Daughter with Green Stool

Updated on February 05, 2008
S.B. asks from Dallas, GA
28 answers

Okay, I am not trying to be gross or too graphic here, but I have a question about my daughter's stool. She is 2 1/2 and has had green stool for about 3 days now. It is green like Shreck green. It has been softer than normal. It isn't the entire bowel movement that is green, just about half of it. It doesn't smell any worse than normal and she hasn't been complaining of a tummy ache until tonight. Her belly ache lasted for about 10 minutes and got better after some crackers and sprite and lots of TLC. We haven't changed her diet or started any new vitamins or meds. Any advice.

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So What Happened?

Thanks everyone for your input. After reading what you all had to say I realized that her neon stool was probably a combination of a few different things. I did buy her some grape/apple juice, we hate cake with blue icing and she did have fruity pebbles for breakfast a few times. I guess I just never thought of blue and purple things turning stool green. Thanks for your help!

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J.J.

answers from Atlanta on

A lot of foods have artifical coloring that can do that! If we drink Hawaiian Punch around here, you can get some crazy loooking stool! I wouldn't worry about it at all. Watch what she eats and see what is in it.

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L.J.

answers from Savannah on

My daughter had the same problem. What we discovered, was that the cereal she was eating was colorful which made her stool colorful. She was eating the Shrek cereal when this happened and it was Shrek green. If she is not complaining of a tummy ache, it is a dye in the food she eats.

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K.G.

answers from Atlanta on

This may sound weird, but has she eaten any fruit loops or fruity pebbles, or any cereal with green pieces? Any time my son eats these types of cereals, I don't know why since they have lots of colors, but his poo is the brightest green. Just a suggestion.

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B.

answers from Augusta on

has she had any sugar ? too much sugar can make it green too, least it does for my kids. or do you have a missing green crayon? my daughter used to eat crayons and what ever color she ate thats what color her poo was.

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K.W.

answers from Atlanta on

Have you introduced avacados to her diet?

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N.T.

answers from Spartanburg on

A few things that have done this to my son: fruit roll ups or anything else with a lot of dye in it, and spinach, the rare times I have gotten him to eat it.

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M.B.

answers from Savannah on

most likely diet- lucky charms, fruit loops (especially fruit loops) sometimes fruit snacks- things with a lot od dye in them often do this. I remember when we used to eat that kind of stuff my oldest would get "neon poop" green gross bright neon pop, when ever she ate fruit loops- so mayb look in that area=-)

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C.B.

answers from Spartanburg on

Does she drink grape juice or grape Kool-aid. This can make it green.

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P.S.

answers from Charleston on

Did she have anything blue to drink: blue icee, blue juice or gatorade grink? Blue icing on a cake does that, too, to my girls.
Blueberries turn the stool dark black, by the way!

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R.A.

answers from Spartanburg on

Could she have eaten some green play dough?

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C.T.

answers from Atlanta on

what has she been eating? Anything with a strong dye in it could cause this to happen. I remember when one of my kids had a piece of birthday cake with bright blue icing...it make their poop bright green! It was crazy! I have discovered that it any kind of blue or green dyes will cause this...even sometimes what is in canned green beans! scary huh? Nothing to worry about though usually.

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T.W.

answers from Columbia on

My son's is like that after eating too many fruit loops! :)

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F.A.

answers from Savannah on

Has she been drinking any colored juices? I know that if my boys drink green or blue juice of any kind, their stool will be green in color. Crazy but true. Also, some green veggies are stronger in iron and could cause some color change but not Shrek green. LOL Good luck.

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A.C.

answers from Athens on

My son had a stomache virus last year and his stool was Shreck green. It turned out to be bile. The doc said this can be normal but to watch it and not let him get dehydrated. It turned back normal after 2 days. Check w/ your doc. Also I used a lot of blue food coloring on his 1st b-day cake icing (Blue from Blues Clues) and everyone who ate it including grown ups had bright blue poop for a week! No lie!

