Green stool in infants and newborns: reasons for the appearance of such stool and its treatment. Green, loose stool in a breastfed and bottle-fed baby: studying the baby's stool Green poop in a 6-month-old baby

The first stool of a newborn is called meconium, it is passed immediately after birth and appears in the first 3 days of the child’s life. On the third day after birth, feces are called transitional, the stool becomes green in color, already close to coffee. A child's green stool may contain white lumps - curdled masses of milk or formula that feeds the child. And only on the fifth day after birth, a newborn baby creates a permanent stool.

Why does a one-month-old baby have green stools?

As previously mentioned above, the color of infant feces is influenced not only by food. There are other reasons that can cause green stool in a child:

• Around the fifth day after birth, the baby begins to have green stool. Medicine explains this reaction as the adaptation of a small organism to the surrounding environment.
• Green stool in a one-month-old baby is due to the fact that his body has not yet formed the required amount of bacteria necessary for the proper functioning of the digestive system.
• Viral diseases have a good chance of affecting the color of stool. In this case, it is necessary to quickly pass all the required tests and begin treatment.
• Dysbacteriosis is the cause of weak stool in a newborn baby. It has a greenish tint with a sour putrid odor. This kind of indicator can be combined with a rash on the body, colic, and frequent regurgitation.
• Teeth cutting. At this age, the child puts everything he sees into his mouth, so incoming bacteria can affect the color of the contents of the diaper: the intestinal microflora is disrupted.
• Liver diseases. Such diseases include fibrosis, cirrhosis, and chronic hepatitis.

The mother must follow a certain diet while breastfeeding her baby. Her diet should not contain the following foods:

• chocolates and cocoa products;
• citrus;
• nuts;
• strawberries and strawberries;
• seafood.

If the stool has an uneven greenish color and includes lumps, this means that the child’s diet contains a huge amount of glucose. If the mother’s body does not have enough dairy food, she uses food products that contain additives of artificial origin and carcinogens - all this causes green stool in the baby during breastfeeding. The introduction of new complementary foods (apples, pears, broccoli) into a child’s diet can cause green stools.

Green stool while breastfeeding

The color of stool depends entirely on what the mother feeds the baby. If the baby is breastfed and is fed exclusively with breast milk, then green stool is normal. The greenish tone of stool is given by hormones that are secreted by the mother and enter the baby’s body through breast milk. Bilirubin is excreted from the baby's body simultaneously with feces, which causes the stool to turn dark green.

Parents should remember that after some time, feces oxidize, acquiring a different color. Don't be alarmed if after 2-3 hours you unwrap the used diaper, in which absolutely normal infant bowel movements will turn greenish.

Foamy green stool with small patches of mucus should not cause concern if it does not have a foul odor and does not disturb the baby’s well-being. The occurrence of such stool is explained by the fact that during breastfeeding the child drinks liquid milk without sucking out the fatty part, which gives the feces a brownish color.

Artificially fed

With artificial feeding, the reasons for the appearance of a green tint in feces are almost the same, with the exception of the last one. If you recently changed your formula, this may be the reason. The greenish color of feces can be given by the iron component, if there is an excess amount of it in the mixture. Try replacing the formula and see what color your baby's stool is.

What to do if your child has green stools

There is no reason to worry if green stools that are liquid in consistency do not cause you to feel unwell. If your baby (2 month old, 3 month old or older) is playful and calm and has a normal appetite and sleep pattern, there is no need to worry about green stool. If secretions of mucus from the blood appear in a child’s stool, then this is a reason for concern, so it is necessary:

• Contact your doctor. He will examine the child, prescribe the necessary tests and identify the causes of loose green stool.
• The most dangerous consequence of diarrhea is fluid loss. After all, microbes are infectious agents and can damage the intestinal mucosa, preventing the absorption of minerals and moisture. For this purpose, the pharmacy sells specially balanced mixtures that contain the necessary amount of water and substances to restore the intestinal mucosa.
• As for the temperature, it is allowed to bring it down only with those drugs that are certified and the child has no contraindications to them. The doctor may also prescribe antibiotics to normalize intestinal function.
• A baby's loose stools are not a reason to deprive him of his mother's milk, which helps maintain rehydration. The beneficial properties of mother's milk will help the baby cope with the possible development of dysbiosis, replenishing the missing fluid in the body.

Green stool in older children

All of the above also applies to older children. Digestive disorders can affect the color of stool. But if they eat "adult" food, you shouldn't ignore this fact. Some mothers claim that green feces are the baby’s body’s reaction to the introduction of new foods to the diet. Unevenly colored stool may be a sign of too much sugar in children's diets. The following foods contribute to the formation of green stool:

• salad;
• spinach;
• nettle;
• parsley;
• dill.

Video: baby chair

There is no need to treat dysbiosis if its main symptom is liquid stool. Treatment should be started when green stool is accompanied by signs such as bloating, allergic reactions, and weight loss in a child after six months. You can learn more about this disease from the following video by Dr. Komarovsky. From this video, the causes of dysbiosis and the measures that need to be taken if this problem occurs will become clear.

The development and formation of a baby does not end in the womb. After birth, adaptation to external factors occurs, getting used to a new diet. An alarming moment for young mothers is the unusual green color of the baby's stool. Let’s take a closer look at what factors can influence the appearance of this color of discharge, whether it poses a danger to the life and health of the baby, and we’ll also tell you what parents should do in this situation.

What should a normal stool look like?

At different stages of development, the baby's stool changes from a liquid, unnatural color to a fraction characteristic of each person. Parents must be sure to monitor the frequency, consistency, color and presence of odor in the child’s discharge.

First three days of life

During this period of a little person’s life, the accumulation of remnants of amniotic fluid that entered the body at birth, intestinal epithelial cells, bile, mucus, etc. occurs in his intestines. Such feces are called original feces or meconium.

The discharge has a black, dark red or olive tone, a resinous structure and is odorless. Green stool in a newborn is not due to the bacterial nature of its formation. The appearance of discharge is the first sign of normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

During the first two to three days, a breastfed baby’s body completely absorbs the mother’s colostrum, so feces are not formed.

Fourth – sixth days

The baby's intestinal system is developing due to changes in the composition of the nursing mother's milk and the formation of bacteria in the digestive tract.

The process occurs in two stages:

• Transitional feces

The baby's stool has the appearance of a paste, thick sour cream, the color is predominantly yellowish, with rare splashes of green (residual effects of meconium). The presence of a white mass and small amounts of stool with mucus in an infant is not a deviation. Changes in the appearance of feces occur under the influence of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

The discharge takes on a dark green color with a transitional gray tint, and has a porridge-like consistency. Initially, the frequency of bowel movements is about ten times a day, and as you get used to breast milk, the frequency of bowel movements decreases to one or two times over three to seven days.

This is due to the complete absorption of the beneficial substances of breast milk in the infant’s gastrointestinal tract. It is necessary to strictly monitor meconium in the stool: if its presence in the stool is observed on the fifth day, you should consult a doctor. Artificial feeding can affect the structure of stool.

Second week of life – 28 days

The baby's stool takes on a light brown, mustard color. The consistency of the mass is mushy. Green, liquid stool in a baby or constipation indicate the occurrence of abnormalities.

First months

At the stage of feeding the baby with breast milk, the stool is normally mature. The waste products of a baby can be light brown, grayish and even green. The feces of a month-old baby on breastfeeding should be of medium density: neither liquid nor solid.

At 3 years of age, the presence of food inclusions in the stool is allowed, and the color directly depends on the food the child eats.

Causes of green stool in infants

Green stool in a baby is not always a cause for concern. Let us highlight the main factors that can cause “herbal” feces to appear in an infant in the first months of his life.

Causes of green stool

Sources of unnatural stool color in a baby:

• composition of mother's breast milk;
• use of complementary foods;
• deviation of the baby’s immunity;
• age-related changes.

When breastfeeding

The reasons for the appearance of greenish stool in a child during breastfeeding can be:

• mother’s food range: if the diet is rich in green vegetables and herbs;
• intoxication of the nurse's body due to poisoning;
• exposure to medications: for example, taking antibacterial agents;
• lack of nutrition: limited amount of breast milk, early refusal of breastfeeding. The feces become liquid and foamy, and the baby’s weight drops.

