The baby has a green stool with an unpleasant odor. Why does the artificial baby have green stools

Pediatricians advise to leave the child on breastfeeding as long as possible. This has a positive effect not only on the growth and development of the newborn, but also on the condition of the stool.

Note that in a baby, unlike a newborn who is on artificial feeding, the stool regularly changes in quantity and quality. Feces are primarily affected by the age of the baby and the nutrition of the nursing mother.

As a rule, a baby with breastfeeding has liquid feces of a light brown color with a small amount of white patches and mucus with a sour smell. Sometimes the stool is frothy or has a green tint.

In newborns on mixed or artificial feeding, dark brown stools are hard.

Why does the baby have green stools

Often the stool in a newborn when breastfeeding is green. Do not panic and think that the health of the baby is at risk. As mentioned earlier, feces in infants can be of various shades. Let's find out why the feces are this color.

Causes of green stool:

  • Oxidation of feces in the air, if the baby has defecated for a long time;
  • Mom's food. The foods that a nursing woman consumes affect breast milk and the baby's digestion. Most often, this result is given by vegetables during breastfeeding (cucumbers or zucchini);
  • A sharp change in the nutrition of a nursing mother;
  • Taking medications. The use of drugs during lactation should be treated very carefully. Many drugs adversely affect the body of the baby. Green color may appear due to the medicine, which includes iron;
  • - an imbalance in the intestinal microflora of the baby. In a mild degree, it is typical for 90% of babies under the age of one year. This is not a disease, but a slight violation of the digestive system, which gradually adapts to new conditions. It is important for mom to make the right diet, eat dairy products. However, at the stage of desolation of dysbacteriosis, it is necessary to consult a doctor!;
  • Bilirubin is a yellow-brown bile pigment that results from the breakdown of blood proteins. Bilirubin makes stools green, dark green, yellow, or orange. It occurs in 70% of babies and goes away on its own. Bilirubin is excreted from the body along with feces and urine.
  • If the baby's feces are of a standard yellow-green or green color, but at the same time a sour, unpleasant odor and foam appear, then special attention should be paid to the baby's digestion. This is due to a lack of hind breast milk.

Mom can easily eliminate such reasons herself. For this you need:

  • Do not change the breast at the first difficulties in the child;
  • To stimulate lactation, breastfeed not on schedule, but on demand;
  • Monitor the correct position of the baby when sucking;
  • Feed your baby on a full stomach in a relaxed environment.

Other causes can also be eliminated on their own. First of all, it is necessary to normalize nutrition. The diet should be varied and nutritious. You can not change the menu drastically, introduce new products should be gradual.

Carefully monitor the reaction of the baby, pause between the introduction of a new product in two to three days. If the newborn has colic or allergies, you should postpone the intake of new food for at least two months.

When green stool is a sign of illness

In addition to the main ones, there are more serious reasons for the appearance of green feces:

In this case, you must definitely consult a doctor. The main symptom of these diseases and abnormalities is a change in the behavior and appearance of the baby. The baby often cries, experiences discomfort during bowel movements, does not gain or lose weight.

Disease symptoms:

  • green frothy stools with a sharp unpleasant odor;
  • frequent green loose stools;
  • black-green stools with a rotten smell;
  • green stools with much mucus, with aggravation of the infant;
  • green stool with blood impurities;
  • diarrhea or constipation;
  • weight loss and fever;
  • bloating and flatulence;
  • bad breath.


How to fix a chair in a baby

Green, dark green, and yellow-green stools rarely mean that the baby has some kind of abnormality or disease. First of all, pay attention to the child's well-being and additional symptoms. If the child is active and gaining weight well, then there is no cause for concern.

In order for the baby to have a normal chair, you must follow a number of simple rules:

  • Apply the baby to one breast until it is completely empty;
  • Watch your diet carefully.
  • Eat dairy products and dried fruits;
  • Drink plenty of fluids. The minimum daily allowance is 2.5 liters;
  • Avoid breastfeeding for as long as possible;
  • When artificial or mixed feeding, carefully choose the mixture. Often it is the cause of abnormal stools;
  • Don't start feeding too early.

