the womb.

After three days, the baby's stool turns green. Meconium is completely removed from the body. During this period, the baby feeds on mother's colostrum. That's why his poop has a specific color. This stool is called transitional stool. It will be released for several more days until real milk arrives in the nursing woman.

Transitional stool is green for the following reasons:

High levels of bilirubin in the baby's blood.
Immaturity of the liver and gastrointestinal tract.
Sterility of the digestive tract.
The influence of maternal colostrum hormones.
The mother's dietary habits (eating large amounts of greens or iron-containing foods).
Allergic reaction to foods consumed by a nursing mother.

Around the 4th-5th day, the baby's stool will change again. It will turn yellow or orange-mustard color.

It will contain small granular inclusions of yellow or creamy white color. The structure of the baby's stool will seem heterogeneous, but gradually it will acquire a creamy consistency.

Such changes are associated with the appearance of true milk in the mother. The baby's stool will finally form by the first week of life.

A newborn may have more frequent stools after each feeding. All babies are individual. If in the first months of life a baby poops less than 5 times a day and does not express concern, this indicates a high degree of digestibility of breast milk.

What determines the color of discharge?

The color and character of feces in a breastfed baby greatly depends on the mother’s diet and feeding technique. Therefore, its appearance is not constant and may change from time to time, both in shades and in structure.

Most changes are explained by simple physiological reasons. The baby's condition must be assessed primarily by its behavior.

If the baby does not express concern and feels as usual, there is no reason to panic.

Alarming symptoms

You should consult a doctor if the mother finds the following in the baby's stool:

A large number of blood streaks.
Accumulation of black masses.
Copious amounts of mucus.

These signs may indicate pathology or infection, and the baby will have to undergo examination. Any acute disturbances are expressed not only in changes in the nature of feces, but are also accompanied by:

Elevated temperature.
Copious regurgitation.
Vomiting.
Anxiety in the baby.
Bloating.
Constant crying and screaming.
Atypical lethargic behavior.

If the baby's stool has acquired a pronounced green color, a strong odor, and the above symptoms are present, parents should seek medical help.

Reasons for color change

Green feces in the absence of pathologies can be explained by the following reasons:

Breast milk imbalance.
Changes in mother's diet.
Change in mixture composition.
The mixture is not suitable for the baby.
Lactase deficiency.
Reaction to complementary foods.
Allergic reaction.
Taking medications.

Any of these factors influence the nature of the stool.

Milk imbalance

Breast milk is divided into fore milk, which is rich in lactose but poor in nutrients, and hind milk, which is fattier and higher in calories. If the mother does not follow the rules of feeding and often changes breasts, the baby will receive more foremilk and almost never get to the hindmilk.

This problem is called breast milk imbalance. Excess foremilk affects the baby's stool. His stool quickly turns green due to its high lactose content. The stool may contain air bubbles or foam, which indicates fermentation processes in the intestines.

In this case, the mother needs to establish feeding. Change breasts no earlier than after 3 hours. Offer the same breast until it is completely empty, so that the baby gets full of fatty milk.

The influence of mother's diet

Green poop may be released by your baby in response to changes in mom's diet. If a nursing woman eats a lot of vegetables or foods rich in iron, the baby's stool takes on a characteristic color.

Mixture

An artificial baby's stool is more stable. The composition of the formula does not change from day to day, unlike breast milk, which is different at different times of the day. However, mixture manufacturers often make changes to the recipe. The child may respond to such changes by producing green stools.

If your baby has recently started formula and his stools have changed dramatically, becoming green, watery, or containing a lot of mucus, this may mean that the formula is not being digested and should be replaced.

Green feces appear in a baby when he switches from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding or when he begins to be supplemented with formula.

Lactose intolerance

Approximately one child in a hundred suffers from congenital lactase deficiency. This is a serious diagnosis that is established based on examination. These babies have reduced levels of lactase, the enzyme that breaks down milk sugar - lactose. Undigested sugar causes fermentation in the intestines and eating disorders.

