Question
My newborn, who is 87 days old and has been exclusively fed formula, recently started having green stool without introducing any other food. What could be the reason for this?
Answer
Breastfed infants typically have yellow or golden yellow stool that is uniform and paste-like, odorless, and occurs about 2 to 4 times a day, with some having as many as 7 to 8 times. This is known as physiological diarrhea. Parents should not worry as this is a normal occurrence, and this type of diarrhea will disappear automatically as the baby grows. Infants fed with milk formula tend to have less stool, about 1 to 2 times a day, and it may have a slight odor.