Question
A 50-day-old male infant has suddenly developed green stool, causing concern among the parents. Is this situation normal or abnormal? Why does an infant’s stool appear green?
Answer
An infant’s green stool is due to the fast metabolism of their intestines, where bile is not fully oxidized in the intestines before being excreted, resulting in green stool. Since infants primarily consume breast milk or formula milk, which contain more fat, and the digestion of fat requires the participation of bile, which is naturally green, green stool is a physiological symptom during infancy and does not require special intervention. Parents should not be overly worried. As the infant grows older, the stool color will gradually return to normal.