Green stool in infants and newborns: reasons for the appearance of such stool and its treatment. Green poop in a child: normal or serious danger Green poop for a 6 month old child

The development and formation of a baby does not end in the womb. After birth, adaptation to external factors occurs, getting used to a new diet. An alarming moment for young mothers is the unusual green color of the baby's stool. Let’s take a closer look at what factors can influence the appearance of this color of discharge, whether it poses a danger to the life and health of the baby, and we’ll also tell you what parents should do in this situation.

At different stages of development, the baby's stool changes from a liquid unnatural color to a fraction characteristic of each person. Parents must be sure to monitor the frequency, consistency, color and presence of odor in the child’s discharge.

First three days of life

During this period of a little person’s life, the accumulation of remnants of amniotic fluid that entered the body at birth, intestinal epithelial cells, bile, mucus, etc. occurs in his intestines. Such feces are called original feces or meconium.

The discharge has a black, dark red or olive tone, a resinous structure and is odorless. Green stool in a newborn is not due to the bacterial nature of its formation. The appearance of discharge is the first sign of normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

During the first two to three days, a breastfed baby’s body completely absorbs the mother’s colostrum, so feces are not formed.

Fourth – sixth days

The baby's intestinal system is developing due to changes in the composition of the nursing mother's milk and the formation of bacteria in the digestive tract.

The process occurs in two stages:

• Transitional feces

The baby's stool has the appearance of a paste, thick sour cream, the color is predominantly yellowish, with rare splashes of green (residual effects of meconium). The presence of a white mass and small amounts of stool with mucus in an infant is not a deviation. Changes in the appearance of feces occur under the influence of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

• Mature feces

The discharge becomes dark green in color with a transitional gray tint, and has a porridge-like consistency. Initially, the frequency of bowel movements is about ten times a day, and as you get used to breast milk, the frequency of bowel movements decreases to one or two times over three to seven days.

This is due to the complete absorption of the beneficial substances of breast milk in the infant’s gastrointestinal tract. It is necessary to strictly monitor meconium in the stool: if its presence in the stool is observed on the fifth day, you need to consult a doctor. Artificial feeding can affect the structure of stool.

Second week of life – 28 days

The baby's stool takes on a light brown, mustard color. The consistency of the mass is mushy. Green, liquid stool in a baby or constipation indicate the occurrence of abnormalities.

First months

At the stage of feeding the baby with breast milk, the stool is normally mature. The waste products of a baby can be light brown, grayish and even green. The feces of a month-old baby on breastfeeding should be of medium density: neither liquid nor solid.

At 3 years of age, the presence of food inclusions in the stool is allowed, and the color directly depends on the food the child eats.

Causes of green stool in infants

Green stool in a baby is not always a cause for concern. Let us highlight the main factors that can cause “herbal” feces to appear in an infant in the first months of his life.

Causes of green stool

Sources of unnatural stool color in a baby:

• composition of mother's breast milk;
• use of complementary foods;
• deviation of the baby’s immunity;
• age-related changes.

When breastfeeding

The reasons for the appearance of greenish stool in a child during breastfeeding can be:

• mother’s food range: if the diet is rich in green vegetables and herbs;
• intoxication of the nurse's body due to poisoning;
• exposure to medications: for example, taking antibacterial agents;
• lack of nutrition: limited amount of breast milk, early refusal of breastfeeding. The feces become liquid and foamy, and the baby’s weight drops.

With artificial and mixed feeding

A green tint to the stool of a mixed-fed baby occurs depending on the composition of complementary foods:

• artificial mixture is enriched with iron;
• food causes an imbalance in the child’s body, manifesting itself;
• incorrectly selected or incorrectly prepared food;
• dysbacteriosis, immune system failure: complex components of complementary foods complicate the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

General sources

The basic factors for the manifestation of green stool in infants are:

• chemical oxidation processes under the influence of oxygen;
• inflammatory foci in the infant’s gastrointestinal tract due to difficult childbirth;
• natural removal of bilirubin (bile pigment) from the body;
• additional nutrition with a mixture with a high concentration of sugars and iron;
• lactose intolerance, bacterial imbalance;
• the impact of diseases, poor functioning of the endocrine system, malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.

Dysbacteriosis

When the balance of vital bacteria is disturbed, the natural functioning of the intestines is disrupted in the baby’s body. The condition is characterized by an increase in body temperature, disruption of the process of excretion of feces, and psycho-emotional disorders.

If the course of the disease is favorable, the baby’s immunity copes with it on its own. If the disorder lasts, you will need to take foods enriched with bacteria.

Lactase deficiency

The condition is expressed by difficulty in processing milk sugar due to a small amount of lactase and, as a consequence, the development of dysbacteriosis. The stool is liquid, greenish-yellow with a pungent odor and foamy consistency.

