What to do if a child has green diarrhea? Diarrhea in a child: green, yellow, white Green diarrhea in a child what does it mean.

Many mothers intuitively determine the state of the child's digestive system by the appearance and color of the stool. Such home diagnostics work quite well, it allows parents to worry about the health of the baby in time. Of particular concern may be green diarrhea in a child, which occurs suddenly and at any age. A green stool is not always a sign of a serious problem, but sometimes, in the presence of additional dangerous symptoms, it indicates the development of a certain disease. How can parents know whether to sound the alarm or whether the appearance of green feces is not dangerous?

Stool color can signal serious problems, but it can sometimes be seen in healthy children.

What factors can cause green diarrhea?

The reasons for the unusual herbal color of feces depend on the child's diet, age and health.

If you notice the appearance of an unpleasant shade, analyze the situation and try to find out what could be the reasons for such changes. Some of them may indicate only a normal reaction of the body to a certain food, but there are some that cannot be passed by - they require a visit to a doctor.

Factors that do not affect the health of the child

A newborn's digestion is imperfect and full of surprises, often not associated with serious dangers to the baby. Parents should be prepared for them and know exactly what is the reason for the appearance of green, black or other color of the stool. Consider the frequently encountered factors affecting the appearance of feces in infants:

  • Meconium. The first feces of babies are not only processed food, so they can be dyed dark olive.
  • Formation of the gastrointestinal tract. The yellow-green tint of feces in the first year of a child's life is associated with an underdevelopment of the digestive system. As a rule, up to 2 years, the work of the gastrointestinal tract is normalized, and unpleasant manifestations disappear.
  • Features of breastfeeding and nutrition for mothers while breastfeeding. Loose stools are formed when the baby absorbs fore milk, which is not very fatty. Green diarrhea in a child is triggered by eating vegetables and fruits of the same color or foods containing a lot of carbohydrates (see also :).


If the nipple is not properly seized, the baby receives only foremilk, which leads to gastrointestinal upset.
  • Artificial feeding. Formulas containing high amounts of iron will discolor your stools.
  • Lure. The introduction of new foods into complementary foods can lead to the appearance of different colors of stool.
  • Improper nutrition. The appearance of green diarrhea in children 3-5 years old may be associated with eating excessive amounts of foods such as chocolate, apples, pears, lettuce or spinach, baked goods, dill.

Causes requiring special attention

Stool with mucus and an unpleasant color looks like an alarming signal when there is a suspicion of the presence of an infection or other disease. Here is a list of reasons parents should pay special attention to:

  1. Dysbacteriosis. The cause of the disease can be the incorrect introduction of complementary foods to infants, an intestinal infection transferred by the child, somatic diseases that require antibiotic treatment.
  2. Various types of intestinal infections: yersiniosis, shigellosis, campylobacteriosis, escherichiosis, rotavirus infection.
  3. Dysentery.
  4. Salmonellosis. The main cause of salmonellosis is the consumption of "dirty" raw eggs and fish.


Salmonellosis is a very serious infectious disease caused by “dirty” food

As you can see, the appearance of loose stools can be associated with various factors. It is important for parents to compare them in order to correctly determine why this is happening. Obviously, in the presence of a disease, it can manifest itself with other symptoms. It is necessary to monitor the general condition of the child in order to draw the right conclusions and organize competent assistance in time. A number of programs with the participation of the famous pediatrician Dr. Komarovsky are devoted to the problem of diarrhea in children, who examines this topic in detail and intelligibly from all sides.

What symptoms should alert you?

It is important for mom to understand: if a month-old or one-year-old baby poops green, you should closely monitor his condition and pay attention to possible signs of the disease. Any disease that gives a similar reaction is accompanied by other signs. Often in the clinical picture of the disease, there are a number of symptoms that make it possible to establish the correct diagnosis:

  • Temperature increase. If a high fever is added to the diarrhea, the cause is salmonellosis or dysentery.
  • Stool consistency (see also:). An infant or 3-year-old child poops with herbal-colored diarrhea, filled with mucus and blood clots - these are clear signs of severe dysentery. Feces come out with foam - a sign of intestinal infection or dysbiosis. If the stool is mucus, but there are no blood clots, then salmonellosis is the provocateur.
  • Stool shade. Light green feces - mild intestinal disorder, dark - salmonellosis, black - dysentery. Note that the black tint of greens in diarrhea with mucus is the initial stage of the disease. A little time will pass and it will manifest itself with other characteristic symptoms.

  • Smell. With dysbiosis, the feces are liquid, have an acidic putrid odor, with an intestinal infection - stool with a fetid odor that hits the nose.
  • Vomiting and regurgitation. Repeated regurgitation in infants indicates dysbiosis, and vomiting occurs in older children. Vomiting profuse, not stopping, inherent in salmonellosis.
  • General well-being. Obvious anxiety of the baby, complaints that he has a tummy ache, crying and whims of a newborn, refusal to eat, insomnia are indicative signs of a general malaise of the child. It is easier for parents of 4-7 years old to understand what worries the baby, and at 1 month you need to be especially attentive to his behavior. A baby cannot tell you that he is in pain, therefore, if you find an unpleasant shade of diarrhea in a baby, pay attention to other signs of the disease.

If the baby is diarrhea, but his temperature does not rise and nothing else bothers him, he is cheerful and mobile, you should not worry too much. Most likely, after a while digestion will stabilize, the diarrhea will go away and will not affect the health of the little patient in any way. The situation looks more serious when fever, vomiting, abdominal pain and other unpleasant symptoms are added to diarrhea.

Obviously, parents should call a doctor and take certain measures before he arrives. A similar tactic is proposed by Dr. Komarovsky, who believes that self-medication in such cases is irresponsible and criminal. The honored pediatrician warns parents that in doubtful situations, when there is no clear picture of the disease, only contacting a specialist will be the best solution.



If the baby's condition has worsened, an urgent need to call a doctor to determine the cause of the disease

What help can you provide?

Not a single mother will be able to calmly observe how the child suffers. What can be done if, against the background of diarrhea, the child's temperature rises and the general condition worsens (for more details in the article :)? While waiting for a doctor, do the following:

  1. Water the child with saline solutions (Regidron, Oralit, Eneterodez), which can be bought at the pharmacy. Medicines can help replace fluid loss.
  2. You should not solder the baby with drinking water, it can provoke nausea and vomiting.
  3. To neutralize and remove toxins, give the crumbs some kind of sorbent (Enterosgel or Smecta).
  4. Continue breastfeeding.
  5. Please note that your child should not fast for more than 6 hours.
  6. No other drugs, especially antibiotics, can be used. The thoughtless use of medication can make things worse.

All your competent actions will help alleviate the baby's condition, but will not solve the problem globally. Only a doctor can eliminate suspicions of a serious illness or digestive pathology. Remain outwardly calm, try not to scare the baby with your excitement, so that nervous tension does not add to the bad state of health.



There is no need to scare the baby with excitement - on the contrary, he should draw peace from his mother

Why is the condition dangerous?

Diarrhea, whatever color it may be, always carries a loss of fluid from the body. Infants are especially at risk of dehydration. Large fluid loss results in a rise in temperature, complicating the problem. Green diarrhea can be accompanied by bloating, pain. The child reacts to the development of the problem with cold limbs, his eyes may sink. Newborns become restless, they are a lot of capricious. A competent decision is to immediately call a doctor. The threat increases if the baby is not even 6 months old: dehydration can be fatal. Crumbs of this age do not perceive saline solutions well, refuse to drink them, there is a strong loss of fluid, the body cannot cope with the problem.