With artificial and mixed feeding

A green tint to the stool of a mixed-fed baby occurs depending on the composition of complementary foods:

• artificial mixture is enriched with iron;
• food causes an imbalance in the child’s body, allergic reactions occur;
• incorrectly selected or incorrectly prepared food;
• dysbacteriosis, immune system failure: complex components of complementary foods complicate the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

General sources

The basic factors for the manifestation of green stool in infants are:

• chemical oxidation processes under the influence of oxygen;
• inflammatory foci in the infant’s gastrointestinal tract due to difficult childbirth;
• natural removal of bilirubin (bile pigment) from the body;
• additional nutrition with a mixture with a high concentration of sugars and iron;
• lactose intolerance, bacterial imbalance;
• the impact of diseases, poor functioning of the endocrine system, malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.

Dysbacteriosis

When the balance of vital bacteria is disturbed, the natural functioning of the intestines is disrupted in the baby’s body. The condition is characterized by an increase in body temperature, disruption of the process of excretion of feces, and psycho-emotional disorders.

If the course of the disease is favorable, the baby’s immunity copes with it on its own. If the disorder lasts, you will need to take foods enriched with bacteria.

Lactase deficiency

The condition is expressed by difficulty in processing milk sugar due to a small amount of lactase and, as a consequence, the development of dysbacteriosis. The stool is liquid, greenish-yellow with a pungent odor and foamy consistency.

The deviation goes away on its own after nine months of the baby’s life, less often up to a year. Sometimes there is a hereditary disorder. To restore the baby’s stool, it is recommended to adjust the diet of the mother producing breastfeeding, as well as the use of therapy to replenish lactase in a child at 2 years old.

By month

The stages of development of the baby’s body directly affect the appearance of green color in the stool:

• 1 month: green stool in a newborn is the norm, a consequence of the gastrointestinal tract adapting to nutrition, if the process is not accompanied by third-party symptoms;
• 2 month: dysbacteriosis is possible due to the unstable state of the intestines of a two-month-old baby;
• 3 month: due to slow development, green stool in a 3 month old baby may be an indicator of normality;
• 4 months: a common cause of green stool is untimely complementary feeding;
• 5th month: the color of the stool in a five-month-old baby depends on the administration of additional nutrition;
• 6-7 months: the baby eliminates discomfort from emerging teeth by biting foreign objects, so green stool in the child will become an indicator of disorder or infection;
• 8-10 months: bilirubin no longer affects the color of stool, discharge depends on the composition of complementary foods;
• 11-12 months: Green stool in a 1 year old baby is an indicator of food intake or an allergic reaction.

Green stool as one of the symptoms of the disease

Parents should take immediate action if their child's green stool is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• decreased mobility, drowsiness, moodiness;
• loss of appetite;
• foamy consistency of stool in infants,
• a sharp putrid odor of feces in a one-year-old child, green foam bowel movements;
• Green, liquid stool is passed out very often in infants;
• entry of blood as a cause of gastrointestinal damage;
• incessant diarrhea in a one and a half year old child;
• vomiting, frequent regurgitation of food;
• the child has green, loose stools with large quantities of mucus;
• flatulence, colic;
• skin rashes.

What does the shade and consistency of green stool tell us?

Based on the degree of color saturation and density of green feces, one can judge the reasons for the changes:

• deep green: normal; depends on the food range; dark green, loose stools in infants may be a consequence of lactase deficiency;
• light green, yellow-green: normal indicator; impaired lactation or lack of breast milk with hind fat milk;
• black-green: typical only for newborns, in other cases it is a malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, a nutritional error;
• deep green: lack of hindmilk, food pigmentation;
• green foam: lactase deficiency, low fat content of milk during breastfeeding;
• mushy: normal indicator;
• green stool with mucus, watery, liquid, too hard stool: deviation of the gastrointestinal tract, development of the disease.

The reason for panic among parents should be the general deterioration of the baby’s condition.

What to do if you have green stools?

If your stool appears green, the following actions are recommended:

1. Ensure that the baby is properly attached to the breast, allow him to get enough and complete breastfeeding on his own.
2. Make breastfeeding regular, depending on the body's needs.
3. Control your diet during breastfeeding, avoid artificial additives and exotic foods.
4. Treat the baby's intestinal dysfunction under the supervision of a doctor.
5. Don't worry if your stools turn green after taking Smecta.
6. Thoroughly study the composition of artificial complementary foods, ensure optimal selection for the baby’s body (for example, use NAN mixtures).
7. Green stools without accompanying warning signs are normal and do not require intervention.
8. Use of additional nutrition in due time.
9. Dr. Komarovsky can give an online consultation on his website.
10. The frequency of green stools in combination with alarming symptoms is a necessity for seeking medical help.

Green stool in a newborn during breastfeeding is not always a deviation. If your child is developing normally, cheerful and active, there is no need to worry once again about why the child has green stool and tirelessly torment the child with visits to the doctor.

Control your diet during breastfeeding, provide your children with proper care, monitor their behavior, and then there will be much less cause for alarm.

Parents may be concerned about changes in their child's bowel habits. In particular, a lot of anxiety arises due to the stool becoming green in color. When is this color change normal, and when should your child be taken to the doctor?

Possible reasons

In infants and newborns

The color of a child’s stool is influenced by various factors - the type of feeding, the mother’s diet (if the child receives breast milk), the replacement of formula, and the immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract of small children. The body of a small child is not yet completely ready to digest food - it does not have the required amount of bacteria, and also does not secrete the required amount of enzymes.

A newborn's first stool is green (dark green in color) and is called meconium. This type of stool is very thick and is normal for the first days of a baby’s life. A green tint to the stool of a breastfed baby is also normal.

During the period when the baby is teething, the feces may also turn green, as the baby pulls toys into his mouth and chews on them. Bacteria that enter the intestines can cause microflora disruption.

The stool may be green due to bacteria in the body.

The reasons for the green color of feces of newborns and infants can also be:

• Excess sugar in the diet.
• Indigestion (both in the baby and in the nursing mother).
• Changes in the mother's diet (if the baby receives breast milk) For example, insufficient amounts of dairy products in the diet, consumption of green foods, as well as foods with artificial additives.
• Large dosage of iron in the mixture (if the baby is bottle-fed).
• The baby sucks out only foremilk.
• Start of introduction of complementary foods.

In older children

The color of an older child's stool may change due to the consumption of certain foods, indigestion, or excess sugar in food.

Other reasons for the appearance of green stool in older children are:

• Infectious diseases with intestinal damage.
• Helminthic infestations.
• Lactase deficiency.
• Allergic reactions.
• Enterocolitis.
• Congenital gastrointestinal diseases.
• Taking vitamins, iodine, iron, chlorophyll and other dietary supplements.

The most common cause of green stool is the baby's diet and is not a cause for concern.

Foods that may cause dark green stool– green vegetables (onions, dill, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, broccoli), licorice, red beans, sweets with dyes, fruit juices, red meat, muesli, cereals, sea fish. After eating these foods, your stool may turn green within five days.

Due to the consumption of dyes, the stool may turn bright green.

Additional symptoms to worry about

The appearance of blood or mucus in the stool should alert you

Such signs should prompt a visit to the clinic with your child. The presence of blood and mucus in the stool may indicate an inflammatory process in the intestines. Elevated temperature in combination with copious and frequent greenish stools is characteristic of infectious lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. If you do not pay attention to such symptoms in time, there is a risk of dehydration of the child’s body and the spread of infection.

What to do?

First, you need to figure out what are the possible reasons for changes in the color of a child’s stool. In this case, it is more important to pay attention not to the color of the stool, but to the well-being of the child. If his appetite, sleep and general condition are normal, and you are only concerned about the green color of his stool, you should not worry.

If the reason for the green color of the stool is a new formula, it is recommended to replace it with another food that the baby will digest better. In cases where the cause of the change in stool color is food, dietary supplements and food coloring, nothing needs to be done. Provided that, apart from the unusual color of the stool, there are no other alarming symptoms.

Prevention

Preventive measures against green stool in young children are:

• Compliance with the diet of a nursing mother.
• Careful selection of artificial mixture.
• Timely introduction of complementary foods.
• Maintaining a healthy diet and preventing overeating.
• Careful introduction of allergenic foods into the diet.
• Regular visits to the pediatrician.

Green stool is not the norm, but you shouldn’t panic about this until you find out the reasons for this phenomenon in the child’s life.

Why does my baby have green stool?

The main reasons affecting stool color

The color of a child’s stool is affected by several reasons listed below, some of them are harmless and do not harm health, while others indicate the need for treatment in a short amount of time.

• Excessive sugar content in the diet of a child, including a newborn (evidence of excessive sugar consumption by the mother and, as a result, transmission through breast milk to the baby). In feces, as a rule, lump-shaped inclusions of green color are clearly visible.
• Early childhood from 0 to 3 months (as a result of the absence in the intestinal tract of the required amount of bacteria that play a role in the digestion of food)
• In the case of breastfeeding, the baby's green stool is a reaction to the food consumed by the mother, including food products that color the stool in this color, such products include:

1. sour green apples
2. any greens (dill, parsley, basil, etc.)

