Why might stool be green? Pediatrician about the causes of green stool in babies

When visiting the toilet, not every person pays attention to the result of their efforts. Do not immediately turn away from the toilet rim when pressing the flush button. It is necessary to pay attention to the color of feces, it often signals general condition human body. Green feces in an adult are a sign of the development of a pathological process; such a warning from the body should not be ignored.

Often problems in the large intestine provoke the appearance of such a pathology.

When a person undergoes a general examination for the presence of any diseases, one of the tests on the list is stool. This is an indicator showing whether everything is in order with your health.

Unpleasant smell unusual color may indicate gastric dysfunction intestinal tract both in adults and children. But green stool is not always a sign of a serious illness.

Its color could be affected by a person’s daily menu, but when such a symptom appears, it is better to analyze the foods previously eaten and observe the person’s well-being.

Green stool is often observed during the summer season, but this does not mean the onset of any serious infection. In the summer, a person allows himself to eat a lot of greenery, which colors the stool in the appropriate color. Green stool often indicates the development of diseases internal organs, food poisoning or infectious disease.

Green feces are a signal of a disruption in the functioning of internal organs or evidence of development infectious processes. Therefore, only a doctor can make a correct diagnosis.

What causes stool to be stained?

Normally, the color of human stool is brown and has a medium consistency. When green stool appears, in the absence of any other alarms, it’s worth reconsidering your previous food menu. Some foods have increased content iron and repaint feces.

The color of feces is affected by eating the following foods:

• Greens - parsley, green onions, lettuce, dill, spinach, green peas.
• Desserts with a high content of green food coloring: marmalade, jelly, caramel.
• Seaweed and other products with high content chlorophyll.

Even after stopping eating such foods, the green tint of stool can persist for three to five days. But at the same time, a person should not be bothered by other alarming signs:

• frequent, foul-smelling stools;
• severe pain;
• temperature increase.

Many doctors observe the appearance of green stool in vegetarians and people following a strict, uniform vegetable diet.

Another option - poly vitamin complexes. In this case, people observe black-green feces. This happens against the background of a high concentration of iron or when a person eats food fortified with iron at the same time as taking medications. Then you need to either change your daily diet or change your vitamins.

Green feces appear after uncontrolled use of antibiotics as a result of self-medication. IN similar situation you need to consult a specialist, he will select correct therapy recovery

The appearance of green stool in pregnant women

A common cause of green stool in pregnant women is abuse. healthy products nutrition.

The expectant mother, taking care of the child’s health, tries to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, especially greens.

Trying to saturate your body useful substances, women get dark green chair. This condition is not pathological, provided you feel well.

If you give up some foods high in iron and chlorophyll, the color of your stool will return to normal.

Vitamins prescribed by a doctor for the normal development of the fetus can affect the change in the color of excrement. Often multivitamin complexes for pregnant women are saturated with calcium and iron; these minerals are not fully absorbed by the body, giving the stool a green tint.

Green stool in pregnant women signals the onset of intestinal diseases or Crohn's disease. Change in color of feces occurs when prescribed antibacterial therapy, but after its completion, the color of the stool returns to normal.

List of pathologies causing green stool

If avoiding certain foods does not make your stool brown again, the real reason green stool is a disease of the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas or internal bleeding.

A person should be attentive to himself and, if he suspects the development of a stomach disease, consult a doctor for advice, since green stool can be a harbinger of the following diseases:

• Enteritis – characterized by inflammatory processes in various parts of the intestine. Associated symptoms – frequent, loose stool.
• Bleeding in the stomach and intestines.
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or development peptic ulcer.
• Dysbacteriosis - healthy microflora is disturbed, so that the condition does not become chronic, it is necessary to consult a doctor.
• Dysentery.
• Salmonellosis.
• Gastrointestinal diseases - Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis.
• Food poisoning.
• Allergic reactions to products containing lactose.
• Thyroid dysfunction.
• Diabetes.
• Liver dysfunction.

Internal bleeding is very dangerous for humans. The development of pathology indicates the appearance oncological diseases or exacerbation of a peptic ulcer of the intestines or stomach.

Blood contains iron, which colors stool black-green. This pathology requires serious medical treatment. The sooner the patient seeks help, the higher the degree of favorable outcome.