How is the problem diagnosed?

Laboratory tests can help find out how serious the problem is. Doctors use them in order to accurately determine the degree of the disease. Types of analyzes:

  • feces for dysbiosis;
  • bacterial culture of vomiting and feces;
  • visual examination by a doctor of the rectum or retroromanoscopy;
  • urine;
  • blood for a general analysis;
  • coprogram;
  • RNGA blood - an analysis that detects antibodies to salmonella.


A complete blood count may be needed to determine the cause of the disease.

Full diagnostics allows you to find out exactly the cause of the unusual color of diarrhea, to establish whether the child has a pathology or not. The test results give the doctor a complete clinical picture and facilitate the choice of treatment. If no serious illness is identified, the doctor may recommend proper nutrition and other measures that parents should take to prevent the child from developing diarrhea with a strange tinge (we recommend reading :).

What treatment is prescribed?

Treatment is prescribed only after a comprehensive diagnosis, based on the results shown by the tests performed. If doctors find any disease, they can treat it like this:

  1. Special therapeutic dietary food.
  2. With dysbiosis, the intake of probiotics, bacteriophages, Bifilin, Linex, Acipol, Bifiform is prescribed.
  3. Intestinal infection is eliminated with enterosorbents, antibiotics and chemotherapy.
  4. The use of enzyme therapy. Used such means as Pancreatin, Pancurmen, Festal, Panzinorm forte, Mezim forte, Digestal.
  5. To eliminate side effects, antiallergic drugs are being taken.
  6. Antidiarrheal drugs are also prescribed: Imodium or Diarol.
  7. To relieve pain syndromes, myotropic antispasmodics are used.


With dysbiosis, children's Linex can be prescribed

What preventive measures should be taken?

Preventive measures that every mother can take will help to avoid the described problem. Observe the following regularly:

  1. Eliminate or cut back on foods that trigger allergies in newborns. Such a diet is especially important up to the age of three months of the child.
  2. Establish a balanced diet for yourself and try not to use antibiotics for your own treatment.
  3. When feeding a baby with a formula, consult a pediatrician to find a product with the right composition for your baby.
  4. Introduce complementary foods gradually, carefully monitoring the baby's reaction. We saw changes in feces - exclude the product from the child's menu for a while. Wait until the digestive tract of the crumbs is completely formed.
  5. After 3 years, make sure that the baby food is balanced; carbohydrates and vegetables should not be given in large quantities.
  6. None of the adults should lick the baby's spoons and pacifiers. Your saliva can carry harmful bacteria into your baby's body.

An important symptom of an intestinal infection or disorder is green diarrhea in a child. The sign indicates an inflammatory process that affects the baby's digestive system. Doctors recommend that you immediately seek help, do not ignore the dangerous signal of the body. With the right choice of drugs, you can quickly restore the microflora and save the baby from unpleasant sensations.

What is diarrhea

With repeated excretion of feces in liquid form, doctors diagnose diarrhea. This is not an independent disease, but a symptom characteristic of pathologies of the intestines, stomach or pancreas. He points out to a specialist that a person has a violation of the natural process of water absorption into the rectal mucosa, the destruction of bonds between electrolytes.

In the absence of health problems, the child's body secretes up to 100-150 grams of feces daily. The norm is approximate, depending on the diet, appetite and age of the baby. With diarrhea, nutrients do not have time to be absorbed into the epithelium, the flow of water into cells and tissues decreases: accelerated peristalsis brings them out, creating dangerous dehydration.

Liquid green stools are conventionally divided into two subspecies. Acute diarrhea lasts no more than 2 weeks and accompanies the infection. In the chronic form, greenish feces are released in a volume of at least 300 grams per day, and the number of visits to the toilet reaches 6-8 times. In this case, a large number of undigested pieces of food are a sign of a serious disorder.

Causes of green diarrhea in children

Green diarrhea in a child begins suddenly, may be accompanied by complaints of abdominal pain, vomiting and other unpleasant symptoms. In most cases, the reason lies in infection with different types of pathogens:

  • pathogenic fungi (yeast);
  • bacteria;
  • enteroviruses.

Such types provoke the development of intestinal infections associated with the activity of staphylococci, streptococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Upon contact with the intestinal mucous membranes, their active reproduction begins. They not only change the acidic environment of the epithelium, but also provoke the death of beneficial microflora, which is unstable in infancy.

Dysbacteriosis

Green diarrhea in children of the first year of life often occurs with intestinal dysbiosis. The disease is increasingly being diagnosed in bottle-fed babies. It is associated with an imbalance in microflora, a significant increase in the colonies of pathogenic microorganisms. At this age, the causes of pathology and diarrhea are as follows:

  • improperly selected food;
  • allergy to milk proteins;
  • antibiotic treatment.

In this case, green loose stools in a child are replaced by prolonged constipation, problems with defecation, painful cramps. The disease can only be determined by a special analysis of feces for the level of bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, their concentration in the rectum.

Staphylococcus aureus


The dangerous bacteria are very common in the environment. It settles on the mucous membranes of the nose, genitals, and enters the intestines through the anus or esophagus. It is easy to infect a baby with it during daily care, during breastfeeding, when the fetus passes through the birth canal. If the child has green diarrhea without fever, there is a peeling or rash on the skin of the abdomen, the pediatrician may refer to the delivery of stool tests.

These factors create conditions for frequent colds, disrupt the harmonious growth and development of the child. Treatment of the disease is long-term, requires an attentive approach and constant monitoring of an immunologist, gastroenterologist.

Introduction of new complementary foods

If the child has dark green diarrhea, the doctor asks the parents to list the diet, he is interested in the baby's daily menu. Often, the cause of the painful condition lies in the violation of the rules of complementary feeding by the parents. Such a reaction of the body occurs to the following types of products:

  • whole cow's milk;
  • fatty meats or fish;
  • Exotic fruits;
  • nuts.

The problem is associated with indigestion: many enzymes begin to be produced only after 3 years, the intestines cannot process new foods, fats. Green loose stools in a child becomes a sign that the digestive system cannot cope with complementary foods, a smaller portion or selection of lighter ingredients is required.

In rare cases, dark green diarrhea in a child occurs with liver pathologies, blockage of the hepatic ducts or internal bleeding. When blood is excreted with feces, it gives an atypical shade, black blotches. Therefore, any changes in the baby's stool, the appearance is a reason to seek advice from a specialist.

Symptoms and dangers of green diarrhea in children

Many parents self-medicate, trying to normalize the condition of the crumbs with medicines of their own choice. Therefore, diarrhea threatens to develop into a chronic form. To prevent inflammation, you need to pay attention to the following symptoms:

  • the child has diarrhea with greens;
  • I have a stomachache;
  • the crumb twists its legs, presses them to the navel;
  • anxious and short sleep is replaced by tantrums;
  • vomit;
  • temperature rise over 38 °.

The presence of mucus indicates the development of an intestinal infection, rashes often appear with food allergies. Any symptoms require careful observation, mandatory treatment. Dark green diarrhea in a child can provoke the development of severe complications:

  • Abundant loss of fluid with the threat of dehydration. This dangerously increases the density of blood, negatively affects the functioning of the brain, cardiovascular system, and kidneys.
  • If food is not digested well enough, the body loses nutrients. The kid becomes lethargic, drowsy, he does not have enough energy for games, communication, assimilation of new knowledge.
  • Growth slows down, weight loss begins.

