Green stool

Date Updated: 07/02/2024

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.