This disease is quite rare. Very often, lactase deficiency is groundlessly attributed to infants. A diagnosis cannot be made based on symptoms alone.

Most often, eating disorders occur due to milk imbalance rather than lactase deficiency. Therefore, after seeing green poop in the baby, the mother, first of all, needs to establish breastfeeding.

Lure

According to the latest recommendations from doctors, complementary foods are introduced no earlier than 6 months. However, even at this time the baby is not yet ready to properly digest food. It is only partially absorbed. The first two months of complementary feeding are more of an introductory nature.

The first solid food can not only cause specific reactions, but also color the stool the same color as the food. Most of the food comes out undigested.

For example, if you feed your baby broccoli, you may later see green poop in his diaper. The stool also often contains inclusions of undigested food.

Allergy

An allergic reaction to formula, the diet of a nursing mother, or complementary foods causes a change in the nature of the discharge. Infants are characterized by pseudo-allergic reactions. They are associated with difficult digestion of food due to the immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract.

Any component that is unable to be digested in the baby’s stomach causes a food reaction. As a rule, pseudoallergy is accompanied by skin rashes and digestive disorders. The color of the stool and its consistency change.

Taking certain medications can also change the color of the discharge. Supplements with high iron content give the stool a dark green or black color.

Almost any type of stool in an infant is explained by physiological reasons. The main thing you should pay attention to is the baby’s behavior. If there is no change in his health, most likely, problems with stool are not related to the disease. If other symptoms occur, you should consult your doctor.

Stool in a newborn is one of the topics that most often worries parents. Green feces in babies are of particular concern to young mothers. It is important to understand that this phenomenon is not always dangerous. But if parents prefer to have a good understanding of this issue, they need to know the variants of the norm, possible deviations and signs that signal a danger to the baby’s health.

In the first week of life, the baby may have green and black-green stool. We are talking about meconium - the first stool of a newborn. It is usually viscous in consistency. It consists of dead intestinal epithelial cells and swallowed amniotic fluid. Next, the baby's stool becomes yellow-brown with a hint of orange. At the same time, bowel movements in breastfed children are liquid and frequent (up to 6-8 times a day), with curdled inclusions of undigested milk. By the age of two months, the frequency, color and thickness of stools are normalized.

Normal baby stool is usually puree-like in consistency. Formula-fed babies defecate less often (1-2 times a day) and with more formed poop, which has an unpleasant odor. But there are cases when green stool in a newborn is a variant of the norm. The color, smell, frequency, and consistency of feces in an infant depend on many factors, including:

type of feeding;
consumption of a certain type of food by a nursing mother;
type of formula;
immaturity of the newborn’s digestive system;
introduced complementary foods;
baby's health status.

Green stool in breastfed babies

In breastfed babies it is not a pathological sign. There are several aspects that explain this phenomenon:

