Baby has a cold and has green stool

When babies have a cold, some parents find that their stools are green, which makes them nervous. In fact, there are several reasons why babies have green stools, such as the baby is not full, improper choice of milk powder, excessive iron intake, etc., so parents need to make appropriate adjustments.

Reasons for green stools in babies

The baby is not full

The baby is not full, hunger causes the gastrointestinal tract to move too quickly, and a large amount of intestinal fluid plus bile and feces are discharged together, causing green stools. At this time, we need to increase the amount of milk to ensure that the baby is full.

Unbalanced intake of fore and aft milk, improper selection of milk powder

The baby eats too much foremilk, which is rich in lactose. Lactose produces acidic gas under the action of large intestine bacteria, and these gases will become foamy stools. There may also be symptoms of intestinal flatulence. Mothers can try to use a breast pump to suck out some of the foremilk to prevent the baby from eating too much foremilk.

If this happens to a bottle-fed baby for a period of time, it may be due to improper selection of milk powder. You can try changing to another brand.

Taking partially hydrolyzed formula

Some babies may have dark green or even black stools after taking deep hydrolyzed formula or amino acid formula powder. This is normal and does not require intervention.

Excessive iron intake

If your baby eats iron-fortified formula or takes iron supplements due to anemia, some of the iron will not be absorbed, which will also cause the stool to be green. Mothers don't need to worry, this is a normal phenomenon.

Diarrhea – watery green stools

If the baby's intestinal peristalsis is too fast, the nutrients will not have time to be completely digested and absorbed, and green watery stools will appear. You can see a doctor and adjust your intestinal flora if necessary.

Eat green foods

After the baby starts eating complementary foods, eating green leafy vegetables may sometimes cause green stools. This is normal and there is no need to worry too much.

If the baby is happy in daily life and his growth and development are normal in all aspects, parents should not always worry about whether the baby's stool contains curds, whether the color is yellow or green, how many times the baby has bowel movements a day, or whether their breast milk is not nutritious, etc.

However, if your baby's stool contains blood or mucus, or is accompanied by fever, vomiting, or a sudden increase in the frequency of vomiting, you should seek medical attention immediately.