The appearance of green stools in an infant worries many mothers. The stool of a baby who feeds on formula is different from that of a baby who eats breast milk: such stool is darker, thinner, thicker and more unpleasant smelling. In other words, it resembles an adult's chair.
If the baby has green stools
Breastfed babies often get the diaper dirty, and the stools are bright yellow, or slightly darker, with no foul odor. Stool consistency, uniform or not, may contain curdled grains. If you leave the diaper for a while, you can see that gradually its color changes to green. This is a variant of the norm and should not bother parents. The cause of the greenish tinge of feces can also be bilirubin, which is gradually excreted from the body in the feces.
Also, if the baby has green stools, it depends on the mother's diet. If mom eats green food - spinach, parsley and dill, broccoli - this can affect the color of the baby's stool. The same applies to the crumbs that are already receiving vegetables - after a good portion of broccoli for lunch, the baby goes into a greenish diaper.
If the baby has green, foamy stools, you need to tell the doctor about it... Such a chair is a sign that the baby is receiving only "front" milk. Such food is thinner and less fatty than milk, which the baby gradually sucks after 3-5 minutes at the breast. Such nutrition is dangerous because the baby does not have enough lactase (it is produced in the body of the baby in a relatively small amount), gases begin to torment him, and the contents of the diaper become green and frothy.
The mother of such a baby can be advised to establish proper breastfeeding: do not remove the breast too quickly. In addition, sometimes there are cases when the mother's breast produces a large amount of milk, the baby simply does not have time to get to the hind milk, which is more fatty, and is full. In this case, experts advise giving less breastfeeding changes. And, finally, in the event of lactase deficiency, which cannot be dealt with by the measures described above, the pediatrician prescribes special enzymes that must be diluted in breast milk and given at the beginning of feeding. Before that, the pediatrician will ask you to pass special tests. Thus, the appearance of green stools in an infant can be a sign of lactase deficiency.
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There is mucus in the child's stool
Having green, mucous stools in a nursing baby may become one of the signs of dysbiosis... If the baby has green mucus-filled stools, or if bloody fragments are found - this is an excuse to immediately dial the doctor's phone and consult... Read more about dysbiosis ...
Greens in the stool of a baby who feeds on a formula may appear from the fact that this mixture is not suitable for the child. It should be changed (of course, under the supervision of a pediatrician) and pay attention to the reaction of the child's body. Another possible cause of greens is iron, which is found in some mixtures.
So, the main thing is not the color of the stool, but the well-being of the baby. If an infant has green stools and at the same time he is active, cheerful, does not suffer from pain in the tummy - most likely, nothing terrible happens. If the child is lethargic, often cries, spits up a lot, sleep is disturbed, it is worth telling the health worker about this, since a green tint can mean a serious illness. The green color in the stool and foam is also a reason to check with the doctor if everything is in order.
On this topic:
- Diarrhea in an infant
- Constipation in infants
