It's that time of the day again, you smell a terrible stench, and you notice your baby's diaper is getting slightly saggy. Of course, like any parent, you're going to immediately take them somewhere so you can start cleaning them up and getting a new diaper. But wait, what's happening this time? You take a closer look, and you can confirm that the poop is green.
It comes off as a shock at first? Then, you may start questioning things like: "What did I feed my baby?" and "Is this even normal?". While it's understandable this can be a cause for concern, there are reasons why your little bundle of joy has green poop. It's pretty common. So, here's everything you may want to know and how to quickly stop it!
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Causes for Green Poop in Babies
When it comes to green poop, you may be surprised to find out that there are, in fact, different shades of green. Depending on the shade you're seeing, it may have something to do with what the baby is eating. So let's look further into the different causes of green baby poop.
Illness
Illnesses like flu, stomach issues, and even basic diarrhea can cause green poops. However, diarrhea is the main culprit to babies having smelly green poops.
Food Dye
Food dye would be another reason your little one has some green poops. A lot of baby snacks, such as gummies, tend to have food coloring dyes within them. It doesn't matter if the dye is natural (such as made by fruits and veggies) or if chemicals make it. Both can include the chance of poops being the same color as the dye.
Leafy Green Veggies
Leafy green veggies like spinach and kale, including others all contain chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what makes these veggies green, and it's also what makes poops green too. So, if you've been feeding your baby a lot of leafy green veggies, then this could be why their poop is green.
Iron
Did you know that Iron can cause green poops too? To be more specific, you're mostly going to find that Iron supplements are the culprit of green poop. So, If you’re giving your infant a daily iron supplement under the guidance of a doctor, then this could be why your baby has a green stool.
Related: Infant Tylenol Dosage by Weight & Age Chart
How to Treat Green Poop
It's best to begin by taking a look at your baby's diet before you try to take any further action. Watching what they're eating can point you in the right direction on why their poop was green. If this happened only once, don't worry, that's natural. But if green poop is becoming a common occurrence, then, of course, you should look into this. Here are a couple of actions you can take to get to the bottom of this.
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Remove Leafy Greens from their Diet
Since chlorophyll will be the main cause of green stool, you can simply remove any leafy greens (cooked or raw) from their diet for a few days and see if this helps.
Watch for dyes
A lot of baby snack foods will contain dyes, so cutting out on these, especially those that are the color green, will help you figure out whether or not this is the leading cause of green poop.
Sick
If it's clear that your baby is sick with diarrhea, lack of energy, and fever, then a potential GI bug could be affecting your baby. If your baby has diarrhea, you need to ensure that you're keeping them hydrated and give them electrolytes as well.
Talk with Your Doctor
After removing things from your baby’s diet, and you still notice the issue of green poop, then it’s best to pay a visit to your baby’s pediatrician. They’ll be able to help you figure out what the issue may be this could also include putting your baby on medication if this is seen as necessary.
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When Should a Doctor Be Called?
While the sight of green poop is pretty nasty, for the most part, there isn’t any need to worry about it. Green poop is normal; it's only if it's constantly happening that alarm bells should be raised. If you're feeding your baby a lot of green color foods, then, of course, it will have green poop. This goes for most other colors as well. But, on the other hand, if you're feeding your baby red-colored foods like beets or red velvet cake, you can expect some red stool.
While different colored poops and different types of poop as well. All of these can be normal, but they can also be caused concern. For example, if you're not feeding your baby anything red, then this could mean that there is blood in the stool, which would signify that the gastrointestinal tract is bleeding. The same goes if your baby has a pale color poop such as white or yellow, this could mean a blockage with their bile ducts.
How to Prevent Green Poops in Babies
When it comes to preventing green poops, you'll need to know whether or not you're baby has a stomach bug, if it's the food they're eating, medicine they're taking, or beyond that. Even if you dislike the sight of seeing green poop, you shouldn’t make drastic changes to your baby's diet.
Would you really want to stop feeding your baby healthy leafy greens only to stop the green poop? However, if your baby is dealing with a stomach bug or some flu, you will want to look into preventative actions such as washing your hands, washing the food for the baby, and staying cautious about what could create an upset stomach.
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Bottom Line
You most likely won't have to worry about green poops since it's something that both babies and adults get from time to time. Even this color is weird; it's nothing to worry about, especially if your baby is getting over a stomach bug or has been eating something green. Just make sure to keep that little one well hydrated. But of course, call the doctor if anything different begins to show up.