The deviation goes away on its own after nine months of the baby’s life, less often up to a year. Sometimes there is a hereditary disorder. To restore the baby’s stool, it is recommended to adjust the diet of the mother producing breastfeeding, as well as the use of therapy to replenish lactase in a child aged 2 years.

By month

The stages of development of the baby’s body directly affect the appearance of green color in the stool:

• 1 month: green stool in a newborn is the norm, a consequence of the gastrointestinal tract adapting to nutrition, if the process is not accompanied by third-party symptoms;
• 2 month: dysbacteriosis is possible due to the unstable state of the intestines of a two-month-old baby;
• 3 month: due to slow development, green stool in a 3 month old baby may be an indicator of normality;
• 4 months: a common cause of green stool is untimely complementary feeding;
• 5th month: the color of the stool in a five-month-old baby depends on the administration of additional nutrition;
• 6-7 months: the baby eliminates discomfort from emerging teeth by biting foreign objects, so green stool in the child will become an indicator of disorder or infection;
• 8-10 months: bilirubin no longer affects the color of stool, discharge depends on the composition of complementary foods;
• 11-12 months: Green stool in a 1 year old baby is an indicator of food intake or an allergic reaction.

Green stool as one of the symptoms of the disease

Parents should take immediate action if their child's green stool is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• decreased mobility, drowsiness, moodiness;
• loss of appetite;
• foamy consistency of stool in infants,
• a sharp putrid odor of feces in a one-year-old child, green foam bowel movements;
• Green, liquid stool is passed out very often in infants;
• entry of blood as a cause of damage to the gastrointestinal tract;
• incessant diarrhea in a one and a half year old child;
• vomiting, frequent;
• the child has green, loose stools with large quantities of mucus;
• flatulence, colic;
• skin rashes.

What does the shade and consistency of green stool tell us?

Based on the degree of color saturation and density of green feces, one can judge the reasons for the changes:

• deep green: normal; depends on the food range; dark green, loose stools in infants may be a consequence of lactase deficiency;
• light green, yellow-green: normal indicator; impaired lactation or lack of breast milk with hind fatty milk;
• black-green: typical only for newborns, in other cases it is a malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, a nutritional error;
• deep green: lack of hindmilk, food pigmentation;
• green foam: lactase deficiency, low fat content of milk during breastfeeding;
• mushy: normal indicator;
• green stool with mucus, watery, liquid, too hard stool: deviation of the gastrointestinal tract, development of the disease.

The reason for panic among parents should be the general deterioration of the baby’s condition.

What to do if you have green stools?

If your stool appears green, the following actions are recommended:

1. Provide the right thing, let him get enough and complete the GW on his own.
2. Make breastfeeding regular, depending on the body's needs.
3. Control your diet during breastfeeding, avoid artificial additives and exotic foods.
4. Treat the baby's intestinal dysfunction under the supervision of a doctor.
5. Don't worry if your stools turn green after taking Smecta.
6. Thoroughly study the composition of artificial complementary foods, ensure optimal selection for the baby’s body (for example, use NAN mixtures).
7. Green stools without accompanying warning signs are normal and do not require intervention.
8. Use of additional nutrition in due time.
9. Dr. Komarovsky can give an online consultation on his website.
10. The frequency of green stools in combination with alarming symptoms is a necessity for seeking medical help.

Green stool in a newborn while breastfeeding is not always a deviation. If your child is developing normally, cheerful and active, there is no need to worry once again about why the child has green stool and tirelessly torment the child with visits to the doctor.

Control your diet during breastfeeding, provide your children with proper care, monitor their behavior, and then there will be much less cause for alarm.

The green color of an infant's stool does not always indicate that something is wrong with him - such stool in most cases is a variant of the norm. The fact is that 3-4 days after the baby is born, its digestive system undergoes changes as it adapts to a new type of diet. The newborn period is considered transitional; green feces at this time are quite common. If other symptoms are added to it, then there may be cause for concern.

Effect of food type on stool

The type of feeding a child directly determines the color of his stool:

Although introducing complementary foods is necessary for the body, it is also stressful. The infant’s gastrointestinal tract may respond to such an innovation by changing the color of stool and disturbances in the functioning of the stomach and intestines.

In addition to the above reasons, poop can become green due to interaction with oxygen. The feces left on the diaper quickly oxidize and acquire this color. In addition, parents should remember that green stool in a child who is 1-3 months old is a physiological norm.