Diet of a nursing mother. The more a woman eats plant foods, the greener the baby's stool will be. The digestive system of a newborn cannot always cope with all the components that come with mother’s milk. Even a sudden change in a mother’s diet can cause green stool in a newborn. Therefore, a woman should avoid foods that place additional stress on the baby’s gastrointestinal tract. It is not recommended to eat fried, spicy, smoked foods, pickles, allergenic foods (chocolate, peanuts, strawberries, citrus fruits, etc.). It is better to drink more yogurt, kefir, rather than whole milk, especially if the baby has foamy green stools. It is worth giving preference to boiled vegetables and. Avoid foods that cause fermentation in the intestines. These include flour products containing sugar, fresh cabbage, an abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits, grapes, and concentrated broths.
Taking medications by a mother can cause green stools in a breastfed baby. For example, when treated with antibacterial drugs, a side effect may occur: an imbalance of intestinal microflora is disrupted in both children and adults. There are fewer beneficial microorganisms, and food is digested worse.
Hormones contained in breast milk also affect the color of a baby's stool.
In a child, green stool may indicate an increase in the level of bilirubin, which is excreted along with bile in the stool. For a newborn up to 2 weeks of life, this condition is not dangerous, since this time is considered to be a period of physiological jaundice. It is characterized by an increased level of bilirubin in the baby’s blood. Neonatal jaundice does not occur in all children (as a rule, in multiparous women who have had abortions, when there is a conflict of antibodies in the mother and child).
The common cause of green stool is its oxidation in air. If the diaper is not changed in a timely manner, the mustard-yellow stool will take on a yellow-green hue.
The appearance of green (GV) may be due to improper feeding. If the baby drinks the “front” milk, but does not get a portion of the “hind” milk, he may have loose green stools (also called “hungry”). The second portion of milk is more nutritious than the first. It also contains the hormone lactase, which breaks down lactose (milk sugar) supplied with the first portion of milk. Since all newborns are characterized by insufficient production of the lactase enzyme, the lack of its supply with mother's milk significantly affects the nature of the child's stool. Establishing the correct feeding technique helps correct the situation.
In a newborn, green stool may appear due to intestinal dysbiosis. The causes of this condition are different: enzyme deficiency of the infant’s gastrointestinal tract, the mother or baby taking medications, the diet of the nursing mother, an imbalance of feeding with “foremilk” and “hind” milk, allergies, and peculiarities of the formation of the infant’s intestinal microflora. If your child has been bothered by constipation, colic or diarrhea for a long time, you should contact your pediatrician to prescribe treatment. Enzyme preparations and agents for normalizing intestinal microflora (bacterial) are usually used, and the diet is adjusted. Dysbacteriosis is diagnosed based on stool analysis (coprogram).
Early introduction of complementary foods often provokes changes in the color, consistency and frequency of stool in babies. It is advisable not to give your baby unfamiliar foods for up to 5 months. If they are poorly absorbed, the intestines malfunction, which leads to suppression of the growth of colonies of beneficial microorganisms. Of course, you need to monitor the child’s condition. If the product causes excessive gas, which leads to constipation or excessively watery green stools, you should consult your pediatrician about the further regimen and composition of complementary foods.
Teething is also considered a factor in changes in the nature of bowel movements in children. Due to a decrease in immunity, malfunctions in the digestive system and an imbalance of intestinal microflora are possible. Sometimes children can get an infection because they scratch their teeth and put everything in their mouth.
An infant may develop green stool due to a general decrease in immunity due to illness (for example, rotavirus infection).
Sometimes even water given to a baby can lead to green stools, because this dilutes the gastric juice and reduces the concentration of enzymes. Therefore, some doctors recommend limited consumption of water and teas for breastfed babies in the first half of the year.

Green stool in formula-fed babies

The reasons for the appearance have similarities with babies whom mothers feed with breast milk. Green poop in infants also appears due to general enzyme deficiency, dysbacteriosis, bilirubin excretion, early use of complementary foods, general decreased immunity, teething, allergies, the baby taking medications, lactase deficiency, and the composition of the milk formula itself. Typically, adapted formulations contain probiotics (a special nutrient medium for the growth of beneficial microorganisms). Additionally, medications containing lactobacilli (bifidobacteria) are prescribed.

Dark green stool in infants may occur due to the fact that infant formula is fortified with iron. By oxidizing in air, poop can acquire a characteristic green color. In this case, select a different mixture. If the baby is healthy, gaining weight well, not whiny, sleeps soundly and develops normally, then the appearance of green feces should not bother parents. But there are times when you need to urgently consult a doctor.

When is green stool a warning sign for a baby?

The most dangerous reason why a newborn has green poop is an intestinal infection. Frequent regurgitation, the appearance of a rash, restless sleep, refusal to eat, colic, the appearance of mucus in the stool, streaks of blood are the main symptoms that cause an immediate visit to the pediatrician to examine the child. If at the same time the baby experiences vomiting and a fever, then this is a reason for immediate hospitalization.

When quickly dehydrated, which leads to depression of nervous activity, in addition to weight loss. Therefore, to maintain the water-salt balance of the body, electrolytes (Regidron, etc.) are prescribed in parallel with a number of antibiotics. Sometimes green stools can be caused not by an intestinal infection, but by a viral infection. In any case, only a specialist will be able to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment.