Greenish stool in a 5 year old child. Green feces in an adult, in a child - causes, treatment. Treatment of green stool

Green feces in a child is a topic that at some point begins to worry probably every mother. Whether it is a newborn baby or a grown-up toddler of three years old, such changes in the state of his body cannot go unnoticed by a caring mother.

So should you be worried when you see green stool in your baby? Let's consider the most common causes and conditions of this phenomenon.

- probably the first “essential” thing that a young mother will see in a diaper. Original stool, or meconium, is almost always greenish, dark green, or brownish in color. This is all that has managed to accumulate in the fetal intestines during the period of intrauterine development.

Further, if the mother decides to breastfeed, the baby's stool becomes light yellow. Normally, it does not change until complementary foods are introduced. But in practice, there are many factors that change the color, smell and consistency of a baby’s stool. For some reason it's green loose stool causes particular concern for mothers. Meanwhile, the mother of a baby should first of all reconsider her diet: the baby’s digestive system reacts very sensitively to any changes in the composition of milk. Most often, vegetables like zucchini or cucumbers give a green tint to the baby's stool. This is especially typical in the summer, when a lot of vegetables and fruits can appear on the menu of both adults and children at any time.

The same can happen if the mother is taking any medications or vitamin complexes: Increased iron content in milk can cause stool color to change. In general, any change in diet can cause a similar reaction, and this is not always a cause for concern.

Green and loose stools in a baby (sometimes even foamy) may appear when the milk balance is imbalanced. As you know, at the beginning of feeding, the baby receives the “front”, liquid milk, and after emptying the breast, it gets to the “back”, fattier one. That is, if the mother often changes breasts or takes them away, preventing the baby from getting to the “hind” milk, green, loose stools will be a completely natural consequence of this approach.

If the baby is bottle-fed, then everything is even simpler. The question of his well-being (including the “condition” of feces) lies in the correctly selected mixture, in accordance with age, needs and individual reactions. Often, green feces in a child are a consequence of the increased iron content in the mixture.

The same applies to older children. When switching to solid food, frequent bowel movements both in a one-year-old child and in an older baby are also quite common. The color of the stool depends on the diet, and if the child does not complain of pain or other signs of indigestion, there is no need to particularly focus on this.

What to do if you have green stools

If your child poops green but shows no other signs of deterioration, there is most likely nothing to worry about. You can try to eliminate this phenomenon using the following methods:

If the reason was the mother’s diet, it is worth reviewing her menu and trying to exclude vegetables, especially green ones.
If the greenish color appears as a result of taking medications or vitamins, then it will naturally go away after they are discontinued. If, during the treatment of any other diseases, antibiotics enter the baby’s body, they can upset the balance of intestinal microflora. It is not dangerous, but may cause changes in the digestion process.
If the feeding pattern or sequence is violated, you need to adjust the process so that the baby completely empties the breast, allowing him to suck as much as he wants.
If the baby is artificial, it is enough to choose the appropriate mixture. Most often this happens experimentally, when parents try several options.
In some cases, if the frightening color of the stool persists for a long time, without responding to changes in nutrition, it makes sense to get tested. This will help to understand why the child reacts this way to changes in diet. It is more reasonable to identify insufficiency or imbalance of intestinal flora on early stages so as not to get digestive problems in the future.

Is green stool dangerous?

Thus, even if parents are concerned about the question of why their child has diarrhea, it is worth remembering that this is almost always a variant of the norm. Children at this age change very quickly, and the baby’s intestines continue to form even after birth, so a sensitive reaction to any change in microflora is not a reason to worry.

Analyze the baby’s condition as a whole: if there is no vomiting, fever, rashes, frequent regurgitation, sleep disturbances, worsening stool odor, there is nothing to worry about, just use the above tips.

But if this symptom is accompanied by any warning signs, deterioration in general health, consult a doctor as soon as possible. It could be an intestinal infection, and in this case the speed of response to the problem is crucial.

It can be difficult for young parents to judge the needs and well-being of a newly born little person. The body of a newborn differs in many ways from the body of an adult, and some phenomena that are quite common for a newborn cause anxiety and anxiety on the part of the parents. Therefore, it must be said right away that green stool in a baby is not always a bad sign. However, in any case, for personal peace of mind, it is better to consult a pediatrician.

Green chair may be the norm both in a newborn and in an older child. So, green color is the natural color of meconium - original feces, which is partially modified epithelium and amniotic fluid swallowed by the child. After 3-5 days, the color of the stool changes to yellow-green, and by the age of one month to mustard. Green stool can appear as a result of changes in intestinal flora or when new foods are included in the diet.

Green stool while breastfeeding

Baby's stool on breastfeeding often has a liquid consistency with white lumps of curdled undigested milk. If he was previously light brown, then there may be several reasons for the appearance of greenery.

. This is the most common cause of green stool in a newborn. Since the microflora of the baby’s digestive system is at the stage of formation, it happens that instead of beneficial microbes, pathogenic or conditionally pathogenic microflora begin to multiply in it, which causes dysbiosis and difficulties with digesting food, which results in the baby’s green stool. As soon as the balance of microorganisms returns to normal, the baby’s green stool will also disappear.
Imbalance of foremilk and hindmilk. It occurs due to the child’s lack of fat-rich hind milk due to fatigue from sucking or limiting the mother's time at the breast.
The child’s body does not yet produce enough digestive enzymes and green stool indicates difficulties with digestion nutrients.
Oxidation reaction of feces components in air.
Taking certain medications. This is especially true for antibiotics that can disrupt natural microflora intestines.
Together with feces in infants, it can be excreted, traces of which in the feces disappear by three to four months of age.
Features of the child's mother's diet. So, if a mother eats a lot of green fruits and vegetables, then it is quite possible that some of the coloring substances can penetrate into the mother’s milk, then into the baby’s body and turn his stool green.

Green stool during bottle feeding

Green stool can cause excess iron in the mixture, which reacts with surrounding substances to give it a green color. Therefore, when introducing the mixture, it is necessary to monitor the reaction of the child’s body and if there are deviations, inform the pediatrician, who will help you choose a more suitable option for the child. As with breastfeeding, the appearance of green stool can be observed while the child is taking certain medications, due to imperfect production of digestive enzymes and the excretion of bilirubin along with feces.

Green stool when introducing complementary foods

Green stool can occur if the baby's digestive system is not yet ready to accept complementary foods. That is, it is quite natural that if you give green vegetables or fruits as complementary foods, you will find that the baby’s feces have acquired a green tint. It’s just that the child’s digestive system has not yet fully coped with the breakdown of food that is new to it and it comes out partially undigested.

Green stool is a cause for concern

Green stool itself is not a cause for concern, but if in combination with it there are changes in the child’s behavior and stool characteristics, you should urgently consult a specialist. What should you pay attention to?

poor child sleep and weakness;
excessive capriciousness;
the baby presses his legs to his tummy;
loss of appetite;
poor weight gain or weight loss;
the appearance of vomiting;
diarrhea or constipation;
temperature increase;
skin reactions in the form of rash, irritation;
bad smell from mouth;
bloating.

Changes in stool characteristics:

the appearance of foam combined with a pungent, fetid odor;
liquid frequent bowel movements;
black-green stool with a putrid odor;
stool with mucus and deterioration of the child’s health;
green stool mixed with blood.