• If the mother experiences food poisoning while breastfeeding (if the symptoms of a nursing woman are not clearly identified, harmful substances still penetrate into breast milk and provoke problems in the baby)
• Consumption by a nursing woman of excessively small amounts of dairy and fermented milk products such as:

1. Milk
2. Kefir
3. Cottage cheese
4. Ryazhenka and others

• In the case of artificial feeding (using specialized baby formulas), green stools are a consequence of consuming a formula with a high iron content. Iron can stain stool. If this happens to your baby, you should think about changing the formula, having previously consulted with your pediatrician for complementary feeding in order to avoid making mistakes.
• In children aged 4 months to 1.5 years, green stool is observed as a reaction to new foods when they are introduced into the diet according to the nutrition plan.
• During the teething process, children may also experience changes in the consistency and color of their stool.

Changes in stool due to a viral disease: symptoms and treatment

If a baby catches a cold or catches the flu, the whole body reacts to the presence of a virus. The gastrointestinal tract, in turn, experiences discomfort due to which the color and consistency change to green. It is noted that in this case, significant dilution of the feces is characteristic, along with a change in color to green.

Pediatricians, as a rule, due to the presence of symptoms such as a child’s elevated body temperature and general malaise, can make an erroneous diagnosis and state the presence of a severe infection, for which hospitalization in an infectious diseases hospital is indicated. An objective answer to the question that has arisen will help to give an urgent stool test, which will reveal the cause of the disorder and make a competent decision on the treatment of the little patient.

Treatment of green stool due to a cold or flu is carried out with medication, strictly following the pediatrician’s instructions.

As a rule, if such problems arise and in order to maintain water balance, after consultation with a pediatrician, the child can be offered tea with fennel to strengthen the stool and change its color.

Baby's stool with photo: normal, constipation, diarrhea

During the first days, a newborn’s stool is dark green, odorless, and has a viscous consistency. This is meconium accumulated during the fetal development of the child. After the baby's first feeding, the stool becomes lighter, with lumps of curdled milk.

Normal child's stool

Breastfed babies have stool that is golden-yellow in color, the thickness of liquid sour cream, often interspersed with greens or turns green in the air (due to bilirubin, which in infants is excreted unchanged in feces), with a sour smell. In feces, bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacilli predominate, and in smaller quantities - E. coli.

The norm is the number of bowel movements in the first 6 months up to 5 times a day, after six months once a day.

With artificial feeding, the feces are thicker, pasty, pale yellow to brown in color, depending on the nature of the food, often with an unpleasant odor. There is a lot of E. coli in the stool. Stool up to 3-4 times a day in the first half of the year, 1-2 times after 6 months.

The amount of feces in the first month of life is 15 g, and then the dog gradually increases with 1-3 bowel movements per day.

The stool of children older than one year is formed, the color is from brown to dark brown, and does not contain pathological impurities, mucus, or blood. The frequency of stool is 1-2 times a day.

Dyspepsia is a digestive disorder, predominantly of a functional nature, resulting from insufficient secretion of digestive enzymes or poor nutrition. Intestinal dyspepsia is manifested by diarrhea and, less often, on the contrary, constipation, flatulence, and rumbling.

Constipation in a child

Constipation is a slow movement of food through the intestines, while putrefactive processes occur in the intestines and toxins are formed that disrupt the child’s condition. With constipation, feces are dense and thick, and come out in the form of traditional poop. Compaction of feces can lead to injury to the anal mucosa and the appearance of cracks. Constipation is usually associated with the child's diet.

If the baby has not had a bowel movement for more than two days and the child becomes restless, it is necessary to induce a bowel movement with an enema.

How to give your baby an enema?

For an enema, fill a sterile bottle with clean boiled water at room temperature, lubricate the tip with Vaseline and carefully insert it into the anus. Do not add soap or other substances to the water - it may cause burns.

BUT: frequent use of enemas can lead to increased constipation, so if your baby does not have bowel movements for several days and this happens often, consult a doctor.

For children suffering from constipation, the menu includes prune puree, dried apricots, oatmeal, and kefir. You should not give rice porridge or broth, they can lead to increased constipation.

Diarrhea in a child

Diarrhea in an infant can occur due to overfeeding, exposure to poor quality foods, and certain diseases. The loss of only 10% (of body weight) of moisture by the body is critical; for an infant this is about 300 g. Therefore, it is important to understand that diarrhea for an infant can be fatal and to take measures: a child with diarrhea must be constantly given water to drink. To prevent salts from being washed out of the body, a drug for preparing saline solutions, for example rehydron, is added to the water; if it is impossible to go to the pharmacy, a tablespoon of salt + a tablespoon of sugar per 1 liter of water. Give your child a teaspoon every 5-7 minutes. If loose stools recur, you need to call a pediatrician who will prescribe medications to stop diarrhea, and until the doctor arrives, leave a diaper or diaper with loose stools for a visual examination by a specialist.

Stool color, mucus

The color of stool may vary. There may be a small amount of mucus and greens in the stool of an infant (this depends on the nature of the diet, in particular the mother, if the baby is breastfed), but a larger than usual amount of mucus, especially mixed with blood, or a sharp change in smell (stench) talks about the disease. A certain amount of blood, streaks of blood in the stool can occur with constipation (when the passage of feces is difficult, small vessels in the rectum burst). This is dangerous for the child, since pathogenic microorganisms can get into the cracks and an inflammatory process will develop.

With dysbacteriosis, it is possible to dilute the stool with a large amount of mucus and greens, undigested lumps; or thickening - stool is darker in color, mask-like, with a putrid odor.

What should a baby's stool look like at 6 months?

Age: 6 months

Chronic diseases: not specified

Hello, can you tell me what the stool of a six-month-old baby should be like? The baby is bottle-fed. Until six months we fed her with Nutrilon, now we feed her with Similac, as complementary foods I give her compote of dried apples, zucchini puree (I make it myself), today I gave her half a teaspoon of cottage cheese, also homemade. The stool has recently become similar to an adult, the consistency has changed to a denser one, the color is dark brown. Is this normal or not?

Tags: green stool in a six-month-old baby, stool in a six-month-old baby, what kind of stool should a child have at 5 months

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Yes. This is the normal consistency of stool for your baby.

Stool in infants: norms and possible problems

Even in the maternity hospital, nurses and pediatricians ask mothers during their rounds how the process of bowel movement occurs in a newborn. The fact is that a baby’s stool is one of the most important indicators of a child’s health – both for those who are breastfed and for those who are bottle-fed.

Why is it important to control stool in infants?

Why is it so important to control your baby's stool:

• it will indicate problems in the gastrointestinal tract;
• you can assess the level of nutritional adequacy of the child;
• Some changes in stool can determine the development of pathologies of organs and systems not related to the digestive tract.

A child in infancy poops every day, and even several times a day - this allows even parents without medical education to quickly respond to changes in stool and draw the attention of a pediatrician or visiting nurse to this point. Of course, for this you will need to acquire at least minimal knowledge about what a baby’s stool should normally be like, what can be considered deviations from the norm, and in what cases it is worth calling a doctor. All this information is laid out in the presented material.

What is normal stool and possible variations?

Remember right away - the norm for stool in infants is a relative concept. Some children poop 3-4 times a day, and the stool is a yellowish mush, while some children defecate once every 1-2 days and this is the norm for them. How to determine how much a baby's stool fits into normal parameters?

Frequency of bowel movements

On the 2-3rd day of life, the newborn begins to pass transitional feces - it has a yellow-green color, maybe dark green, with a semi-liquid consistency, which is absolutely normal.

On the 4th-5th day of a child’s life, a bowel movement schedule is already established, and the frequency of stool in children fluctuates in a fairly large amplitude - up to once every 2 days per day. It has been noted that most newborns poop either during feeding or after eating.

Note: If a child poops once every 2 days, but at the same time behaves calmly, the act of defecation takes place without screaming and strong straining, then this rhythm of bowel movements can be considered the absolute norm.

As the child grows, the number of bowel movements also changes - for example, if in the first 1-2 months of life the baby pooped 8-10 times a day, then by 4-5 months the number of bowel movements decreases to 5-6 times a day, and by 12 months - 1-2 times a day. It is noteworthy that if a child, while still an infant, pooped once every 2 days, then this frequency of stool remains the same in the future.

