Pediatrics

Green stool in the baby

introduction

Green stool in babies is a common phenomenon and can be caused by a variety of causes.

In most cases, green stool in the baby is a normal variation in the color of the stool. As long as the color of the stool normalizes in a short period of time and there are no other symptoms in the baby, there is usually no need to be concerned. Green stool in babies is usually a dark and slightly greenish discoloration of the stool; more rarely, the stool is light and changes from a yellowish to a green color.

Causes of Green Stool in Baby

Below is an overview of the causes of green stools in babies. These are then discussed in detail.

Physiological (normal)
- By breastfeeding
- With bottled milk
- When teething / salivating
- Newborn's first bowel movement
Associated with treatments
- Antibiotics
- Vaccinations
Pathological (morbid)
- Gastrointestinal infections
- Gastrointestinal diseases

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Defecation in the baby

Green stools in babies from breastfeeding

As a result of breastfeeding, the stool in babies usually takes on a fairly liquid to mushy consistency, the color of the stool is usually light yellow to light brown. However, many babies who are breastfed have yellowish to light green stools.

This green color of bowel movements can be perfectly normal for many babies. For example, the color of the baby's bowel movements also depends on what foods the nursing mother consumes. If it contains a lot of green dye, for example from a lot of green vegetables, this can turn the baby's bowel movements green.

More rarely, a green stool in a baby can be a sign that too little nutritious milk is being consumed. The most common reason for this is too short breastfeeding.

Green stools in babies with bottle milk

Babies who are not breastfed but rather fed with milk from the bottle usually have slightly firmer stools than breastfed babies. Even with a bottle-milk diet, the normal color of stools can vary from yellow-brown to brown-green, so green stools are usually not a cause for concern. Typically, the stool in babies with bottled milk smells a little stronger than in breastfed children.

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Feeding the baby

Green stool after vaccination

In infancy and childhood, babies are vaccinated against a wide variety of pathogens.

Because vaccination is a weakened form of the actual pathogen, it is perfectly normal for the child's immune system to respond to the vaccination. The most common are local reactions such as reddening of the injection site or an increase in fever. In addition, babies can also react to the vaccination through their digestive system. This can be shown, for example, by diarrhea with a slightly greenish discoloration.

Green stool after antibiotics

Antibiotics are drugs that work against bacteria in the body.

However, antibiotics do not only affect the bacteria that cause disease. Instead, they attack any bacteria that can be found in the body. Since the intestines in particular are full of bacteria that are needed for normal bowel function and digestion, antibiotics can change the color and consistency of the stool. In babies in particular, this so-called microbiome in the intestine is not yet fully developed, which is why it is particularly sensitive to antibiotic therapy.

In addition to green stools, babies can also experience diarrhea or particularly firm stools. Often the babies also have abdominal pain and are therefore tearful. The symptoms usually disappear a few days after stopping antibiotic therapy at the latest.

Green stool when teething

When the first teeth appear in the babies, this is usually a cause for joy for the parents.

However, teething is associated with more or less pronounced symptoms of the disease in many children. The children can be very restless and whining because of painful teething. It is not uncommon for them to react with mild symptoms of infection such as fever, a runny nose and gastrointestinal complaints, which can lead to greenish stools.

In addition, many children have to salivate or drool a lot when teething. The large amount of saliva that ends up in the digestive tract in addition to food makes digestion difficult, which often leads to green stools in the baby.

Diagnosing green stool in the baby

The diagnosis of green stool in babies begins with the most important step: the doctor-patient consultation. The doctor asks the parents about the typical symptoms and triggers of green bowel movements, so that many indications of possible causes of the symptoms can be uncovered.

This is followed by a physical examination, during which the abdomen in particular should be palpated. Inspecting the diaper area is also part of the physical exam. As well as testing for other symptoms of infection or teething. You should also pay attention to the baby's weight. If you suspect a pathological cause of the green stool, further diagnostic steps can be initiated, but this is usually not necessary.

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Symptoms of pathological green stool

Green stool in children is particularly suspicious if it occurs suddenly and no immediate cause can be found.

Some babies usually have green stools and no other symptoms of the disease. This suggests that green stools are perfectly normal in these children. However, if a green stool occurs at the same time as other symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting or fever, fatigue and restlessness in the baby, this is indicative of pathological discoloration of the stool.

Changes in the stool due to medication such as antibiotics, although the greenish color is not normal, is more an expected side effect than a pathological change. In contrast, greenish stool in combination with diarrhea, vomiting and loss of appetite is an indication of a gastrointestinal infection in the child.

If there are changes in bowel movements, it should always be clarified whether the affected baby is consuming enough food and fluids. This can best be controlled by weight. Green bowel movements in babies in connection with weight loss or stagnating weight tend to be pathological. If you continue to gain weight, you usually don't have to worry despite the discoloration.

Diarrhea with green stools

Diarrhea is characterized by the fact that both the consistency and the frequency of bowel movements have changed. In the case of diarrhea, stool is usually thinner, and there is a significant increase in stool.

Often the diarrhea is caused by a changed composition of the naturally occurring bacteria in the intestine. This can be caused by antibiotics as well as a gastrointestinal infection with viruses or bacteria. In addition to the increased stool frequency and the liquefaction of the stool, it often becomes slightly green.

Slimy diarrhea with green stools

Slimy diarrhea usually indicates that the food pulp has not been completely digested. This not only causes the slimy consistency of the diarrhea but usually also leads to a greenish discoloration.

The most common cause of such changes in bowel movements in babies is salivation. A lot of saliva gets into the digestive tract with food, which means that the intestinal bacteria are less able to break down the food pulp. In the end, the babies pass only half-digested stool, which also contains a large amount of saliva.

You can read about the causes behind a slimy bowel movement in babies under:
Slimy stool in babies - causes & therapy

When does green stool require treatment?

In rare cases, green stool can indicate a digestive tract or metabolic disorder, even in babies. For example, diseases of the liver, gallbladder and pancreas can lead to green stool, as the digestion, especially of the fats in the intestine, cannot completely proceed. Such a change in the stool requires treatment.

Food intolerances can also cause green stools. The green stool usually occurs in connection with the first fed mash. However, changes in the stool when you change your diet are not unusual and are usually not a reason for treatment.

However, if weight loss, abdominal pain, vomiting, etc. occur at the same time, the cause of the green stool should be clarified and treated if necessary. If the green stool occurs with diarrhea, treatment should also be given. Symptomatic therapy with sufficient fluid is usually sufficient; fluid also has to be administered via the vein more rarely, and it is sometimes necessary to treat the pathogens, for example with antibiotics.

Duration and prognosis of green stool in the baby

Green stools in babies can be perfectly normal, in this case there are fluctuations in the color and consistency of the stool, the color usually only changes when the food is changed.

If the stool is green due to illness, the color of the stool will usually return to normal as the disease heals. Only in rare cases does green stool indicate a serious illness with a long to chronic course and a worse prognosis.