Question
Hello: Gender: Male Age: 2 months and 5 days The child was hospitalized for hyperbilirubinemia after a check-up at the hospital around the 51st day, and the bilirubin index was elevated. Therefore, the child was treated for a week and has now returned home for observation (back home on November 12th), with the doctor instructing to have another check-up around 15 days later. However, recently, the child’s stool has turned green, and I would like to ask if such stool is normal? What could be the cause? I am very worried at the moment, thank you.
Answer
Hello, since the intestinal function of infants is significantly different from that of adults, we cannot evaluate an infant’s stool based on adult standards. One of the characteristics of an infant’s stool is its color variability. Generally, changes in stool color are related to the time food stays in the intestines and bile. When milk passes quickly through an infant’s intestines, the formed stool is yellow; as the intestinal function strengthens, milk stays longer in the intestines, and the stool color gradually turns green, becoming brown when it is excreted the slowest. Therefore, if there are no issues with the baby’s stool test and both diet and sleep are normal, then green stool usually does not require excessive concern.