Enzyme deficiency

The reason for the appearance of liquid green stool in a baby may well be a deficiency of enzymes, which significantly affect the functioning of the digestive system (we recommend reading:). First of all, this concerns a lack of lactase, a special enzyme that promotes the breakdown of carbohydrates that make up breast milk (lactose). When a newborn receives only foremilk while breastfeeding, the lactose content in his body increases. As a result, the child experiences intestinal colic and bloating, the stool becomes greenish in color and becomes liquid.

Artificial babies can also suffer from lactase deficiency. In this situation, pediatricians usually advise switching them to another type of formula that has a lower lactose content.

If lactase deficiency is suspected, the attending physician should order a stool test for lactose content. After confirming the diagnosis, the baby is prescribed enzymes. Typically, this treatment does not last long, since its goal is to help the digestive system a little, and not to do all the work for it. In addition, the child may develop an addiction to artificial enzymes. It must be borne in mind that when taking such drugs, allergies often occur, as well as diarrhea or constipation.

Parents should be concerned if the baby has green, loose stools for 2 or more days in a row and has become more frequent (see also:). Another alarming symptom is the child’s restless behavior. All these signs are deviations from the norm and may indicate the presence of diarrhea. It can be called:

• intestinal infection– its causative agents are bacteria, microbes, fungi, viruses; in acute forms of the disease, vomiting, colic, lethargy and lack of appetite are observed, and the temperature may rise;
• dysbacteriosis is a very common diagnosis nowadays (observed in almost half of infants), its main symptoms, in addition to green stools, are bloating, colic (we recommend reading: ), redness of the area near the anus, skin rashes, probiotics are prescribed for treatment (drugs, which contain beneficial lactic bacteria and yeast);
• viral infection– even a common cold can cause diarrhea in a baby, since its immunity is still weak and is just developing (it largely depends on the state of the intestinal microflora): children who receive breast milk for up to 6 months are protected in this regard by the antibodies it contains, and babies - artificials do not have such protection, no matter how good and high-quality mixtures they receive;
• allergies - it can become a reaction of the body to the mother’s diet, switching to another formula, taking certain medications, especially antibiotics. In most cases, it is impossible to exclude this influence, since doctors often prescribe such drugs to infants.

All these phenomena can occur both in infants and in older children - from 1 year to 2-3 years.

Why is diarrhea dangerous? In this case, a small child may become dehydrated quite quickly. If a baby suffers from loose stools for a long time, it is necessary to take measures to replenish the supply of fluid in his body. The easiest way is for a newborn to feed on mother's milk, since it contains bacteria that suppress pathogenic microflora.

If severe dehydration occurs, doctors prescribe electrolytic solutions that help maintain fluid balance. There is no need to ignore such auxiliary medications - they play a very important role in treatment.

Should you see a doctor?

There are very restless mothers who always worry about changes in the color and consistency of their baby’s stool, and sometimes completely in vain. In order to exclude the presence of the disease in the baby, you can undergo tests - culture of intestinal microflora and bacteriological examination of feces. They are prescribed only by a doctor and are carried out in any children's clinic. If the results are within normal limits, there is no reason to worry about the appearance of green poop; otherwise, the doctor will definitely prescribe treatment. An alarming symptom is the presence of blood, mucus, or foam in the stool. When these phenomena occur in conjunction with the baby’s poor health and anxiety, he should be immediately shown to doctors.

Parents need to learn that when green stool appears, there is no need to immediately panic and think that something has happened to the baby. To determine the baby’s health status, first of all, you should focus on his general well-being, mood and behavior, and the color of the feces is a secondary sign. The well-known doctor in our country, Evgeniy Komarovsky, and other specialists speak about this.

The development and formation of a baby does not end in the womb. After birth, adaptation to external factors occurs, getting used to a new diet. An alarming moment for young mothers is the unusual green color of the baby's stool. Let’s take a closer look at what factors can influence the appearance of this color of discharge, whether it poses a danger to the life and health of the baby, and we’ll also tell you what parents should do in this situation.

What should a normal stool look like?

At different stages of development, the baby's stool changes from a liquid unnatural color to a fraction characteristic of each person. Parents must be sure to monitor the frequency, consistency, color and presence of odor in the child’s discharge.

First three days of life

During this period of a little person’s life, the accumulation of remnants of amniotic fluid that entered the body at birth, intestinal epithelial cells, bile, mucus, etc. occurs in his intestines. Such feces are called original feces or meconium.

The discharge has a black, dark red or olive tone, a resinous structure and is odorless. Green stool in a newborn is not due to the bacterial nature of its formation. The appearance of discharge is the first sign of normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

During the first two to three days, a breastfed baby’s body completely absorbs the mother’s colostrum, so feces are not formed.

Fourth – sixth days

The baby's intestinal system is developing due to changes in the composition of the nursing mother's milk and the formation of bacteria in the digestive tract.