Amount of feces during bowel movements

This indicator depends only on the child’s diet. For example, in the first 2-3 months of a baby's feces, he will pass very little feces - no more than 5 grams per bowel movement, but by 12 months this amount will be increased by one more per day (about 60 grams per bowel movement).

Baby's stool consistency

In general, it is considered normal for a baby to have stool when it is a mass of soft, mushy consistency. But even this indicator can be variable - for example, feces in the form of a gruel with a small number of lumps will be considered normal.

As the child grows older, the consistency of stool will definitely change - it will become more and more dense. But keep in mind that by 6 months of a child’s life, the feces will already be fully formed, but will still remain soft.

Baby stool color

Yellow with white lumps, dark yellow, yellow-brown, golden yellow and in general all variations of yellow color for baby feces will be the norm. But just keep in mind that as soon as the child is switched to artificial nutrition or vegetable/fruit purees begin to be present in the diet, the color of the stool becomes darker, and by 12 months of the baby’s life it becomes dark brown.

There is no need to worry if a baby's stool is green - this is also normal, and the stool becomes green due to the presence of bilirubin or biliverdin in it. You need to know that bilirubin can be excreted in the feces of an infant until 6-9 months of age, so a green tint to the stool during this age period can be considered the absolute norm. There is no reason to worry if yellow stool is excreted, which then turns green, this means that bilirubin is excreted in minimal quantities in the stool; in the air it simply acquires a characteristic shade.

Note: if in the first days/weeks the stool was yellow in color, and then the presence of green streaks is noted in it, or it all acquires a greenish tint, then this may indicate a lack of milk in the mother, functional digestive disorders, or the development of some pathology.

Stool smell

A specific, slightly sour, but not foul-smelling odor of feces in a breastfed infant is considered normal. But if the baby is bottle-fed, then his stool will have an unpleasant odor, foul.

Possible impurities

According to medical concepts, any impurities in the stool (pus, blood, greens, mucus, fat) are a pathology, but the neonatal period, the infant age of the child, is considered special, therefore, in this case, pathological impurities in the stool may be the norm. The cases in which green stool is normal have already been described in detail above. Here's what doctors say about other impurities:

1. White lumps– they can appear when the baby is overfed or against the background of an imperfect digestive system or insufficient production of enzymes. If the child behaves adequately and weight gain is normal, then such an admixture in the feces can be ignored.
2. Slime- this impurity is generally considered normal, even if in infancy it is present in large quantities in feces.
3. Undigested food particles– may appear in feces when complementary foods are introduced. As a rule, within 5-7 days the feces return to normal, but if this does not happen, then complementary feeding should be discontinued - most likely, it was introduced early in age.

Note: There should be no blood or pus in the baby’s stool - these impurities indicate serious problems in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and, possibly, other organs and systems. If pus and blood are found in the stool, you should immediately call a doctor.

How does stool change depending on what your child eats?

The nutrition of a breastfed baby depends entirely on what is included in the mother's diet. If she adheres to the recommended diet, avoids fatty, spicy foods, then the baby’s stool will be within normal limits - yellowish or greenish in color, mushy consistency, regular bowel movements, absence of constipation and colic.

If the mother eats a lot of fatty foods, then there will be white lumps in the baby’s stool, and the baby’s digestion becomes difficult, which can lead to constipation. If the mother consumes too many easily digestible carbohydrates (for example, baked goods), then the baby’s stool will become liquid and foamy, there will be rumbling in the stomach, bloating, and intestinal colic.

There are a number of certain foods that, if consumed by a nursing mother, may cause an allergic reaction in the baby. And it will manifest itself not only in rashes, anxiety and redness of the child’s cheeks, but also in changes in stool - the stool becomes liquid, with a lot of mucus.

The mother’s lack of milk will also immediately “manifest” in the character of the stool - it becomes harder, over time it becomes generally “crumbly”, constant constipation begins, the child screams and kicks his legs when trying to defecate (this is how he reacts to intestinal colic).

If the baby is on artificial or mixed feeding, then his stool will have a dark yellow or brown tint, the frequency of bowel movements will become less than during breastfeeding, constipation or diarrhea, flatulence with difficulty passing gases may periodically occur.

Note: if the baby is fed formulas containing iron (this is usually practiced for neonatal anemia), the color of the stool will be distinctly green. And if the child is fed not with special formulas, but with cow's milk, then the feces will have a greasy sheen, a bright yellow color and a “cheesy” smell.

How does stool change when complementary foods are introduced?

Complementary feeding is considered a new type of food for infants; the digestive system will begin to adapt to it and produce specific enzymes for digestion. In the first days of complementary feeding, the mother may notice that undigested pieces of food and an increased amount of mucus have appeared in the baby’s stool. If such a change in stool does not lead to a change in the baby’s well-being (the baby does not cry, feces pass freely), then you need to continue to give him complementary foods, carefully monitoring the amount of feces excreted, the frequency of bowel movements and the nature of the stool.

There are some dishes that can cause a laxative effect - for example, boiled carrots. Moreover, it is not even digested, but comes out unchanged along with liquid feces. If the parents were not faced with the task of correcting stools and getting rid of constipation in the baby, then with this “complementary feeding” they need to stop introducing carrots into the child’s diet and switch to more gentle vegetables - for example, potatoes, zucchini. And if you introduce rice porridge into your baby’s diet, the stool will probably stick. It is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the influence of various products on the functioning of the digestive system, so as not to worry and not take any drastic measures at the slightest changes in stool.

In general, the following changes in stool when introducing complementary foods are considered normal:

• feces become denser;
• the color of stool changes from yellow to brown;
• feces become heterogeneous;
• Diarrhea or constipation may occur.

Knowing what kind of baby stool can be considered normal, it will be easy for parents to find out how healthy the baby is. If changes are detected that can hardly be called physiological, it is necessary to call a doctor at home and describe to him the full clinical picture - this will guarantee timely detection of the pathology and the prescription of effective treatment if necessary.

Tsygankova Yana Aleksandrovna, medical observer, therapist of the highest qualification category

Baby's stool by month

The birth of a child is not only a great joy for parents, but also a time of worries and worries. How does the baby grow and develop, does he have enough food, is it digested correctly? The contents of your baby's diaper will answer many of these questions. It is the stool, or rather its quantity, color and consistency, that will tell the mother whether the baby has enough nutrients. What you need to know about baby's stool under 6 months? Let's try to figure it out.

Baby's stool per month

The first month is the most alarming. A 1-month-old baby’s stool often changes, and the mother still cannot understand whether this is normal, or whether she needs to panic and rush to the doctor. In the very first days after birth, a newborn’s stool is very dark in color – dark green, almost black. This is the so-called original feces or meconium. Its consistency is thicker - it resembles window putty. Gradually, as the mother's milk arrives, the stool changes. This usually happens on the second or third day after birth.

A baby’s stool does not change immediately per month - first it goes through the so-called intermediate stage, which lasts several days. At this time, the color of the stool becomes greenish and liquid, which also frightens parents. However, it is normal for the second stage as long as it does not last longer than 4-6 days.

Finally, a 1-month-old baby’s stool gradually acquires the shade that is considered normal. This is a yellow color - or rather, all its possible variants: mustard, brownish, orange. The consistency of the stool is quite liquid, mushy, and may contain inclusions of white lumps or mucus. There is no need to be afraid of this: such inclusions only indicate that the baby is eating well, and the excess part of the food comes out undigested. The smell of the stool is reminiscent of sour milk, it is not too bright and tart.

How often should a child have bowel movements per month? A newborn baby poops a lot – and parents need to be prepared for this. Stock up on diapers: the frequency of stools in the first month can reach once. Gradually, when lactation improves, the frequency of stools will decrease. But the most surprising thing is that a breastfed baby may not walk much for up to a week. And this is also the norm - mother’s milk is simply completely absorbed. This, as a rule, does not happen with artificial feeding.

How to determine what happens if a child has rare stools per month? Is this normal or does it indicate constipation? You should focus on the baby’s condition. If his tummy is soft, he doesn’t kick his legs, doesn’t cry, eats with appetite and sleeps peacefully - then everything is fine. If your baby has colic and constipation, you will certainly notice this - the baby will be capricious. He will need to be helped to empty his bowels by giving an enema.

Why can a child's stool change every month? Changes are most often related to color and consistency. You may encounter the following problems:

• Green stool color;
• Watery and foamy stools;
• Black chair;
• White chair;
• Other changes in stool color, such as a reddish hue.

First of all, a mother needs to remember that the color of a child’s stool per month (as well as at an older age) directly depends on her diet. Therefore, there is no need to be alarmed if your baby’s stool turns red. Remember what you ate the day before - beets, tomatoes, red berries may well affect the color of your baby's stool. The same applies to some vitamin complexes.

