Why is baby poop green?

 Green poop in a baby makes parents worry. Many new parents or mothers wonder if a baby's poop might be a sign of gastrointestinal issues or other medical conditions. The color of your baby's stool is green for a variety of reasons. The majority of the time, there is no cause for concern, but occasionally, a green stool is not a good sign.

Why is baby poop green?

 

Bile acids secreted by the liver that are changed by digestive tract bacteria can result in green poop in children.

 

The consumption of iron-fortified formula may be the cause of a newborn's green poop. Don't worry too much about the color of the stool as long as your baby appears content and has no constipation issues.

 

The green color of the stool can also be caused by jaundice. If a baby has this condition, his or her poop may be dark green or greenish. Most of the time, this symptom goes away on its own as the child gets better.

 

Sometimes the source of green poop lies in dairy hypersensitivity . Some breastfed babies are very sensitive to specific foods in their mother's diet.

 

If your baby's stool is green, mucus-covered, and contains blood, and he frequently regurgitates and has a skin rash, he may be allergic to something in his mother's diet. Protein from cow's milk is the most common allergen in infants.

 

Green poop in a breastfed baby can also result from lactose fermentation after a longer meal and is generally not a cause for concern, but when streaks of mucus appear, it is worth checking the cause of this condition.

 

If you suspect that your child has a dairy allergy, you should consult a physician and, if necessary, eliminate milk and other dairy products from your diet temporarily.

 

After one to two weeks, you can observe the first effects of the elimination diet. However, it may take weeks to determine the cause of your infant's green stools.

 

If you are uncertain as to whether your infant is allergic to milk, consume a glass of milk after a few weeks without dairy. There are many indications that breast milk plays a role in causing your baby's symptoms if they recur. It is recommended in this situation to avoid dairy products while breastfeeding.

 

The green pigment biliverdin may be responsible for a child's green poop. Biliverdin is an oxidized form of the orange bile pigment bilirubin, which influences stool color.

 

When a child eats easily digestible food (e.g. natural food, modified milk with a predominance of whey proteins, modified milk containing hydrolyzed protein), the passage time of food through the digestive tract is shorter and then the oxidized dye - biliverdin - goes to the feces and gives the stools a green color.

 

In older children, vegetables containing a lot of green pigment, such as spinach or kale, can also give a greenish color. As long as your stools are green in color but the consistency and frequency of your stools remains the same, there is no cause for concern.