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.
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.
Show References
- Landon MB, et al., eds. Lactation and breastfeeding. In: Gabbe's Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies. 8th ed. Elsevier; 2021. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed May 14, 2024.
- The scoop on poop. Gastrointestinal Society. https://badgut.org/information-centre/a-z-digestive-topics/the-scoop-on-poop/. Accessed May 14, 2024.
- Schaner RJ, et al. Initiation of breastfeeding. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed June 22, 2020.
- Fischbach FT, et al. Stool studies. In: Fischbach's A Manual of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests. 10th ed. Wolters Kluwer; 2018. Accessed May 14, 2024.
- Liacouras CA. Food protein-induced proctitis/colitis and enteropathy of infancy. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed June 22, 2020.
Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/green-stool/basics/definition/sym-20050708