The same applies to the frequency of defecation. Rare bowel movements should not cause concern to the mother if the baby is behaving normally. A newborn can go “to the toilet” after each breastfeeding, and maybe once every one or two days.


The contents of a diaper in babies are the subject of close maternal attention. Poops of different colors cause a stupor in mothers and a feeling of righteous anger at herself, that, they say, she did not save the child, she gave something to drink, fed and poisoned. Because green feces in infants are primarily associated with either infection or dysbacteriosis. And few people know that a healthy, active child with a good appetite is entitled to poop of any color. But there are exceptions to all rules. That's what we'll talk about.

Not a single practicing pediatrician will tell you this notorious norm. Ideally, the stool should be yellow and mushy with a slight sour smell, this is even described in medical books. In fact, the color of feces depends on many indicators. And from the method of feeding (breast, artificial or mixed), and from the composition of the milk of a nursing mother, from what she ate. Even from the environment: the stool in the baby's diaper oxidizes in the air and acquires a yellow-green or green color from the iron present in it.

And in the first two or three days after birth, the newborn's stool is dark green or black, this is the original meconium, which consists of amniotic fluid, particles of bile and mucus, and epithelial cells. In this case, you should not panic, it only means that the child's intestines are functioning in full, and as a rule, after a week, the stool begins to acquire its usual color - from light yellow to mustard. Therefore, the child has the right to any chair of many shades. Even feces with inclusions and lumps are allowed, only if this does not affect his well-being and development.

Why does a baby have green stools on GV

If green poop in a baby does not allow you to sleep peacefully, you can search and analyze the reasons for the appearance of green stools. In a baby who is completely on breastfeeding, there are not so many of them.

Many babies have physiological jaundice immediately after birth. The bilirubin leaving the body turns the baby's feces green. Usually, with proper care, bilirubin is excreted from the body of a small child after 2-3 weeks. And gradually the chair acquires a normal shade.

It can also affect the green color of the stool. If the nursing diet contains mainly plant foods (cucumbers, cabbage, broccoli) - is it any wonder that green blotches appeared in the baby's feces? And does mom need to revise her menu, if the baby is cheerful and cheerful, is a completely rhetorical question.

But do not forget that green poop sometimes signal an allergic reaction to a product. This nuisance is usually accompanied by anxiety, redness, and a rash on the cheeks and buttocks. These are all signs of a food allergy.

There is another curious opinion that a stool with green patches and lumps appears if the child does not suck well back, more fatty and nutritious milk. That is. the balance of consumption of fatty and non-fatty foods is disturbed. For a baby, such milk is something like a hearty lunch, while foremilk is less fatty and acts as a drink. Therefore, if for some reason the child eats only foremilk, the stool becomes green in color.

Greens in children on mixed and artificial feeding

If a bottle-fed baby has a green stool, perhaps the mother should reconsider the baby's diet. This may occur due to a change in the adapted mixture, due to the intake of antibiotics or iron-containing dietary supplements. And if you use a mixture enriched with iron at the same time, then the green color of the feces is guaranteed.

In addition, hypoallergenic artificial mixtures with complete breakdown of cow protein in the process of assimilation always give brown-green stools. If in all other respects, except for the color of the stool, the mixture suits, then it is not advisable to change it.

It is important to thoroughly rinse and sterilize the bottles before each feeding to avoid intestinal infection. It is not recommended to store the prepared mixture for more than an hour, it deteriorates and can provoke indigestion in the baby.

With the introduction of complementary foods, the baby's gastrointestinal tract is able to respond in such a way that the stool becomes thick and it may have a greenish tint. However, in the process of adaptation, the baby's intestines will adapt to new products and over time, the color of the stool will become normal.

Infants with mixed feeding eat their mother's milk and mixture, so they have green stools even more often. The cause of greens can be either mother's milk or formula. Therefore, before drawing any conclusions about the well-being of the crumbs, watch him, perhaps there is no reason for concern.