Why green diarrhea in a child, a doctor should understand. The task of the parents is to correctly describe all the symptoms that accompanied the inflammatory process, to indicate the factors that can affect the consistency and shade of the discharge.

How to provide first aid to a child

If the child has green diarrhea and fever, it is necessary to call an ambulance team, to alleviate the baby's condition as follows:


It is possible to select a more accurate treatment only after tests for microflora, staphylococcus, ultrasound of internal organs. Stomach bleeding, an attack of appendicitis, or severe indigestion should be ruled out.

Features of the treatment of green diarrhea in children

Vomiting and green diarrhea in a child can lead to dehydration, so it is necessary to monitor the condition and well-being. In newborns, with a critical decrease in the water balance, the “fontanelle” begins to sink - a non-ossified area on the vertex. Blood vessels appear in it, their pulsation becomes noticeable.

How to treat green diarrhea in a child depends on the situation and symptoms:

  • In case of intestinal infection, special antibiotics are needed: Enterofuril, Loperamide.
  • To reduce intoxication, sorbents are recommended: Polysorb, Atoxil.
  • To eliminate dehydration, it is necessary to give a small portion of special preparations for rehydration every 15-30 minutes: Regidron, Reoxolan, Glucosolan.
  • Green diarrhea and temperature are very exhausting, so you can give antipyretic drugs 2 times a day: Panadol, Paracetamol, Nurofen.

Dysbacteriosis requires the use of special agents that normalize the microflora. If a child has green diarrhea without fever was caused by the development of this disease, for several weeks the baby should be given Linex, Bifidumbacterin, Acipol, Biobacton, Bifiform, and fermented milk mixtures from the treatment series should be introduced into the diet.

Nutrition for diarrhea

If you have digestive upset, you should choose a light and balanced diet. All food should be in the form of a light puree without butter or sour cream. For a while, fats, sweet desserts, any products that can enhance fermentation in the intestines are excluded: smoking, cabbage, yogurt, baked goods. The best options for reducing green mucous diarrhea in a child are:

  • steamed chicken meat, grated into pate;
  • boiled vegetables (potatoes, carrots, broccoli);
  • steam omelets and soufflés;
  • rice or oatmeal;
  • low-fat broth;
  • egg yolk.

After a period of exacerbation with diarrhea, the child's diet is supplemented with baked vegetables and fruits, fermented milk products, jelly or fruit drink from seasonal berries are gradually introduced. Instead of sweets, dried bread, bagels or crackers are allowed.

Traditional methods and recipes

Green diarrhea in a one-month-old baby should be treated only under the supervision of a specialist. For school-age children, taking medication can be supplemented with folk methods. At home, Rehydron for dehydration is replaced with the following composition:

  • 0.5 l of boiled water;
  • 15 grams of sugar;
  • 10 g of salt.

After stirring, the composition is drunk in small portions of 100 ml at intervals of 20-30 minutes. Useful plants from which it is recommended to prepare a decoction for drinking from diarrhea:

  • oak bark;
  • pharmaceutical camomile;
  • blueberries;
  • flax seeds;
  • chicory.

Babies can be given rice water or jelly to restore balance in the intestines. It absorbs dangerous toxins, relieves irritation and spasms, and has a pleasant taste.

Prophylaxis

In most cases, green diarrhea is a consequence of the activity of bacteria and microorganisms. Therefore, parents should carefully monitor the hygiene of infants, adhere to the following recommendations:

  1. Thoroughly wash and handle feeding utensils, wash your breasts before expressing.
  2. Select mixtures and complementary foods together with a doctor.
  3. Wash and disinfect toys more often, keep the room clean.
  4. Do not overload the stomach of children with fatty, smoked foods, fast food.

From preschool age, parents need to be shown by personal example how to keep their hands, body, and clothes clean. Proper nutrition and a balanced menu in accordance with age will help to avoid digestive problems.

Green diarrhea in a child is a pathological condition, which may indicate a malfunction in the digestive system, malnutrition or infection. It is important to consult a doctor in time to rule out dangerous consequences.

The presence of green feces in newborns should not cause concern, it indicates the formation of the digestive system and is the norm.

In older children, when diarrhea occurs, it is important to take into account the age of the baby, his nutrition, the state of living conditions.

Green liquid stool in a child in shades from dark marsh to light green appears for various reasons, which can be divided into two groups: harmless to the baby's health and indicative of an intestinal disease. The first group includes:

  • the introduction of complementary foods in the first year of life;
  • the predominance of greens (parsley, dill) and vegetables in the diet. Such food contains a lot of fiber, promotes a laxative effect, staining feces in a dark green color;
  • iron-rich food - after oxidation, it gives the feces a greenish tint;
  • the predominance of carbohydrates in the diet: potatoes, apples and similar products cause fermentation in the intestines;
  • excessively fatty foods;
  • taking antibiotics.

Reasons associated with intestinal pathologies:

  1. Dysbacteriosis. With this disease, the child's stool acquires an unusual color, an unpleasant, pungent odor.
  2. Bacterial infections (most likely suspected in green diarrhea).
  3. Viral infections.
  4. Food poisoning.
  5. Disruption of the digestive system.
  6. Inflammatory process in the intestines.
  7. Dysfunction of the gallbladder and pancreas.
  8. Liver disease.
  9. Intestinal bleeding (in rare cases).

What additional symptoms indicate

Green bowel movements are not a reason for premature panic. It is necessary to assess the general condition of the baby, to determine the presence (or absence) of concomitant symptoms. If the baby is in a normal mood, is mobile, does not have fever, then the greens in the pot may be a reaction to the diet. An abnormal color of stool in a child is not dangerous if there are no such symptoms:

  • vomiting, nausea;
  • high temperature;
  • abdominal pain, especially when pressed;
  • mucus, foam, blood in the stool;
  • lethargy, bad mood, weakness;
  • flatulence;
  • loss of appetite.

If there are manifestations, it is necessary to show the child to a doctor. Only a specialist can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Fever, vomiting, nausea, and frequent bowel movements may indicate viral or bacterial diarrhea. Diarrhea caused by dysbiosis is often accompanied by a putrid, sour odor, complicated by vomiting. A serious problem - a disease of the distal intestinal region with hemorrhage - may be indicated by a dark green feces. This disease is quite rare.

Mucus or pus in feces, fever, weakness, vomiting are often signs of inflammation of the large and small intestines - enterocolitis.

Feces turn green in intestinal disorders caused by various infections: rotavirus (intestinal flu), salmonellosis, dysentery, E. coli and other intestinal infections in children are necessarily accompanied by fever, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, foam, mucus, or blood.

Methods for treating green diarrhea in children of different ages

After birth, the baby's stool is sticky and takes on a dark olive color. This original, purifying stool, called meconium, is normal and does not require treatment.

In a baby of the first year of life, green diarrhea is not uncommon, it appears due to an incorrect grip of the breast, in which only the front watery milk is supplied to the baby, from a lack of enzymes in a small stomach, after the introduction of vegetable supplements.

If a child of the first year of life has all the signs of intestinal infection - fever, frequent diarrhea of ​​a light or dark shade of green, vomiting, in which fluid is excreted from the baby's body, you cannot hesitate - you need to urgently call an ambulance.

For babies under 3 months old, in order to avoid seizures, a temperature above 38 ° C-38.2 ° C is brought down orally with antipyretics based on paracetamol.

Before the arrival of the ambulance, every half hour, give a teaspoon of solutions that prevent moisture loss (Regidron, Enterodez). If the baby is breastfed, it is important to apply it to the breast as often (but not for long) as much as possible. It is better for artificial people to limit their diet before the arrival of doctors, in order to avoid regurgitation, to give only fractional portions of the mixture.