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A.W.

answers from Atlanta on

My son's BMs does that when he drinks grape Kool-Aid. Has she had anything grape flavored?

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M.S.

answers from Atlanta on

At our family reunion I allowed my kids to have fruit loops, which was a big treat they usually don't get. I noticed both of them having lime green in their stools and linked it to the dye in the cereal. It was the only unusual thing they had recently eaten. Just my guess though.

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A.S.

answers from Atlanta on

Hi S.,

That has happened to both my children. The first time I was in shock. It was bright green. It was the blue fruit snacks...did it everytime.

You can always give your doctor a call. One of the nurses can probably give you some info.

Cathy

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M.F.

answers from Atlanta on

Blue snacks, drinks, pop cycles, blueberries, blackberries can make it green. Candy gummy's, purple grape juice...are some of the items and I see other mothers have had the same experience as well. I would call her doctor's office and talk to the nurse if it continues after you look at her diet again and see if something new was added that is making this happen, I know you said she's not eating anything new but I's check again. She should be fine. It is a shock the first few times you see it I know I couldn't understand it.

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T.A.

answers from Atlanta on

It could also be her digestive system. IBS & Crohn's disease can cause green bile... I would check with the doctor and monitor it if you are sure she hasn't eaten anything different.

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A.P.

answers from Atlanta on

It usually is common and constapation I just went through that with my 3 year old. Go to web MD and type in green stools and shold explain the type of foods and some meds that will turn stool green.

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L.R.

answers from Athens on

Hi S.,

Has your child eaten any food with a lot of food dye in it. The 2 things that really cause my kids to have green poopie is tube yogurt (especially the blue ones) and grocery store cupcakes or cake (with a lot of blue dye in the frosting). 3 days seems like a long time, unless she is eating the same thing each day. Good luck.

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M.S.

answers from Greensboro on

Hi Stacy,

Unless it persists, she should be fine. Usually if there is a "medical" reason, all the stool would be green. At the beginning of the intestine, the stool is green as it just left the stomach area with the green bile. As it progresses thru the intestine it changes color from green to yellow to brown. If only part is green then the BM is not moving through the system so fast that it does not change from green to brown. This is probably an issue of her eating something with food coloring in it...skittles maybe???

Years ago I went to Europe, had a really blue ice cream cone from a street vendor, and had a Carolina Blue stool the next day...food coloring can really affect the digestion!

Check your cupboards for new treats or any missing crayons!

Good luck!

M.

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P.D.

answers from Atlanta on

This used to happen to my son when he drank chocolate milk.

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C.S.

answers from Atlanta on

Is she eating alot of foods with iron? Or perhaps on a vitamin with iron supplement added? Alot of iron acn make stools green.

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A.C.

answers from Atlanta on

Has she had any type of green juice, eaten any crayons or playdoh?

I know from experience that playdoh turns stool whatever color your kid ate :(

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K.M.

answers from Atlanta on

Hi Stacy I was just reading your question and laughing at how well you discribed shreck green stool. My son will be three Feb. 21 and I am 37 weeks pregnant with our second (It's a girl)wow what i would give to be done and have her out TODAY!! My husband and I moved here 7 months ago b/c my mother has Cancer. My son has the whole green thing happen and sometimes i have linked it to fruit snacks... even just one pack it is amazing what thing efect their little systems. As long as they don't have the tummy ache or it changes in texture i'd just watch it and give the same TLC. Maybe after we both get through the first weeks we could have a lunch / human adult conversation? I work full time but will have 6 weeks off with the baby! My email address is ____@____.com GOOD LUCK ! may we both be in the last few days of pregnacy!

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M.K.

answers from Atlanta on

S.,
I am a mom of a 2 year old also. My daughter also poops Shrek green sometimes. My peditrician said it's okay at a young age it's just digestion too quickly. There is something in the digestion that turns the poop brown, but if it passes too quickly it is still green. Best of luck.
M.

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L.D.

answers from Savannah on

Grape PediaLyte or Kool Aid cause that with my sons. Lemonade Gatorade causes a weird light color too.

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