When this color is a sign of digestive problems or infection

If the change in color of the stool is accompanied by a change in the behavior of the child, if he is capricious, eats poorly and has a fever, then it is quite possible that there is an infection or problems with the tummy.

An attentive mother will definitely be alerted by dangerous symptoms. For example, too frequent watery stools in infants up to 10 times a day or more. Or when breastfeeding, there is a green, foamy stool that has a sharp, fetid odor. All these symptoms are characteristic of dysbacteriosis. Dysbacteriosis is not considered a disease: this condition is typical for all newborns in whom the gastrointestinal tract system is just beginning the process of formation. The intestines of the baby are gradually populated with beneficial microflora and any intervention (for example, the usual addition of water) can disrupt the delicate balance of beneficial and pathogenic bacteria, causing dysbacteriosis.

In addition to green diarrhea, a rash and frequent regurgitation may appear in a baby with dysbacteriosis. A problem of this nature is easily corrected, it is enough to do a laboratory analysis of feces. And the pediatrician will select the drugs necessary for the baby with beneficial bacteria.

If the baby has green diarrhea with mucus, this may indicate lactase deficiency. The child does not suck in hindfatty milk and gets an intestinal upset. An additional sign of lactase deficiency is that the child simply does not gain weight.

To provoke diarrhea can be a “tooth test” of everything that is not nailed down during teething. Various foreign bacteria enter the intestines of a baby with an immature microflora, which can change the consistency and color of feces. Therefore, during this period, it is important to monitor everything that enters the crumbs' mouth, and it is recommended to boil special teethers.

A stool with blood should alert any parent, because it is a signal of problems in the functioning of internal organs. As well as acute intestinal infection and severe intestinal inflammation. The child must be taken to the doctor for examination and tests. If you have a fever, vomiting, or signs of dehydration, call 911. Mom clearly needs to know the answers to such questions of the doctor:

  • when she appeared;
  • how much of it is observed in the feces;
  • what colour;
  • in what form it is present (clots or veins);
  • what is the consistency of the stool;
  • the general well-being of the baby.

Based on the information received, the doctor can determine whether there is bleeding in the intestines. And if so, in which department? Perhaps the child is hospitalized.

Also, blood in the child's stool may appear:

  • as a result of cracks in the anus, if the baby suffers from periodic constipation;
  • due to atopic dermatitis in the intestines, as a result of which the intestinal mucosa becomes covered with a rash and it bleeds;
  • helminthiasis (yes, and this is possible), infection can occur both in utero and during childbirth.

Do not self-medicate. Only a qualified specialist can determine the nature of the pathological condition of the baby's intestines. Only based on laboratory tests and visual examination, the doctor will select the drugs necessary for the baby.

Instruction

The color of a child's feces is directly dependent on his diet. If the baby eats exclusively mother's milk, then the presence of green lumps in the feces is most often the norm. But still, many young mothers are worried about this fact. After all, for the "children's surprise" the yellow color is considered more traditional. Green stools sometimes indicate a bowel problem and infection, but most often it is caused by dietary errors.

If a nursing mother does not follow the diet and consumes foods rich in preservatives and nutritional supplements, then it is quite possible to expect the appearance of "green" in the baby's feces. Also, the green color can cause the mother to eat green vegetables, such as green peas, celery, broccoli. With food poisoning in the mother, the composition of breast milk changes, and this can cause green stools in the child. The same service can be provided by the mother taking antibiotics or preparations containing iron.

Green color in feces may be present from elemental malnutrition. If during feeding the baby does not suck out the breast completely, then he does not receive enough fat, which is contained in the last serving of milk. In formula-fed babies, malnutrition may be due to poor appetite. Also, green blotches may appear baby with a mixture containing a lot of iron. Sometimes this is caused by an allergic reaction when switching to a new type of mixture.