The process occurs in two stages:

• Transitional feces

The baby's stool has the appearance of a paste, thick sour cream, the color is predominantly yellowish, with rare splashes of green (residual effects of meconium). The presence of a white mass and small amounts of stool with mucus in an infant is not a deviation. Changes in the appearance of feces occur under the influence of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

The discharge becomes dark green in color with a transitional gray tint, and has a porridge-like consistency. Initially, the frequency of bowel movements is about ten times a day, and as you get used to breast milk, the frequency of bowel movements decreases to one or two times over three to seven days.

This is due to the complete absorption of the beneficial substances of breast milk in the infant’s gastrointestinal tract. It is necessary to strictly monitor meconium in the stool: if its presence in the stool is observed on the fifth day, you need to consult a doctor. Artificial feeding can affect the structure of stool.

Second week of life – 28 days

The baby's stool takes on a light brown, mustard color. The consistency of the mass is mushy. Green, liquid stool in a baby or constipation indicate the occurrence of abnormalities.

First months

At the stage of feeding the baby with breast milk, the stool is normally mature. The waste products of a baby can be light brown, grayish and even green. The feces of a month-old baby on breastfeeding should be of medium density: neither liquid nor solid.

At 3 years of age, the presence of food inclusions in the stool is allowed, and the color directly depends on the food the child eats.

Causes of green stool in infants

Green stool in a baby is not always a cause for concern. Let us highlight the main factors that can cause “herbal” feces to appear in an infant in the first months of his life.

Causes of green stool

Sources of unnatural stool color in a baby:

• composition of mother's breast milk;
• use of complementary foods;
• deviation of the baby’s immunity;
• age-related changes.

When breastfeeding

The reasons for the appearance of greenish stool in a child during breastfeeding can be:

• mother’s food range: if the diet is rich in green vegetables and herbs;
• intoxication of the nurse's body due to poisoning;
• exposure to medications: for example, taking antibacterial agents;
• lack of nutrition: limited amount of breast milk, early refusal of breastfeeding. The feces become liquid and foamy, and the baby’s weight drops.

With artificial and mixed feeding

A green tint to the stool of a mixed-fed baby occurs depending on the composition of complementary foods:

• artificial mixture is enriched with iron;
• food causes an imbalance in the child’s body, allergic reactions occur;
• incorrectly selected or incorrectly prepared food;
• dysbacteriosis, immune system failure: complex components of complementary foods complicate the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

General sources

The basic factors for the manifestation of green stool in infants are:

• chemical oxidation processes under the influence of oxygen;
• inflammatory foci in the infant’s gastrointestinal tract due to difficult childbirth;
• natural removal of bilirubin (bile pigment) from the body;
• additional nutrition with a mixture with a high concentration of sugars and iron;
• lactose intolerance, bacterial imbalance;
• the impact of diseases, poor functioning of the endocrine system, malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.

Dysbacteriosis

When the balance of vital bacteria is disturbed, the natural functioning of the intestines is disrupted in the baby’s body. The condition is characterized by an increase in body temperature, disruption of the process of excretion of feces, and psycho-emotional disorders.

If the course of the disease is favorable, the baby’s immunity copes with it on its own. If the disorder lasts, you will need to take foods enriched with bacteria.

Lactase deficiency

The condition is expressed by difficulty in processing milk sugar due to a small amount of lactase and, as a consequence, the development of dysbacteriosis. The stool is liquid, greenish-yellow with a pungent odor and foamy consistency.

The deviation goes away on its own after nine months of the baby’s life, less often up to a year. Sometimes there is a hereditary disorder. To restore the baby’s stool, it is recommended to adjust the diet of the mother producing breastfeeding, as well as the use of therapy to replenish lactase in a child aged 2 years.

By month

The stages of development of the baby’s body directly affect the appearance of green color in the stool:

• 1 month: green stool in a newborn is the norm, a consequence of the gastrointestinal tract adapting to nutrition, if the process is not accompanied by third-party symptoms;
• 2 month: dysbacteriosis is possible due to the unstable state of the intestines of a two-month-old baby;
• 3 month: due to slow development, green stool in a 3 month old baby may be an indicator of normality;
• 4 months: a common cause of green stool is untimely complementary feeding;
• 5th month: the color of the stool in a five-month-old baby depends on the administration of additional nutrition;
• 6-7 months: the baby eliminates discomfort from emerging teeth by biting foreign objects, so green stool in the child will become an indicator of disorder or infection;
• 8-10 months: bilirubin no longer affects the color of stool, discharge depends on the composition of complementary foods;
• 11-12 months: Green stool in a 1 year old baby is an indicator of food intake or an allergic reaction.

