Green stool in infants - pathology or normal? This is a common question. We will understand in this article.
When a child feces this color, you should not panic immediately. Such a phenomenon is not always considered pathological, but one must take into account the fact that such a signal may indicate a disease.
You need to pay attention not only to the color of the chair, but also its smell, texture and frequency, which also have a certain meaning. What are the reasons for green stool in babies?
When is this not considered a pathology?
Such a phenomenon in the vast majority of cases occurs due to natural processes that occur in the child’s body and do not negatively affect health.
Green stool in a baby that has just been born is a normal occurrence. It is connected with the fact that the body on the first day begins to get rid of amniotic fluid and epithelium - the so-called meconium (the baby swallows them while in the mother’s womb).
After three to five days, the changes become noticeable. It is normal to detect in the feces small inclusions of curdled undigested milk. Over time, the color of feces changes, it acquires a yellow-green color. By about one month, the feces become mustard in color. However, in some cases there are deviations.
For example, green stools in infants with breast-feeding mixed with mucus testify to the fact that the gastrointestinal tract is still not completely able to cope with the production of enzymes that are involved in the digestive process. In addition, bilirubin, that is, a substance that gives a dark green color to excrement, is also excreted simultaneously with the stool.
Nutrition role
A significant effect on the shade of feces is also provided by the baby's nutrition. The milk of a woman contains hormones that can affect the color of feces. In addition to this, it is necessary to take into account the nutritional features of the mother, because everything that enters her body penetrates into milk.
It is very important to know that a baby on artificial feeding can have a reaction to the mixture he uses, which is especially characteristic of food, which contains a lot of iron. This phenomenon from five months may be the result of complementary foods. In addition, each parent needs to remember that due to teething of the first teeth, green stool is able to appear in the baby. What is the norm, it is better to check with your doctor.
In what cases is this symptom a pathology?
When do parents need to worry? The main thing in this situation is to monitor the health of the baby. If he became moody, cries a lot, refuses to eat, then these are the first symptoms of his unsatisfactory condition. If there is an increase in temperature, then you need to go to the pediatrician as soon as possible.
What should worry parents?
The following symptoms should disturb parents.
- Green stools in infants are liquid, and they often defecate. This factor indicates a lack of nutrients in the child. In addition, the cause may be an infection, especially when accompanied by a condition with fever. So, often bowel movements stimulate colostrum, however, its composition is almost absent from fats and nutrients.
- Feces are distinguished by a pronounced green tint, it smells unpleasant and foams. Bad smell can indicate the occurrence of an inflammatory process.
- Feces are black and green, characterized by a putrefactive aroma. You need to contact a specialist, because such a chair can talk about suppuration.
- In the feces of the child there is mucus, its general condition is greatly deteriorating. Most likely, there are digestive problems or the intestinal membrane is damaged.
- In the feces there are bloody inclusions. Such a signal mainly indicates digestive defects, often found in children with constipation. You must also consult a specialist.
Troubling signs
The following alarming signs should be taken into account without fail:
- drowsiness, weakness, and lethargy;
- the appearance of stool with mucus, while the baby rises in temperature;
- the child constantly tightens his legs, which indicates pain in the tummy;
- frequent crying;
- weight loss and lack of appetite;
- vomiting or nausea;
- bloating and colic;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- the appearance of a rash on the skin;
- bad breath.
It is very important to consider that in a child who is only three months old, such symptoms can become an indicator of digestive system defects. In a one-year-old baby, such symptoms can be a consequence of infectious diseases.
Why does the chair turn green?
The main and most common cause of green stool in infants is nutrition. The thing is that the children's body is not able to function at full strength, since it needs adaptation. Green stool with interspersed mucus suggests that there are problems with the digestion of foods. The reason also becomes an incorrectly selected mixture. The mother should be careful, because in this condition a rash and irritation appear on the skin and medical consultation is required.
Young children are also susceptible to such a pathology as dysbiosis. The infant body has not fully formed its microflora, and therefore pathogens can colonize the intestines. With artificial feeding, green stool in a nursing infant will return to normal after balance is restored.
You need to know that dysbiosis is characteristic not only for newborns. Pathology can occur in a baby both at three years of age and at five. In addition, it is also found in adults. It has such a threat as dehydration of the whole organism. That is why, with signs of dysbiosis, medical consultation is required.
Possible diseases
In the case when the mother noted green stools in the breast-fed infant for several days, moods, general deterioration of health and refusal to eat, it can be judged that there is a certain problem.
What is this happening for? What are the reasons?
- Infection. Various viruses, bacteria, and germs can cause intestinal infections. As a rule, in the acute form, the child's temperature rises, vomiting appears, the baby is naughty, nervous, lethargy is characteristic.
- Dysbacteriosis The baby in this case often defecates, while there is irritation near the anus, rash, colic and bloating. This is all due to a violation of the intestinal microflora, in connection with which there is an attack by pathogens. It is necessary to consult a doctor who will prescribe probiotics - special products containing beneficial bacteria. This will help get rid of the yellow-green stool in the baby.
- Viruses. Due to the fact that young children have poorly developed immunity, their body is attacked by viruses. In infants who are breast-fed, such pathologies occur in rare cases - this is due to the content of special antibodies in breast milk. There is no such protection in artificial mixtures, so it is likely that the child may begin diarrhea.
- Allergic reactions. A child's body can respond to a mixture change, nutrition, maternal diet and pharmacological preparations. When treating with the use of antibiotics, the baby's body often gives a response in the form of diarrhea, which is not surprising, because even in adults often there is a similar reaction to medications.
Let us consider in more detail the causes of green stool in infants.
What factors affect baby stool?
The following factors affect the baby's stool:
- insufficient content of enzymes - the digestive system is not yet fully formed, which means that it is not able to produce them in the right amount;
- one of the reasons is the mother’s diet, which is chosen incorrectly, and in this case, a review of their own diet is required;
- if complementary foods are introduced or the mother’s nutrition changes, the child has greenish feces;
- the color of the stool and its consistency undergo changes if the child experiences a lack of nutrients when he eats only front milk;
- the beginning of teething in the baby;
- in some situations, the cause may be a reaction of an allergic nature - the child’s body does not fit the mixture in its composition.
- the baby's teeth began to be cut;
- in some cases, the cause may be an allergic reaction - the body does not perceive the mixture, that is, its composition is not suitable for the child.
The causes and treatment of green stool in infants are often interrelated.
Actions of parents with this pathology in a child
If changes in feces occurred after treatment with drugs, then everything will be restored after cancellation.
If the mother does not follow the diet, problems with the gastrointestinal tract may occur in the infant, the exclusion of products that affect the feces is required.
With IV, you need to be careful about the choice of mixture. It is best to purchase a mixture that contains a little iron.
When the baby's feces color is a concern, it is best to consult a competent pediatrician.
So, we examined the causes of green stool in newborns.