Teething may be a prerequisite for the appearance of green stools. Colds, flu, viral infections also provoke the appearance of mucus and greenery in the baby's feces. The most unpleasant and undesirable cause of green bowel movements is dysbacteriosis. In this case, there is an unpleasant odor. If a child consumes only mother's milk, then he is not afraid of dysbacteriosis. This violation of the microflora often appears in artificers.

Whether green lumps in the baby's stool are dangerous or not will help determine his well-being. If the child is calm, cheerful, has a good appetite, then there is no reason for concern. But if blood fragments, abundant mucus and a putrid odor appear in the feces, then the presence of an intestinal infection or dysbacteriosis can be suspected. In this case, the baby can become restless and irritable, he is worried about colic and regurgitation after eating. In this case, it is better not to delay the visit of the doctor.

You should not always panic when you find green lumps in your child's stool. But still it is better to consult with your doctor about this.

The appearance of a baby in the house leads to the appearance of various developmental and health problems. When a green stool is found, parents panic. To understand the problem, it is necessary to establish the causes.

Causes of green stool in newborns

During the first year, the child develops the digestive organs and other body systems, so stool disorders or discoloration is not a pathology. As a rule, intestinal bacteria cannot cope with the incoming volumes of food.
For the first 5-7 days, meconium comes out of the child's body, which later turns into ordinary feces.

What causes a greenish coloration of feces in a child after the fifth day after birth? Carefully monitor the behavior of the baby in order to correctly establish the cause.

If with a green stool the child behaves calmly, sleeps, the color of the feces depends on the food that the nursing woman consumed. For example, the diet contains a large number of green foods. To prevent this from happening, you should choose food very carefully, since the baby's intestines are not sufficiently developed, so the body reacts to the most minor changes.

The second reason for green stools is liquid and non-fat mother's milk. In this case, the feces become more liquid consistency without a strong odor. With excessively fatty milk, the feces become mustard-brown, and constipation may occur.

If the child is on an artificial one, a change in the color and structure of the feces is associated with a change in nutrition. Perhaps the mixture is not correct. It is necessary to try a different kind and monitor the state of health.

Very often, when switching from breastfeeding to artificial, a change in the color of feces occurs.

Dark green stools are a sign of insufficient absorption of iron by the body. With oxidative reactions, coloring of feces occurs.

Green stool is a sign of disease

Often, green stool is a symptom of a disease:
- with a catarrhal or viral disease, the color changes with feces;
- feces can be painted in almost any color, there is a sharp smell of rot, foam or blood fragments form;
- with lactase deficiency.

As a rule, the coloring of feces in green with no other signs of concern is a fairly common phenomenon for a growing organism. If the green stool is accompanied by colic, abdominal pain, baby anxiety, skin rashes, sleep disturbances, you should immediately take tests to establish an accurate diagnosis.

Dysbacteriosis, or a violation of the intestinal microflora, has a negative impact on the functioning of the entire digestive tract. Dysbacteriosis is especially dangerous in. A pediatrician or gastroenterologist should diagnose and treat the disease, however, there are symptoms by which the baby's mother can also suggest a problem.

How to determine dysbacteriosis in an infant

The intestines are free of both beneficial and harmful microorganisms. Settlement of bifidus and lactobacilli begins from the moment of birth by about a month of the baby's life. For those located on , this process is faster. In babies whose main diet is formula milk, the formation of intestinal microflora may be delayed.

However, the colonization of bacteria does not always occur in the correct ratio. In the best case, the balance of bifidus and lactobacilli may be disturbed in the baby, in the worst case, harmful microorganisms may appear in the child's intestines. All this leads to problems with digestion and, as a result, a lack of weight and poor health of the baby.

Typical signs of dysbacteriosis are:
- frequent regurgitation;
- refusal to eat or poor weight gain with a good appetite;
- bloating;
- foamy stool;
- enhanced gas formation;
- constipation or, conversely, frequent watery mortars;
- mucus, greens or lumps of undigested food in the stool;
- Abdominal pain, worse during and after feeding.