Green stool as one of the symptoms of the disease

Parents should take immediate action if their child's green stool is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• decreased mobility, drowsiness, moodiness;
• loss of appetite;
• foamy consistency of stool in infants,
• a sharp putrid odor of feces in a one-year-old child, green foam bowel movements;
• Green, liquid stool is passed out very often in infants;
• entry of blood as a cause of damage to the gastrointestinal tract;
• incessant diarrhea in a one and a half year old child;
• vomiting, frequent regurgitation of food;
• the child has green, loose stools with large quantities of mucus;
• flatulence, colic;
• skin rashes.

What does the shade and consistency of green stool tell us?

Based on the degree of color saturation and density of green feces, one can judge the reasons for the changes:

• deep green: normal; depends on the food range; dark green, loose stools in infants may be a consequence of lactase deficiency;
• light green, yellow-green: normal indicator; impaired lactation or lack of breast milk with hind fatty milk;
• black-green: typical only for newborns, in other cases it is a malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, a nutritional error;
• deep green: lack of hindmilk, food pigmentation;
• green foam: lactase deficiency, low fat content of milk during breastfeeding;
• mushy: normal indicator;
• green stool with mucus, watery, liquid, too hard stool: deviation of the gastrointestinal tract, development of the disease.

The reason for panic among parents should be the general deterioration of the baby’s condition.

What to do if you have green stools?

If your stool appears green, the following actions are recommended:

1. Ensure that the baby is properly attached to the breast, allow him to get enough and complete breastfeeding on his own.
2. Make breastfeeding regular, depending on the body's needs.
3. Control your diet during breastfeeding, avoid artificial additives and exotic foods.
4. Treat the baby's intestinal dysfunction under the supervision of a doctor.
5. Don't worry if your stools turn green after taking Smecta.
6. Thoroughly study the composition of artificial complementary foods, ensure optimal selection for the baby’s body (for example, use NAN mixtures).
7. Green stools without accompanying warning signs are normal and do not require intervention.
8. Use of additional nutrition in due time.
9. Dr. Komarovsky can give an online consultation on his website.
10. The frequency of green stools in combination with alarming symptoms is a necessity for seeking medical help.

Green stool in a newborn while breastfeeding is not always a deviation. If your child is developing normally, cheerful and active, there is no need to worry once again about why the child has green stool and tirelessly torment the child with visits to the doctor.

Control your diet during breastfeeding, provide your children with proper care, monitor their behavior, and then there will be much less cause for alarm.

A baby is born with an unformed body, which improves as it grows. Underdevelopment also affects the gastrointestinal tract. The child learns to produce the necessary bacteria and secretions and gets used to new food. Feces change over time. Often parents are concerned about green stool in a newborn or infant. Why is this happening and what to do? To begin with, it’s worth understanding the norm of discharge.

Fecal masses in a newborn differ in different periods:

• from 0 to 3 days. Even in the womb, poop accumulates in the intestines of the fetus, consisting of cells of the intestinal mucous tissue, swallowed amniotic fluid, epithelium and other things. The so-called original feces, or meconium, are quite thick, like tar, dark olive in color, and odorless. Sometimes emptying occurs during childbirth due to hypoxia. When breastfeeding (BF), there is no other feces, because colostrum is absorbed almost completely;
• with breastfeeding after the arrival of milk from the mother (after 3 - 5 days). The formation of a child’s stool goes through two stages.

1. Transitional feces. The consistency resembles a yellow-green porridge with a sour smell.
2. Mature feces. The consistency is homogeneous, similar to porridge or thin sour cream, and the smell resembles sour milk. Evacuation occurs up to 10 times a day, gradually becoming less frequent. Sometimes milk is absorbed almost completely, so emptying occurs every 4 to 7 days. This is normal if the baby is less than one and a half months old and there are no alarming symptoms (bloating, moodiness, underweight, refusal to eat);

• with artificial or mixed feeding. The stool looks like mature stool, may have a mild putrefactive odor, be thicker, and dark green or brown in color.

In infants (from 28 days to one year)

Before the introduction of complementary foods (4 - 6 months), the baby's stool is mature. New foods have different effects on a child's stool. The smell changes, becoming more unpleasant. Color and consistency depend on the foods the baby eats. Constipation and diarrhea appear more often. In this case, it does not matter what kind of feeding the baby is on.

If the baby feels well and there are no alarming signs, green feces are normal.

Causes of green stool

There are different sources of green stool:

• Some depend on the type of feeding of the child;
• others are common despite the type of feeding;
• others are characteristic of a certain age of the child.

