Why My Child’s Poop Green?

Why My Child’s Poop Green?

19 Oct 2021 | 3 min Read

Tanushri Mukherjee

Author | 1 Articles

Green poop color can be alarming but not something to be worried about. It is generally linked with the diet, such as green leafy vegetables. Sometimes, it is caused due to bacterial infection or Diarrhea. The poop is typically brown or Tan; however, it can change its color depending on its color for several reasons.

Green Poop in Babies and Infants

Green poop in babies is normal and does not always show the sign of any underlying situation. Babies, who are below the age of 1 year, usually consume mother’s milk primarily. Therefore, their poop color is more or less consistent in their appearance and color. According to medical experts,

  • Breastfed babllies typicay have a mustard yellow stool. It sometimes looks seedy or with slight hints of green—babies’ poop color changes as per the mother’s diet.
  • Formula-fed babies should have Tan or yellow poop with the trace of green. And sometimes, it looks greener too. Certain brands of formula produce greenish stool.
  • Green poop may indicate a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance in breastfed babies, which results in your baby getting a more significant portion of foremilk (watery milk) than hindmilk (thicker, fattier milk). Though this can cause tummy discomfort, it doesn’t indicate a milk supply issue or problem with your milk.
  • Green poop may indicate an intolerance to food in a mother’s diet; in this case, the baby may appear uncomfortable or gassy.
  • Green poop, especially when accompanied by streaks of blood, may indicate an allergy to something in a breastfed mother’s diet or a formula ingredient.
  • Viral or bacterial infections can cause loose, greenish stools
  • Your baby’s poop may turn green when you introduce solid foods into your baby’s diet, mainly green vegetables

While green poop in babies is not a matter to worry about; but, this can be reversed when green poop is followed by diarrhea. The primary risk of Diarrhea is dehydration. The symptoms of dehydration in babies include:

  • Three or fewer numbers of wet diapers in a day
  • Crying with no tears
  • Dry lips or mouth
  • Sunken eyes or cheeks
  • Sunken soft spots on the head – fontanelles

When the baby develops diarrhea, continue breastfeeding unless the pediatrician suggests any other way. Babies below the age of 1 benefit from breastmilk as it provides every good nutrition needed by them. Breastfeeding can further control dehydration, so feed your baby on demand.

Green Poop in Toddlers

As children begin to eat solid foods and eventually weans from the breast milk, poop color change initially, but parents should not worry.

  • As your toddler enters daycare and begins to interact with other children, they are more likely to pick up viruses that can cause diarrhea-very often, diarrhea that produces loose, watery stools with a greenish color.
  • As your toddler expands their palate, they might encounter foods that turn their poop green, such as spinach, other green vegetables, and foods containing dye.
  • If your toddler is consuming a toddler formula or supplement, this may turn their poop green.
  • Vitamins, particularly those containing iron, can cause green poops
  • If your child is recovering from a stomach virus and is taking grape-flavored Pedialyte, they may experience bright green poop as a result.

#babyhealth

A

gallery
send-btn

Related Topics for you

Suggestions offered by doctors on BabyChakra are of advisory nature i.e., for educational and informational purposes only. Content posted on, created for, or compiled by BabyChakra is not intended or designed to replace your doctor's independent judgment about any symptom, condition, or the appropriateness or risks of a procedure or treatment for a given person.