Also, rashes on the skin that cannot be treated with antihistamines, in the mouth, poor sleep and increased nervous excitability of the crumbs can indirectly indicate intestinal dysbacteriosis.


The presence of even one of the listed signs of dysbacteriosis is a reason for examining the baby.

Treatment of dysbacteriosis in infants

Treatment of dysbacteriosis in can only be carried out under the supervision of a physician. The use of folk remedies is unacceptable, as it can lead to unpredictable consequences.


Before starting treatment and after its completion, it is necessary to do a stool culture for dysbacteriosis.

The main way to treat dysbacteriosis is to take probiotics (Linex, Hilak-, Bifidumbacterin, Bifiform, Lactobacterin, etc.). These drugs help in a short time to normalize the composition of the intestinal microflora and improve the well-being of the baby. In the presence of pathogenic microorganisms, treatment with antibacterial or antifungal agents may be required. Additionally, the doctor may prescribe multivitamin preparations.

In addition, the nutrition of the mother (if the child is breastfeeding) and the baby are corrected. Foods that cause a negative reaction in crumbs should be excluded from the diet.

The appearance of blood in the stool is considered one of the most alarming signs. This symptom signals a violation of the integrity of the vessels and intestinal mucosa and the development of pathological processes.

Why does blood appear in the stool

There can be several reasons for the appearance of blood in the stool. Bright red blood that appears at the end of a bowel movement is a sign of a crack or break in the skin of the anus. This pathology can develop due to hemorrhoids, insufficient accuracy during temperature measurement with a thermometer. In such situations, defecation is accompanied by painful sensations. The cause of the appearance of blood in the stool can be an allergic reaction, in which case the blood has a dark red hue.

Other causes of blood in the stool

In the absence of pain in the stomach, loose stools with a small amount of red blood indicate polyps in the intestines - benign tumor-like formations. Blood in the stool may appear due to intestinal obstruction, in which case the stool becomes jelly-like, and the person feels severe cramps in the lower abdomen. In most cases, there is an instant painful flash of pain, which is then replaced by a relatively calm period without pain. Bowel obstruction requires urgent medical attention.

A large amount of blood in the stool can appear if a disease called Meckel develops.

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

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

The stool in the baby should be yellow.

The norm is a yellow stool in a baby, a mushy consistency and a sour smell.

This is usually the case in formula-fed children who regularly receive a stable composition.

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

  1. mother's diet
  2. her mental state

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

These are epithelial cells accumulated in the intestines of a newborn, mucus and amniotic fluid. With proper development and breastfeeding of the baby, after a few days, the feces become watery and acquire a green color.

During the first two months of life, the baby can empty three to twelve times a day, ideally after each feed. Also, stool during this period can be an indicator of proper lactation. If during the day the child did not empty, this may indicate that he does not receive the required amount of milk.

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

Causes of green poop in babies

During the period when teeth are being cut, there may be a greening of the chair.

  • the children's body, in this way, gets rid of;
  • after the appearance of the open air, the feces are oxidized;
  • there are hormones in the feces that came to the baby with breast milk;
  • green poop appears with the development of viral infections;
  • the appearance of green poop at the age of 1 month indicates that enough beneficial bacteria have not yet been developed in the children's body;
  • development, accompanied by a sharp putrid odor.
  • the child feeds only on the anterior liquid milk, and cannot reach the posterior (fatty) milk, which gives color to the feces;
  • during the period when teeth are cut, there is a violation of the functionality of the intestine, which for a short time can provoke a green stool.

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. Usually the color of feces depends on what the baby eats with breast milk. Green poop may appear due to the fact that:

  1. mother ate little milk and a lot of greens (broccoli, dill, parsley, lettuce);
  2. mother ate a lot of carbohydrates;
  3. mother suffers from food poisoning, toxins that enter the child's body with breast milk affect the color of the stool;

Green feces in formula-fed babies can occur if the baby is given a mixture containing iron. We need to replace the milk mixture, and soon everything should be back to normal. Very often, baby poop turns green for no specific reason. If the baby is active, and there are no other signs of pain, then you should not worry.

