Is It Normal For A One-Month-Old Baby’s Poop To Be Green In Colour?

One of the most worrisome moments in a first time mum’s life is when a baby’s poop is a different colour than the normal tan or brown colour. 

Your baby is one month old and you suddenly see your baby’s diaper soiled with green coloured poop, you start frenetically calling the doctor. Yes, the varying colour of your newborn baby’s poop can be nerve wracking, especially if you are a new mum and green coloured poops are probably the most worrisome.

But there’s nothing to worry unless your baby has other symptoms too. Here’s all you need to know about it:

What Does It Mean If Your Newborn Baby’s Stool Is Green In Colour? 

It’s normal when your newborn baby’s first poop is tarry in consistency and greenish-black in colour. It’s called meconium and it contains all the things the baby has ingested in the womb, like bile, skin cells, and amniotic fluid. The colour changes over the next few days from green colour to tan brown if the baby is on formula milk or mustard yellow if breastfed.

But if your baby is one month old and you spot green stool on his/her diaper then what does it mean?  Here are some causes of green stool.

Causes For A One-Month-Old Baby’s Poop To Be Green In Colour

While it’s normal for one-month-old babies to pass green-coloured stool once in a while, there are some possible causes for it:

Food Intolerance and Stomach Irritation : 

According to Child Specialist Dr Neetu Shrestha Sharma, one of the main causes of green poop is food intolerance. She says, “Green stool is sometimes caused due to food intolerance and it is quite common in babies. There is nothing much to worry about.” 

If you have started giving your one-month-old baby cow’s milk then that is one of the reasons that may have caused the reaction, other reasons could be some medication, beverages that you may have introduced into your baby’s diet or some foods. In some cases, it could also be caused by a stomach bug which irritates the baby’s stomach. 

“If you feel your baby is suffering from intolerance then the baby can be given some digestive drops for babies, besides feeding the baby at an interval of 2-3 hours and making sure you burp them properly,” adds Dr Neetu.

Imbalance in Foremilk and Hindmilk:

As breastfeeding progresses, the milk that your breast produces changes from foremilk that is low in fat and high in sugar into hindmilk which is high calorie and high fat. And if your baby has shorter nursing sessions or if you switch breasts quickly, then he/she may be drinking more foremilk than hindmilk. This makes the baby gassy and leads to frothy, green stools.

Insufficient Milk 

Sometimes if your baby is not nursing enough and not getting enough milk then the stool is likely to turn green. However, your baby will also not soil the diaper much in such a case. Newborns normally poop 3-4 times a day.

What Are The Signs To Watch Out For If A One-Month-Old Baby’s Poop Is Green-Coloured?

As mentioned above, there is nothing much to worry about if your newborn passes green stools. However, if it is accompanied by any of these symptoms then it’s advisable to consult your doctor:

1. If the green stool looks like diarrhoea or contains mucus.
2. If your baby has not gained weight and may act fussy or sleepy.
3. If the baby has symptoms like fever, vomiting and is less active.
4. If you notice abdominal distension.

Dr Neetu Sharma suggests that the stool should be sent for a routine and microscopic examination to clear any doubts and to rule out any underlying problem if any.

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