Green stool
Updated: 2024-07-02
Definition
Green stool — when your feces look green — is usually the result of something you ate, such as spinach or dyes in some foods. Certain medicines or iron supplements also can cause green stool.
Newborns pass a dark green stool called meconium, and breastfed infants often produce yellow-green stools. In older children and adults, green stool is not common. However, it's rarely cause for concern.
Causes
Infants
Infants might have green stool as a result of:
- Not finishing breastfeeding entirely on one side. This can result in baby 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 typical intestinal bacteria in breastfed infants.
- Diarrhea
Children and adults
Causes of green stool include:
- Diet high in green vegetables, such as spinach.
- Food dyes.
- Diarrhea
- Iron supplements.
When to see a doctor
Call a healthcare professional if you or your child has green stool for more than a few days. Green stool often happens with diarrhea, so drink plenty of fluids and seek immediate medical attention if you or your child becomes dehydrated.