Thematic video will tell about the baby's chair:

Green stool in a child after a year

Allergy provokes green stools.

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

In any case, if the color of the feces 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.

It is not easy to determine for what reason the color of the child's stool has changed to green.

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 the green stool, the child is lethargic, naughty, refuses to eat or has risen, then these symptoms indicate that he feels unwell. Signs requiring immediate medical attention:

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

Blood, mucus and an unpleasant odor are alarming symptoms that require immediate consultation with a child. If necessary, to make a correct diagnosis and competent treatment, it will be necessary to make a stool coprogram.

What does green diarrhea mean?

Dysbacteriosis is the cause of diarrhea.

If a baby has a liquid green stool for several days, and at the same time the baby is lethargic, restless, then this may be due to such reasons:

  1. Intestinal infection. Occurs under the influence of Escherichia coli, various microbes, dysentery, paratyphoid microorganisms. The first sign is a high temperature. The kid behaves restlessly, often burps, refuses food, loose stools appear.
  2. Dysbacteriosis. The most common diagnosis. It develops as a result of a violation of the composition of the microflora, which leads to malfunctions in the digestive system. In addition to green diarrhea, the child has bloating, colic, and skin rashes. The specialist prescribes various types of lactic bacteria and yeast.
  3. 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.
  4. Allergy. Mothers can be provoked by food, a change in the mixture, and medications. Also, when antibiotics are prescribed, diarrhea in most cases is inevitable.

What to do when green stool appears

Fecal analysis will show the state of the child's intestinal microflora.

It is important for parents to know what to do when a child has green stools. Having an idea of ​​what could have caused it, you can help in a timely manner to prevent serious consequences.

If there is confidence that this trouble could not be 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.

For analysis, the baby's feces will be required. With the help of laboratory tests, and taking into account the smell, consistency, the presence of impurities, the child's condition is revealed. According to the results of the tests, the necessary treatment is prescribed. Attempts to self-medicate, especially in children under 1 year of age, are fraught with serious consequences.

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

  • Normalize breastfeeding. Make sure that the baby is fully fed with both foremilk and hindmilk. If the nutrition is artificial, change the milk mixture.
  • If the nipples are irregularly shaped, then you need to use special pads.
  • Minimize until the condition stabilizes, green foods in the mom's diet, such as greens, apples, lettuce.
  • Try not to use synthetic drugs.
  • If there are no assumptions due to which the feces changed color, then you need to wait a day and observe the behavior of the baby.
  • If no other symptoms are observed, then this phenomenon in this case is not considered dangerous.
  • Check that the 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 the intestinal microflora. It should be populated by enzymes and beneficial bacteria without external influence. In addition, bifidoproducts are prescribed by a doctor only in the presence of a disease of the gastrointestinal tact.

The color of the feces of the baby does not always indicate the presence of pathology. The baby's bowel movements depend on the nutrition of the mother, who adheres to a hypoallergenic diet and consumes large quantities of green vegetables. In addition, this color of feces also indicates the beginning of the feeding period. What to do for parents who have discovered the unusual color of children's poop, the pediatrician will tell you, assessing the health of the baby. It is important to familiarize yourself with the signs of a pathological condition that occur simultaneously with a green stool.

As soon as the baby is born, the color of his poop will be green, which means the norm. This is meconium - the original feces. Further, the color changes to yellow, yellow-brown and depends on the flora present in the intestine. The bacterial environment also depends on the type of feeding: with hv - bifidumflora, with willows - acidophilus bacillus and enterococci. Older children have E. coli and enterococci. The bacterial environment of the intestine also determines the organoleptic characteristics (color, smell), as well as changes noted by parents in the feces of the baby.

At an older age, the green color of the feces often means that it is associated with the dietary habits of the nursing mother. If the child intensively breastfeeds, is active, he is not bothered by colic - the changed color of the discharge should not cause concern.

