Baby Loose Stool By Colour

choose the stool below that looks most like your baby’s.

Greenish-black and sticky baby poop

What does it mean?

Meconium is the first stool your baby will have after birth, and it is perfectly normal. It appears greenish-black because it contains bilirubin, a yellowish-green breakdown of red blood cells. The colostrum in your breast milk acts as a laxative and helps your baby pass the meconium in about three days.

What should I do?

There is no need to worry. This stool is normal, healthy, and temporary. (If it lasts more than three days, check with your doctor. He might want to check to make sure your baby is receiving the feedings she needs to move this through her system.)

Yellow and seedy baby poop

What does it mean?

This stool is normal. Breastfed babies' poop has a mild smell, and might come with loud — even explosive — sound effects.

What should I do?

Do not worry. Your baby's poop is standard. Breast milk has the ideal nutrients to help your baby stay healthy and grow strong.

Tan and thick baby poop

What does it mean?

Your baby's stools are normal. You should only be concerned if your baby's poop becomes hard (especially small hard balls of stool) or is watery.

What should I do?

There is no need to worry. Your baby's stool is normal and healthy.

Greenish-brown baby poop

What does it mean?

While it is typical to see greenish-brown poop when your baby starts eating solids, you might see this color in your baby's diaper before then. The color of this baby stool is usually normal, but if your baby has other symptoms that concern you, contact your health care professional.

What should I do?

Do not worry. This stool is normal and healthy.

Watery, brown, and loose baby poop

What does it mean?

The occasional loose baby stool is no cause for alarm. But if it occurs regularly for two days or more, it could be diarrhea. Diarrhea in babies can cause dehydration, and also might be a sign of infection. Usually these infections are not dangerous, but the dehydration that can result from losing too much fluid in these stools is a concern.

What should I do?

Call your health care provider if the problem persists for more than two days. The younger the baby, and the more frequent the diarrhea, the greater the concern for dehydration. Do not give your baby anti-diarrhea medication unless advised by your health care professional. Your health care provider might advise giving your baby an oral electrolyte solution, such as Pedialyte®, to help prevent dehydration.

Contact your health care professional right away if you see:

• Blood or mucus in stools
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Irritability
• Refusal to eat
• Decreased or dark-colored urine
• Decreased activity

Dry, brown, and hard baby poop

What does it mean?

Occasional constipation is normal, especially with formula-fed babies, and when your baby transitions to solid foods. It could be a sign that your baby is not getting enough fluid or that he is losing too much fluid from the heat, illness, or a fever. Occasional blood streaking on the surface of the stool can result when hard stools make tiny tears in the soft tissues around the anus.

What should I do?

In a very young baby, consult your health care professional, who might recommend giving your baby small amounts of extra water. Give older babies plenty to drink. Consider adding 1 to 2 ounces of prune or pear juice to your baby's diet. If your baby is eating solids, offer foods that are higher in fiber, such as fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, and add puréed prunes to your baby's cereal. Check with your baby’s doctor about altering your baby's diet or using juices.

Contact your health care professional right away if you see:

• Blood or mucus in stools
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Refusal to eat
• Decreased or dark-colored urine
• Decreased activity

Pinkish-red baby poop

What does it mean?

Once your baby has started on solids, you will see bowel movements that can vary in color and texture after every meal. In addition to foods, some medications also can turn a baby’s poop unusual colors.

What should I do?

Watch what your baby eats to ensure there is a link between the color of the stool and what she is eating. Examples of foods known for turning baby poop shocking colors include carrots (orange) and spinach (green). If your baby’s stool is red for no apparent reason (no cherry Popsicle®, no Froot Loops®cereal or red gelatin), call your health care provider.

Contact your health care professional right away if you see:

• Blood or mucus in stools
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Irritability
• Refusal to eat
• Decreased or dark-colored urine
• Decreased activity

Dark green baby poop

What does it mean?