Each of these signs serves alarm signal disturbances in the functioning of the body. Blood most often occurs with constipation or damage to the intestinal wall, especially if there is also mucus. A lack of nutrients is indicated by liquid and foamy stool consistency. An unpleasant odor indicates an inflammatory process in the intestines.

Green stool in combination with the above signs of the baby’s ill health can be observed when:

infectious diseases;
congenital pathologies of the digestive system;
diarrhea;
helminthic infestations;
enterocolitis;
allergies;
features of artificial nutrition.

What to do if your baby has green stools

Bifidumbacterin;
Lactobacterin;
Hilak Forte;
Acipol.

Important! Green stool itself is not a cause for concern, but if, in addition to green stool, the child shows other signs of illness, then you should immediately contact the clinic.

At the same time, it is not at all necessary to give these drugs to a breastfed child - they can be taken by the mother. Together with the mother's milk, in the amount necessary for the child, they will then enter the child's body. It would be a good idea to temporarily remove all foods that can cause allergies and limit your consumption of green fruits and vegetables.

If, in addition to green stool, other disorders are observed - constipation or diarrhea, then measures must also be taken to eliminate them. If you have diarrhea, do not get dehydrated - let's drink water, baby tea or decoctions based on dill, fennel, and anise seeds. For infections or pathological changes in the gastrointestinal tract, hospital treatment is required.

Prevention measures

Limit your consumption of foods that can cause allergies when breastfeeding, especially when your baby is under three months old.
Organize breastfeeding correctly so that the baby receives both fore and hind milk.
Introduce complementary foods in a timely manner.
When new foods appear in your baby’s diet, keep an eye on them. possible manifestations allergies.
Reception of special food additives, normalizing intestinal microflora.
Avoid overeating. And
Visit your pediatrician regularly.

In contact with

Every mother closely monitors the well-being of her child, notices any changes occurring with her baby - both the youngest children, recently born and older children. Parents pay attention to everything, even the color of the stool. Seeing a greenish tint to the stool, mom often begins to panic, fearing an intestinal infection, and runs to the doctor.

Try not to jump to conclusions. When you see your child’s liquid green feces, remember what the baby ate the day before (not breastfed), and whether new foods have appeared in the child’s diet over the past 24 hours. Below we explain the role of nutrition and talk about the symptoms of diseases.

Feces are the remains of waste products, namely the remains of undigested food excreted in environment from the intestines. When describing stool without resorting to analysis, several concepts are used in medical practice - the nature and color of stool, the presence of impurities in it.

By nature, stool in young children is most often liquid, because the intestinal microflora, which is responsible for the final digestion of food in adults, is just being formed in children. The period of full development depends on many factors: the presence of pregnancy pathology, the date of birth, the method of delivery, the start of breastfeeding, etc.

In any case, the first stool of a newborn is meconium. It is a pasty or liquid content of a dark olive color. By the 3rd day, the baby begins to form a transitional stool that is greenish in color, but somewhat closer to brown. Color should be assessed no earlier than the fifth day after birth. On average, such formation lasts 5-10 days.

In infants

Breastfed babies may have green stool. Such a phenomenon is completely normal result the process of formation of intestinal microflora and liver enzyme systems. Due to the consumption of breast milk, bilirubin is released from the body along with feces - a bile pigment that is formed in the liver and gives the feces a greenish appearance.

If the baby is fed often, but in small portions, he does not get fatty milk. The secretion of human milk is divided into 2 stages: the separation of “front” milk, which prepares the baby’s gastrointestinal tract for food intake, and then the “hind” milk - fattier, containing more nutrients and energy. valuable substances. If the child does not receive the second component, then there will be a lot of enzymes in the stool, as a result the feces will be liquid, green and foamy. But without such symptoms being accompanied by abdominal pain in a child and a foul-smelling feces, such a phenomenon is considered quite physiological for the baby’s developing body.

Hormones contained in the mother's blood and her diet can also affect the color of the baby's stool. The elements contained in the food eaten by the mother are also received by the baby. When introducing new foods into the diet, monitor your child’s reaction to it. After the mother eats green foods - lettuce, spinach, pears, etc. - it is quite possible that the child will develop loose stools with a green tint.

Green stool when formula feeding

When the baby does not feed on mother's milk, but on substitutes, the color of the stool is determined by the mixtures that the baby is fed. Containing a large number of glands change the color of the baby's stool to be green. In such cases, you need to remember whether you changed the mixture the day before. Most likely, complementary foods are not suitable for him and you should find another one. With the transition to a suitable product, the color of stool will normalize.

Bowel problems later in life

As a result of the inclusion of complementary foods in the baby's diet, the color of the stool changes depending on them. Pears, apples, broccoli and leafy vegetables and greens: lettuce, etc. will give a greenish tint to the stool.

With the onset of teething, the child, trying to relieve the constant itching in the gums, is ready to gnaw on everything, which is why various pathogenic bacteria can enter the intestines that can disrupt the newly established microflora. As a result, dysbacteriosis begins, and the child's stool usually becomes greenish in color.

Alarming symptoms

Very often, the green color of a child's feces is usual reaction for food. But no baby is immune from intestinal infections, intestinal dysfunctions and enzymes that require medical intervention. To recognize the disease, it is necessary to take into account several factors. When a baby experiences pain, discomfort, cries, refuses to eat, sleeps restlessly, and similar symptoms are accompanied by watery stools, it is necessary to undergo an examination and identify the cause of the changes.

The appearance of blood and a putrid odor in the stool indicates dysbacteriosis. This condition requires medical supervision and identification of the causes of the disease.

Having noticed colic in the baby, poor health, frequent regurgitation, even vomiting in combination with liquid green stools that have sour smell, be sure to conduct an examination to check for the presence of a serious disease - lactose deficiency.

Against the background of a cold, viral diseases The baby also has a similar incident. Taking medications or vitamins can cause stool color to change. The attending physician will explain all this in detail.

conclusions

Summarizing the above, you can create an algorithm of actions when green liquid stool is detected.

Initially, pay attention to whether something is bothering the baby, whether he has abdominal pain, regurgitation, discomfort, and be sure to consult a doctor, get tested and receive timely treatment. You should also consult a doctor if, in addition to the green color, blood appears.

In the absence alarming symptoms analyze the innovations in the diet of the baby and mother, then eliminate the foods that, in your opinion, are the cause of the reaction.

A child is a fragile and delicate organism, keep an eye on his well-being and condition, and then he will grow up healthy and strong to the delight of his family.

Let's find out whether you need to worry if the color of your stool is different from normal? When to consult a doctor, and when the situation changes successfully with a change in diet.

It is worth saying that the stool of a newborn (up to 5 days) has specifics. A newborn baby's excrement may be black or dark olive in color. The original stool has a viscous consistency, and the color of the stool is due to the ingestion of blood during movement along the birth canal.

From 3 days you can detect yellow lumps, but still the transitional chair has a specific green tint. From days 6 to 10, stool is colored greenish-brown, and the density and frequency of stool is determined by feeding habits.

What should a normal stool look like?