The presence of green stool in an artificially fed baby sometimes indicates an incorrect selection of the mixture. Inappropriate artificial nutrition is also manifested by painful bloating in the baby, rash, diarrhea or constipation. This condition is accompanied by insufficient weight gain and requires a visit to the pediatrician to replace food.

Green poop in a newborn is often found with insufficient lactase production. This enzyme is needed to break down the carbohydrate lactose in the small intestine. With a deficiency of lactase, lactose enters the large intestine, resulting in fermentation due to the local flora. This causes the formation of gases. The child's feces become green and foam, bloating is observed, sleep is disturbed, and nervousness is noted. Congenital or primary lactase deficiency obliges to adhere to a diet for life. Transient lactase deficiency is often observed in premature babies. As the enzymatic mechanisms mature, breastfeeding resumes, which is interrupted. This usually happens by 4 months.

Not a pathology

  • If the child has prolonged jaundice of physiological origin. This happens due to the accumulation in bilirubin, which is excreted in the poop, giving the characteristic color.
  • Provided that the nursing mother takes iron supplements.
  • In cases of introducing green vegetables into complementary foods: broccoli, zucchini.
  • Provided that the baby eats only foremilk, and does not get to a more satisfying one.

Pathology is the presence of green feces along with other symptoms. For example: lethargy, breast rejection, fever, tearfulness, abdominal pain and others should not be ignored. The stool is also greenish in color, frothy with an unpleasant or pungent odor. In this case, inclusions are possible: streaks of blood or particles of undigested food (if the child is on complementary foods). In addition, pay attention to the consistency of feces - decorated or not, the frequency of bowel movements. Before going to the doctor with a complaint about the stool, it is important to study the organoleptic properties - this will help the doctor make the correct diagnosis. In addition, they monitor the general condition of the child.

Possible diseases that are accompanied by green feces include:

  • dysbacteriosis;
  • intestinal infection;
  • viral infection;
  • lactase deficiency;
  • celiac disease (gluten intolerance).

Green stool in a breastfed baby

Most often, the appearance of this stool indicates improper attachment of the newborn to the breast or frequent shifting from one breast to another. This leads to the fact that the baby eats only the front milk, and for the rear, it never gets there. Fore or earlier liquid milk is designed to quench the thirst of the baby. It is rich in lactose. Back milk is thick, quickly saturates, as it contains about 4% fat, and is digested more slowly.

Earlier, milk passes through the gastrointestinal tract faster and lactose does not have time to be fully absorbed, reaching the large intestine. As with lactase deficiency, this condition causes fermentation. Thus, by adjusting the technique of applying crumbs to the chest, you can get rid of many problems, including increased gas formation.

Green stools on introduction of complementary foods

Dr. Komarovsky believes that when introducing new products into baby food, it is important to observe not only the color of feces, but also the general well-being of the baby. If, in the presence of a green stool, the child does not bother: he grows, develops and puts on weight, you should not pay attention to deviations in color.

With the introduction of complementary foods, the organoleptic indicators of feces change, as well as its frequency. So, the appearance of greenish blotches, the presence of lumps will indicate the active and, possibly, incorrect introduction of products into the diet of crumbs. For example, with an early acquaintance (earlier than 4 months) or if the principle of gradual introduction is not observed. In addition, the introduced zucchini, apple, broccoli will give a greenish color to the stool. Hard, thick stools also indicate a fluid problem or deficiency.

Green stool on artificial and mixed feeding

This color of the stool in an artificial person is possible due to ongoing changes in the gastrointestinal tract. The mixtures contain a lot of vitamins, minerals that can affect the color of feces. Green feces occur as a result of the following features:

  • with dysbacteriosis of taking medications - antibiotics, iron preparations;
  • if parents often and incorrectly change the mixture;
  • after a sharp transition from natural feeding to artificial;
  • during teething.

With mixed feeding, this phenomenon occurs as a result of:

  • lack of milk due to improper attachment to the breast, mother's stress;
  • the colors of the products that are part of the mother's diet;
  • illness or after.