Black stools invariably frighten parents, but in reality it is rarely a problem. A similar shade can be given by foods containing large amounts of iron, as well as medications prescribed to the mother. White stool per month in a child cannot be considered normal, since it may indicate problems with the liver or pancreas. Be sure to consult your pediatrician.

Finally, the green color of the stool in most cases appears due to improper feeding, when the baby eats up “foremilk”, which contains carbohydrates, but does not contain fats, like “hind” milk. You should change your feeding schedule and try to get your baby to empty the breast completely.

Stool 2 months old and older

The first month is the hardest, but later the baby’s stool is more or less formed. The stool of a 2-month-old baby, as we have already said, should normally have a yellow tint and a porridge-like consistency. Mom may encounter a problem such as dark stool, which doctors call “hungry.” This happens when the baby does not have enough milk. If, along with a change in the color of the stool, the baby pees less often, and the urine acquires a rich color and a pungent odor, you need to urgently consult a doctor - you may need to supplement the baby's feeding. Regular weighing will help prevent this problem - you will always know whether your child is gaining weight normally.

A 4-month-old baby's stool continues to resemble a yellowish mush in color and consistency. Sometimes at this age you have to feed the baby if the mother does not have enough milk. In addition, many parents already give water, juice or compote at this age. Pediatricians believe that this is not necessary if the mother has a sufficient amount of milk. One way or another, if the stool of a 4-month-old baby changes, most likely due to complementary feeding.

A child’s stool may also change at 5 months, since at this age most parents still give the baby the first complementary foods in the form of purees. There is no need to be alarmed if undigested remains of complementary foods are visible in the stool of a 5-month-old child - any new food is not absorbed immediately. It is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of the child’s skin: if the baby reacts to a new food with an upset stomach, the delicate skin around his anus may become inflamed.

Finally, a child’s stool at 6 months may be harder when protein complementary foods are introduced, and sometimes even constipation occurs. Parents have an exciting task ahead of them in creating the right menu for their baby. There is no need to introduce several types of complementary foods at the same time - then it will be difficult to determine what exactly the baby responded to.

What kind of stool should a breastfed baby have and how to improve it

Very often, the condition of a small child is assessed by the nature of the stool. Many problems can be solved at the initial stage. To do this, you need to know the norm and deviations for the main indicators: stool frequency, color, consistency. All these characteristics may differ depending on what kind of feeding the baby is on.

Natural and artificial feeding: what is the difference

The stool of children who are breastfed has its own characteristics.

1. The amount and frequency of stool changes frequently.
2. Having bowel movements up to 12 times a day is not considered a digestive disorder, and the absence of bowel movements for three days is not constipation.
3. After the introduction of complementary foods (not earlier than the sixth month), the baby’s stool depends on the foods eaten, but not on what the mother ate. The diet of a nursing woman does not affect feces.

What stool test result is considered normal?

• The stool is yellow to green in color.
• The presence of bilirubin can be traced up to the 8th month.
• Sourish smell.
• White blood cells, streaks of blood, mucus, and lumps of milk may be present.
• Unformed intestinal microflora.

Key Indicators: What You Need to Know

Stool standards may vary. This depends on the general condition of the baby, what kind of nutrition he receives (formula or breast milk), and whether complementary foods are included in the diet. If the child is breastfed, then the feces have the following norm.

Color can vary from light yellow to brown. For a baby who drinks breast milk, a greenish tint to the stool will be normal.

Feces can change color for several reasons:

1. Taking medications by the mother or the child himself. Antibiotics, iron-containing preparations, and activated carbon are especially influential. If the stool is black, but the baby is active, eats and sleeps well, there is no reason to worry.
2. The period from the sixth month is characterized by the first complementary foods. At this time, the stool may have a greenish tint. This is caused by increased bile production.
3. Insufficient absorption of breast milk. The stool becomes bright orange or greenish.
4. Presence of bilirubin. Increased bilirubin is observed in most newborns. It is excreted along with feces and urine throughout the first month of life. Therefore, stool may change color from orange or yellow to brown.
5. White (discolored) feces are a dangerous sign that indicates a disease such as hepatitis. It is infectious and is extremely rare in infants. May cause serious consequences.
6. Dysbacteriosis can cause stool to become lighter in color. At the time of teething, the feces may also lighten.

Normal stool can have a different consistency, from thick to runny. It is important to distinguish the condition of diarrhea from the norm.

• stool becomes watery;
• frequent bowel movements;
• an unpleasant odor appears;
• bright green color;
• high body temperature;
• the appearance of vomiting;
• mucus, blood, foam can be observed in the stool;
• the child looks lethargic, drowsy, apathetic.

Parents need to know that if the body temperature rises, the baby’s behavior changes, loss of appetite and poor weight gain, they should immediately consult a doctor.

Baby's feces always contain various impurities

1. A large number of white lumps may indicate that the baby is overeating. There are not enough enzymes to digest all the milk.
2. A small amount of mucus is always present in the stool. In the case when it becomes more, we can talk about the beginning of the inflammatory process. There are several other reasons for the appearance of mucus in the stool of a breastfed baby: improper attachment to the breast, early introduction of complementary foods, infections.
3. Foam may indicate dysbacteriosis, food allergies, or abdominal colic. The appearance of abundant foam indicates an intestinal infection.
4. The appearance of blood in the stool can be a consequence of anal fissures, an inflammatory process in various parts of the gastrointestinal tract, a lack of vitamin K, and helminthiasis.

Changes from birth to one year

If the child is breastfed, the composition of the stool will depend on what the mother ate and on the development of the child’s digestive system. If the mother eats foods that weaken her, the stool will become thinner. And vice versa.

As soon as the baby is born, within three days he passes his first stool - meconium comes out. It has a black color and a viscous composition. After this, the baby will begin to poop with normal feces, which have a mustard color and a medium liquid consistency. There may be no stool for several days, since the child has completely emptied the intestines of the contents.

When a baby is breastfed, his stool takes on a greenish tint, liquefies and acquires a sour smell.

Around the second week of life, transitional milk changes to mature milk. The child's digestive organs begin to get used to these changes. Colic and regurgitation are often observed. By the end of the first month, the milk acquires its final composition.

At 1 month, the baby defecates after almost every feeding. At 2 months, the frequency of stool decreases up to 4 times. The norm is yellow color, liquid consistency, milky smell.

The third month is characterized by the fact that the baby may poop every other day. During this period, the composition of breast milk and enzymes in the baby’s intestines change. If your child rarely poops, but does not experience discomfort, you just need to wait out this period.

After the 6th month, changes in stool can be observed. It acquires a more pronounced pungent odor, and the consistency thickens. These changes can occur even if complementary foods have not been introduced. This is due to the fact that the child’s body is preparing for new food and began to produce more enzymes.

It is very important to ensure that the baby sucks not only foremilk, which is a means of quenching thirst for the baby. Hind milk contains all the nutrients, which is more difficult for the baby to get to.

The appearance of green, loose stools indicates that the baby is fed only foremilk. The mother should hold the baby on one breast longer during feeding.

Important points: how to recognize the problem

Problems with stool during breastfeeding can occur for the following reasons:

• feeding the child according to the schedule;
• lack of milk;
• additional water;
• early feeding with formulas;
• early introduction of complementary foods.

If the following symptoms appear, you should seek help from a doctor:

1. Stool more than 12 times a day.
2. Rare urination.
3. Copious, frequent regurgitation.
4. Stomach ache.
5. Bad breath.

How to fix the situation: tips for solving the problem

Constipation in a child can be suspected in the following cases:

• the child has not pooped for more than three days;
• the baby’s behavior becomes capricious, constant crying is observed;
• the child has a hard stomach;
• stool becomes dry and very hard;
• suspicion of abdominal pain in the child (he often bends his legs towards his tummy).

You cannot resort to self-treatment and use of folk advice (thermometer, soap). All these methods can lead to disruption of the intestinal microflora and inflammatory processes. Constipation is rare in breastfed babies. A symptom can be not only a long absence of feces. It becomes hard and dry.

What foods make you weak? The following products will help change the situation: cereals, fruits, boiled vegetables, kefir. Prunes will help improve the digestion process. To do this, a woman should eat about 4 pieces of this dried fruit in the morning on an empty stomach.

Thick stools may occur due to medications that contain iron. They are usually prescribed to mothers in the first months after childbirth to increase hemoglobin.

Another reason that stool is thick is impaired intestinal motility.