The color of a child's stool depends on complementary foods

There is no need to worry if your baby's stool has a greenish tint; The bilirubin excreted in the baby’s feces and urine is to blame. Oxidative processes are responsible for the greening of stool. The liver and other digestive organs of a recently born baby have not yet learned to produce the required amount of enzymes capable of digesting food. This is a temporary condition.

Liquid stool indicates gastronomic preferences baby: the baby simply gorges on foremilk, and ignores the fatty milk, which is responsible for the light brown color of stool.

It’s worth being sensitive to the child’s needs: maybe the baby isn’t getting enough to eat? Sometimes the structural features of the mother's nipples (inverted, flat) prevent the newborn from properly attaching to the breast and meeting the need for saturation. In a child who does not eat enough, stool sets more slowly. Mom can be calm in several cases:

The child does not suffer from colic;
The baby is in a good mood;
The child sleeps well;
The baby has a good appetite;
No diarrhea;
There is no mucus or blood in the stool;
At the pediatrician's appointment, good weight gain is recorded.

If mom eats spinach, baby's stool color may change

The nature and frequency of a baby's stool depends on the mother's adherence to the basics of a healthy diet. Green stool can be found in babies whose mothers eat greens in excess and are fans of carbohydrate foods. The greens in the stool are determined by the presence of spinach, dill, broccoli, parsley, cucumbers, and apples on the mother’s table.

Mothers of artificial babies blame formula milk for the appearance of green stool. You can expect green poop from Nutrilon and NAN mixtures. Choosing a formula is a responsible undertaking, so it is better to discuss this issue with your pediatrician.

The next period when bowel movements may change is the introduction of complementary foods. Expanding the children's table with fruits and cereals can provoke the appearance of green excrement. If within 3 days the color of the stool does not acquire its usual color, the child becomes worried and a rumbling sound is heard in the stomach - it is better to refuse the new fruit in the diet.

In older children, bowel movements are a common problem. Parental indulgences are usually to blame: the frequent presence of sweets and baked goods in the children's diet. Even mothers who practice healthy eating, children may encounter the problem described: if salads are frequent guests on the table, if mothers often prepare cabbage soup with nettles or green soups, stool of a similar color is guaranteed.

Reducing the amount of sweets and greens in your diet may return your normal light brown stools.

What should you be wary of?

Stool color is not the only warning sign

Changes in stool may not always be caused by errors in diet: often green stool is a sign of illness. For children under one year old, dysbacteriosis becomes a common occurrence. This condition is caused by an imbalance of good and bad bacteria. What factors provoke the development of dysbiosis?

Often this condition is a consequence of early complementary feeding and the presence of juices in the baby’s diet. The second reason is previous infection. Everyone knows that taking antibiotics is a provoking factor responsible for the development of dysbiosis (it is not uncommon for dysbiosis to be diagnosed in the children of mothers who took antibiotics and were breastfeeding).

Often, when the first teeth appear, babies become capricious and try in every possible way to alleviate the discomfort that occurs in the oral cavity. Toys and hands carry bacteria into your mouth, causing green poop.

With dysbacteriosis, the child experiences constipation, but more often foamy stools with an unpleasant odor are detected. The child suffers from colic. Mothers notice frequent regurgitation. An appropriate diagnosis is made using stool analysis.

Another option is the appearance of green stool caused by intestinal inflammation and the activity of intestinal bacteria. To prevent this process, you can advise mothers and relatives to stop licking the pacifier. Aggressive adult microbes can cause unpleasant conditions in the children's gastrointestinal tract.

Most infections are the result of the activity of pathogenic flora brought into the mouth with dirty objects. If your immune system is weakened, your own flora can also cause these problems. Microbes that were not previously thought to be dangerous can cause disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract.

Rarely are cases diagnosed when intestinal problems in children are provoked by pathogenic pathogens. Salmonella and E. coli can enter the baby’s body if adults ignore hygiene rules. Dysentery can be suspected when diarrhea and bloody stools appear. The thermometer records high performance temperature, the child suffers from abdominal pain.

You can get salmonellosis by eating raw or undercooked eggs. Domestic chickens also pose a danger, so egg dishes must be cooked.

Abundant and frequent loose stools quickly dehydrate the body, so the child should be monitored by a doctor.

How to behave as parents

Green stool in a 1 year old child - may be a symptom of dysbiosis

Actions taken by parents must take into account the condition of the baby. If the green color of the excrement is not accompanied by tearfulness or deterioration in physical condition, it is enough to observe the child.

If you suspect dysbacteriosis or an intestinal infection, you should call an ambulance or a doctor. Water and saline solutions should be offered frequently if diarrhea progresses. The use of sorbents in the treatment of intestinal infections is encouraged. The doctor chooses antibacterial drugs, he decides on the advisability of prescribing enzymes and prebiotics.

Typically, nursing mothers are advised to reduce the number of feedings. The doctor prescribes a diet for an older child. Modern treatment tactics do not believe that the patient should starve. If the child has an appetite, he can be fed approved foods.

Let's summarize: If the child behaves in the usual way, he has gained weight, and his stomach does not hurt, then drug treatment not required, you should start adjusting your diet.

In cases where, in addition to green stools, the child has vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea and fever, it is better not to self-medicate. Calling a doctor in a timely manner will guarantee a quick cure for an intestinal infection.

You can find out what a baby's stool should be like from the video:

Tell your friends! Share this article with your friends on your favorite social network using social buttons. Thank you!

Why does my child have green stool and what can I do about it?

Parents may be concerned about changes in their child's bowel habits. In particular, a lot of anxiety arises due to the stool becoming green in color. When is this color change normal, and when should your child be taken to the doctor?

Possible reasons

In infants and newborns

The color of a child’s stool is influenced by various factors - the type of feeding, the mother’s diet (if the child receives breast milk), the replacement of formula, and the immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract of small children. The body of a small child is not yet completely ready to digest food - it does not have the required amount of bacteria, and also does not secrete the required amount of enzymes.

A newborn's first stool is green (dark green in color) and is called meconium. This type of stool is very thick and is normal for the first days of a baby’s life. A green tint to the stool of a breastfed baby is also normal.

During the period when the baby is teething, the feces may also turn green, as the baby pulls toys into his mouth and chews on them. Bacteria that enter the intestines can cause microflora disruption.

The reasons for the green color of feces of newborns and infants can also be:

Excess sugar in the diet.
Indigestion (both in the baby and in the nursing mother).
Changes in the mother's diet (if the baby receives breast milk) For example, insufficient amounts of dairy products in the diet, consumption of green foods, as well as foods with artificial additives.
Large dosage of iron in the mixture (if the baby is bottle-fed).
The baby sucks out only foremilk.
Start of introduction of complementary foods.

In older children

The color of an older child's stool may change due to the consumption of certain foods, indigestion, or excess sugar in food.

Other reasons for the appearance of green stool in older children are:

Infectious diseases with intestinal damage.
Helminthic infestations.
Lactase deficiency.
Allergic reactions.
Enterocolitis.
Congenital gastrointestinal diseases.
Taking vitamins, iodine, iron, chlorophyll and other dietary supplements.

Foods that can cause dark green stool are green vegetables (onions, dill, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, broccoli), licorice, red beans, candy with dyes, fruit juices, red meat, muesli, cereals, seafood fish. After eating these foods, your stool may turn green within five days.