Dysbacteriosis is not a life-threatening disease, but it brings severe discomfort: bloating, flatulence, constant colic, discomfort in the intestines, foul-smelling stools. Very often, pathology occurs after the use of antibiotics.

- a dangerous infectious disease. In addition to green stool, the patient has heat body, general malaise, severe abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, while the stool is very liquid. In advanced cases, blood may be observed in the stool. Similar condition requires urgent drug treatment, but in a hospital setting.

Pathology therapy

If green feces are detected, you need to analyze associated symptoms, remember what you ate the day before. If the reason is overeating greens, then no additional treatment is not required, you must discard the product.

Green stool can cause non-communicable diseases. Only a gastroenterologist can diagnose and treat them. Based collected analyzes and diagnostic examination, he will prescribe adequate treatment.

If you suspect food poisoning, before visiting a doctor, you need to take some preventive measures:

• Take a sorbent - this drug will absorb the toxins that caused the poisoning. Patients often use activated carbon, Atoxil, Enterosgel.
• For diarrhea and vomiting, drink medications, preventing dehydration of the body -.
• Drink plenty of fluids.

If symptoms indicate salmonellosis, then urgent hospitalization in the infectious diseases department and appropriate therapy will be required.

If internal bleeding is suspected, the patient is treated in a hospital surgical department.

If there is a deterioration in the condition, you should not engage in self-medication and self-diagnosis. With the development of an intestinal infection or excessive internal bleeding delay costs a person's life.

When should you see a doctor?

If a person is concerned about the appearance of green stool, then he must consult a doctor, even if he is not feeling unwell. In some situations, it is better to be overly suspicious than to take a long time to treat a dangerous disease.

An immediate response is required when blood is found in green stool or it smells rotten. Human feces should not emit a stench. The doctor will ask you to bring a sample for examination. With the help of studying all the components of feces. You may have to undergo additional examination of internal organs.

If you experience frequent, loose, green stools, vomiting, or increased body temperature, you should seek help from a specialist. The patient is at risk of serious poisoning or infection of the body with salmonella or other pathogenic bacteria.

The human body is not a mystery if you listen to it and pay attention to it. He points out to a person internal problems in a way that is accessible to him. Changing the color of excrement is one such signal. Green stool is not always a pathology, but it is a reason to think about possible problems.

Video: Dark green stool, pain in the intestines

The reasons for green stool in an adult can be different. First you need to figure out why the stool is green, and whether something can be done at home. If a greenish tint to a person's stool is caused by food, and there are no symptoms, there is no need to panic. If green stool is caused by a disease, only a specialist should look for the causes and prescribe treatment.

Causes of stool color change

When stool turns green, many people become concerned. This should not be done, since green feces in an adult are often caused by simple natural causes. The most common of them are food products.

But greenish feces also appear due to diseases - salmonellosis, gastritis, dysbiosis, after poisoning.

Another reason is the appearance of green feces in an adult after taking medicines, including antibiotics. A greenish tint to stool sometimes occurs after Allochol, drugs such as Hofitol, Polysorb or Smecta, after choleretic drugs or surgical removal gallbladder.

All the reasons why stool turns green can be divided into two categories: physiological, pathological.

What to do in such a situation?

Greenish stool in adults definitely needs professional examination. Especially if liquid green stools often form. Unformed stool in an adult is not such a rarity. There may be a situation when it is accompanied by ordinary poisoning, indigestion, or consumption of foods harmful to the body.

Diarrhea can be stopped by taking tablets like activated carbon, but it’s better to let everything unnecessary get out of the body. The shades of green stool in adults vary - yellow-green, gray-green or bright green, like the color of fresh grass. If relapses are observed, feces or diarrhea often have an uncharacteristic color, then pathology is suspected. Feces that are black-green or otherwise Brown indicates that the body is suffering from some disease.

Let us consider separately the physiological and pathological reasons.