Infants older than 1-2 months are allowed to drink herbal infusions of chamomile, fennel - they have a beneficial effect on the mucous membrane of the small stomach and intestines. A kid can drink 250 ml of herbal tea in small portions per day.

Enterosorbents (black coal, Enterosgel, Smecta, Neosmectin) absorb and remove toxins from the body. They will help treat diarrhea in infants and older children. It is important to consider weight when using them. For bottle-fed children, the sorbent can be added to the mixture.

Green loose stools in a young child 2-3 years old should cause alertness and a careful analysis of the food consumed. If there is green diarrhea without fever, acute vomiting and other manifestations of intestinal infection, you can try to get rid of it at home by giving the baby a starch solution (dilute half a tablespoon of the powder in half a glass of water) or boil the jelly on starch.

If a small child has green diarrhea accompanied by fever, lethargy, vomiting, urgent medical attention is needed. The exact diagnosis that caused the green stools will be established after the examination.

Children 3-4 years old and older are given a fractional drink, possibly sweetened. To prepare a rehydration solution at home, take half a teaspoon of salt, soda, sugar in a glass of boiled water. It is better to exclude fruit juices, compotes, fruit drinks, carbonated drinks from the diet.

Rice water will help reduce the intensity of diarrhea. Boil half a glass of rice for at least 40 minutes in three glasses of water. Give the decoction a tablespoon every hour. Older children (5, 6 years old), in addition to tea made from chamomile, mint, fennel, can be given healing decoctions from oak bark, sage. Abdominal cramps, pain are relieved with antispasmodic drugs (Papaverine, No-shpa), dosing them according to the instructions.

That said, treating diarrhea can backfire - constipation. Then the baby's stool is "relaxed" with 0.5-1 teaspoon of natural vegetable oil (sea buckthorn, olive).

You should not self-medicate while giving your child antibiotics. This can complicate his condition. It is not recommended to bring down the temperature below 38.5 - the body fights the infection on its own, there is no need to interfere with this.

The range of therapeutic measures prescribed to eliminate green diarrhea depends on the age of the child. Medical treatment combines a special diet, medications to maintain beneficial microflora, antidiarrheal and antibacterial tablets. The main task for each age (the younger, the faster you need to act) is to maintain water and electrolyte balance in the body, to categorically prevent dehydration.

The shade of the contents in the pot can be different for a child. Do not worry about the herbal shade of feces, if the baby plays cheerfully, eats with appetite. An urgent call should be made to a doctor when the child is diarrhea at the same time as:

  • temperature;
  • vomiting, regurgitation, or nausea;
  • frequent bowel movements (more than 5-8 times a day);
  • pains, cramps in the abdomen;
  • absence of urination for 5-6 hours or a noticeable decrease in the amount, darkening of urine;
  • lack of appetite;
  • poor health (in infants, frequent crying testifies to it);
  • the presence of blood impurities, pus in the feces;
  • skin rashes;
  • if the duration of loose stools exceeds two days.

Most of all, such symptoms are alarming if the baby is not yet three years old. In this case, a call for medical help is required.

Possible complications and prevention

The most dangerous thing for a baby is dehydration. An increase in temperature against the background of vomiting and diarrhea literally drains the child's body and is fraught with sad consequences: convulsions, a heart that is working for wear and tear - up to a stop. It is impossible to neglect diarrhea complicated by vomiting and fever.

Launched dysbiosis, which caused diarrhea with greens, can cause dermatitis, gastroduodenitis, bronchial asthma.

Infectious bowel diseases, if untreated, threaten with cerebral edema, neurotoxicosis, hypokalemia, sepsis, anemia, pneumonia, hypotrophy, encephalitis and other consequences.

With timely treatment, proper prevention, diarrhea should not pose a threat to the child's life. Preventive measures include:

  • simple but effective hygiene rules (hands and toys must be washed, pacifiers must not be licked);
  • adherence to the diet of a nursing mother;
  • adherence to the daily regimen, proper nutrition (restriction in sweet, salty, fatty).

Green diarrhea in a child can appear at any age. This symptom is a consequence of a malfunction of the digestive tract. Sometimes green stool is not a threat and is considered normal, but under some circumstances, modified baby feces indicate a pathological process. In addition, it can additionally be supported by other symptoms.

Provocateurs of violations

Green diarrhea in a child is directly influenced by food and general health.

There are reasons that are considered the norm, therefore, under such circumstances, the appearance of green feces in a child should not cause concern. However, there are factors that not only cause an unpleasant symptom, but can be dangerous for the baby.

Innocuous reasons include:

  1. Meconium. Dark olive-colored feces are observed in the first week after the birth of the baby. This change is due to the peculiarities of the baby's digestive system.
  2. Maturation of the gastrointestinal tract. Immediately after birth, not all systems in a child's body are ideal. The normalization of the work of the digestive organs occurs during the first year of life.
  3. Breast milk. If the baby only sucks in the front portion of the mother, then the presence of loose stools is not surprising. In addition, if the nipples have an inverted shape or the mother's breast is "tight", then the normalization of the digestive tract of the newborn baby may be delayed.
  4. The diet of a nursing woman. A breastfed baby is directly dependent on what his mother uses. If a woman prefers carbon-containing foods, then there is a chance that the baby will have green diarrhea. In addition, green vegetables such as dill, apples, broccoli, and more can also affect the color of the baby's stool.
  5. Artificial feeding. The increased iron content in infant formula can cause the appearance of feces that have a green tint.
  6. Lure. A new product may not be perceived normally by the child's body, which leads to a disorder of the digestive system.
  7. Food. In children aged 3-5 years, the abuse of chocolate, sweets, pastry baked goods, green vegetables and fruits can lead to the appearance of green diarrhea.

Dangerous pathological conditions

Unlike the above factors that affect the stool, but are easily eliminated without harm to the child, there are reasons of a dangerous nature.

Diarrhea is not the only symptom under these circumstances. The child may have a significant increase in body temperature and other signs of malaise.

The main pathological causes provoking green diarrhea in a child may be as follows:

  • dysbiosis;
  • incorrect introduction of complementary foods;
  • intestinal infections;
  • dysentery;
  • salmonellosis;
  • food poisoning.

In any case, diarrhea, green or not, is a violation of the norm. Therefore, if a child develops loose stools, which may additionally have a strong unpleasant odor, or traces of blood are visible in it, this should force the parents to immediately seek medical help.

Symptoms of diseases

In the case when the stool turns green and is caused by the pathological state of the child's health, the clinical picture can be supplemented by other symptoms of the disease:

  1. Heat. When combined with green diarrhea, it is a sign of salmonellosis or dysentery.
  2. Foam. The appearance of foamy elements in the feces is characteristic of intestinal lesions or dysbiosis. Additionally, blood streaks may be present.
  3. Green stools with mucus. This consistency, provided that there is no blood in the stool, is a sign of salmonellosis.
  4. Colour. With a dark, saturated green color of feces, it can be assumed that the body was affected by salmonellosis. If the baby has a light colored stool, this is an intestinal disorder.
  5. Sour smell. It can be supplemented with a putrid scent. This symptom is characteristic of dysbiosis.
  6. Pungent fetid odor. Occurs with an infectious intestinal lesion.

The appearance of a feeling of nausea and possible vomiting in combination with liquid green stools is characteristic of almost all forms of pathologies. The difference may be in the duration of the attacks.