Due to the consumption of dyes, the stool may turn bright green.

Additional symptoms to worry about

You should be wary of the following changes that accompany the acquisition of green stool:

Child's lethargy, capriciousness.
Poor appetite.
Increased body temperature.
The child complains of abdominal pain.
The appearance of foul-smelling stool.
The appearance of blood impurities in the stool.
Presence of mucus.
Very frequent loose greenish stools.
Drowsiness, weakness.
Nausea, as well as bouts of vomiting.
The appearance of a rash.
Bad breath.
Bloating.
Decrease in body weight in infants.

Such signs should prompt a visit to the clinic with your child. The presence of blood and mucus in the stool may indicate an inflammatory process in the intestines. Fever in combination with copious and frequent greenish stools is characteristic of infectious lesions Gastrointestinal tract. If you do not pay attention to such symptoms in time, there is a risk of dehydration of the child’s body and the spread of infection.

What to do?

First, you need to figure out what are the possible reasons for changes in the color of your child’s stool. In this case, it is more important to pay attention not to the color of the stool, but to the well-being of the child. If his appetite, sleep and general condition are normal, and you are only concerned about the green color of his stool, you should not worry.

If the reason for the green color of the stool is a new formula, it is recommended to replace it with another food that the baby will digest better. In cases where the cause of the change in stool color is food, dietary supplements and food coloring, nothing needs to be done. Provided that, apart from the unusual color of the stool, there are no other alarming symptoms.

Prevention

Preventive measures against green stool in young children are:

Compliance with the diet of a nursing mother.
Careful selection of artificial mixture.
Timely introduction of complementary foods.
Maintaining a healthy diet and preventing overeating.
Careful introduction of allergenic foods into the diet.
Regular visits to the pediatrician.

Green feces in a child: normal or serious danger

Green feces in a child often occur in the summer and autumn - when the menu is full of juicy vegetables and fruits. But it is necessary to treat such changes with caution, since some infectious or inflammatory diseases have such symptoms. In what cases is color change considered normal, and when is a doctor's help needed?

Reasons for changes in the color of feces in children under two years of age

The color of infant bowel movements is influenced by various reasons:

Type of feeding;
The diet of the parent (if the baby is breastfed);
Composition of the mixture;
Underdevelopment of the gastrointestinal tract of infants.

Organism infant not yet completely ready for the digestive process - there are not enough enzymes and beneficial bacteria.

All newborns have a dark green first stool. It is called meconium. This almost black, sticky substance is secreted by the baby the first two to three days after birth. Then the feces become lighter in color. They usually have a light brown, yellowish tint. However, it is also normal for a tiny baby to poop green. Especially if mom’s menu contains a significant amount of cucumbers, parsley, spinach, green pears or apples.

Situations when stool turns light yellow or even white are also dangerous. The table below shows photos of normal feces in a child, as well as feces that signal danger, as in the case of white feces.

In artificial animals, a yellow-green tint to the excrement may appear due to the use of mixtures with a high iron content.

In a bottle-fed baby, greenish-colored feces with mucus are possible when switching to a formula with an unusual composition. If the baby pooped like this once or twice, and then everything got better, then everything is fine. But if problems continue, you should find a suitable mixture.

Several more factors why a small child may have green stool:

Excess sugar in mom's food;
Digestive problems (both for the baby and the parent);
Improper absorption of breast milk;
Introducing complementary foods to a child 4–5 months and older.

During the period when the first teeth appear (at 7 months - 1 year), the excrement may turn green. If, in addition, a one-year-old child has no pathological signs, then treatment is not required.

Changes in the color and frequency of stool are possible in a 2-month-old baby. If a one-month-old baby has bowel movements after every meal, then a two-month-old baby may have breaks even for a couple of days. At 2 months, an enzyme crisis occurs in the baby’s body. But at 3 months everything gets better.

Pathologies leading to changes in stool color in babies

Green bowel movements often appear in children aged 1–3 years due to dysbiosis - a disruption of the correct microflora in the gastrointestinal tract.

Risk factors for illness vary. During teething, the child chews on toys and other things. At the same time, bacteria enter the gastrointestinal tract, leading to microflora disturbances. Dysbacteriosis appears after taking antibiotic drugs, with an incorrect diet, or with ailments of the digestive system. This disease is characterized by the following changes:

Stool disorders;
Yellow-green or gray-green stool with mucus and foam;
A specific sour smell.

Dysbacteriosis is accompanied by colic and frequent regurgitation. Bloating and painful sensations in the tummy lead to the baby being capricious, unable to sleep, and losing appetite and weight. But the main sign of dysbiosis is green mucus in the stool.

To make a correct diagnosis, it is necessary to do a stool test for dysbacteriosis, which determines the qualitative composition of the intestinal microflora. After this, the doctor will recommend the necessary medications to get rid of the disease.

Liquid green stool in preschool children, including newborns, is possible due to dysentery. This is a dangerous infectious disease that threatens to dehydrate the body. Its symptoms:

Diarrhea (more than four times a day),
Gray-green color of excrement with bloody inclusions;
Disgusting putrid “aroma”.

With each bowel movement, the amount of excrement decreases. The toddler is acting restless, he is feeling sick, and his temperature is rising. At moderate severity disease, the process of defecation normalizes after seven to eight days.

What to do if the contents of the diaper are green?

If a preschool child over four years old can tell about what hurts, then a baby is not capable of this. Parents should carefully monitor the child’s behavior - whether he is restless, capricious, or crying. Signs such as child diarrhea, fever, vomiting, copious mucus in a child’s stool is a reason to call a pediatrician. Such a clinical picture indicates an infectious disease.

To clarify the diagnosis, you will need to conduct certain studies:

General blood analysis. Check: the level of hemoglobin, red blood cells, platelets;
Scatological analysis of stool. Check: the severity of damage to the gastrointestinal mucosa.
Bacteriological analysis of stool. They check: the presence of infectious pathogens and susceptibility to antibiotic drugs.

You can give your child enterosorbents (Enterosgel, Smecta). Those made with activated carbon can also change the color of bowel movements. It will become closer to black and green.

Liquid green stool in a baby with normal general health indicates a slight digestive disorder, which is not dangerous. The main thing is to avoid dehydration. Saline solutions, made independently or purchased at a pharmacy, will help with this.

Prevention measures include establishing proper diet nursing mother, precise selection of formulas for artificial infants, careful introduction of complementary foods, regular medical examinations.

Why do children from three to five years old have green stool?

A child’s stool will reach an “adult” dark brown color at about 2 years of age. At this time, the baby completely switches to a general diet.

In a child 3–6 years old, the color of excrement can change as a result of infatuation with certain foods, indigestion or excess sugar in food. Bright green feces will be found in a baby who loves cucumbers, broccoli, lettuce, and other vegetables and fruits of this color. Red beans, licorice, sea fish, drinks and sweets with dyes can give stool a light green tint.

Other reasons for the occurrence of green excrement in preschool children and primary schoolchildren may be:

Intestinal infections;
Helminthiases;
Lactase deficiency;
Allergies;
Enteritis and colitis;
Congenital diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Taking vitamin-mineral complexes, iodized products, chlorophyll, and other dietary supplements.