Physiological factors

Unusually colored feces often appear for reasons that are not harmful to human health. For example, the color of stool in an adult changes under the influence of several basic physiological factors:

• Food. An adult's stool most often changes color due to diet. Low water intake combined with large amounts of iron-containing foods color the stool. The strongest influences on stool are red meat, greens, red beans, juices or purees based on green vegetables, and sea fish. When fasting, a person eats greens in an attempt to lose weight. Hence the corresponding symptoms - green stool. It's better for you to give up the dill diet and switch to a more balanced diet. If you change your diet, your light brown, healthy colored stool will return.
• Dyes. The cause of dark green stool may be the consumption of foods that contain a lot of dyes. This is soda, candy, chewing gum and other foods that are far from being the healthiest for the body. IN alcoholic drinks, in addition to the alcohol component, there are dyes. Feces after drinking alcohol with dyes also become colored, but after a while, this goes away.
• Pharmaceuticals and supplements. Defecation may be accompanied by color changes if a person takes pills, vitamins, or various supplements. The dark green color of excrement is often caused by taking medications such as glucose, iodine-containing products, Sorbitol, vitamin complexes, laxatives plant origin, algae-based medications or supplements, etc.

Thus, marsh-colored feces in an adult should not always cause serious concern.

But when there are solid particles in the stool, diarrhea, diarrhea, and bitterness in the mouth, be sure to consult a specialist.

Only he will make an accurate diagnosis and determine the causes. Physiological factors not as dangerous as pathological ones.

Pathological factors

Alas, it is not only when taking pills or eating certain foods that feces with an uncharacteristic color are formed. Brownish-greenish stool may also mean there is more serious reasons, for example, diseases that need to be treated.

In an adult, loose green stool may indicate progressive diseases and pathologies that are potentially dangerous to health and life. They need to be treated at the first manifestations. Watery diarrhea(when you defecate almost like water), or hard stool indicates that you need to see a doctor, take a stool test and undergo a full examination.

Medical practice shows that diarrhea, bitterness in the mouth, change in color of stool or other characteristic symptoms may be caused by a number of diseases:

• Crohn's disease. Characterized by damage to the gastrointestinal tract. Conventional carbon sorbent for treatment. won't be enough. Surgery is often required.
• Poisoning. Ordinary food poisoning is not a pleasant phenomenon. The stomach hurts, the temperature rises and there is not only diarrhea, but also vomiting. It is recommended to rinse the stomach, eat for a while, follow a diet and not burden the gastrointestinal tract with heavy food.
• Infectious lesions of the intestines. Usually, in addition to temperature and discomfort, color changes, there are mucus impurities in the stool.
• Bleeding. We are talking about internal weak bleeding. They provoke the color of stool, but when heavy bleeding the excrement will turn black.
• Food allergies. An adult may not suspect that he is allergic to certain foods if he has not consumed them before. This phenomenon is accompanied by a change in the color of the stool, the presence of undigested food particles and mucus in them.
• Ulcer. Very unpleasant and serious illness. With an ulcer, a bitter taste in the mouth and a number of other symptoms often appear. unpleasant symptoms, including changes in the color of stool. An ulcer requires only professional treatment.
• Rotavirus infection. It is not so difficult to determine it, since the disease is accompanied by green, foul-smelling stool with mucus. The person feels unwell and is intoxicated. You must consult a doctor immediately.

To protect your own body, try to eat right, choose the optimal diet of foods that suits your body, and avoid drinking carbonated and alcoholic drinks.

If an uncharacteristic color of feces appears frequently, but food or medications have nothing to do with it, consult a doctor immediately. Based on the research results, the doctor will make a diagnosis and tell you how to cope with the problem.

Green stool during pregnancy

Pregnant women quite often encounter a situation where the stool becomes greenish in color. One of the reasons is that doctors recommend that all expectant mothers take prenatal vitamin and mineral complexes until 5–6 months of pregnancy. Green chair on early stages occurs when minerals, especially iron, enter the body in excess and are subsequently excreted in the feces. This color of feces may also be associated with dietary changes when a woman, in an effort to eat healthily, begins to eat more green leafy vegetables, broccoli, asparagus and other similar foods. Their pigment leads to a change in the shade of feces. Dark green stool may be due to iron supplements prescribed to women with low level hemoglobin in the blood.

Pregnant women may also develop various intestinal disorders and gastrointestinal diseases that affect the color of stool. If, during the movement of feces, blood is released through the inflamed intestinal walls, then mixing with bile, it causes the stool to turn black and green. The greenish tint of stool is also due to accelerated transit in the colon, when bacteria do not have time to break down bilirubin. The same color is observed after antibiotic therapy.

Changes in the color of stool are quite common. Most people have a question: why is stool green? There are more than enough reasons for the appearance of this pathology.