When the body is affected by one of the possible pathogens, the general condition also deteriorates. In addition to abdominal pains, the baby may complain that bright light or loud sounds interfere with it. Feeling unwell also affects appetite. As a rule, children refuse any food, even the most beloved one.

The appearance of a symptom such as green diarrhea, which is not further complicated by any other negative consequences, is in most cases a harmless condition. Lack of temperature is one of the important indicators. If the child is active and loose green stools appear as a one-time symptom, then there is no reason to panic. It should be borne in mind that if there are no other signs of pathological processes, but the child's diarrhea does not stop, you need to consult a doctor. First of all, such a violation leads to dehydration of the body.

Helping a child

If the baby has all the signs of any disease, he needs to be taken to the hospital or call an ambulance. Due to the fact that diarrhea, especially in combination with vomiting, dehydrates the body, you need to give the child Regidron or Enterodesis. These drugs replenish the loss of fluid in the body. It is not recommended to offer your child regular water, especially in large quantities. Such actions can provoke additional bouts of vomiting.

If a baby is breastfed, it needs to be fed according to the regimen, but the daily dose should be 3 times less than under normal circumstances. In older children, it is recommended to endure a hunger pause for about 6 hours.

Before the ambulance arrives, in order to make the child feel better, one of the possible sorbents can be given. The dosage is calculated according to the age parameter, according to the instructions or the consultation of a doctor (you can consult with whom by phone).

At a high temperature, before the arrival of doctors, you need to give the child an antipyretic agent. The fact is that a high temperature index can lead to seizures and irreversible changes in the brain.

Treatment for green diarrhea in a child will be carried out according to the diagnosis. To do this, you will need to pass a number of tests that the doctor will prescribe. On the basis of them, a decision will also be made on the hospitalization of the patient. The age of the child plays an important role. As a rule, when green diarrhea appears in an infant with additional complications, it will not be possible to avoid a hospital.

It is quite difficult to predict and prevent all possible sources that can cause pathological processes in the body in children. But the most basic preventive measures will reduce the likelihood of injury by more than half.

First of all, you need to follow all the rules of hygiene and use only high-quality food. At the first suspicions of a violation of the child's health, one should not expect that everything will go away on its own, but immediately contact a pediatrician.

Such an unpleasant phenomenon as green diarrhea in a child can seriously alarm parents.

Does diarrhea always signal a deteriorating baby's health? What to look for and how to cope with green diarrhea in a child?

Parents should know the answers to these questions, regardless of the age of their children.

Causes of green diarrhea in a child

In fact, there are not many reasons that can lead to the appearance of green diarrhea in children.

And the symptoms accompanying this phenomenon will help parents quickly navigate whether their baby needs medical attention.

In some cases, loose green stools are just a natural and quickly passing phenomenon.

In particular, during the first few days of a baby's life, the original feces, the so-called meconium, may come out, which can give the stool a dark green tint.

In this case, the newborn usually does not show any signs of anxiety. In addition, it is important to distinguish between when the child has diarrhea, and when - the usual stool with a slight shade of green.

Certain foods, especially vegetables and fruits, can give this shade. Diarrhea manifests itself 5-6 or more times a day. This frequency should really be alarming.

The most common causes of green diarrhea are:

  • introduction of complementary foods or replacement of the mixture;
  • dysbiosis;
  • intestinal infections;
  • liver disease;
  • in rare cases - intestinal bleeding.

Depending on what triggered the green diarrhea in the baby, the problem is accompanied by different symptoms.

Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to exactly how the child is feeling. If he is calm and does not complain about anything, then you can limit yourself to contacting the local pediatrician and take tests without much haste.

But if the baby has a fever, a stomach ache, and vomiting is added to the symptoms, then he may have become a victim of an intestinal infection.

This situation requires immediate medical intervention, since self-treatment can entail serious consequences.

If, on the other hand, the child's complaints of pain in the liver area join the symptoms of intoxication, then this may indicate a disease of this organ, which also requires an appeal to a specialist.

But whatever the cause of green diarrhea, it is important to monitor the child's condition. Diarrhea, especially when combined with vomiting, can lead to dehydration extremely quickly, especially in infants.

Determining the presence of dehydration is not difficult, since the child's urine output and volume immediately decrease, and the color of the urine becomes darker.

In addition, circles appear under the eyes, the lips become dry, and may even crack. In young children, the fontanelle may sink, the child becomes very lethargic.

Dangerous complications of green diarrhea, such as fissures in the anus and hemorrhoids, even prolapse of the rectum, can join dehydration.

To avoid such unpleasant and completely inappropriate consequences for childhood, it is important to seek help in time.

To avoid problems, the baby must be washed after each bowel movement, you can lubricate the anus with cream or baby oil.

What if the cause of diarrhea is infection?

Intestinal infections are especially susceptible to children aged 3 to 5 years. They already eat almost independently and can often eat unwashed fruit or vegetables.

In this case, the causative agent of infection can be fungi and viruses, a variety of bacteria. The child's body will react quickly enough to such unexpected guests.

Naturally, if the child is already five years old, then he will be able to tell what exactly hurts him, and whether he is sick. But it will not be possible to do without a doctor, catching an intestinal infection.

After all, green diarrhea, together with vomiting and fever, may indicate rotavirus infection, salmonellosis or dysentery.

Especially should be alerted by the use of fish or eggs the day before. Therefore, if you find a bunch of such symptoms, you need to call an ambulance.

It is important to give the child first aid before the arrival of the doctors, as fever and diarrhea will quickly lead to dehydration.

To prevent it, you need to provide your child with boiled water. Solutions for normalizing the water-salt balance, such as "Regidron", will be very useful.

In case of severe dehydration, the baby may be prescribed a dropper already in the hospital. Sorbents are also appropriate for intestinal infections - removing toxins, they will alleviate the condition of the child.

In the case of intestinal poisoning, two things should be understood: firstly, pain relievers should not be used, since they can blur the clinical picture and complicate the diagnosis, and secondly, even at high temperatures, antipyretics can only be given after consulting a doctor.

It is necessary to lower the temperature on your own by drinking plenty of water. In no case should you give your child antibiotics on your own, since some of them are toxic to children.

It is important to remember what exactly the child ate, and if you do not fully control this, then you should find out all the details from him personally.

If the doctor is convinced of the presence of an infection, then he will advise you to go to the hospital. There, in order to determine why the child has green diarrhea, appropriate tests will be prescribed.

Among them are a general blood test, bacterial culture of feces and, possibly, vomit, a blood test to detect antibodies to the causative agent of salmonellosis. Children over 5 years old will have to be kept on a strict diet.

To prevent green diarrhea in a child, it is necessary to carefully monitor his hygiene and nutrition.

Young children should not introduce complementary foods too early, and older children should not overfeed with carbohydrates.

Doctors emphasize that adults should not lick baby spoons and pacifiers, so as not to infect them with their saliva.

No matter how old your child is, you cannot ignore such a symptom as green diarrhea. Timely consultation with a specialist will avoid complications and problems.

Parents closely monitor the child's stool. Regularly shaped stools indicate that the gastrointestinal tract is in order. Green diarrhea in a baby is a signal that a failure has occurred in the digestive system. Of particular concern is stool disorder in infants. Newborn children cannot show their parents otherwise that something is bothering them. Green loose stools in a baby often indicate diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Causes of green diarrhea in children

A chair with greenery can occur suddenly, and does not always indicate pathologies in the child's body. There are many causes of diarrhea in children. For example, malnutrition of a nursing mother, nutritional gaps in a one-year-old child and older children. Some are capable of causing complications and pose a real threat to the health and life of the baby.

