Causes of green stool in newborns with breast or artificial feeding

It is believed that a human child is born prematurely, even though he is born at a time prescribed by nature. All organs and systems at the time of birth are still very imperfect and continue to develop after entering the big world. It is necessary to judge how correctly and in a timely manner development takes place according to all possible manifestations: behavior, mastery of skills, even discharge.

No matter how ridiculed the topic of interest of young mothers to the contents of the diaper, in reality, the baby’s vital products are a good indicator of his health. That is why their color, smell and texture are so carefully analyzed by adults.

Newborn stool: many options

In matters of health, we are used to focus on a certain norm. If we talk about the stool of a newborn baby, it is impossible to call any one option the norm. The baby “has the right” to any stool, and if the child does not show any signs of the disease at the same time, the mother may not panic.

So, for example, the first-born feces of the baby - meconium - are dark green in color, thick and viscous. Then, before the introduction of complementary foods, in infants feces are fluid and unformed. Artificial chair is usually more dense and uniform. Most mothers are concerned about the appearance of greenery, although in the vast majority of cases there is no reason for unrest.

In more detail, this issue is best considered separately for artisans and infants.

Green stool while breastfeeding

Most often, the stool of an infant that feeds exclusively on breast milk has a light brown color, a liquid consistency with small white specks of grains, and a sour smell. However, it is quite acceptable if the mother finds particles of mucus or streaks of blood in the diaper (due to a vascular burst in the intestine). Sometimes the stool of a newborn can be foamy or with a green tint. At the same time, greens can be for various reasons:

• If the baby was binging some time ago, the green color of the stool may be the result of an oxidation reaction in air.
• The green color of the infant stool is given by some foods that my mother could eat. Most often, vegetables were noticed in this: cucumbers, zucchini (see article vegetables for HS).
• Sometimes a green tint occurs due to the use of certain drugs. Iron in itself gives the feces a green color, intestinal microflora can be disturbed by antibiotics, and as a result, how it acquires a green color.
• Dysbacteriosis This condition is not a disease, its essence lies already in the name itself.Dysbacteriosis is an unbalanced composition of the intestinal flora. Bacteria, which ideally should be few, exceed the required amount. In children who are completely breastfed, dysbiosis can occur even from drinking, because boiled water, which is usually given to infants, already violates the natural balance in the intestines. In general, the imperfect composition of the intestinal flora is characteristic of infants, because their intestines are still in the process of formation. (See the detailed article on dysbiosis >>>)
• Green foamy stools are often mistaken for the manifestation of lactose deficiency. However, this diagnosis is quite rare. Most often, the point is the imbalance of the front and rear milk. We already know that since the front milk is more liquid and watery, and the back milk is more oily, thick and saturated with nutrients. If the mother changes the breast too often or takes the breast from the baby before he finishes sucking, the baby may not receive enough milk back, but the front milk will be abundant. In addition to the green foamy stool in this case, there is also poor weight gain.
• Due to the release of bilirubin.

Green stool in children on artificial feeding

Being on artificial feeding, the child can also “please” the parents with a green chair. Artists receive an adapted mixture as food, which, unlike breast milk, is always constant in composition. In this case, the matter is in the composition of the mixture: green stool is the result of high iron content.

1. Read about mixes and how to choose a mixture >>>
2. Read the article about baby stool with artificial feeding >>>

Is it worth the worry?

Green stool itself is not a problem, it is a variant of the norm.

Of course, it can be a symptom of the disease, but there must be other signs. Only one fact of the green stool can make no conclusions. It is best to focus on the child. It is clear that the baby will not be able to tell how he feels and whether it hurts somewhere, but babies have their own “warning systems”. If the child has a good appetite, sleeps, does not show anxiety, then everything is normal with him. If parents notice manifestations in the baby’s behavior that indicate malaise, which are present simultaneously with green stools, it makes sense to appear to the pediatrician.

The alarming signs in this case are:

• the appearance of a rash;
• frequent crying for no reason;
• frequent spitting up;
• restless sleep;
• an increase in the amount of mucus in the feces of the baby, the appearance of a putrefactive odor.

Green chair - parental actions

In some cases, the green stool of a newborn is a remedy.

1. If the stool has turned green after taking the medicine, then after they are canceled, the color of the bowel movements will be the same.
2. In the event that it comes under suspicion mom's menu, you can try to exclude foods that potentially provoke green stools.
3. If you suspect a lactose deficiency, you first need to establish breastfeeding. Breasts should be alternated every 2 hours, but not more often, and allow the baby to suckle as much as he wants.
4. For artisans, the main recommendation is to replace one mixture with another. Often, parents only experimentally come to find out which mixture suits their baby.

Read on: if the child has green stool with mucus >>>

On this topic:

• Diarrhea in a child
• Constipation in a child