All of them indicate a malfunction digestive system. When the first signs of the disease appear, the patient must undergo examination and, if necessary, a course of treatment.

Green stool appears when infectious diseases in organism.

- This is a fairly common problem. If the digestive system is functioning normally, the stool is brown.

The appearance of green color is explained by the presence of bile pigments in feces. In children infancy Most often, the appearance of pathology is diagnosed with dysbacteriosis.

The causes of the disease are often infectious or inflammatory processes in the human body. This is due to the presence of dead leukocytes in the body, which are eliminated naturally.

With dysbacteriosis, green stool is observed as a result of the process of fermentation and decay. Quite often the pathological process is observed when stomach bleeding. Feces may turn this color if the patient also has gastritis. Pathology can be diagnosed in adult patients and infants against the background of:

1. Food poisoning;
2. Giardia;
3. Celiac disease;
4. Salmonellosis;
5. Rotovirus infection.

If the human body does not tolerate fructose or lactose, this can lead to green stool. For specific ulcerative colitis or malabsorption syndrome, the appearance of a pathological process may also be observed. The cause of the appearance of pathology in adult patients may be GERD.

If the patient has an inflammatory process in small intestine or thyrotoxicosis, this leads to illness. The likelihood of developing the disease increases significantly. This is explained by the fact that innervation appears in the intestines. If the ileum was removed using surgical path, then this can cause pathology.

If the process of absorption of bile acid in small intestine is violated, this is often the cause of the disease. There are many reasons for the appearance of green stool in adult patients and children.

That is why patients need to be as attentive as possible to their health.

Symptoms of the disease

Inflammation of the intestines can cause green stool.

Green stool is characterized by the presence of bright pronounced symptom- its colors. It should definitely cause concern in a person.

In some cases, additional symptoms of pathology may be observed. If green feces are accompanied by dysbacteriosis, then it is characterized by the presence of a putrid, unpleasant odor. In acute cases, green feces include mucus and pus.

The coloring of stool green is explained by the presence of dying leukocytes in the human body. At the same time, patients complain of the appearance. Quite often the pathological condition is accompanied severe pain and diarrhea.

With intestinal infections, patients often complain of weakness. Also, the pathological process may be accompanied by an increase in body temperature. Some patients experience diarrhea and vomiting when green stool appears. If pathology appears, the patient must be provided with urgent medical care as it can lead to dehydration and fatal outcome patient.

The symptoms of green stool in patients are quite varied. That is why they are recommended to seek help from a doctor when the first signs appear, who can correctly determine the cause. pathological condition and prescribe comprehensive treatment.

First aid for pathology

Lactobacterin will help cope with the disease.

If the patient has severe bouts of diarrhea and his condition worsens sharply. Then he needs mandatory provide first aid.

For this purpose, certain medications are used. The most effective in this case are probiotics. Doctors recommend that patients take Bificol.

Medicines are produced in various forms - powders, tablets, rectal suppositories, capsules. Using data traditional medicines the intestinal microflora is restored.

If the patient assumes that green stool occurs due to food poisoning. To neutralize it, activated carbon is widely used, with the help of which pathogenic microflora is neutralized. It is recommended to use one tablet of activated carbon per 10 kilograms of a person’s weight.

If a patient experiences nausea and vomiting with green stool. Then he needs application. Sometimes, when a pathological condition appears, the patient will only need to change his diet.

To avoid green coloration of stool in newborns, women are also advised to follow a diet. During this period, it is strictly forbidden to eat sweets, especially chocolate.

Doctors do not recommend that the fairer sex eat citrus fruits. The introduction of other vegetables and fruits into a woman’s diet should be gradual. One fruit or vegetable is allowed to be eaten no more than once a week.

Thanks to this strategy, it is possible to identify allergic reactions the child has certain There is no need to be afraid that your baby may have an allergic reaction for life. After several months, you can again try to eat the food to which the baby was allergic.

First aid for green diarrhea is quite important. This is explained by the fact that if it is not timely, serious side effects in the form of dehydration of the body.

Health care

Smecta is a drug for the treatment of green stools.

If green blood and a persistent putrid odor are detected in the stool, the patient must immediately seek help from a doctor.

In this case, the doctor prescribes a diagnosis in the form of a coprogram. With its help, an assessment is made of the chemical, physical and microscopic parameters and properties of feces.