Causes of green diarrhea in a child:

  • Kidney disease.
  • Intestinal infection.
  • Food poisoning.
  • Intestinal dysbiosis.
  • Nutritional errors.
  • Intestinal bleeding.
  • Allergic reaction to food.

In a one-month-old baby, the reason may be in the elimination of meconium. If the child is calm, not crying, panic is inappropriate. Such a chair passes quickly. If green diarrhea is observed in older infants, the likelihood of an intestinal infection is high. Acute diarrhea is accompanied by nausea, frequent regurgitation, vomiting, and increased body temperature.

If you suspect a disease, you must immediately call a doctor or ambulance. Before the visit of the pediatrician, the child is allowed to drink non-carbonated mineral water from 6 months.

If a nursing mother consumes foods that can cause allergies, the baby's reaction may be diarrhea of ​​an unnatural color. Mom's milk is not fat enough - the feces are greenish. Food poisoning of the mother affects the consistency and color of the baby's stool. In a month old baby, the intestines are vulnerable. Mom needs to stick to proper nutrition.

At about 4 months of age, teething may have yellow or green liquid bowel movements. The baby scratches swollen, itchy gums with unclean fists or toys, bacteria get inside, change the color, the consistency of the contents of the diaper.

In children from 2-3 years old, the cause of loose stools is overeating plant foods or foods with a high sugar content.

Diarrhea in a formula-fed newborn can be caused by the introduction of a new formula.

Introduction of complementary foods

Green liquid stool during breastfeeding is often found if the mother begins to introduce complementary foods. Especially if cow's milk, fruits and vegetables are among the new products. If the general condition of the little one does not cause concern - he is cheerful, not capricious and eats well, you should not panic. It is enough to inform the pediatrician about the disorder at the next appointment. The doctor may recommend getting tested for dysbiosis and prescribing probiotics. The stool will return to normal within two days.

Dysbacteriosis

A frequent occurrence in children, characterized by a violation of the composition of the intestinal microflora. The number of pathogenic microorganisms increases, beneficial bacteria die. The disease is more common in preschoolers, sometimes in infants. Dysbacteriosis in infants can develop due to a sudden transition from breastfeeding. In older children, due to an unbalanced or monotonous diet, in addition to taking antibiotics. Violation of microflora provokes colds, unfavorable environmental conditions. Diarrhea with a disease is green in color with mucus.

It is possible to protect the baby from dysbiosis by treating the breast before feeding, sterilizing dishes and toys. It is necessary to carry out regular wet cleaning in places where the child is most often located.

Viral and bacterial infections

Infection of a baby with an ailment can occur through unprocessed foods, expired foods when communicating with an infected person.

The baby is worried about severe abdominal pain, vomiting, green stools with a pungent odor, mucus. Incessant vomiting and diarrhea cause dehydration. The kid turns pale, the limbs get colder. For symptoms, calling an ambulance is mandatory.

For children in the first months of life, dehydration is fraught with irreversible consequences. It is difficult to replenish the water balance, babies drink water poorly.

Symptoms of diarrhea in children

The main task facing the parents and the doctor at the first stage is to find out the cause of the unpleasant symptom in order to avoid complications. Unwanted stool coloration may be accompanied by other manifestations.

A high fever, in addition to greenish stools, sometimes indicates dysentery or salmonellosis. Salmonellosis is characterized by faeces of a dark green hue with flakes and severe vomiting.

Frequent loose green foaming stools without fever is a sign of dysbiosis. Mucus and blood in stool in dysentery.

The parent should consider the accompanying symptoms. Often observed:

  • Whims, crying without tears, anxiety.
  • Sleep disturbance.
  • Refusal to eat.
  • Dark colored urine.
  • Abdominal pain.

The worst thing about diarrhea is dehydration. Every parent should be aware of the signs of dehydration in order to take timely measures to avoid dire consequences. Dehydration in children manifests itself as:

  • Dry lips and tongue, skin, circles under the eyes.
  • Frequent pulse, overheating.
  • Lack of urine, urine in small quantities with an unpleasant odor.
  • Body weight decreases.
  • Retraction of the fontanelle in a baby.

The appearance of signs should be a good reason to call an ambulance. The condition of the child with severe dehydration is stabilized in the hospital.

Parental actions

The resulting anxiety due to the condition of the baby sometimes interferes with making the right decisions. Adults do not know what to do in a situation, if it has arisen for the first time.

First of all, parents should call a doctor. Before the arrival of the doctor, it is possible to alleviate the condition of the child. It is necessary to offer clean non-carbonated water. Children who are one year old should not be allowed to temporarily eat. For breastfed babies, feedings are recommended to replenish lost fluids, but meal times should be shortened.

It is not recommended to give medications to the baby without consulting a doctor. You can give Smecta if qualified help does not arrive soon. Give ibuprofen to bring down the temperature if it exceeds 38.5 degrees. In case of intestinal infections, the use of antibiotics is necessary, but you should not give drugs to the baby on your own.

Diagnostics and treatment

The doctor will determine the cause of the diarrhea after talking with the parents and examining the baby. It may be necessary to undergo an additional examination to clarify the diagnosis.

Diagnostics

Stool color and consistency alone makes it difficult to determine the true cause of diarrhea. Sometimes the doctor prescribes tests:

  • Bacterial analysis of feces - an informative research technique identifies pathogenic microorganisms.
  • General blood analysis.
  • Blood test for intestinal infections.
  • General urine analysis.
  • Stool analysis.

Ultrasound of the baby's peritoneum

Perhaps the reason lies in the pathology of internal organs. In this case, the doctor prescribes ultrasound diagnostics of the abdominal organs.

Treatment

When the cause of green diarrhea is clarified, the doctor prescribes treatment. With dysbiosis, Linex, Bifidumbacterin, Enterol can be prescribed. The main task is to eliminate the disease that caused the symptom.

Intestinal infection requires complex treatment. To begin with, the type of pathogen is identified using tests. Then a diet is prescribed. In difficult cases, antibiotic therapy is performed. The doctor prescribes bactericidal drugs.

To replenish the water-salt balance, Rehydron can be prescribed.

If the bowel movements are caused by poisoning, you will need to take adsorbing drugs: Smecta, Activated carbon.

A baby in the first month of life, most likely, will not need drug treatment, since the causes of green bowel movements during this period are not pathologies.

Parents should not self-medicate, there is a high risk of complications if therapy is not performed correctly.

Preventive measures

Disease prevention is easier than cure. Parents need to know the rules that will help avoid upset gastrointestinal tract, as a result - green diarrhea.

  • A nursing mother needs to eat a healthy diet. Avoid eating allergenic foods. Do not eat fatty, spicy foods. Do not take any medications without talking to your doctor.
  • A bottle-fed newborn baby suffers from diarrhea if the formula is not suitable. In consultation with your pediatrician, you can find the right food.
  • Greenish diarrhea may indicate an intolerance to the product. Therefore, complementary foods should be introduced gradually and carefully in small portions in a puree-like state.
  • Parents should not lick baby pacifiers, spoons. Thus, the infection spreads from an adult to a baby.
  • The diet of preschoolers should be balanced.
  • Older children need to be taught the rules of personal hygiene. Make sure that your hands are clean and that no foreign objects get into your mouth.

Every responsible parent is worried about the health of the baby. And such a phenomenon as green diarrhea worries caring parents. The main thing is not to panic, but to find out the cause of the symptom by notifying the pediatrician of what is happening. The doctor will definitely help to establish the disease that caused the symptom, and will prescribe treatment for the child in accordance with the age and characteristics of the body.