When breastfeeding

With hepatitis B, green stool is observed due to:

• mother’s nutrition and hormonal levels. If a woman consumes a large amount of green vegetables and plants (broccoli, cucumbers, zucchini, dill, parsley), the composition of the milk changes, which affects the color of the baby’s stool. Food poisoning from the mother is unfavorable for the baby;
• medicines. Taking antibiotics negatively affects the intestinal microflora. Iron-containing preparations color the baby's stool green. Substances enter the intestines directly if medications are given to the baby, or through mother’s milk;
• underfeeding A woman takes her baby off the breast too early when feeding, so the baby receives only colostrum and low-fat foremilk. At the same time, the stool is foamy, with mucus. The baby asks to eat often, 1 - 1.5 hours after feeding, does not sleep after eating, weight decreases.

With artificial and mixed feeding

The sources of green stool during artificial or mixed feeding are:

• a formula that replaces mother's milk with a high iron content;
• inappropriate mixture;
• dysbacteriosis and decreased immunity. Special formulas are not full-fledged milk substitutes, so such children often suffer from problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Doctors recommend giving your child probiotics and prebiotics to normalize the functioning of the digestive system.

General sources

Common reasons for the appearance of green stool, which do not depend on the type of feeding of the baby, are as follows:

• substances included in feces interact with oxygen and become green, that is, they oxidize;
• bilirubin. This bile pigment is formed as a result of the breakdown of proteins and is excreted, including in feces, coloring it green. Is the norm for children up to 6 - 8 months;
• inflammation of the intestinal mucous membranes. When the fetus experiences hypoxia, the structure of organs, including the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract, is disrupted. Subsequently, a long period is required for recovery and normalization of work;
• complementary foods with high iron content or excess sugar. In the second case, the feces are unevenly colored, with green impurities;
• dysbacteriosis or lactase deficiency;
• diseases (rotavirus, worms, helminths, enterocolitis), abnormalities of the structures of the digestive or endocrine system (congenital and acquired), allergens.

Note to moms. All children are susceptible to various kinds of diseases, but what to do if a child has intestinal obstruction? Read the article on our project and follow the advice of experts and be sure to consult a doctor, as our advice is for informational purposes only.

Be careful, if a child catches an infection, he may develop intestinal disorder, a disease that most often occurs in the summer.

Before the age of 5 years, a child is at risk of developing such an unpleasant disease as encopresis (fecal incontinence), the child ceases to control the movement of feces, and uncontrolled acts of defecation occur.

Dysbacteriosis

Dysbiosis is not a disease, but a disorder that occurs due to an imbalance of bacteria in the intestines. It is accompanied by fever, disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (diarrhea, constipation), bloating, weakness, sometimes vomiting, anxiety due to cramps even during sleep, decreased appetite, mucus and foam in the stool. The body copes with this condition on its own. In severe cases, probiotics and prebiotics are prescribed.

Lactase deficiency

Lactase deficiency is manifested by loose stools that are greenish or yellow in color, have a foamy consistency and a sharp sour odor. A characteristic watery spot appears on the diaper around the feces. The cause of the disease is problems with the digestion of lactose due to its excess or lack of the lactase enzyme, which processes it. Dysbacteriosis develops.

Often lactase deficiency goes away on its own by 9-12 months. A hereditary form of the disorder is less common. Then the diagnosis will remain for the rest of your life. If lactase deficiency is suspected, the diet of a nursing woman is changed: fresh milk is excluded, and the consumption of fermented milk is reduced. In difficult cases, lactase replacement therapy is prescribed.

By month

The appearance of green feces depends on what happens to the baby at different periods:

• 1 month. In the vast majority of cases, green stool in a one-month-old baby is normal, provided there are no other symptoms. The digestive system adapts;
• 2 month. Dysbacteriosis often occurs in two-month-old infants. The gastrointestinal tract adapts to the new environment and is still learning to produce bacteria in the right quantities;
• 3 month. In a three-month-old baby, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract should return to normal. However, for some children the adaptation period continues, which is a variant of the norm;
• 4 month. Changes in the color of stool are most often associated with the premature introduction of complementary foods;
• 5 month. The introduction of complementary foods begins at the end of the fifth - beginning of the sixth month, so changes in the color of stool are associated with adaptation to new food;
• 6 - 7 month. When teething, the baby gnaws on various objects, on the surface of which there are microbes that disrupt the functioning of the intestines;
• 8 - 10 month. The period when almost all bilirubin is processed by the intestines into stercobilin, so the reason for the green color lies not in this pigment, but, most likely, in complementary foods;
• 11 - 12 month. By the end of the 11th month, the stool takes on the color of what the child ate (parsley, dill, spinach, etc.). Allergic reactions often occur.

