11 Causes Of Green Stool In Infants, Treatment & Prevention

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Parents will invariably notice the color of the baby’s poop when changing the diapers. There could be instances when you may notice an unusual color, such as greenish poop in infants.

Changes in the baby’s stool color may often reflect the infant’s health.In this post, we tell you the causes, treatments, prevention, and how to stop green poop in babies.

Is It Normal For Breastfed Babies To Have Green Poop?

If your baby is growing and gaining weight optimally, then green poop may not be a matter of concern. A breastfed baby’s poop is usually mustard yellow, green, or brown in color. Newborns have green, brown, or black tar-like stoolknown as “meconium”(1).

Signs of a healthy bowel movement in breastfed infants are a seedy or pasty stool with loose consistency, similar to that of diarrhea (2).

When To See A Doctor?

You need not consult a doctor each time your baby excretes green poop. However, if the following symptoms accompany green poop, then you should see a doctor.

• Excessive gas
• Irritability
• Slow growth
• Diarrhea
• Dehydration
• Vomiting
• Reduced appetite

Dr. Leah Alexander, MD, FAAP, a board-certified Pediatrician in New Jersey, advises, “Green stool in infants is usually not a cause for concern. However, if your baby has diarrhea or appears in pain, it’s best to contact your doctor. They can help you determine if there is a cause for concern.”

What Causes Green Poop In Babies?

Green poop can be alarming but is not always a cause of concern. The following are the various reasons why a baby could have green stools.

1. When the food passes through intestines quickly, thebileⁱXAn alkaline fluid secreted by the liver to help digestionin the food is not absorbed back into the body. It might occasionally happen in babies since their digestive system is still developing. Dark green stool is usually caused due tobile juices.

2. Newborns who receivephototherapyⁱXA course of treatment that uses light to cure physical or mental illnessfor neonataljaundiceⁱXA medical condition arising from excessive bilirubin in the body that causes the yellowing of skin or eyesmight have green poop as the excess bile is excreted through the stool(3).

3. Problems with infant digestion can cause the baby to become gassy and cranky. If they cry after breastfeeding, they might be lactose intolerant.Lactose intolerancecan lead to a foamy or frothy green stool, along with diarrhea(4). This can happen when the baby receives moreforemilkⁱXThe milk at the beginning of the feeding, which is rich in lactose.

4. Someviral infectionsof the stomach, such as rotavirus infections, may also cause diarrhea and green stool(5).

5. A breastfed baby might have green stools if they areallergicto some foods eaten by the mother. Allergies are usually accompanied by some form of skin reaction as well(6).

6. Formula feeding is relatively a common cause of green stools in infants. However, the symptom is not exclusive to formula-fed babies and may occur in breastfed infants too(7).

7. If a mother eats a diet rich inleafy greenslike spinach, then the baby might pass green stool. If a baby on solids is givenpureed spinach or peas, then there are high chances for the baby to have green stools(8).

8. Babies oniron supplementsmight also pass green stools(9). Somebaby formulasare fortified by iron, and babies on such formulas might also have a green stool.

9. Aninsufficient dietmay also cause green stool in babies.

10. It is believed thatforemilk and hindmilk imbalancemay cause green stool. Foremilk is the low-fat lactose-rich breast milk that is produced first when the baby begins feeding.HindmilkⁱXThe milk at the end of the feedingis the high-fat milk produced later during the breastfeeding session. Fat prevents the breast milk from passing quickly through the intestines. A baby might not get sufficient fat if the mother switches the baby from one breast to another, too soon.The baby will receive more foremilk, and it can cause the milk to pass through the intestines quickly along with bile juice, thus causing green stools.(10)

11. This condition can happen even when the mother produces excess foremilk, which can cause the baby to experiencelactose overload, another cause for green stools .

Some people believe thatteethingmight cause green stool in babies. However, there is not enough researched-based evidence to prove the same.

Treatment For Green Stool In Infants

如果宝宝吃得好,没有腹泻,has overall good health, then there is seldom any treatment required. The doctor will perform a thorough examination and take a detailed history of the baby before suggesting any treatment. Some of the treatment options are:

• Breastfeedingis the best form of nutrition for a baby. The doctor might recommend exclusive breastfeeding (if possible) for babies when the formula is the suspected cause of green stools. If breastfeeding is not possible due to various reasons, they might suggest a change in the formula.

• 如果婴儿由于医疗康迪特绿色粪便ions such as diarrhea and infection, then the doctor may prescribe some medications(5).

• A few research studies claim thatprebiotics may helpin treating green stools and improving stool consistency通过改变肠道microbiome composition and promoting intestinal health(11). Do not give any prebiotics to your baby without consulting the doctor.

• If lactose intolerance is the cause, then the baby can consumelow lactose or a lactose-free formula. It might even help improveweight gain在婴儿腹泻引起的二次奶e intolerance(4), following an episode of infectious diarrhea.

• If the doctor suspects a food allergy, then the mother will have to keep a watch on the change in thebaby’s poop colorand texture. Making a note of the food you eat and then correlating it with the altered poop color of the baby might help inidentifying the allergen and avoiding it. Some common allergens are eggs, nuts, dairy products, wheat, fish, soy products, and corn(6).

• If you feel that your baby is getting inadequate feed or have any issues with breastfeeding, then the doctor might refer you to alactation consultant.

How To Prevent Green Stool In Babies?

The prevention of green poop is based on the cause. There is no need to work on prevention if the baby is passing green poop due to the consumption of greenleafy vegetablesor iron supplements. But you might need to take preventive measures for the following conditions.

• If an allergen is found to be responsible for green poop, identify and avoid it.

• If cow’s milk is the reason, then the breastfeeding mother may avoid it. If the baby is drinking cow’s milk, stop for a few days, and check.

• An elimination food chart might help in identifying the allergen. Note down the food that the breastfeeding mother or the baby has and correlate the food item with green poop.

• Maintain good hygiene while serving solids to a baby older than six months of age. It can help prevent the spread of gastrointestinal infections, which may cause green stools.

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