Infants
Infants might have green stool as a result of:
- Not finishing breast-feeding entirely on one side, thus missing some of the high-fat-content breast milk, which affects the digestion of the milk
- Protein hydrolysate formula, which is used for babies with milk or soy allergy
- Lack of normal intestinal bacteria in breast-fed infants
- Diarrhea
Children and adults
Causes of green stool include:
- Diet high in green vegetables, such as spinach
- Food dyes
- Diarrhea
- Iron supplements
Causes shown here are commonly associated with this symptom. Work with your doctor or other health care professional for an accurate diagnosis.
- Landon MB, et al., eds. Lactation and breastfeeding. In: Gabbe's Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies. 8th ed. Elsevier; 2021. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed June 22, 2020.
- The scoop on poop. Canadian Society of Intestinal Research. https://badgut.org/information-centre/a-z-digestive-topics/the-scoop-on-poop/. Accessed June 22, 2020.
- Schaner RJ, et al. Initiation of breastfeeding. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed June 22, 2020.
- Fischbach FT, et al. Stool studies. In: Fischbach's Manual of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests. 10th ed. Wolters Kluwer; 2018. Accessed June 17, 2020.
- Liacouras CA. Food protein-induced proctitis/colitis and enteropathy of infancy. http://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed June 22, 2020.