The following will help you adjust your chair:

1. placing the baby on his stomach before feeding;
2. sufficient amount of liquid;
3. abdominal massage;
4. gymnastics.

If all these methods do not help, resort to laxative medications. What medications are allowed for infants for constipation? Glycerin suppositories or the drug "Microlax" instantly weaken and lead to the desired result.

It is better to exclude from the diet foods that cause increased gas formation and worsen the situation. What foods should you not eat? These are peas, grapes, cucumbers, cabbage. If there are white lumps in the stool, this indicates poor digestion of breast milk. Enzyme preparations, which should only be prescribed by a doctor, help normalize the situation.

Frequent loose stools may occur due to infection in the body.

• temperature increase;
• stool becomes very liquid;
• the appearance of copious amounts of blood and mucus;
• lack of weight gain;
• regurgitation, vomiting.

In this case, only medications will help improve bowel movements: antibiotics, antiviral drugs, prebiotics. Mom should not eat foods that weaken her and lead to increased gas formation.

Don't worry and stop breastfeeding. The main thing is to recognize the problem in time and consult a doctor. Self-medication can lead to serious health problems for the baby.

Normal bowel movements in infants: recognizing the problem in time

With the appearance of a tiny, flashy treasure in the house, the life of the family changes radically: all loved ones try to create the best conditions for the proper growth and harmonious development of the baby. In the first year, a lot depends on the baby’s nutrition and the well-coordinated functioning of its digestive system. The mother is able to personally control the process of feeding an infant, and diapers will help her monitor how correctly and smoothly the gastrointestinal tract of the newborn functions. They will become an indispensable informant for a long time, regularly reporting on the health of the baby. The contents of the diaper can reassure the mother by its appearance or signal problems in the small tummy.

The ideal baby chair: what is it like?

Its consistency is quite uniform, smooth, yellow or similar shades without additional inclusions. Stool of this quality occurs only in newborns who are fed with artificial milk formulas. Long-term feeding of one type of formula that is ideal for a particular child gives truly excellent results.

A baby fed with mother's milk poops differently. His feces contain mucous layers and lumps, and their color can sometimes be completely unexpected for the mother. This is not a reason to worry too much, since most of the indicators in a newborn’s feces are directly influenced by the foods that predominate in his mother’s diet.

Appearance of feces of a healthy infant at different ages

If you want to see with your own eyes a photo of a used diaper with the waste products of a baby, then any Internet search engine will give you a lot of options with comments and a precise distinction between where the stool is normal and where it is a sign of a serious problem.

Each mother herself should have a correct idea of ​​the color and quality of the baby’s stool. Moreover, these indicators change significantly with the age of newborns.

1. 1-3 days of a baby's life. The feces look like this: the color is black and green, since the composition includes amniotic fluid, which the baby swallowed while in the mother’s tummy. A similar stool is normal for a three-day-old baby; the scientific name is meconium.
2. 3–7 days of the baby’s life. The stool becomes a little lighter, the color periodically changes from gray-green to gray. The consistency itself is quite liquid, sometimes reminiscent of “gruel”, “puree” with air bubbles. This is not a serious pathology, disorder or diarrhea, but a norm indicating good digestion in the infant. It sucks out a sufficient amount of mother’s milk, and it is properly digested by the child’s body
3. From 8 days to 3 months, the baby can poop quite often. Sometimes such “surprises” can await a mother up to 10 times a day. In some cases, the number of bowel movements in children is equal to the number of feedings, and this is also the norm, and not a sign of disease. The color of stool is yellowish, mustard, and its smell is sour.
4. 4-5 months. The color of children's feces changes, it becomes brown, brown with patches, and the smell of feces becomes quite pungent and unpleasant. Such characteristics accompany the normal stool of a baby who begins to receive the first complementary foods; feces become soft, pasty, and resemble putty.
5. A 6-month-old baby's stool can come in a variety of colors. The reason for such changes lies in the products offered to the child as complementary foods: carrots offered by the mother will turn the stool orange, beets will color it a bright dark beet color, chopped apples and bananas will turn it yellow, and pears, zucchini, and broccoli will turn it green. After 6 months, the number of small intestinal bowel movements is significantly reduced; now the baby poops 1-2 times a day
6. Normal stool for a one-year-old baby is quite thick in consistency and well-formed. The color of feces directly depends on what the toddler eats. Typically, the color range of feces is brown, varying from light to dark. Sometimes small pieces of semi-digested vegetables are observed in the stool - this is also the norm.

How often should a baby poop during the day?

Most pediatricians believe that it is normal for a one-month-old baby to have bowel movements 12 times a day. Gradually, with age, the total number of daily bowel movements will decrease significantly - up to 1-3 times for a one-year-old toddler.

How does a baby’s stool change when complementary foods are introduced: features and correction of constipation in a child

The introduction of complementary foods is an important moment in the life of a toddler. Parents are waiting for it with impatience and fear, because the baby does not always react well to new food. Some people simply don’t want to eat thick puree, and some children begin to have problems with bowel movements - for example, constipation. It is important not to give up and not to panic: all parents, without exception, face the difficulties of a new diet. Knowing the general rules, it is not difficult to overcome such a nuisance as constipation in children after the introduction of complementary foods.

How does a child’s stool change after the introduction of complementary foods?

Young parents should understand that even after one new product in the diet, the appearance and consistency of the baby's stool will change! If the baby eats only milk or formula, the feces will be yellow in color, with a sour milk smell, and have a liquid or mushy consistency. Stool changes due to age-related structural features of the digestive system. In children under one year old, food that enters the stomach for the first time may not be digested at all and exit unchanged. Hence the pieces of apple or fragments of vegetable puree in the baby's diaper. In addition, colored foods (carrots, pumpkin, beets, broccoli, zucchini) color the feces in the corresponding colors - orange, red, green (we recommend reading: when can you give boiled beets to a child and can he have it?). If the child feels well, does not wiggle his legs, and sleeps peacefully, then there is no reason to worry. Gradually, the body will adapt, produce the necessary enzymes, and the contents of the pot will no longer frighten the parents.

The frequency of bowel movements also changes. Breast milk and formula are quickly digested, and complementary foods linger in the intestines, which is why the baby poops less often. If a baby exclusively on milk nutrition can walk “mostly” up to 8–10 times a day, then when thick food is introduced, the baby has bowel movements from 4 times a day to 1 time every few days. Again, it all depends on the baby’s well-being - if the tummy doesn’t bother you and the baby poops without crying or strong tension, everything is fine.

The consistency also changes. Feces become denser and thicker. The more regular food your baby gets, the thicker the stool - this is absolutely normal. You should focus only on the baby’s well-being; if the baby is feeling unwell, he will let you know about it.

Rules for normal nutrition of children under one year old

The functioning of the intestines directly depends on nutrition, on the order in which new dishes are introduced into the diet. It is important to give a little at a time (start with half a teaspoon), gradually increasing to a whole serving. It is advisable to feed your baby only after 6 months. According to WHO recommendations, complementary feeding is given the following periods:

1. From 6 months (for artificial babies all the dates are slightly shifted, vegetables are introduced 2-4 weeks earlier) the baby will have his first acquaintance with vegetable puree. Cauliflower, zucchini, and broccoli are ideal. First, the puree is made very liquid and diluted with breast milk.
2. If the baby tolerates vegetables well, at 7 months it’s time to try dairy-free cereals. Buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, and corn are good for the intestines. You can add a little vegetable oil to the puree.
3. From the age of 8 months they begin to get acquainted with fruits, which are first pureed by rubbing through a sieve. You can try baby cookies.
4. At 9 months, the baby is ready to try lean meat, which is most often added to soup in the form of meatballs. You can also add butter to dishes.
5. At 10, fermented milk products are introduced into the diet: cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt.
6. After 11 months, you can give your child fish.

To plan a sample menu, you can watch videos of other mothers on this topic.

In addition, during the day the baby should receive from 120 to 200 ml of water; for infants this amount may be less, but for artificial babies it is imperative to drink well. Lack of water also leads to constipation. You can give clean water (preferably baby water, not boiled water) or compote.

Komarovsky notes that it is not advisable to give regular food to children under 4 months of age, since they cannot yet swallow thick purees and the stomach is not ripe for adult food; constipation, vomiting, and diarrhea may occur. Complementary foods can be introduced to artificial babies earlier - from 4 months, but only according to doctor's indications.

In general, you need to focus on how the baby is gaining weight and the state of his health. For example, for babies who suffer from constipation from birth (if they are not caused by abnormalities in the intestinal structure), it is recommended to introduce kefir into their diet from 4 months. Dr. Komarovsky generally believes that complementary feeding should begin with kefir and cottage cheese.