The rest of the reasons are identical to formula-fed babies.

What is important to pay attention to when a child has green feces

Parents should pay attention to the following characteristics of feces:

  • for color. Normal yellowish-brown, green. With pathology, the color of feces is dark brown, burgundy, green, colorless or white;
  • to the smell. Normally sour. In pathology, fetid, sharp;
  • for consistency. Normally liquid, not formed. When feeding - decorated. In cases of pathology, not formalized;
  • for impurities and inclusions: mucus, blood (traces or clot), foam, food. Normally, without impurities, with the exception of the presence of lumps, indicating overeating of the baby.

In the presence of a stool with mucous inclusions, it is necessary to understand when it is normal and when it is not. In newborns, such a chair will be the norm, since the fragile body adapts to the external environment and mother's milk. Mucus in this case acts as an assistant in digestion.

Sometimes mucus is found during the introduction of complementary foods. If it is plentiful, this signals improper or early complementary foods. It is also possible with large intervals between feedings and large portions of milk. This provokes fermentation.

The number of bowel movements also plays an important role. However, an infant copes with its needs much more often - up to 12 times a day, which for an older baby will be pathologies. Since after the introduction of complementary foods, the number of bowel movements is 1-3 maximum. In artificers, the number of acts of defecation is normally up to three times a day, but it happens that it takes several days. With natural feeding - the same picture: the chair may be frequent, or may not be for several days. In the presence of severe diarrhea, doctors often advise using Smecta and Enterofuril. Treatment with these drugs is also allowed for newborns.

If the parents felt an unpleasant, fetid, pungent smell from the diaper, this is a sign for concern. Here, problems with the pancreas are not excluded, for example, pancreatitis or hypersecretion in the large intestine, cholecystitis or celiac disease. With a putrid smell, one can judge the presence of colitis in the baby, putrefactive dyspepsia, impaired intestinal motility, and poor digestion of food in the stomach. In this case, the baby's stomach will be tense on palpation and painful.

If a green stool with foam is found, we can talk about the presence of intestinal dysfunction, which occurs due to a violation in the gastrointestinal tract with a layer of dysbacteriosis. In addition, such a chair will indicate the presence of:

  • staphylococcal infection;
  • intestinal infection - rotavirus;
  • allergic reactions;
  • lactase deficiency.

The presence of lumps in the feces or granularity will help determine the degree of digestion of food, indicate that the baby is methodically overfeeding (white lumps).

In the presence of diarrhea, the baby may experience irritation on the pope near the anus. This indicates a sharp transition from breast milk to a mixture or due to the lack of a diet for the mother during the guards. Therefore, it is advisable to refuse wet wipes or use them in exceptional cases. Preference is given to washing with a special baby soap. This will help get rid of diaper rash and irritation. In addition, after these procedures, the baby's ass should only get wet, but in no case should it be rubbed, as delicate skin and mucous membranes can be damaged. Rashes on the pope will also indicate the presence of an allergic reaction. Such spots do not go away for a long time and can appear on the cheeks, the inner surfaces of the knees and elbows.

In addition to changing feces, parents should also monitor the behavior of the child. If there are concerns on his part, determine what they are and what caused them.

The following symptoms will indicate the baby is unwell:

  • the baby is lethargic, inactive;
  • often crying;
  • behaves restlessly;
  • disturbed sleep;
  • there is pain in the abdomen;
  • refuses to breast and meals;
  • the temperature rises;
  • vomiting appears;
  • diarrhea or constipation.

Sometimes mommy can hear a rumbling in the baby's stomach, indicating increased gas formation. This effect will be given by legumes, cabbage eaten by mom the day before or introduced into complementary foods. In this case, the child can massage the abdomen with soft circular movements.

Therefore, before you worry about the changed color of the stool, you need to compare everything and remember what was the predisposing factor. Perhaps, by eliminating the root cause, it will be possible to cope with violations in the work of the gastrointestinal tract of the baby.