Using this analysis, it is determined why the stool has become green. Patients are also prescribed ultrasonography digestive system.

To obtain confirmation of dysbiosis, patients are recommended to take a test. In accordance with the results obtained, the gastroenterologist prescribes treatment. If the patient has acute inflammation of the intestines, then he needs to completely refuse food on the first day of treatment.

Diagnosing health problems in children and adults are fundamentally different things. If for people who can truthfully and reliably express complaints, an interview with a doctor and taking an anamnesis are integral procedures, after which a decision will be made to prescribe certain medications and manipulations, then with children (of all ages) the situation is much more complicated.

Various analyzes are the only opportunity to obtain maximum information about pathological processes in organism. One of the most visual and accessible tests for diagnosing children is the study of stool, so it is not surprising that many mothers, like doctors, are interested in why their babies have green poop, whether this is a problem or not.

What is the norm?

The proper functioning of the digestive system of a newborn baby assumes that food will be digested in full, without creating a large amount of waste. Many doctors agree that breast milk should be so well absorbed by the baby that he can poop every few days without experiencing any tummy problems.

In fact, this situation is rather an exception to the rule. Brown, yellow, light green and green poop in infants occurs with almost equal frequency, and each of these options can be interpreted as normal. For some, this may be a feature of the body, but some babies in this way make it clear that something is wrong with the gastrointestinal tract, so it is important to find out whether there is a problem with green poop appearing in the diaper. In a baby, all body systems are formed incredibly quickly, but they are still too undeveloped and sensitive to everything new.

Stability. What do we know about her?

Scientists are trying their best to create adapted milk formulas that will be as similar to breast milk as possible, but the result of their work is, albeit high-quality, but artificial nutrition. The main difference between mother's milk is that its composition is incredibly variable. Research proves that at all stages of feeding, a mother satisfies the different needs of her growing child thanks to the fact that milk contains essential vitamins, macro- and microelements, proteins, fats and carbohydrates, antibodies. This composition changes daily, saturating the baby with everything necessary, giving him the opportunity to develop correctly and harmoniously.

Each such change in breast milk may cause changes in poop in infants, most often becoming a problem for children who are on breastfeeding. Many pediatricians complain about errors in the nursing diet, some argue that the mother’s diet cannot directly influence the baby’s feces, however, each specific case is special, and it is impossible to say with confidence that the baby’s tummy will not react negatively to the innovation in the nurse’s diet.

Child on IV

It's no secret that better nutrition For newborns it is mother's milk. The exception is rare genetic diseases, liver problems or protein or lactose intolerance, when the baby needs special diets. But in a number of other cases it is necessary to switch to adapted milk formulas.

Infant formula is a more stable substance than breast milk, and if a mother was able to find a composition that is ideal for her baby and does not cause allergic reactions, disorders, or changes in stool, she should not experiment with new options again.

Pediatricians say that feces in artificial babies should be yellow or brown, and green poop in infants indicates unfavorable processes in the intestines.

Why does the baby poop like that?

Before understanding the peculiarities of digestion of age, it should be said that the first feces - meconium - can also be dark green, even black, in color. This substance has a pungent odor, is thick and viscous to the touch and is the result of the child’s vital activity during the period when he was in the womb. Meconium may be passed for 1-3 days, gradually being replaced by the normal baby poop that mothers see in diapers. Dark green poop in a baby may be original feces, but this is if the baby is no more than a week old; in other cases, you should carefully monitor the child and his stool, noting anything new, and when the situation is in doubt, you should consult a doctor.

The feces of children on breastfeeding should be mushy, yellow color, without impurities (water, mucus, blood), with slightly sour smell. Having seen that the “fruits of the labors” of your beloved child are not the right color, it is worth remembering that poop in infants can be acquired. This means that in the air, feces oxidize, and what was originally yellow, a few minutes after bowel movement, can turn green, brown, and much more. Here are some reasons why there is green in a diaper:

• overeating - enzymes produced by the baby’s pancreas and contained in breast milk may be insufficient, and the food is not completely digested;
• lactose intolerance;
• lactase deficiency (when a child is pregnant, a problem may arise if the child does not reach hind milk, which is richer in fat, which contains more substances necessary for the normal functioning and growth of the baby);
• intestinal infection.