What is constipation?

You can tell if your child is constipated by the following signs:

• the baby poops less often than once every 2-3 days, and at the same time shows anxiety;
• there are problems with the passage of feces, the baby tenses and cries;
• the baby refuses to eat;
• the stomach is hard or swollen, sometimes painful;
• The child’s stool is very hard, sometimes in the form of large peas;
• The general condition of the baby is disturbed, the baby sleeps poorly and is capricious.

How to deal with constipation?

The first step is to remember everything that the child ate. Temporarily exclude new foods, but increase the amount of fluid, because with a lack of water in the diet, the feces become thicker and harder.

Check to see if the order in which the products are introduced is correct. Of course, each child is individual and parents decide what to feed the baby, but you should not introduce foods ahead of schedule, since the baby will not be able to digest them yet. For example, protein foods (meat, dairy products, fish) should not be given until the 7th month.

Another possible cause of constipation is excessive feeding. The amount of food depends on the age of the child. During a routine examination, the clinic should provide information about the portion size for the baby. It’s good if the baby eats at the same time, so the digestion process goes faster and better. It is useful for infants to offer the breast after eating, because mother’s milk contains components that have a beneficial effect on digestive function - this is the best prevention of constipation after complementary feeding.

Of the natural products that improve intestinal motility for children, you can:

These fruits are given in the form of puree, highly diluted juice or compote. Start with a few teaspoons.

If you have constipation or thick stool, you can try sitting your baby on the potty or holding him over the potty when he starts pooping. In this position, it is easier for the baby to do his job. Of course, this only applies to children who are already sitting up on their own.

If constipation occurs once, you can cope on your own, but if you have regular problems with bowel movements, you will need to consult a pediatrician. Do not use any laxatives without medical prescription. A properly organized diet will help eliminate constipation in your baby after introducing complementary foods.

Stool in a 6 month old baby

Please tell me what to do after learning about potatoes and carrots? I found the following information on the net.

11-00 - porridge with breast milk or water with plums. butter - 150/5g + expressed breast milk from a cup - 30-50ml,

15-00 - vegetable puree with vegetables. oil-150/5g + baby herbal tea or half juice-30ml,

fruit puree-60g + biscuits-5g + breast milk ml, breast milk -200 ml.

The first complementary feeding product is a one-component dairy-free gluten-free porridge, preferably buckwheat, made with breast milk or water. Then add one-component puree of white and green vegetables, for example, broccoli and cauliflower.

Next, add vegetable oil and butter one by one. One week before 7 months. start introducing 50g of one-component meat puree, preferably turkey or rabbit. At 7 months add 40g of children's classic cottage cheese, 1/4 yolk of a hard-boiled chicken egg, fruit puree and 5g of cookies.

It is better not to dissolve cookies in milk, but to crumble them into cottage cheese or fruit puree into small crumbs so that the baby gets used to handling soft pieces of food. Gradually increase the size of the pieces from 1-2mm at 6-7 months. up to 0.8-1.0 cm per year.

Between feedings, the baby is offered only clean water per day.

How reliable is this information? Should a baby eat so much at 6 months? When should we have started? And most importantly, why at 11.00, when the mother is alive, should the child receive expressed milk from a cup? What about night feedings? Does your baby wake up every hour or two?

The color of a child’s stool is a direct indicator of the proper functioning of the entire digestive tract. When it changes from normal to green, you should immediately find out the cause of the problem. In children, pathological conditions can progress over several hours, and only a qualified doctor can help them.

After childbirth, the first five days, baby feces have a color close to olive, sometimes the stool becomes black, which should not cause concern to the mother and doctors. This condition is associated with the ingestion of blood during passage through the birth canal.

From the third day, the baby's diaper may show inclusions of a lighter color, but the stool is still green in color.

After 6-10 days, the color of the stool changes to greenish-brown. Further, due to growing up, the feces will change their color, becoming the same color as adults. After establishing a diet, dark green, marsh-colored feces, with foam, interspersed with blood and undigested food, are dangerous for the child.

Attention! The color of stool in breastfed children is influenced by the mother's diet. The more unhealthy foods she eats, the higher the likelihood of digestive disorders in the little patient.

The main causes of green stool in children

The following problems can provoke such a violation:

Attention! Parents cannot make an accurate diagnosis on their own, since in many cases additional tests are required. Only by their results is the cause of the violation determined.

Diagnosis of disorders with green stools

To make an accurate diagnosis, additional laboratory and functional studies are required.

Survey	Description
Ultrasound	Allows you to identify possible disorders in the functioning of the liver, pancreas and gastrointestinal tract.
Stool analysis	Allows you to find out how unhealthy the intestinal microflora has become.
Blood chemistry	Provides an opportunity to control the level of liver and pancreatic enzymes.
Scatological analysis of stool	Assess the degree of inflammation of the intestinal mucosa by the number of leukocytes, epithelium and erythrocytes.
Vomit analysis	Carried out if salmonellosis is suspected.
General analysis of urine and blood	Allows you to assess the general condition of the patient and the presence of inflammatory processes by the level of leukocytes.

Attention! Usually only a few examinations are prescribed, since during a face-to-face examination the doctor can make a preliminary diagnosis. But if the symptoms are vague, you should undergo all laboratory and instrumental procedures.

Common causes of green stool in children under one year of age

Green stool in children may appear due to the large amount of fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet of the baby or the mother if she is breastfeeding. But feces rarely have a pronounced green color; it is still closer to natural. You should consult a doctor if, after eating fruits and vegetables, the patient experiences abdominal pain, fever, vomiting and nausea.

As soon as children start teething, their stools become abnormally colored due to excessive saliva production. It also enters the gastrointestinal tract, which causes a change in the color of the stool. Against this background, the child may develop diarrhea, abdominal pain, and frequent regurgitation.

Attention! In children under one year of age, inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, dysbacteriosis and other pathologies cannot be ruled out. To accurately diagnose the baby’s condition, it is necessary to contact a pediatrician so as not to put the child’s life at risk.

The main causes of green stool in children after two years

After two years of age, green stool is always associated with obvious disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, liver or pancreas. Most often, the pathology is associated with food poisoning and rotavirus infection, especially when the child attends kindergarten.

After transferring the baby to the common table, parents should carefully monitor his nutrition. He should not be allowed to consume large amounts of food rich in carbohydrates, especially simple carbohydrates, fats and salt. If children do not have congenital problems with the digestive system, proper nutrition virtually eliminates any likelihood of green stool in toddlers and adults.

Green feces due to dysbiosis in children

The most common cause of change in the color of stool in a child, not counting food poisoning. The disease is provoked by a pathological change in the intestinal microflora. The cause of this disease is the widespread spread of bacteria. They can enter the body with dirty vegetables, fruits, or due to insufficient hand hygiene after using the toilet or going outside. Children should not be allowed to lick toys and foreign objects, as microorganisms located on their surface also cause disruption of the intestinal microflora.

In some cases, the disease occurs under the influence of antibacterial drugs, insufficient nutrition with a large number of unhealthy foods. Diseases of the liver and pancreas can also cause dysbiosis, since diseased organs do not produce enough enzymes for normal digestion of food.

The disease can be recognized by severe bloating, flatulence, stool has a strong sour odor, and is green in color with a gray tint. The feces are very foamy and may contain traces of mucus and bloody clots. To confirm dysbiosis, a stool test is performed.

Dysbiosis is easy to distinguish from food poisoning. With food poisoning, the baby may suffer from vomiting and diarrhea, but the stool is rarely green and never foams.

Attention! Children under one year old with dysbacteriosis suffer from severe colic and often regurgitate. Because of this, they do not receive enough nutrition and can quickly lose weight.

Video - Dysbacteriosis

Green stool in a child due to dysentery

The disease is also provoked by a large number of pathogenic bacteria; they enter the body in the same way as in the case of dysbacteriosis. With dysentery, bright green stools are observed, the consistency of which resembles diarrhea. Blood is visible in the feces, and the smell has a pronounced putrid character.

Additionally, the baby has a high body temperature, he is constantly capricious, and may vomit. With timely treatment, the child’s condition can be normalized within a week.

To confirm the disease, it is necessary to take a stool test to identify the pathogen, as well as conduct a scatological examination. Sometimes general urine and blood tests are prescribed.

Green stool due to salmonellosis in children

Salmonellosis is a dangerous infectious disease caused by salmonella, which enter the body most often from chicken eggs. With this pathology, the patient complains not only of bright, marsh-colored feces, but also of severe vomiting and diarrhea. The feces have a strong sour aroma, the process of defecation is painful, and severe abdominal pain is recorded. Body temperature often increases.