If the baby really has problems not only with the color of excrement, he will become apathetic and sleepy. Appetite will worsen. There may be an increase in temperature and pain in the abdomen. The smell of excrement will be especially fetid, and an unpleasant “aroma” will be added from the mouth. A rash, vomiting, sudden weight loss, the presence of blood and mucus in the stool are reasons for an urgent medical examination.

Thus, salmonellosis can cause problems with feces in children. It is usually contracted through improperly prepared chicken eggs and meat.

With this serious infectious disease with severe dehydration and intoxication, the excrement becomes liquid, swamp-colored, and smells sour. The desire to go “big” often arises, accompanied by painful sensations and vomiting, fever. If these signs are detected, you should immediately call a doctor.

If your baby has greenish stool, there is no need to panic. It usually does not require treatment. Only upon manifestation serious symptoms Infectious disease or inflammation will require medical attention.

Remember that only a doctor can make a correct diagnosis; do not self-medicate without consultation and diagnosis by a qualified doctor. Be healthy!

Should I be concerned if my baby produces green stool?

The nature of bowel movements depends on diet and the state of the gastrointestinal tract. The health of the liver and gallbladder is especially important. Improper functioning of the organs is the main factor that changes the consistency and color of feces. In most cases, green feces in a child are released due to the inflammatory process occurring in the digestive system. Such defecation products are not the norm.

Why does stool turn green?

If the child’s diet is dominated by cucumbers, cabbage, parsley, dill and other green vegetation, then food is the provoking factor. By adjusting the diet, parents will notice that the stool has returned to normal. This is the most harmless condition that affects the color of stool.

More dangerous reasons strange stool discharges are:

Dysbacteriosis. The disease develops as a result of enzymatic deficiency, taking antibiotics and decreased immunity. The child may complain of abdominal pain, increased gas production and green loose stools. When an older child or teenager defecates dark green, almost black stool, it is possible that he or she has eaten too much greens, consumed foods with artificial colors, or taken Activated Charcoal tablets.
Liver disease. Hepatitis affects the color of feces. The inflammatory process is indicated by pain in the right hypochondrium, yellowness of the skin and mucous membranes, nausea, and problematic bowel movements. Cirrhosis produces green stools, morning bitterness in the mouth, discomfort in the right side, and swelling. Too much dark stool may signal a breakup malignant neoplasm, formed in the liver.
Pathologies of the pancreas. When inflammatory processes occur in a small organ, the child suffers from enzyme deficiency, and his parents notice altered stools. Other symptoms of pancreatitis include severe pain in the stomach, poor appetite and nausea. The color of stool changes depending on diet.
Intestinal infections and poisoning are another answer to the question of why a child poops greens. Infections that cause disruption of the tract enter the body with low-quality food or due to non-compliance with hygiene rules. Acute disorders manifest themselves very rapidly: the child’s well-being deteriorates, he feels sick, vomits and has a fever, the stool changes in color and density. The stool may be green or yellow color, their consistency is usually liquid. Vomiting and frequent urge to defecation are dangerous due to dehydration.

Reason to see a doctor

If the child is in good health, parents do not have to worry about the stool suddenly turning green. In the summer, a baby at a summer cottage could easily taste natural gifts, and in any quantity. In this case, his feces may be slightly slimy and contain green lumps of vegetables, fruits, and berries that have not been completely digested.

An increased amount of mucus, green or bloody impurities should alert parents. Against the background of foamy, liquid or foul-smelling stool, their appearance means a state of dysbiosis. As additional signs The baby may experience frequent colic and skin rashes.

Green stool in a small child sometimes indicates lactase deficiency. Only a doctor who has examined the patient’s tests can confirm the diagnosis.

Thus, before contacting the clinic, parents should carefully analyze the situation. Consider whether the child has taken antibiotics or foods that can change the color of feces. If this is true, the color of bowel movements will stabilize on its own in 2 to 3 days.

When should you see a doctor? A specialist arrives immediately when parents excitedly report the following points by phone:

vomit;
diarrhea;
hyperthermia;
unbearable colic;
spasmodic pain in the abdomen;
greenish feces are excreted for more than 5 days.

How to help a child?

Before the doctor arrives, treat the intestines yourself. To improve the microflora of the tract, give your child probiotics:

In case of diarrhea and vomiting, to prevent dehydration, give the patient Regidron solution. At food poisoning Try getting rid of green poop with a slurry of Activated Charcoal tablets. Dissolve the drug in a small amount of water at the rate of 1 tablet for every 10 kg of body weight.

Do not ignore such a symptom as green stool in a child. In the absence of a connection with nutrition, it can signal helminthic infestations, inflammation of the small intestine, GERD, thyrotoxicosis, and impaired intestinal innervation in a patient diabetes mellitus. Some children void greens after their ileum is removed.
While the baby is teething, he tries to eliminate the discomfort by putting anything in his mouth. Through objects, bacteria penetrate the intestines and upset the balance of flora. Buy it for your child silicone rings and pour boiling water over them every time they have been on the floor.

Monitor your child's diet and do not allow him to overuse leafy vegetables and garden herbs. Otherwise, green food will constantly provoke a change in the nature of the stool.

Green stool in a child - should you panic?

The color of a baby’s stool is an informative indicator of the state of his health and the functioning of the digestive system, so it has become the subject of increased attention from parents. When examining the contents of a diaper, it is important not to overdo it; sometimes an uncharacteristic shade is normal.

Why does my baby have green stool?

In order not to make a mistake with the diagnosis, it is important to study all the factors accompanying the pathology in question. There are several indirect circumstances that matter if a child has green stool - the reasons depend on the following conditions:

stool consistency;
the presence of inclusions and impurities;
additional symptoms;
baby's age.

Baby has green stool with mucus

When at specified type after bowel movements, the baby feels great, is cheerful, cheerful and not capricious, there is no reason to worry. In an infant, green stool with mucus is normal. The digestive system of babies is just beginning to adapt to external environment and a new way of eating. The intestines are not yet populated by permanent microflora and its composition is adjusted daily by the body. Sometimes this causes the baby to have green stools with some impurities, including a scanty amount of mucus.

If there are a lot of viscous inclusions and the baby cries, the causes of the problem described may be:

Green liquid stool in a child

The consistency of children's stool also changes regularly; it depends on several factors:

nutrition of a nursing woman;
microflora composition;
availability of complementary feeding and supplementation;
mother's hormonal background.

Dark green loose stools in a child indicate a high concentration of iron in his diet. This is due to the large amount of this element in the mother’s mixture or menu. Other reasons:

feces quickly oxidize when exposed to air;
teething;
introduction of leafy vegetables as complementary foods;
another change in intestinal microflora;
There are many coloring foods (zucchini, broccoli and cucumbers) in a woman’s diet.

When a child has loose green stools with mucus, but does not have a high temperature, the symptom in question indicates the development of dysbiosis. This condition is not considered a disease or pathology, especially in infancy. The biocenosis on the intestinal mucosa is gradually normalized. While the baby is getting used to external conditions, microflora is often out of balance.

Baby's hard green stool

Constipation rarely occurs in breastfed babies; this problem is more common in children fed industrial formulas. If parents notice green stool in a child along with a change in its consistency, probable cause- inappropriate food. You need to carefully study the composition of the mixture, consult with your pediatrician and change it.