Green stool as one of the symptoms of the disease

If green stool is caused by a disease, accompanying symptoms appear:

• lethargy, moodiness, sleep disturbances;
• refusal to eat;
• increased body temperature;
• a very unpleasant putrid smell of stool with foam or a change in color to black-green - a consequence of infections, inflammation or lack of nutrients;
• frequent diarrhea (more than 12 bowel movements per day) or constipation;
• impurities in feces - mucus, blood. Most often they occur as a result of damage to the intestinal mucosa;
• pulling the legs towards the stomach;
• vomiting or frequent regurgitation (why does a newborn spit up?);
• rash;
• bloating (flatulence in infants).

If symptoms of a digestive system disorder appear in a baby, be sure to consult a doctor!

By shade and consistency

in the photo - green liquid feces of a baby on breastfeeding.

The color and consistency of a baby's stool may indicate the condition of the gastrointestinal tract and the cause of changes:

• dark green is normal; reaction to food; lack of hindmilk; switching to a new mixture; infections, lactase deficiency;
• yellow-green - normal; lack of hindmilk;
• black-green - normal for newborns; diseases of the digestive system; lack of nutrition;
• bright green - lack of hindmilk; consumption of foods with dyes;
• foamy - lack of hindmilk or lactase deficiency;
• thick - in most cases the norm.

What to do if you find green stool

If green stool appears, do the following.

1. Check that your breastfeeding is correct. Make sure that the baby presses tightly to the nipple and does not swallow air. Let the baby get enough and release the breast on his own.
2. Make sure your baby is eating the right amount of food. If you suspect underfeeding, put your baby to the breast more often. Wait until the baby stops eating on his own. For irregularly shaped nipples, use special nipple shields. Maintain regularity in your diet.
3. Watch your own nutrition during breastfeeding. Avoid synthetic additives and products that can cause digestive system disorders and allergic reactions (sausages, smoked meats, canned food, juices and other foods with artificial additives). The amount of vegetables and fruits should not exceed other products.
4. Choose a suitable formula for your baby with IV.
5. Monitor your baby's well-being. With good health, normal development and the absence of alarming symptoms, the green color of stool is most likely an indicator of adaptation of the child’s gastrointestinal tract, that is, the norm.
6. Make sure to introduce complementary foods on time.
7. If you have any alarming symptoms, consult your doctor. There are many reasons why a child develops green poop. The hospital will conduct a general examination and ask you to undergo a series of tests (for example, blood and stool tests, check milk for the presence of harmful bacteria), based on the results of which treatment will be prescribed.

Do not take or give medications without your doctor's approval!

Rich green, yellow, or greenish stool in infants is most often normal. There is no need to do anything if the baby behaves calmly, eats well and develops. There are many reasons why stool turns green: from the body’s adaptation to new food to diseases and abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract. Monitor your child’s well-being and consult a doctor if alarming symptoms appear.

The texture, smell, and color of stool can indicate a person's health. Therefore, when the stool suddenly turns black, this is a reason to think about the reasons for this phenomenon. Perhaps this is due to ordinary and harmless things. For example, by eating certain foods.

But it happens that black stool in a child indicates serious illnesses that require emergency medical intervention. There are also a number of chronic diseases and conditions where blackened stool is a dangerous and very suspicious symptom.

The normal color of stool ranges from yellow-brown to dark brown, and varies slightly. It depends on eating habits and personal characteristics of the body. The final color is formed due to the presence in the stool structure of products processed by intestinal bile and undigested food particles that made up the diet of a particular person in the last few days.

Normal baby stool

A breastfed baby's stool is yellow or slightly green and has a soft texture. It can be quite liquid, with a consistency similar to porridge. There are many normal shades of baby stool. One of them is a greener tint, which means that mom ate something not entirely typical of her diet. When your baby has no other symptoms, there is no reason to worry.

As a rule, every parent knows what stool color is normal for their child. Therefore, when the stool becomes unusual, it is impossible not to notice.

Black stool in a newborn

The very first thick, black, sticky deposits in a baby's diaper are far from the feces that will come later. Your baby's first stool is called meconium.

Meconium fills the intestines of all newborns. It gets its distinct color from bile, a fluid produced in the liver that aids digestion. In addition to bile, meconium contains amniotic fluid, lanugo (the fine hair that covers your baby's body while inside the uterus), dead skin cells, mucus and bilirubin. Most of these ingredients are harmless, but too much bilirubin in the blood can lead to jaundice.

Meconium stool is quickly replaced by transitional stool 3 to 5 days after birth. This stool is a little weaker and more greenish-brown in color. It is a “transition” to regular milk stool, which can be seen around the sixth day.

If your baby's stool is still black even after three days, or after transitional stool after five days, it may be a sign that the baby is not getting enough food and you should talk to your pediatrician right away.

A one-year-old's stool that looks black, tarry, or bloody can be quite scary for parents, but does not always indicate a serious illness.