One of the signs of gastrointestinal diseases is green diarrhea. It is especially pronounced in young children. This unpleasant phenomenon is always alarming and signals a malfunction of one or another internal organ. Indeed, according to the color and consistency of feces, many diseases can be determined with accuracy. Diarrhea doesn't go away on its own. It must be fought with in order to prevent complications. The effectiveness of such a fight depends on a timely visit to a doctor, who, after the examination and diagnosis, will be able to prescribe an effective therapy.

Why does the disorder occur?

Watery stools and frequent urge to use the toilet are indicative of diarrhea. What does this symptom threaten with? First of all, dehydration, stress, inflammation, which is accompanied by fever. Therefore, it is necessary to quickly determine and eliminate the causes that caused such a pathology.

Among the first factors that saturate the feces with a large amount of water are disturbances in the production of intestinal secretions, an increase in diffuse pressure of the inner surface of the intestine, pathological transportation of feces, exudative ingress into the intestinal mucosa.

If the presence of sodium and water was found in the feces, then this process is activated by bacterial toxins, enteropathogenic bacilli, substances that have a high biological viability, and some types of drugs.

Causes of diarrhea in adults and children can include:

  • ingestion of folic and long-chain fatty acids;
  • hormones of the prostaglandin group;
  • the presence of anthrone glycosides in the intestine;
  • disaccharidase deficiency;
  • erosive and ulcerative formations on the inner wall of the stomach and intestines.

All of the above reasons are necessarily taken into account when the doctor makes a diagnosis. Indeed, their division into infectious and non-infectious forms depends on functional or bacterial changes in the intestine that cause diarrhea. It is they who determine the color of the feces.

Features of pathology

Long-term diarrhea is very dangerous for adults and especially for young children. This is just a symptom, so it is urgent to find and eliminate the cause of this phenomenon. Only then can we hope for a favorable prognosis.

Green diarrhea in an adult occurs due to disturbances in the absorption of folic acid. With such a pathology, the gallbladder cannot make contractions in a normal and habitual rhythm. There is either a very abundant release of bile, or a very meager one. Therefore, the feces may have a green tint.

Viral and bacterial lesions of the gastrointestinal tract indicate that the formation of new individuals of staphylococcus is proceeding at a rapid pace in the intestine. This disorder can cause green diarrhea in an adult. It often contains small blood clots and mucus.

Metabolic disorders in the direction of an increased iron content leads to its rapid oxidation. Therefore, the feces may turn green. Very often, such phenomena are observed in people with low hemoglobin, who are credited with drugs containing this element.

The breakdown and absorption of carbohydrates in some patients does not follow a normal course. Therefore, green diarrhea occurs.

All the causes of the onset of the disease should be weighed and determined by the doctor. He will be helped by a complete examination with high quality equipment. When the cause is found, it will be much easier to eliminate the symptom.

Intestinal ailments in a baby

The structural features of the digestive system in infants have their own prerequisites for the development of various intestinal ailments. And the most important difference is in its underdevelopment. The factors that provoke the color of feces in green are infectious in nature, resulting from overfeeding or irregular consumption of juices from vegetables and fruits.

Green diarrhea in a child may also be the result of quantitative and qualitative disorders that make up the intestinal microflora. This phenomenon in medicine is called dysbiosis. The balance of beneficial microorganisms in this disease is not balanced enough to resist infection. Therefore, harmful bacteria begin to actively grow and multiply. The disease can be cured with the introduction of prebiotics and probiotics. Sorbents will help to cope with toxins. Based on the foregoing, all pediatricians come to the same opinion: only with the help of breastfeeding can intestinal disorders be prevented.

Green stool in a baby is a kind of protective reaction of the body to the introduction of complementary foods. It is necessary to switch to new products that are not yet familiar to the child's body gradually, with one or two drops of juice or spoonfuls of puree. Only then will the child's green diarrhea disappear.

The color of the stool is black

This color of stool is a more dangerous and alarming picture. After all, this is the first sign of gastric bleeding. The hemoglobin in the blood reacts with hydrochloric acid, the initial product of which is the appearance of hematin hydrochloric acid. He makes black feces in an adult.

Peptic ulcer of the duodenum or intestines, neoplasms in the stomach, varicose veins of the esophagus can cause black diarrhea in an adult. Sometimes this pathology is observed in acute lymphocytic leukocytosis, esophagitis, Crohn's disease, plague, histoplasmosis and ankylostomiasis.

If black diarrhea in a child or an adult is accompanied by general weakness, dizziness, pallor of the skin, increased sweating, then you should not joke with such signs. Urgent hospitalization and a full examination are required. In the absence of any accompanying symptoms, the causes of black diarrhea must be sought in the ingestion of certain foods. These include:

  • currants;
  • Garnet;
  • beets;
  • blueberries;
  • blood sausage.

These food products contain coloring enzymes, which give this color to the feces. Taken in large quantities, they can cause black diarrhea. You just need to exclude them from the diet and the color shade of feces will become normal.

Intestinal disorders in the form of diarrhea of ​​different colors cannot but alert parents with small children and adults themselves who have such a symptom. First aid consists in replenishing the lost water balance in the human body. For this, "Regidron" is used. The powder is poured into a glass and poured with warm water. Drink in 2-3 sachets during the day until the water norm is completely restored.

"Linex", "Biobacton" will help to restore the intestinal microflora to its previous state. "Sulgin" and "Enterol" will destroy the infectious nature of the cause of diarrhea. All funds must be taken only after the analysis of feces for the presence of Escherichia coli has been made.

Diarrhea of ​​green, black, dark brown color is an unpleasant phenomenon, and it can only be dealt with with the participation of a doctor and with the implementation of all his recommendations.

Stool in children is an indicator of the work of their digestive tract and overall health. Very often, parents are worried about green diarrhea, which can begin at absolutely any age.

Sometimes it does not affect the general well-being in any way, and sometimes it is accompanied by a number of unpleasant symptoms that can make up the clinical picture of a certain disease. In what cases will bowel movements of this kind be an alarming signal, and when - a harmless consequence of the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract?

Why can a child have green diarrhea? The reasons can be very different, they depend on the nutrition, age and health status of the baby.

Once you notice this unpleasant phenomenon, you first need to try to understand why it happened. Some provoking factors are the norm and should reassure parents, and some will indicate problems that will have to be solved in the doctor's office.

Reasons you shouldn't worry about

  • Meconium

The peculiarity of the stomach in the first 10 days of a child's life explains the dark olive color of the stool.

  • Formation of the gastrointestinal tract

The greenish tint in the first year of life with breastfeeding is due to the underdeveloped gastrointestinal tract in newborns. Over time, his work is normalized.

  • Breast-feeding

The liquid consistency is a consequence of the absorption by the child of the front, low-fat breast milk from the mother.

  • Features of the mother's breast

If at 1 year of age, the bowel movements remain the same liquid and green, this may be due to tight breasts or inverted nipples in the mother. In this case, the formation of the chair may be delayed.

  • Mother's nutrition with hepatitis B

If the diet of a nursing mother contains a lot of carbohydrate foods and green vegetables (you can find a nursing mother's menu), this can provoke green diarrhea in the child. It can be caused by spinach, broccoli, parsley, dill, green apples and pears, cucumbers.

  • Artificial feeding

Use of milk formulas with a high iron content: NAN, Nutrilon and others.