Hard green stools are often observed after antibiotics - the child’s intestinal microflora changes in response to the action of antimicrobial drugs, even if they were not taken by the baby himself, but by the mother feeding him. A similar reaction occurs when using other medications:

Black-green stool in a child

This variation in the color and consistency of feces is typical for newborn babies. Sticky, dark green stool in a newborn baby is called meconium. It consists of digested remains of the baby’s vital activity in the mother’s womb - epithelial cells, hair, amniotic fluid, bile and other biological waste. Meconium will quickly be replaced by the usual unformed feces.

Baby has yellow-green stools

This shade of stool also refers to normal variants; doctors sometimes call it transitional feces. When all the meconium has passed, the baby will pass green stool with yellow spots. It has an unpleasant sourish smell and the consistency of mush. This indicates the beginning of stabilization of the intestinal microflora and the baby’s adaptation to breast milk.

Other reasons why a newborn baby has green stool with a yellowish tint:

malnutrition;
the predominance of fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet of a nursing mother;
change hormonal levels women;
increased production of bilirubin by the liver.

Green foamy stool in a child

The appearance of bubbles in the contents of the diaper is alarming, but this is not a reason to panic. Slightly foaming green stool in a baby is a sign of incorrect breastfeeding. The milk that accumulates in the front of the breast is watery and thin. It is intended primarily to quench thirst and cause a feeling of fullness. Hind milk is fattier and viscous, rich in nutrients.

If the mother weans the baby from the breast before he has stopped sucking, or often changes sides, the baby only gets watery biological fluid. This provokes green stool in the child; hindmilk gives the normal brown-yellow color to feces. When it is lacking, children not only develop foamy stool, but weight gain also occurs slowly.

Another cause of this pathology may be a rare diagnosis - lactase deficiency. It exists in acquired and innate forms. This disorder is associated with a deficiency or absence of an enzyme that is involved in the breakdown of milk sugar. Sometimes it indicates serious problems in the functioning of the pancreas.

Green stool with blood in a child

Red and pink spots in your baby's stool are also considered a variation of normal feces. The intestinal mucosa is penetrated by thin and still fragile capillaries, which easily burst when straining or passing gas, especially if the baby suffers from flatulence. This explains why an infant has green stools with sparse and small streaks of blood.

If the inclusions described are numerous and voluminous, the baby may have more severe illnesses. Bleeding is caused by:

infections;
internal intestinal damage;
genetic abnormalities of the digestive system;
acute inflammation.

Vomiting and green stool in a child

It is important for young parents to distinguish typical regurgitation in infants from the pathological release of stomach contents. The first option is the norm, especially up to six months. Green stool and vomiting are obvious symptoms of an intestinal infection, which can be caused by:

Temperature and green stool in a child

Fever and heat are extremely dangerous signs that accompany inflammatory processes in the body. If a baby has green stool and fever, the cause is often severe poisoning. Toxins come not only from food, poison can enter the baby’s bloodstream through the air, mother’s milk, or through low-quality cosmetics applied to the skin.

Green stool in a child in combination with a high temperature indicates other problems:

A child has green stools - what to do?

If the baby feels well, he does not vomit, and his body temperature remains within normal limits, you don’t have to worry about his health. Until the composition of the microflora in the intestines stabilizes, the shades of the baby's stool and its consistency will often change. If there are associated negative symptoms and the child’s restless behavior, you should find out why the green stool appeared - the pediatrician will tell you what to do in such cases. It is especially important to show the baby to the doctor when vomiting and diarrhea occur. These conditions are very dangerous because they cause severe dehydration in children.

Green stool in a newborn

The baby's diaper is 1-4 weeks old and should contain liquid contents of the color in question. In a one-month-old baby, green stool or meconium represents the cleansing of the digestive system from the remains of intrauterine waste products. It is almost sterile and is not a sign of pathology. Such feces precede the process of normalization and correction of intestinal microflora, the baby’s adaptation to receiving food from the outside.

Associated symptoms may be a cause for concern and an immediate appointment with a pediatrician:

Infant has green stool

When the baby is not capricious and feels well, parents should not panic. Green liquid stool in a baby is a normal variant. It even sometimes contains inclusions, which also do not pose any threat to health:

If the child shows concern, there are obvious signs illness (fever, diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration), you should immediately consult a doctor. Before seeing a doctor, it is important to provide your baby with proper care:

Apply to the breast more often.
Do a light massage and place it on your stomach.
At high temperatures, wipe with a cloth soaked in water.
Use children's antipyretics in the form rectal suppositories(of necessity).

Green stool in a one-year-old child can be caused by several physiological factors:

In the situations listed above, you do not need to do anything. When the baby’s digestive system gets used to the changes in diet, the intestinal microflora normalizes and the color of the stool becomes familiar (brown). If there are negative clinical manifestations, especially vomiting or diarrhea, you must immediately visit a pediatrician and make sure that the baby does not become dehydrated. One-year-old babies can be soldered additionally boiled water from a teaspoon in parallel with application and to the mother's breast.

Green stool in a bottle-fed baby

The main reason for the described phenomenon is considered to be the high iron content in the mixture. Buying a suitable composition will help you cope with the problem; it is advisable to first consult with a pediatrician or a specialist in the development of baby food. If even after changing the formula the child has green stools, you need to find the exact reason this symptom. If the baby is feeling normal, no action can be taken; this shade of stool is quite normal. The presence of high fever, vomiting or other negative signs is a reason to consult a doctor and prevent dehydration.

Green stool in a 1 year old child

Of course, I know that without tests it’s difficult to say what it is. But maybe someone had it. We'll go to the hospital as soon as the frost subsides, otherwise our frostbitten cheeks have not yet gone away.

I noticed that the child’s stool became green and thick, like plasticine. It’s unlikely that it will be on the teeth (we are getting them now). We also eat as usual. I'm worried

Hello. How long has this been?

no, recently. with frequency. sometimes normal, sometimes not. sometimes walks normally.

http://forum.sibmama. t=3476&start=60 maybe you’ll find something here, they’re also discussing the green chair there

This could be dysbacteriosis, in any case you need to go to the doctor and get a consultation. We also had a problem and the doctor prescribed us bifidum bacterin and everything returned to normal for the child.

We had a similar thing last week. I also thought about running to get tested, we ate everything as usual. My godfather advised me and began asking what we ate. It turned out that my son ate more blueberry jam that day. I added a little bit to his porridge, everything was ok, but then he found a jar and gobbled it up. Remember, maybe you gave something more than usual. If not, then see a doctor.

ABOUT! blueberries can color like that. We drink fruit juice made from freshly mashed blueberries with sugar. Could it be her? Because I’ve already read horror stories about internal bleeding.

We also had green poop, but there was still mucus there. And we had a fever. I called the doctor and said all this about the teeth. I observed it for three days, then called an ambulance. They took me to the infectious diseases department and said that there was no smell of teeth. It was a common intestinal infection. We stayed there for 10 days. Then our doctor gave our doctor a dressing down.