In some babies, the iron sulfate in a supplement or iron-fortified baby formula can make dark green stools, or sometimes even greenish-black. There is no need to be concerned with the color change, as it has no significance to your baby’s digestive system.

What should I do?

This stool is normal. Studies show that iron supplementation does not cause digestive problems or discomfort.

Contact your health care professional right away if you see:

• Blood or mucus in stools
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Irritability
• Refusal to eat
• Decreased or dark-colored urine
• Decreased activity

Bright green baby poop

What does it mean?

When your breastfed baby nurses for short periods of time on each breast, he might get more foremilk, which is sweeter and thinner, and less hindmilk, which is richer and fattier. Your baby might need to nurse longer on each side in order to ensure enough hindmilk is consumed during each feeding. Sometimes a virus will turn your baby's stools bright green. If your baby is fussy and seems uncomfortable, contact your health care provider.

What should I do?

Try to let your baby empty the first breast before you switch to the other side.

Contact your health care professional right away if you see:

• Blood or mucus in stools
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Irritability
• Refusal to eat
• Decreased or dark-colored urine
• Decreased activity

Red-streaked baby poop

What does it mean?

Often the stools of constipated babies are streaked with red from rectal fissures, small cracks in the anus caused by pushing. You also might see streaks of mucus on the baby poop.

What should I do?

If your baby’s doctor confirms the bleeding is from a fissure, there is little cause for concern. Usually, once the constipation has resolved, the bleeding stops. If there is a large amount of blood (more than a few drops) or if the bleeding does not resolve with the softening of the stools, check with your doctor.

If you notice any of the following symptoms, call your health care professional right away:

• Blood or mucus in stools
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Irritability
• Refusal to eat
• Decreased or dark-colored urine
• Decreased activity

Black baby poop

What does it mean?

A black baby stool might contain blood that entered the intestines in the upper portion of the digestive system.

What should I do?

If your baby has black poop that is not meconium (which passes during the first few days of life), call your health care professional immediately.

If you notice any of the following symptoms, call your health care professional right away:

• Blood or mucus in stools
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Irritability
• Refusal to eat
• Decreased or dark-colored urine
• Decreased activity

Chalky and white baby poop

What does it mean?

A white stool might be a sign of a liver or gallbladder problem. Bile is a digestive fluid made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Your baby's stool gets its normal color from the bile as it is excreted during digestion. If your baby's liver doesn't produce bile, or if the bile is obstructed, his stool will be white.

What should I do?

A white stool is very rare, but if your baby's poop is white, call your health care professional right away.

If you notice any of the following symptoms, call your health care professional right away:

• Blood or mucus in stools
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Irritability
• Refusal to eat
• Decreased or dark-colored urine
• Decreased activity

Diarrhoea

How can I tell if my baby has diarrhoea?

Many parents worry that their baby has loose motions because newborns tend to have a lot of bowel movements. Your baby's potty will depend very much on whether she's being breastfed or formula fed. The stools of breastfed newborn babies are usually yellowish, on the soft or liquid side and may occur up to five times daily. The stools of formula-fed babies, on the other hand, tend to occur once a day and are fairly firm. Check out our baby potty visual guide for more information. 

Sometimes a breastfed baby will do potty during or immediately after each breastfeeding session. Within a month, most breastfed babies are down to one or two potties a day. Occasional loose stools are normal for both breastfed as well as formula-fed babies. But your baby may have diarrhoea if:

• she is passing stools more frequently than usual
• her stools are smelly, watery, and mucus-streaked (one doctor says it looks like you've blown your nose in your child's nappy)
• she has a fever or appears to be losing weight

In addition to this, your baby may be cranky and not eating well. See your doctor if you suspect your baby has diarrhoea. 

What causes diarrhoea in a baby?