Myths about dysbiosis

Pediatricians often give children a scary-sounding and rather incomprehensible diagnosis of “dysbacteriosis.” After his birth, the child must first get the opportunity to populate his body beneficial bacteria. Natural feeding and a normal, non-sterile environment allow this process to proceed as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Western pediatricians and their domestic colleagues confidently convince mothers around the world that even if there are problems with the necessary microorganisms in the intestines, which is the reason that explains the yellow-green poop in a baby, then taking a variety of medications is more likely to reassure worried parents, than the necessary measure of influence. Seven to ten days is the period during which the body itself will cope with the problem with greater efficiency and effectiveness.

Real problems

Any mother always has the right to seek medical advice if she is concerned about the state of her child’s health. But in what cases is it better not to postpone a visit to the doctor? If a mother notices that the child goes to the toilet irregularly, experiences discomfort, increased gas formation and the stomach is swollen, watery, copious green poop with mucus appears (in a baby this does not always indicate problems, but it’s better to be safe) - it’s worth going to the pediatrician.

All these symptoms, especially in combination with crying, elevated temperature, excessive regurgitation, lethargy, may indicate an intestinal infection that requires quick and effective treatment, which consists of measures to replenish fluid and lost microelements in the body.

Parents should also be wary if green poop is a new symptom that is not normal for the baby. If nothing bothers the child, he does not lose weight, he has good mood, normal sleep and appetite, most likely he has no health problems.

What can be done?

Self-treatment small child- this is dangerous, and any doubtful questions should be discussed with your doctor or local pediatrician, who can reliably assess the situation. A change in stool after treatment with potent drugs, including those from the antibacterial group, requires help for the baby and his intestines; for this, the microflora can be normalized using children's lactobacilli.

The slightest suspicion of an intestinal infection requires immediate medical attention; dehydration in infants occurs so quickly and suddenly that it is almost impossible to cope with it at home.

When green poop is the result of experiments with formula, porridge, complementary foods or mother's dinner, it is worth postponing innovations and giving the baby a chance to recover.

Age limits

Green poop in infants up to six months is a common reason why mothers turn to specialists. Most often, the child does not have any problem, and all these are temporary difficulties and peculiarities of the formation of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreas. From the moment complementary feeding is introduced, the baby’s diet changes dramatically; he begins to eat not only liquid food, but the color, consistency, and smell of feces change. Very often during this period, intestinal function improves; the presence of vegetables and fruits in the diet has a beneficial effect on digestion and peristalsis.

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When any changes or problems occur in the body, it signals different ways. Changes in the color of stool may also indicate any problems in the body, or some kind of disease. Sometimes this may not be related to the disease.

Among the main causes of green stool in adults, two can be distinguished: bile and food (food coloring, medications, dietary supplements). Let's take a closer look.

1) Bile secreted from the gallbladder is green in color, but as it passes through the intestines it gradually changes color and eventually turns brown. If it passes through the intestines quickly, the color remains original.

This also indicates possible violation. Depending on the number of bile pigments, the color of the human stool itself is determined. In some cases, color directly depends on the food people eat.

2) Green feces in an adult can appear when consuming large amounts of food containing green coloring substances. These dyes are digested in the stomach, but the color of the stool becomes green. And the more dye there was in the food, the more intensely the stool will be colored.

The appearance of green stool can cause:

• use food products containing iron;
• taking medications that contain inorganic iron compounds;
• eating red meats and fish;
• food and drinks containing dyes;
• green lettuce leaves, vegetables, and fruits, as well as juices from them;
• red bean varieties;
• sweets made from licorice syrup;
• sugar substitutes;
• iodine substances;
• dietary supplements containing iron;
• medicinal preparations made from seaweed;
• multivitamins.

Green poop is more common in vegetarians or vegetable eaters. Stool analysis reveals elevated bilirubin levels.

Green feces in a child - causes and features

In children, after birth, the stool is dark olive, even in some cases black. This is considered the norm. Within 10 days, the stool is characterized by a greenish color of varying intensity. The color of a baby's stool is directly dependent on the characteristics of his diet.

During breastfeeding, green stool may appear, which is directly related to the diet of the breastfeeding mother, especially when excessive consumption eating vegetables and carbohydrates.

Green stool in a child who is on artificial feeding, talks about using iron-fortified formula. Gray-green stool appears when changing milk formula.

