Best Way to Help a Baby Pass Gas/poop

Roberto Westbrook / Getty Images

One of the most worrisome poop variations is when a child's poop is a different color than the normal brown or tan color that we expect of poop.

Dark-green poops are probably the well-nigh mutual of these poop aberrations. It'southward common for a pediatrician to receive telephone calls from worried parents near an cruddy green poop their child produced.

Thankfully, green poop is very common and is in fact a normal variation of stool coloring. Although green poop can indicate affliction, information technology'south about never a reason to panic.

Let'southward discuss what it ways if your kid'southward poop turns green, what causes greenish poop, and what to practise if you lot notice that your child'southward poop is greenish.

What Is Green Poop?

It may surprise you, but green poop is actually a variation of normal poop colour. As the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) explains, "[n]ormal stool colors are whatever shade of brown, tan, yellowish or greenish."

When green poop is caused past something out of the ordinary, information technology'due south usually nothing worrisome. Most cases of green poop are acquired by something your child ate, a vitamin or medicine they took, or a tum upset that resulted in diarrhea.

Greenish colored poop is especially common in newborns and babies, though toddlers and older children may besides experience green poop at times.

Symptoms

Green poop may happen on its own, or be accompanied by sure symptoms that go on with an upset tum:

• Normally formed stool may look greenish at times; greenish is a normal color variation of stool
• Sometimes stool that looks black may actually be dark green
• Dark-green stool may also be accompanied by loose stools, as in the example of diarrhea

Causes

There are many causes of green poop in babies and toddlers and they rarely indicate a serious medical consequence.

Children of all age groups experience green poop at one time or some other, but causes and frequency tin vary depending on your child's age.

In Babies

Babies, and especially newborns, are well-nigh likely to experience green poops. Here are some of the nigh likely causes:

• A newborn's first poop, meconium, looks tarry black, merely may look greenish every bit well
• Excess bile can crusade green poop
• A breastfed baby's poop, equally it transitions from meconium to mature milk, may await greenish
• Green poop may bespeak a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance in breastfed babies, which results in your baby is getting a larger portion of foremilk (watery milk) than hindmilk (thicker, fattier milk). Though this can cause tummy discomfort, it doesn't indicate a milk supply result or problem with your milk
• Green poop may indicate an intolerance to a food in a mother's diet, in this case, the babe may appear uncomfortable or gassy
• Dark-green poop, especially when accompanied past streaks of blood, may point an allergy to something in a breastfed mother's diet or a formula ingredient
• Certain brands of formula produce greenish stool
• Viral or bacterial infections can cause loose, light-green stools
• Your babe's poop may turn greenish when you introduce solid foods into your infant'south nutrition, particularly green vegetables

In Toddlers

• As your toddler enters daycare and begins to interact with other children, they are more probable to pick up viruses that can cause diarrhea—very often, diarrhea that produces loose, watery stools with a dark-green color
• As your toddler expands their palate, they might meet foods that plow their poop greenish, such every bit spinach, other green vegetables, and foods containing dye
• If your toddler is consuming a toddler formula or supplement, this may turn their poop green
• Vitamins, particularly containing atomic number 26, can cause green poops
• If your child is recovering from a breadbasket virus and is taking grape-flavored Pedialyte, they may experience bright green poop every bit a upshot

In Older Children

Equally is the case for babies and toddlers, your older child may experience dark-green poop as a consequence of the post-obit:

• Consuming green foods
• Taking medications or vitamins
• Diarrhea or an upset stomach can cause green poop

You may not be reviewing your older child's stools as often as you exercise your baby'southward or toddlers (thank goodness for potty training!), merely y'all can encourage your child to report when annihilation is different about their poop'due south color or consistency.

What Poop Colors Are Cherry-red Flags?

According to the AAP, greenish poops are almost never a crusade of concern. However, green, loose or watery poop often indicates diarrhea, which needs attention and care in children of all age groups.

There are poop colors that may signal a trouble. If your kid's poop is white, red (especially vivid red), or blackness, you should contact your pediatrician. Poop of those colors may non be an issue, simply they do warrant a mention to your physician and perchance an exam at the physician's office.

Handling

Greenish poop rarely indicates a medical emergency, so you can call your physician during normal business organisation hours if your child has green poop and you feel concerned.

Usually, your dr. will assure you lot that your kid's green poop is zilch to worry about. In some cases, they will want to schedule a visit with your child for a medical examination, simply to rule everything out.

If your child is interim very sick and as well has green poop, you should not hesitate to telephone call your doc immediately, during afterwards-hours, or seek emergency medical care. For example, green poop that is accompanied by diarrhea tin indicate a viral or bacterial illness.

If your child has several days of loose, green poop, they may be experiencing dehydration as a result of their affliction. Nearly cases of dehydration tin be remedied past hydrating your kid, but if your child is also acting extremely lethargic or is difficult to rouse, they may demand medical attending for their dehydration.

Dietary Changes

Most cases of green poop practise not require treatment considering green colored stool is a mutual variation of normal stool. If your child'southward green poop is caused by something they ate or a vitamin or medication they take taken, information technology'south not necessary to remove that from their diet only to change the color of their stool.

However, if that food, vitamin, or medicine is bothering them in some other way, such as causing gas or other breadbasket upset, you may consider removing it.

If your kid's dark-green poop is accompanied by physical discomfort, then it might be time to intervene. For example:

• If your breastfed infant has green, frothy poops accompanied by gas and spitting up, they may be experiencing foremilk/hindmilk imbalance, or a food intolerance or allergy. If these things are upsetting your baby, you tin can endeavor to remedy them with the help of your doctor or a lactation consultant.
• If your baby'south formula is causing green poop, this isn't a problem in and of itself, simply if they also have an upset stomach, yous can speak with your doctor about switching formula.
• If your child has an illness or an upset tummy that is causing loose, green stools, and they are also feeling unwell, you can talk to your doctor well-nigh treatment for their illness or stomach problems. Y'all may also need to rehydrate them if they have become dehydrated.

A Word From Verywell

Information technology is a parental instinct to become worried when anything seems awry with our children.

While greenish poops are usually nothing to panic about, it's natural that you would feel uneasy if you notice that your child'due south poop looks dark-green. After all, although green poop is a common variation of stool colour, it's much less mutual than brown or tan poop.

If you notice greenish poop in your child, take a deep breath. If they are acting like their normal selves, information technology'south very unlikely that anything is wrong. However, at that place is nothing wrong with double-checking with your doctor—that's what they are at that place for.

If something seems off with your kid or they seem unwell, don't hesitate to phone call your doctor right away, or visit your local urgent care or emergency room. Always go with your parental instincts when information technology comes to medical issues with your child.

Thankfully, while most of us gasp the first time we come across our child'southward dark-green poop, it turns out that cleaning up a light-green poop or two (or more) is merely one of the more than unpleasant—though very common—jobs of being a parent.

Thanks for your feedback!

Thanks, {{course.email}}, for signing up.

There was an error. Please try again.

shapiroanks1985.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.verywellfamily.com/why-is-my-childs-poop-green-5081667

Share this post