What does green stool mean in children?

The stool, its color, consistency and smell define what the child consumes. So it is natural that the color of the stool can change based on what the child eats. For example, during the first days after birth , black stool is typical for children. It is referred to as the so-called smolka. The reason for black stool in newborns is that a mixture of bile dyes and mineral substances is excreted. It is a sign that the microflora in the stomach is starting to work. Later, the stool changes to a typical light yellow color, the consistency is thin and the smell has an acidic character. The color is typical for the consumption of breast milk. What does green stool mean in children ? Is green stool in children a symptom of illness?

Green stool in children can have several causes. It is falsely referred to as a hungry stool, which scares mothers and they exchange their breast milk for artificial baby substitutes. Hungry stool means that the mother's milk is not properly nutritious, therefore the color of the stool is green. However, the color of stool is actually influenced by other factors.

A common reason for green stool is that the child consumes only the so-called front milk. It contains a larger amount of milk sugar. During digestion, the milk ferments in the intestines and the stool can have a green color. For example, mothers often switch the baby from one breast to the other while breastfeeding, and the baby again consumes the front milk and does not get to the back. Green stool is very common in children who consume hypoallergenic formula. However, this is completely normal in this case. The green color of the stool can also be caused by artificial milk containing iron.

It can also simply be an oxidation process. The typical color of infant stool is light yellow. If the stool is in the diaper for a longer time, it oxidizes and changes its shade to green. Green stool also appears in children who have neonatal jaundice. Later, green stools can be caused by overfeeding with certain foods , such as peas or spinach. These foods contain a greater amount of iron, and that's when the stool tends to turn green. Red stool in children is, for example, after eating beets. Yellow stool can be in a child after eating carrots or sweet potatoes.

In children over 3 years of age, the stool should be formed more often. The frequency should be around 2-3 times a day. However, that is individual. The color should be brown, but again it depends on the amount of fiber and food that the child consumes. Green stool in older children is also typical depending on the diet. Beware of various intestinal infections or diarrhea, which can cause improper digestion. In this case, it is a change in the color of the stool caused by the disease. Green stool can also be caused by rapid digestion of food - diarrhea.

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