  • Introduction of complementary foods

The first acquaintance with foods such as apple, broccoli, pear, sweet porridge can lead to discoloration of baby feces.

  • Power features

In older children (3-5 years old), when the gastrointestinal tract is already fully formed, green diarrhea can be the result of improper nutrition. Namely: excessive consumption of carbohydrates (chocolate, sweets, baked goods, confectionery) and green products (apples, pears, sorrel, dill, parsley, onions, spinach, lettuce).

Dangerous causes

  1. due to improper introduction of complementary foods, an intestinal infection, a somatic disease, which were treated with antibiotics.
  2. Intestinal infections: shigellosis, escherichiosis, yersiniosis, rotavirus infection, campylobacteriosis and others.
  3. Dysentery.
  4. Salmonellosis due to eating raw or poorly thermally processed chicken eggs, fish.

If a child has green diarrhea, this fact cannot be ignored. It is necessary to carefully analyze the situation and draw initial conclusions about what could have caused such a chair.

If they are related to age characteristics and nutrition, fit into the norms, you should not worry. But if you suspect a health problem, you need to see a doctor immediately. The accompanying symptoms will help clarify the situation.

Associated symptoms

If a child has health problems, green diarrhea will not be the only symptom of the disease. The clinical picture is a whole set of signs. Therefore, you should observe the child and find out if there are any other deviations from the norm in his condition.

  • Temperature

- green diarrhea and fever - signs of dysentery or salmonellosis.

  • Consistency

- foam is a sign of dysbiosis, intestinal infections;
- green diarrhea with mucus and blood clots - alarming signs of dysentery;
- green diarrhea with mucus, but without blood - salmonellosis.

  • Shade

- dark green diarrhea in a child is a consequence of salmonellosis;
- light - common intestinal disorder.

  • Smell

- sour, giving off rot, indicates dysbiosis;
- fetid, unbearable - intestinal infection.

  • Regurgitation and vomiting

- with green diarrhea in young children - a symptom of dysbiosis;
- vomiting in older people may indicate dysentery;
- profuse, persistent vomiting is a sign of salmonellosis.

  • General state

Anxiety, whims, crying, refusal to eat, lack of sleep - all these symptoms with green diarrhea indicate that the child is most likely in pain. If he already knows how to talk, he will complain of stomach pains. This indicates serious bowel problems.

If a child has green diarrhea without fever and other accompanying symptoms, he remains cheerful and mobile, there is no need to panic. Over time, this unpleasant phenomenon will cease to bother, and everything will return to normal. But if a chair of such an unusual color is complemented by a whole bunch of deviations from the normal state, an urgent need to go to the hospital. But what to do before the doctor arrives?

What to do?

"Enterosgel" - sorbent for absorption and removal of toxins from the child's body

Before going to the hospital for green diarrhea in a child, accompanied by fever, vomiting and a worsening of the general condition, parents can be advised to take the following measures.

  1. Give the child Oralit, Regidron, Enterodez in small portions - special saline solutions are sold in any pharmacy and replenish the loss of fluid.
  2. It is not recommended to solder it with plain water: it can only intensify vomiting.
  3. In accordance with age, give one of the sorbents: Smektu, Polypefan, Enterosgel. They absorb and eliminate toxins.
  4. No other medications, especially antibiotics, should be given to a child with green diarrhea before consulting a doctor. This can only aggravate his condition.
  5. Do not stop breastfeeding, but reduce the daily milk intake by one third.
  6. Do not tolerate a hunger pause for more than 6 hours.

These activities will temporarily ease the condition of the child. But you cannot delay calling or visiting a doctor. An urgent need to determine the diagnosis for immediate treatment.

Diagnostics

In the hospital, according to the results of laboratory tests, doctors will more accurately determine why the child has green feces, is it a norm or pathology. If necessary, the following diagnostic techniques will be carried out:

  • analysis of feces for dysbiosis;
  • bacterial sowing of feces and vomit;
  • sigmoidoscopy - visual examination of the rectum;
  • Analysis of urine;
  • coprogram;
  • general blood analysis;
  • RNGA of blood for the detection of antibodies to salmonella.

During the diagnosis, it will be found out why the child has green stools, is it an indicator of any disease or not. If health problems are found, treatment will be prescribed. If not, the doctor can only advise parents on what to do in the future so that the color of children's feces becomes normal.

Treatment

So, what if the parents find green diarrhea in the child? Everything will depend on the diagnostic results. In the presence of diseases, you will have to undergo a course of treatment.

  1. Therapeutic diet.
  2. With dysbiosis, bacteriophages, probiotics, Acipol, Linex, Enterol, Bifidumbacterin, Bifilin, Bifiform are prescribed.
  3. For intestinal infections: antibiotics and chemotherapy drugs (Nevigramon, Nergam, Ercefuril, Furazolidone, Gentamicin, Kanamycin, Anamycin sulfate, Rifampicin, Tienam, Meronem, Ciprofloxacin, Ceftazidime), specific bacteriophages, lacto-globulins.
  4. Oral rehydration with Regidron, Gastrolit, Oralit, Citroglucosolan.
  5. Enzyme therapy: Pancurmen, Panzinorm forte, Pancreatin, Abomin-pepsin, Festal, Digestal, Creon, Mezim forte.
  6. Antiallergic drugs.
  7. Antidiarrheal drugs: Diarol, Imodium.
  8. Myotropic antispasmodics for pain relief: Papaverine, Drotaverine, Spasmomen 40.

When a child has green diarrhea, parents should understand what is happening to him. Sometimes routine grooming can neutralize an unpleasant and disturbing shade. In the presence of pathologies, this is possible only with the help of qualified medical intervention and appropriate treatment. Otherwise, complications cannot be avoided.

Complications

If the parents did not take care of the green stool of the child in time, and it was caused by one of the serious illnesses, this may result in complications, including:

  • cramps at high fever;
  • dehydration of the body;
  • dysbiosis can lead to dermatitis, bronchial asthma, chronic gastroduodenitis, intestinal dyskinesia, proctosigmoiditis;
  • if untreated, intestinal infections can result in neurotoxicosis, cerebral edema, electrolyte disturbances, infectious-toxic shock, sepsis, hemolytic uremic syndrome, toxic-dystrophic condition;
  • consequences of dysentery - intestinal bleeding, pericolitis, rectal prolapse, arthritis, neuritis, encephalitis, dysbiosis, hypotrophy, hypovitaminosis, anemia, pneumonia, pyoderma, otitis media.

In order not to face these dangerous consequences, it is necessary to consult a doctor in a timely manner, and even better - to prevent this phenomenon. Prevention is always much more pleasant and easier to deal with than treatment.

Prophylaxis

Prevention of green diarrhea in children involves the regular observance of the following measures and actions.

  1. A nursing mother should follow a diet and, if possible, not drink antibiotics.
  2. If your baby is bottle-fed, talk to your doctor about which formula is best for you.
  3. Introduce complementary foods gradually. If green diarrhea is a reaction to a certain product, it is better to exclude it from the child's diet for now, wait until the digestive tract is formed more fully.
  4. At an older age (after 3 years), normalize the child's nutrition: no need to overfeed him with carbohydrates and herbs.
  5. Adults should not lick the baby's spoons and pacifiers. They can give him an intestinal infection with their saliva.

Have you noticed that the child has green diarrhea? In this case, first try to find out the cause, and then take some action.

The most correct option would be to see a doctor at the slightest suspicion of health problems. This will reduce the risk of complications and allow you to heal quickly and without consequences. And so that this does not happen again, you need to regularly engage in prevention.

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