We recently had stool with a green tint, it was like grains, and also like mucus, the temperature rose to 37.7, the doctor came, they said it was normal and the temperature didn’t know why, like the nose was clogged, she saw one of her daughter’s casings . She said to take influenza and give chamomile. During the day the temperature was 38.4, then I decided to try smecta, I tried it, the next day it was normal and there was no temperature. Here are the doctors for you. And we are only 3 months old.

yes 100% from blueberries in your case! We also have this from blueberry fruit drink

Green stool in a child: what changes in a child’s body does dark green stool indicate?

The normal color for stool is considered to range from light brown to dark brown. Any changes in color may indicate the presence of some problems in the body. Why a child has green stools can sometimes be figured out on your own without special medical tests.

Reasons for color change

When understanding why a child produces green feces, it should be noted that it is important that from the first years of a person’s life, color changes can be physiological in nature. So in the first 5 days of life, stool may be dark green or change its shade to black. By the 3rd day, the appearance of light inclusions in the total mass of feces is observed, and by the 6th–10th the color is normalized.

Bright yellow stool is common in breastfed babies. Green feces in a child often appear due to intensive consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits and juices from them, especially in the summer. Many foods can turn stool greenish. But still, you need to be careful about such changes, since many infectious or inflammatory processes also have these symptoms.

Green stool in a one-year-old child can also be explained by the fact that intensive teething occurs during this period. The coloring of stool occurs due to increased secretion of saliva, which increases the production of bile by the gallbladder. She gets into gastrointestinal tract, and the excrement changes color. If the baby is 2 years old or older, then you should remember that he receives food from an adult table, and this may also change the color of the stool. This process often accompanied by colic and pain in the baby’s abdominal area.

Stool may be greenish in color during infection due to the fact that white blood cells die and are not excreted from the body, remaining in the intestines.

First of all, when green feces appear in children, you should immediately pay attention to the child’s behavior, whether he is capricious, whether there are any signs of anxiety, to his general condition, whether there is nausea. After all, if a teenager can report any disorders, a child of two or three years old will not be able to tell us this. If your child has green stool during defecation and you observe any behavioral disturbances, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite, you should consult a doctor. Because this clinical picture tells us that the child may have an infectious disease. If green stool appears in a child of the 1st year of life with an undisturbed general condition, then it is most likely not dangerous. In a newborn, this may indicate a nutritional disorder, especially if there is diarrhea without signs of intoxication.

Dysbacteriosis

Green feces in children often occur due to a condition of the body such as dysbiosis - this is a change in normal microflora intestines. The causes of dysbacteriosis are different. During teething, the baby puts toys and other objects into his mouth. Naturally, in this case digestive tract bacteria enter, which can also change the ratio of beneficial microorganisms.

Dysbacteriosis can also occur as a result of taking antibiotics, when pathogenic microorganisms enter the gastrointestinal tract, with poor nutrition, or with diseases of the digestive system. Changes in stool may be of the following nature:

diarrhea, constipation;
feces with greens and mucus;
foamy stool;
gray-green stool with a characteristic sour odor.

Dysbacteriosis is accompanied by colic, abdominal pain, frequent regurgitation, the tummy swells and becomes hard. To make an accurate diagnosis, you need to conduct a stool test for dysbacteriosis, which determines the quantity and quality of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract. Laboratory research methods are also used to diagnose dysbiosis: scatological, bacteriological and biochemical analysis feces

Dysentery

A change in the color of stool often occurs when pathogenic microorganisms that cause infectious diseases enter the child’s body. Dysentery – infectious disease, which is most often found in children. Frequent green liquid stools appear, more than 4 times a day, with bright spots of blood, and have an unpleasant putrid odor. With each act of defecation, the amount of feces decreases. The baby is restless, there is an increase in body temperature, and vomiting occurs. With moderate severity of the disease, normalization of stool occurs on days 7–9.

Scatological analysis - examination of feces under a microscope, identifying leukocytes, erythrocytes, and muscle fibers. Using this method, the degree of damage to the intestinal mucosa is assessed.
Bacteriological analysis – isolation of the causative agent of the disease and determination of sensitivity to antibiotics.
General blood analysis.

Salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is a complex infectious disease that leads to severe dehydration of the body and its intoxication. Characterized by frequent bowel movements and vomiting, more than five times a day, and fever. Diarrhea is observed, it has a sour smell, defecation becomes painful, body temperature rises, and the child’s stool is swamp-colored.

Vomiting and loose, frequent green stools in a child can lead to dehydration, which is a dangerous condition. Salmonellosis occurs when infected with salmonella. The most common reason they enter the body is chicken eggs. If the above symptoms appear, the child should immediately be shown to a doctor. You can diagnose the disease and figure out why the stool has changed its color using special tests:

general blood analysis;
blood chemistry;
bacteriological analysis - vomit and feces are studied.

What to do if your child has green stool?

We can conclude that if you notice green stool in a child, and the baby’s health is satisfactory, then you don’t need to do anything. You just need to analyze the diet and monitor the child’s further well-being and health, because feces can also turn green from food.

However, if you suspect dysbiosis or an infection of the gastrointestinal tract, you should consult a doctor. If your baby experiences an increase in body temperature, prolonged constipation, vomiting or diarrhea that occurs 2 times a day or more, you must call an ambulance. After all, there is a threat of rapid development of dehydration.

Before providing qualified assistance, first of all, the baby needs to replenish lost fluid by orally taking special solutions (Regidron, Enterodes).

Plain water is not suitable, because when dehydrated the body loses not only water, but also a second very important component - salts, which we replenish with these solutions.

You can also give your child sorbents that will help the body cope with intoxication (Enterosgel, Smecta). After Smecta, diarrhea usually decreases. The subsequent stage of treatment includes the use of antibiotics, which are prescribed by the doctor, taking into account age and individual characteristics baby's body. For some diseases, when changes in the color of stool are noted, enzymes are prescribed.

To ensure that the child does not have green stool, parents should closely monitor the baby’s nutrition. As well as the conditions in which he plays, the cleanliness of toys and objects with which he is in direct contact. These simple measures will help prevent infections and pathogenic bacteria from entering the child’s fragile body.

Why does my baby have green stool?

Green stool in a child is something that often worries parents. There are many reasons for such changes in stool: both ordinary physiological and pathological. Newborn babies are a separate issue; their bowel movements can be very surprising to unprepared parents, so it is necessary to understand everything in order to keep the situation under control.

Why does my baby have green stool?

Green feces in newborns

In babies, all the gastrointestinal organs finish forming in the womb. Before the children are born, they swallow amniotic fluid, your own secretions, particles of your own exfoliated skin. All this, entering their body, is processed, and as a result, original feces - meconium - are formed in the intestines.

Meconium in newborns

As soon as the baby is born, in the first day and the next few days, feces come out; it has a marsh-green color and can be pasty or mushy in consistency. This is the absolute norm.

When a child receives his first food, and most often this is breast milk, a portion of bacteria enters his stomach, and they already begin to establish the digestion process. The stool gradually changes color to yellow, and then, after a while, when nutrition is improved, to brown.

Normal stool in a baby

Causes of green stool in children under 1.5 - 2 years old

Since the gastrointestinal tract is initially immature and does not have enough enzymes to process food, some malfunctions are possible, which will be accompanied by green feces.

