What could cause green colored stool in a 4-month-old?

Question

Hello doctor,

My four-month-old baby seemed to poop more often and in green color a couple of days ago, which seems to have returned to normal frequency after one to two days but the poop stays green. We have also spotted little bits of mucus in the nappies and the baby is quite hard to settle and seems to be feeling uncomfortable and wakes up more often than usual. My mom also heard rumbling in the baby's tummy occasionally. Should we be concerned and head to a doctor or wait for it to pass? The baby's temperature is normal and while hard to settle, the baby is not inconsolable for longer than an hour. Kindly suggest.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

As per the limited information on the frequency of motion with green color stool, frequency settled but the green color persisted. Also, you noticed some mucus and some discomfort for the baby. I would appreciate it if you could share some more details before I jump to any conclusions -

Is the baby breastfed or formula-fed with the bottle?
Is the baby feeding well and passing urine well?
Is there any fishy smell or untoward smell from the poop?

With the current information, it requires a stool test to rule out any protozoa. However, it is unlikely that the baby is exclusively breastfed. Get these tests done - Stool analysis - routine and for ova, cysts, and rotavirus.

If it is negative, then nothing is required except wait and watch. Share all the information as mentioned above and a stool analysis report. I will suggest you accordingly. I hope you find this helpful.

Thank you.