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What Causes Blackish Green Colored Stools?
Question: My daughter aged two and half months is having blackish green colour stool on alternate days for last seven days. She is mostly formula fed along with little breast fed. But she is behaving normal, she is playing, she is laughing. She is having no fever, cough & cold and there is no blood in her stool. Our local paediatrician is stating that since there is no blood in her stool any colour of stool is normal at this age. Your kind advice please is the colour of stool is normal or she is having some infection. Kindly suggest.
Brief Answer:
There is no cause for concern
Detailed Answer:
Namasthe
Welcome to Healthcare-Magic
Greetings of the day
Dear Ms XXXXXXX XXXXXXX
I agree with your Pediatrician. Normally colour of exclusively breast feed babies is yellow like mustard sauce with white particulate matter.
As your XXXXXXX is predominantly on formula feeds the colour can vary. Green stools is usually due to following reasons
1. The intestinal emptying time is shortened leading to faster evacuation of stools: Normally the bile present in the digestive juices is broken down with majority of it getting absorbed back. This broken down bilirubin gives the stools typical mustard paste like yellow colour. Rapid evacuation of stools may allow less time for breaking down, giving the stools colour of bile that is green . This is a normal phenomenon seen.
2. Wrong breast feeding: When baby is put yo breast and starts sucking first, the initial milk is foremilk which is rich in proteins. Mothers sometime change to next breast without emptying the started breast. Last portion of milk is hindmilk which is rich in fat. So when baby gets excess foremilk it also excessively gets proteins and lactose. Lactose is fomentated causing green stools.
I would suggest you the following
1. Be assured there is no cause for concern.
2. Preferably give exclusive breast feeding till 6 months
3. Empty milk from 1st breast before shifting baby to 2nd.
Following criteria are fulfilled then there is no cause for concern
1. Accepts feeds well
2. Sleeps well after feeds
3. No blood in stools
4. No distension of abdomen
5. Weight gain adequate
6. Urine output adequate
In case you require any further assistance, will be glad to assist you.
Take care
Wishing you and your family a very happy and healthy life.
Take care
Best Regards
Dr Deepak Kishore
MBBS, MS, MCH
Consultant Pediatric Surgeon
There is no cause for concern
Detailed Answer:
Namasthe
Welcome to Healthcare-Magic
Greetings of the day
Dear Ms XXXXXXX XXXXXXX
I agree with your Pediatrician. Normally colour of exclusively breast feed babies is yellow like mustard sauce with white particulate matter.
As your XXXXXXX is predominantly on formula feeds the colour can vary. Green stools is usually due to following reasons
1. The intestinal emptying time is shortened leading to faster evacuation of stools: Normally the bile present in the digestive juices is broken down with majority of it getting absorbed back. This broken down bilirubin gives the stools typical mustard paste like yellow colour. Rapid evacuation of stools may allow less time for breaking down, giving the stools colour of bile that is green . This is a normal phenomenon seen.
2. Wrong breast feeding: When baby is put yo breast and starts sucking first, the initial milk is foremilk which is rich in proteins. Mothers sometime change to next breast without emptying the started breast. Last portion of milk is hindmilk which is rich in fat. So when baby gets excess foremilk it also excessively gets proteins and lactose. Lactose is fomentated causing green stools.
I would suggest you the following
1. Be assured there is no cause for concern.
2. Preferably give exclusive breast feeding till 6 months
3. Empty milk from 1st breast before shifting baby to 2nd.
Following criteria are fulfilled then there is no cause for concern
1. Accepts feeds well
2. Sleeps well after feeds
3. No blood in stools
4. No distension of abdomen
5. Weight gain adequate
6. Urine output adequate
In case you require any further assistance, will be glad to assist you.
Take care
Wishing you and your family a very happy and healthy life.
Take care
Best Regards
Dr Deepak Kishore
MBBS, MS, MCH
Consultant Pediatric Surgeon
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Answered by
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