During the period of introducing complementary foods (fruits and vegetables), green stool may appear - this is also considered a normative option. When teething, sometimes the stool takes on a greenish tint.

But there are reasons, or rather diseases leading to changes in the color of feces. If they appear, you should immediately seek medical help:

1. Intestinal infection (it can occur even in infants);
2. Dysbacteriosis.

These diseases are manifested not only by a green tint to the stool, but also by vomiting, hyperthermia, and severe pain in the intestinal area. Feces become frequent and lead to dehydration of the child. If such symptoms occur, parents should immediately take their child to hospital for treatment.

Diseases associated with green stool (possible)

If green feces appear in an adult more than once, then the development of various diseases of the stomach and intestines is expected. The main diseases associated with green feces are:

• pathology of the small intestine (not only a green color appears, but also a putrefactive bad smell) – enteritis;
• dysbacteriosis (fermentation and rotting develop due to a deficiency of normal microbes necessary for the digestion process);
• long-term treatment with antibiotics;
• intestinal infection (for example, dysentery);
• bleeding from various parts of the intestine (with a stomach ulcer, with oncology). In this case, the stool is often black, but it can also be green;
• liver diseases (hepatitis, cirrhosis);
• blood diseases, especially those accompanied by hemolysis;
• hypolactasemia (indigestion and indigestion milk sugar).

If there is pathology of the intestinal microflora, you need to start treating dysbacteriosis. Digestion of food with dysbacteriosis in the small intestine occurs incorrectly, resulting in the process of fermentation and rotting. And against this background, elements appear that saturate the feces with a green color.

All of these diseases can lead to severe consequences. They are especially dangerous if they do not seek medical help in a timely manner.

Green stool often accompanies intestinal infections(dysentery and other conditions). In this case, hyperthermia, a feeling of nausea, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, and a feeling of weakness appear.

For accurate diagnosis specific infectious pathology a series is required laboratory research.

Dark green stool, what does it mean?

Dark green stool can appear when bleeding from various parts of the stomach or intestines. Such bleeding is regarded as complications of a peptic ulcer or as a sign of oncology.

The green color is acquired due to the incomplete oxidation of iron found in red blood cells. More than one dark green stool appears, but also signs of anemia, rapid pulse, low blood pressure, pallor, shortness of breath, and weakness.

In diseases of the liver and blood, large amounts of bilirubin appear. This is due to the intensive breakdown of red blood cells in the liver. Bilirubin gives stool a dark green to dark brown color.

Dark green stool can be regarded as a manifestation of mild dysentery. In severe form it appears a large number of water, which reduces color saturation.

Yellow-green feces - what does it mean?

Improper absorption and digestion of carbohydrates from the fibers and connective tissue membrane of plant foods leads to changes in the small intestine and pancreas.

• The enzymes do not function as they should and yellow-green stool appears.

This color of stool is considered normal in breastfed babies. But if this color of stool appears in slightly older children, this indicates that the diet does not correspond to age.

You should review your diet, and you may need the help of a pediatrician and nutritionist.

Is green stool with mucus dangerous?

Various factors can cause green stool with mucus:

• some types of intestinal infection;
• some types of hemorrhoids;
• tumor-like neoplasms in the intestine;
• congenital intestinal pathology or hereditary factor associated with enzymatic deficiency;
• congenital intolerance to milk sugar and gluten protein components;
• , causing food stagnation;
• manifestation of a gene mutation.

At inflammatory process death occurs in the gastrointestinal tract large number leukocytes, which give stool a green color. In addition, this is accompanied by severe pain in the abdominal area, diarrhea, and green mucus appears in the stool with purulent inclusions.

A coprogram helps confirm the inflammatory diagnosis - a large number of leukocyte cells are detected.

Green feces detected - what to do?

If the color of the stool changes and you feel well, as well as in the absence of other symptoms, you should stick to a diet and remove medications (if possible) that affect these changes.

In children early age Mom should reconsider her food intake. In most cases, after this, the stool improves.

But when signs arise that negatively affect well-being and manifest themselves in the form severe pain, hyperthermia, weakness, gas or mucus in the stool - you should immediately seek medical help.

Only after full examination and based on laboratory tests, the doctor will be able to accurately determine the diagnosis and prescribe correct and effective treatment.