Green Stool in Kids

by | Mar 30, 2016 | Health

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Stools include one of the most typical signs that something is awry with a person’s health. It’s particularly a fact in case of kids who oftentimes suffer with allergies, food poisoning, diarrhea, and worms.

Causes of Green Feces in Kids

According to the Best Pediatrician in San Diego, the majority of the time, it’s due to something they’ve eaten. At other times, bile will get mixed in with stools. Some of the green feces causes in kids are explained below.

Meconium

It’s common in infants and newborns. Generally, dark green stools are passed by newborns. Those dark green stools are referred to as meconium, consisting of every bit of the matter the fetus consumed inside the womb such as mucus, intestinal epithelial cells, lanugo, amniotic fluid, water and bile. The meconium is sterile and will have no odor. Newborn babies pass meconium for a couple of days and slowly pass yellow-green feces due to breast milk digestion.

Bile

The liver generates bile juice which is bright green in color. It’s stored inside the gallbladder from where it’ll pass down toward the intestinal tract. As it travels down the intestine, its color changes from bright green over to brown. Within normal digestion, this process will take enough time for bile to change color. But, as bile gets to the intestine quicker than usual, it’ll get mixed up with stools without changing color. It’s referred to as ‘decrease colonic time,’ or ‘rapid transit.’

Diarrhea

Kids who suffer with diarrhea oftentimes experience bright green stools. The reason is rapid transit. Bile doesn’t have an adequate amount of time to change colors.

Iron

Stools of a light green color may be a result of taking too much iron in the diet. You might have to cut down on iron supplements or tonics under the suggestion of physicians or change a youngster’s diet of high iron.

Medicines

Children and infants may experience light green stools because of an intake of specific vitamin supplements, over-the-counter medications, and Tylenol.

Food Poisoning

The most typical food poisoning cause in kids is E.coli. The bacterial infection may produce light green or dark green stools.

Green Foods
Ice creams, green leafy vegetables, green colored sweets and candies, and popsicles, may produce this issue.

Food Coloring

Also, food colors, artificial preservatives, food additives, etc. lead to green colored stools. Children who drink grape-flavored Pedialyte or eat green Jell-O also can suffer with this issue. If the problem persists, it may be due to a more severe condition and it would be better to consult the Best Pediatrician in San Diego.

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