The most common cause of loose motions is a virus called rotavirus. Rotavirus infects the gut causing gastroenteritis. This damages the inner lining of the intestine. The injured lining leaks fluid and allows food to pass through without absorbing any nutrients. Most children get affected by this virus a couple of times before they turn five. Children aged between 6 and 24 months are more likely to catch this virus as it gets tougher to maintain hygiene once they begin crawling.

Diarrhoea in babies can also be caused by:

• formula feeds, if they are not properly diluted
• colds
• antibiotics
• allergies
• food poisoning
• enzyme deficiencies in rare cases
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Can diarrhoea in a baby be prevented?

The organisms that cause diarrhoea can easily be passed from hand to mouth. So, proper hygiene can help prevent diarrhoea. Wash your hands thoroughly for at least 15 seconds with an antibacterial soap after handling soiled nappies or using the toilet. Keep non-alcoholic wipes handy and wipe your baby's hands frequently when she is crawling around. You could also use a damp washcloth for this purpose. 

How should I treat my baby's diarrhoea?

Make sure your baby drinks plenty of fluids to stop her from dehydrating. If your baby is taking her breast or formula feeds well, stick with them. In addition, older babies may be given sips of water, oral rehydration solution (ORS) or electrolyte solution. Coconut water (elaneer/naariyal pani) is a rich source of electrolytes. 

You can prepare ORS at home as well. Take one litre of water, boiled and then cooled. Stir in 8 teaspoons of sugar and one teaspoon of salt. Give her sips of this mixture every time she vomits and passes stool or urine. 

Babies older than 9 months can also have well-diluted fruit juices. Juices made with 1 part juice added to 10 parts water are ideal. If your child is reluctant to drink, she may prefer homemade ice lollies instead. But it is best not to use any artificial flavouring or food colours when you are making them. Avoid glucose drinks, fizzy drinks and undiluted fruit juices (concentrated sugar draws water into the intestine and can increase diarrhoea). 

Check with your paediatrician before giving your baby anything. Remember that you should not give any anti-diarrhoeal medicine to children below 12 years as they could have serious side-effects. Also avoid herbal remedies without consulting your paediatrician. 

Are breastfed babies less likely to get loose motions?

Yes. Breast-fed babies are better protected from infections that might come from drinking water or feeding bottles. Also, certain elements in breast milk can hinder the growth of the organisms that cause diarrhoea. 

Should I stop giving my baby solid foods if she has diarrhoea?

No. Unless your baby is vomiting frequently, you can continue giving her solid foods. If your child is six months or older you could try foods like bananas, rice, apple puree and dry toast. For an older baby or toddler you could try small amounts of chicken soup and starchy foods like mashed potatoes and pasta. Boiled rice and moong dal would work too. But don't worry if she doesn't want to eat. It's more important that she keeps taking fluids to avoid dehydration. 

When should I call the doctor if my baby has diarrhoea?

Diarrhoea can be worrying if it lasts more than a few hours, but it will usually clear up on its own. If your child is continually passing loose, smelly and watery stools more than 3-4 times in a few hours, call your doctor immediately. The biggest concern with diarrhoea is dehydration, so don't delay in calling your doctor if your child shows these signs of fluid loss:

• dry skin or lips
• listlessness
• tearless crying
• a sunken fontanelle
• discoloured hands and feet
• dark yellow urine or fewer wet nappies than usual

You should also consult your paediatrician if your child shows the following symptoms:

• refuses to drink water, milk, or any other fluid
• has a fever which lasts longer than 24 hours
• has blood in her stools
• has diarrhoea accompanied by vomiting, which lasts longer than 12 hours 
• has a swollen abdomen
• 
  

If your baby's uncomfortable during a bout of diarrhoea, try to comfort her as much as possible. Keep her dry. Be gentle when changing nappies since her delicate bottom may be raw from the frequent passing of stools. Use a barrier cream to prevent irritation if the diarrhoea lasts for more than a day. And try not to worry too much, with the right care, your baby will soon bounce back.