Green Stool - Problem or Preoccupation

For stoolgazing parents nothing raises eyebrows like a bright green diaper. And it’s those shades of neon green that often stir a call to the pediatrician. So what’s the deal with green stool? Is it a problem or preoccupation?

Well take a seat and let's talk about the color of poop. Stool gets it’s color from bile released in the intestinal tract just beyond the stomach. Bile happens to be green. As it makes its way along the length of the intestinal tract, bile undergoes a transformation in color from its original green to a shade of yellow ultimately reaching a rich chestnut hue. I liken this transformation to the ripening of a banana.

Stool that reaches the end of its journey green or yellow typically means that the journey has gone a little quicker than expected. It’s typically nothing of concern although we can see this at times during a tummy bug. Green watery diarrhea in a child can be a problem in this case not because of the color of a baby’s poop but because of the potential for dehydration. So stool color has to be looked at in the context of a child’s other symptoms. If your child isn’t otherwise ill, a green diaper shouldn’t be cause for alarm.

Still the green stool spooks even the professional. I had a mother recently come very close to abandoning breastfeeding after being told by a lactation consultant that her baby’s green stools were the result of too much foremilk. The mom, desperate for her baby to produce the perfect diaper, tried to no avail to manipulate her baby’s feeding. While it was perhaps the only instance where I’ve seen micromanagement by an LC divide the mother-baby dyad, it’s just one example of the perils of stoolgazing.

So don’t let your preoccupation with stool characteristics become an obsession. And the next time someone frets over a green stool, send them this link.

Comments

[Kristie McNealy]

Oddly enough, my college roommate and I were just discussing the whole "too much foremilk" issue last week. We both came to the conclusion that even if it was true, if our babies were growing fine despite this supposed lack of fatty hindmilk, it didn't seem worth caring about. The LC at a breastfeeding group she attends had all sorts of complicated solutions for the "issue". I'm not sure exactly how we came to discuss the fact that both of our babies had green stools... Perhaps we both need to get a life! ;)

[BrooklynGirl]

This is enormously helpful...can't tell you how much time I've spent contemplating diaper hues.

Now how about green mucus? (From the nose)

[isles]

Stoolgazing, I love it! (Well, the term, not the activity.) I suppose these are the same people who look for meaning in their own leavings.

[Susan Easley]

Anytime my children had a green stool, I could directly attribute it to the sudden absence of the green marker in the crayola pack. Yes, they come flavored now, and lime seems to be the fave.

I hope this isn't a harbinger to their lives of Corona-induced pleasures of tomorrow.

[Bryan]

Hah. Excellent point, Susan. I guess I failed to mention that excessive intake of bizarre, densely colored processed foods can create a real technicolor surprise in the toddlers. Not to mention markers!

[npv]

What a relief I have got on reading this post! My daughter aged 10 months has been passing light to bright green stools about 6-8 times a day, including normal stools twice a day. Her normal routine was soft stools twice a day. My pediatrician also has said that I might have to limit breastfeeding her, since lactose might not get digested due to loss of lactase from irritated mucosal lining because of the frequent green stool. what is your opinion?

[Bryan]

Unfortunately I can't comment on particular cases or offer patient specific advice. The color of stool has no bearing on the amount of lactase that's present in the lining of the small intestine. What he might of been getting at is the idea that an injured bowel (from a virus, for example) loses lactase from its lining which can result in diarrhea and rapid intestinal transit. Each case has to be looked at individually, of course

[Laurie]

Susan, in breastfed babies, green mucusy bm can be a sign of a hindmilk/foremilk imbalance. Check out this link for more on it...
http://breastfeeding.hypermart.net/toomuchmilk.html
If this is the case, it usually resolves by feeding on the same side for a whole session or two. It's worth a read.

My sister-in-law also swears by anything that's blue going in, comes out green. Like blue raspberry koolaid, blue jello, etc.

[Renee Nelson]

My 2 1/2 mos old just started having green slimy watery diapers. I have tried to nurse on one side only but still the diapers haven't changed. At least this is only 2-3x a day so I don't think he's getting dehydrated. He used to have nice pasty mustard colored stools with "seeds" in it. Now his diapers look so scary. Any help?