To confirm the diagnosis, a biochemical blood test should be performed, feces and vomit should be examined to determine the pathogen. Only after this can treatment begin.

Attention! Salmonellosis or suspicion of it is a reason to immediately seek medical help. With this pathology, the disease quickly leads to dehydration and poisoning of all body systems, which can cause the death of a small patient.

Treatment of green stool in a child

Immediately when signs of disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract appear, it is necessary to use special drugs that can restore water balance, eliminate the influence of bacteria and normalize the functioning of the stomach and intestines.

"Regidron" and "Oralit"

These medications are used orally to restore water balance and protect the child from dehydration. For treatment, one dose of Rehydron or Oralit should be diluted in a liter of clean boiled water; for children after three years of age, it can be diluted in filtered water. Up to a year, a child needs to be given a teaspoon of solution every five minutes until all the water is used. After a year, a liter of liquid should be divided into equal portions and the baby should be given water every hour. Such drugs are usually used for no more than 1-3 days.

"Oralit"

"Polyphepan"

The drug has an absorbent effect, removing pathogenic bacteria from the body, which restores normal gastrointestinal function. You can use Polyphepan from the first month of life. In childhood, the medication should be used in the form of a solution. A tablespoon of the active substance is diluted in a glass of water. Children under one year old are prescribed one teaspoon of solution, from one year to seven - one dessert spoon, after seven years - 15 ml of the drug. Take it three times a day for 3-7 days.

"Neosmectin"

"Furazolidone"

Used in the presence of intestinal infections. For children, the dosage is selected taking into account their age and weight only by a doctor. Furazolidone eliminates the spread of pathogenic bacteria, which protects against vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. The medication is taken in the form of tablets; for children under one year of age, they can be mixed with breast milk, water or formula. There are 4 doses per day. The duration of treatment is no more than 10 days, the usual course of therapy is 3-7 days.

"Furazolidone"

"Linex"

Used to improve microflora as an auxiliary component during the main treatment. Linex is a source of probiotics that displace pathogenic organisms and bring the condition of the intestinal mucosa back to normal. In childhood, the drug is taken in the form of a powder, soluble in water. The medication is taken daily for 2-4 weeks. Up to one year, the dose is 1 sachet per 50-100 ml of water, from two years old - 2 sachets per 100 ml of liquid, from three years - 2-3 sachets per 100-150 ml.

"Linex"

"Bifiform"

A drug for the treatment of dysbiosis of any nature, normalizes stool and prevents vomiting from developing. The oil solution can be used from the first days of life at a dose of 0.5 g of the active substance 1-3 times a day, taking into account the child’s condition. Treatment with bifiform can be continued for three weeks. From one year onwards, the medication can be used in capsule form. The dose from one year onwards is the same for all children and is 1 capsule three times a day. The appointment time can be any. The duration of treatment is also no more than three weeks.

"Bifiform" drops

"Bifiform" capsules

"Cerucal"

An antiemetic drug, it can be used for vomiting of any nature from the age of two. At home, the medication is used in the form of tablets, they are taken 30 minutes before meals. The dose is selected individually for each child; it can be 0.25-1 tablet of cerucal up to four times a day. Treatment is continued until vomiting disappears completely. Well tolerated in complex treatment.

"Cerucal"

"Nifural"

The drug is available in the form of tablets and suspensions; it is recommended to use the drug in liquid form for up to six years. "Nifural" is approved for use from two months. Allows you to eliminate diarrhea caused by pathogenic organisms. Babies under six months should use a single dose of 5 ml or 2.5 ml in the morning and evening. From six months, Nifural is prescribed in a dose of 5 ml three times a day. The course of treatment is up to 10 days.

"Nifural"

The simplest and most classic remedy for treating diarrhea and removing toxic substances from the body. Before use, the tablets must be dissolved in clean water; 50-100 ml of water should be taken per dose. Activated carbon is recommended to be taken from 1.5-2 years. The dose is 1 tablet for every 10 kg of weight. Take charcoal 1-3 times a day for no more than five days.

"Hilak Forte"

A drug against diarrhea, to normalize intestinal microflora, eliminate colic and abdominal pain. You can take Hilak Forte from the first days of a child’s life; it is available in the form of drops. The dosage of the active substance depends on the age of the baby. The medication must be taken before or after meals. Up to one year, a single dose of Hilak Forte2 is 15-30 drops, from one year onwards – 20-40 drops. Drink the medication three times a day for an individually selected time.

Attention! If the problem is associated with an inflammatory process in any part of the gastrointestinal tract, treatment can only be prescribed by a pediatrician or gastroenterologist. For such processes, drugs are used that can only be used in a hospital setting; they are administered in the form of droppers and intramuscular injections.

Traditional methods of treatment

Before using traditional recipes, you should consult your pediatrician. They are not always compatible with traditional medications and, if the dose is incorrectly selected, can do more harm than good.

Chamomile and mint

To prepare the solution, you need to mix both components in equal quantities. It is recommended to grind both ingredients. 2-5 g of the mixture is poured into 250 ml of boiling water and left for 30-45 minutes, filtered. The resulting infusion should be taken five times a day in equal portions of 50 ml 30 minutes before meals. Treatment cannot continue in childhood for more than seven days. It is not recommended to give this mixture to children under two years of age. During treatment, chamomile and mint have a quick antiseptic effect, relieve pain and normalize the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract.

This remedy is used for severe diarrhea and dehydration of the child. In order for the decoction to have the necessary effect, it is important to prepare it correctly. To do this, mix one part rice with three parts water. The cereal is boiled until completely cooked, the broth is squeezed out. It should be given in 10-50 ml doses, taking into account the baby’s age. Up to a year, it is better to give 10 ml of rice water every two to three hours. From two years of age, the dose is 30-50 ml every 4-6 hours. From three years of age and older, the dose is 50 ml of decoction every 4-6 hours. Treatment with rice water is continued until diarrhea stops, but not more than five days.

Hawthorn

10 g of fruits should be poured with 200 ml of boiling water and left under a tight lid for an hour, the hawthorn should be completely filtered. The resulting solution should be used 30 minutes before meals, 50 ml from the age of three. The course of treatment is 1-5 days, not used if there are heart problems. Hawthorn has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects.

One teaspoon of dry crushed raw materials is poured into 500 ml of boiling water and kept under the lid until it cools completely. After this, filter the herb well and apply the product three times a day, one teaspoon. You need to drink the cuff 30 minutes before meals. The course of treatment is no more than three days. Used to restore microflora, suppressing the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria.

Dry leaves of the plant

Attention! Traditional methods containing herbs and their extracts are recommended to be used only from 5-6 years of age. In this case, it is necessary to constantly monitor the child’s condition, since at this age plant components can increase unpleasant symptoms due to increased sensitivity to them.

Diet for green stool in children

Not only the child, but also the mother should adhere to the diet during treatment and for some time after it, if she supports lactation. To stabilize your health, you need to completely eliminate foods such as:

• foods rich in fats and sugar;
• sour, smoked and salty foods;
• carbonated drinks, coffee and strong tea;
• fruits and vegetables;
• any sweets and rich products;
• whole milk and foods containing it;

Natural yogurt

Rice, lean boiled or baked meat are healthy. It should not contain salt or seasonings.

Attention! A child should not be given compotes with raisins and other dried fruits. They have a laxative effect, which will only worsen the baby’s condition. Water, green tea and chamomile decoction are beneficial.

Prevention of green stool in a child

To reduce the risk of dysbiosis and inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, you need to follow a number of tips:

The child must learn to wash his hands

• in public places you can use antibacterial wipes or special gels with neutral pH to prevent bacteria from entering the body;
• all fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed with water using a brush, with the exception of watermelons, bananas and oranges, which many consider unnecessary to wash;
• Carefully monitor the expiration dates of products, do not give your child vegetables and fruits with traces of rot and spoilage, even after cutting them;
• Children under 5 years of age should not be given raw tap water; it must be filtered to remove heavy impurities.

Attention! If a child has digestive problems from birth, there is a high risk of developing gastrointestinal pathologies in adulthood. A proper diet and timely diagnosis of the patient’s condition are the key to the child’s health in the future.

When the first signs of a digestive system disorder appear, you should immediately consult a pediatrician. After an in-person examination, palpation of the abdomen and ordering the necessary tests, he will be able to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe appropriate therapy. Under no circumstances should children under three years of age self-medicate. In addition to medications, it is important to follow the prescribed diet and take preventive measures to prevent green stool in children.

Video - A child has green stool: reasons, what to do?