Green stool

The following factors can affect the green coloration of stools:

changing the diet of a nursing mother (if breastfeeding is natural);
replacing the mixture with another;
excess sugar in the mixture;
excess iron in the mixture;
indigestion in a baby;
introducing the first solid food into the baby’s diet;
teething, when a child pulls various objects into his mouth and thus introduces bacteria into the stomach.

Green stool may be due to incorrect mixture selection

Here you have the opportunity to track the child’s reaction and eliminate some of the reasons yourself, for example, choose a suitable formula, adjust your diet, or postpone the introduction of complementary foods.

It is better to postpone the introduction of complementary foods if the baby’s stool has changed its color to green.

If after such changes the stool still remains green, consultation with a specialist is necessary, because perhaps the reason lies deeper.

For reference! If a breastfed baby is not properly applied to the breast and sucks out only the liquid front milk, but not the richer rear milk, then his stool may be more liquid and have a green color. Therefore, it is so important that the baby drinks the rear nutritious portion of mother’s milk.

Change in stool color in children over 2 years of age

Older children no longer feed on formula or breast milk; their diet contains a lot of foods. Stool may turn green when eating foods such as:

green vegetables and fruits;
Red beans;
sea fish;
red meat;
juices, chewing gum and sweets with dyes.

Green fruits and vegetables

Sweets with a lot of dyes

However, foods are not always the source of green stool; the reason may lie in:

helminthic infestation;
lactase deficiency;
allergic reaction to certain groups products;
enterocolitis;
dysbacteriosis;
infectious disease;
taking specific medications and vitamins;
congenital pathology of the gastrointestinal tract.

The child may have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, dysbacteriosis

If the stool is green, but the child is cheerful, cheerful and there are no additional changes, most likely there is no cause for concern. You should be alert if you experience the following symptoms:

temperature increase;
chills, cold sweat;
nausea, vomiting;
diarrhea;
poor appetite;
child's lethargy and moodiness;
abdominal pain;
the presence of impurities of blood, mucus, pus in the stool;
the appearance of a rash;
bloating.

You need to be wary if your child has a stomach ache and a fever.

Abnormal stool color combined with blood and mucus in it indicates inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Fever, vomiting and diarrhea indicate either acute poisoning or an infectious disease.

Vomiting and diarrhea may be signs of infection

Therefore, it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor, since the child’s body in this case begins to dehydrate, and the infection and toxins spread further.

Intestinal infections: classification

The normal color of stool is brown. They are colored this color by bile pigments. A dark green tint can be caused by foods that a person consumed the day before. Changes in the color and consistency of fecal matter indicate possible pathological changes in organism.

Both adults and children can have green stools. The main reason is poor nutrition. Green coloring of fecal matter occurs when eating foods containing dyes and iron. Such products are: fruit juices, sea fish, lettuce, broccoli, red beans, black licorice, etc.

When consuming some of the above foods, the color of the stool may change within 5 days. A dark green tint to stool is usually observed in vegetarians, since their diet is dominated by vegetables and fruits.

Dark green stool may indicate certain pathologies. This shade of stool appears against the background of bleeding in or. This may indicate a peptic ulcer or cancer processes in the body.Green stool may indicate the development of dysentery; treatment in this case is carried out only in a hospital.

Useful video - What green stool indicates:

Dark green stool can occur due to dysbiosis. IN small intestine Digestive microorganisms die, resulting in processes of rotting and fermentation. Typically, dysbiosis develops when long-term use antibiotics.

Other possible reasons changes in stool color:

Poisoning
Crohn's disease
Inflammation
Ulcerative colitis
Lactose and fructose intolerance

Besides, dark green color stool may indicate enzyme deficiency.

Symptoms and complications

With dysentery, in addition to changes in the color of stool, the patient experiences the following symptoms:

Weakness
Nausea
Vomit
Temperature increase
Abdominal pain

If the color of the stool persists for several days, and the patient complains of abdominal pain and fever, then you should immediately consult a doctor. In addition to the above symptoms, stool upset, weight loss, and putrid smell of stool may be observed. In this case, you will need to be tested for the presence in the body. coli, shigella and other pathogenic microorganisms.

If there is bloating, frequent belching, increased gas formation, then such symptoms indicate dysbiosis.

Black-green feces in a newborn are considered normal during the first month of life. Then it should change and eventually have a light brown tint.

Color may change when switching to artificial feeding. Iron, which enters the body in excess quantities, can give the stool a green tint.If the child is breastfed, then the reason for the change in the color of the stool should be sought in the mother’s diet.

A change in stool can be observed when the first teeth erupt. The baby puts everything in his mouth and many things may not be sterile. They contain various bacteria. As a result, not only the color of the stool may change, but this can lead to various diseases.

The dark green color of a child's stool may indicate the development of dysbiosis.

This is usually observed with long-term use of antibiotics, which kill intestinal microflora. This disease is characterized by green feces with a rotten smell.

There is no need to worry if your baby has loose, foamy green stools with mucus. This is considered the norm. The baby sucks out the foremilk, but cannot reach the fatty milk. If such stool has an unpleasant odor and the child is bothered by pain, then this indicates a pathology and you should contact your pediatrician and take the necessary tests.

Diagnostics

To diagnose and identify the cause of this symptom, an examination is carried out. From laboratory methods use microscopic examination, bacterial culture feces, and .

Coprogram is non-invasive and informative method stool examination, through which you can study the microscopic composition of stool: crystals, etc. In addition, you can examine chemical composition: content, fat, pigments, protein, etc.Deviations in the coprogram may indicate the degree of damage to the intestines and stomach.

Tank analysis helps to identify pathogens of intestinal infections, microflora, and bacteria. The biomaterial is placed in a special environment, as a result of which the causative agent of the disease and susceptibility to antibiotics are identified.

Features of treatment

If the change in the color of stool is associated with poor nutrition and eating certain foods, then it is necessary to exclude them from the diet and within a few days the stool will return to normal. If there are no other symptoms, then treatment will not be needed.

After diagnosis and determination of the cause of the change in stool color, treatment is prescribed.

To eliminate diarrhea and cleanse the stomach of toxins, Smecta, Regidron, Enterosgel, etc. are used. At the same time, symptomatic therapy is carried out. When the temperature rises, antipyretic drugs are used, and for cramps and abdominal pain, painkillers are used.
When intestinal infections are detected, antimicrobial drugs are prescribed. Sorbents are used to remove toxins from the body. From antibacterial drugs to suppress pathogenic microorganisms, penicillins, cephalosporins, tetracyclines, etc. are prescribed. The course of administration should not be less than 7-10 days.
In case of dysbacteriosis, to restore the intestinal microflora, drugs containing lacto- and bifidobacteria are prescribed: Bifidumbacterin, Bifiform, Linex, etc.
To lift immune system and accelerating the restoration of intestinal microflora, the use of immunomodulators is recommended: echinacea tinctures, Dibazol, etc.

During treatment, you should avoid eating “harmful” foods: smoked and pickled foods, fried and fatty foods, mushrooms, potatoes, pasta, etc.

It is also not recommended to consume foods that increase gas formation: White bread, milk, bananas, sweet and flour products. This will reduce the load on the intestines. After the course of treatment, a repeat stool test is taken.