You don't have to worry about the occasional black stool. Black stool does not always mean there is blood in it. The color change can only be associated with the diet of a small child. Red beets, prunes, pomegranates, red grapes, black currants, blueberries and other fruits, berries, and vegetables can change the color of the stool. It is enough to stop eating these foods, and after a couple of days the feces will acquire a normal, familiar color.

Don't worry if you have normal-colored black inclusions in your stool—these are simply undigested food particles that have changed color in the digestive tract.

Black stool may suddenly appear in an infant after taking certain medications. For example, medications used to prevent and treat anemia include iron, which gives stool that color. Vitamin complexes, medications with bismuth, and activated carbon have the same effect.

If you find that your child has black stools after using any medications, you need to carefully read the instructions for them.

It should be noted that drugs containing acetylsalicylic acid, as well as some anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuprofen, Diclofenac) and anti-clotting agents, cannot stain the stool itself. However, their use sometimes causes internal bleeding.

Therefore, if you find black feces in a child, especially in the form, during treatment with these drugs, you should immediately seek medical help.

Bile

Sometimes the color of the stool is not black, but it appears so in poor lighting. This usually occurs when the baby has dark green stools due to bile and may look very dark. If this is the case, you can confirm your doubts by rubbing a piece of stool on something white or looking at it more closely under a bright light.

When a child experiences other symptoms along with blackened stools - pain, prolonged anguished crying, vomiting - this indicates bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Various reasons that can cause bleeding:

Every parent, when they notice black stool in their baby, begins to worry about what is causing these changes. Don't panic in advance.

Carefully study your child's diet over the past few days. If the food products mentioned above (beets, currants, pomegranates, etc.) were present, then more than likely they were the ones that colored the stool an unusual black color. Perhaps the reason is the use of certain medications (they were also mentioned earlier). In the case where the child has recently eaten regular foods and has not taken any medications, suddenly blackened stools are likely to indicate the occurrence of a life-threatening condition. And a visit to the doctor cannot be postponed.

Monitor the texture and color of your stool for several days. If the causes are harmless and not dangerous (for example, the use of certain foods and medications), then the stool returns to normal no more than 2 days after eliminating them. In cases where the feces have turned black due to serious illnesses, this will not happen.

Pay special attention to a child whose stool suddenly turns black. Does your baby look sick? How had he been feeling in the weeks and months prior to the blackening of his stools?

When the causes of blackening of the stool are harmless, the child’s well-being does not change, he feels healthy and full of energy. When the occurrence of black feces is accompanied by bloating, vomiting, nausea, anemia, heartburn, abdominal pain and other suspicious painful signals, the intensity of which increases over time, it is most likely that this is a serious disease or its complications.

Black stool in babies is not necessarily a sign of illness, but you should talk to your doctor if the problem persists. The color usually returns to normal after a few days, but if it doesn't, it's time to see a doctor.

The doctor will confirm whether there is indeed blood in the stool. The specialist will also examine the outside of the anus to determine the true cause of the bleeding. Sometimes a rectal examination is performed to confirm the diagnosis.

Black stool in babies is a concern for parents, but from time to time you may notice other changes in the consistency and color of the stool.

Red chair

This is usually blood, so it makes sense to talk to your doctor, especially when this change persists. The baby may have a small crack on the inside of the anus when hard stool passes through, sometimes causing bleeding. If this is the case, your doctor will recommend drinking more fluids, prunes, and fiber to soften your stool.

Red stool may be the result of taking antibiotics that combine with iron.

Certain foods and drinks, such as red juice, can cause stool to appear colored.

Green chair

Green stool is usually the result of stool moving too quickly through a baby's intestines. This is not a cause for concern, especially in infants. But the child must gain weight well.

Green stool can also be the result of eating a lot of fiber foods (broccoli or other green vegetables). In some cases, the green color is due to the use of dyes in the food or drinks that the child consumes.

Yellow chair

In addition to black stools, the child sometimes has yellow stools. Don't worry about yellow stool if you are breastfeeding. Sometimes it looks like mustard in the diaper after feeding.

But consult a specialist if yellow stools are accompanied by abdominal pain. This may be due to inflammation or irritation in the intestines.

White chair

While gray or chalky stools are usually not a sign of abnormality, they are often the result of the child eating something unusual. You should tell your pediatrician if this occurs repeatedly. Rarely it is associated with liver problems or another disease.

Thus, black stool in itself is not dangerous. But this is a possible signal of serious diseases in the body that threaten life if timely assistance is not provided. On the other hand, this is often explained by the banal consumption of certain foods that turn the stool an unusual color. In any case, do not be squeamish when studying the condition of your child’s stool. Nature is intelligent - it has provided a whole system of signs and signals that make a person wonder whether his body is in order.