Nowadays parents pay great attention to the diaper contents of their baby so as to keep up with their baby’s health. Though you may start paying less attention to this when your baby grows to be a toddler, still it is good to keep on a lookout on the color of your baby’s stool. You may not want to discuss the color of your baby’s stool most of the time, but it may become imperative for you to discuss it with your physician in some situations.
Toddler Poop Color
The color of the stool of your baby or toddler may range anywhere from yellow-brown if you give your baby infant formula milk to mustard-yellow if you breast feed your baby. If you have a toddler who is also eating table food along with milk, their stool color can range from yellow to green to brown to orange on the basis of the food you have given them. Your baby can produce a stool with rainbow colors as they do not always eat small bites and chew food properly. You may find an odd colored stool on your child’s diaper on a regular basis. Below are some common toddler poop colors, what these colors stand for and when you should worry.
| Toddler Poop Color | Is It Normal? Why? |
|---|---|
| Green-black |
Yes, it is normal for your baby to have green-black and tarry stools after birth. A baby’s first stool is green-black in color, also referred to as meconium. |
| Green-brown |
Yes, this type of color is also normal. After your baby begins feeding and digesting breast milk their stool color changes from green-black to green-brown to yellow-brown. |
| Yellow |
Yes, this type of stool color is normal for your baby. Your baby’s stool will change to loose and seedy that is yellow to yellow-green or tan colored, after about five days of birth, if they are breast fed. |
| Brown |
Yes, this type of stool color is also normal for babies who are fed on infant-formula. Stools of such babies become pasty and light brown. |
| Bright Red |
Yes, your baby’s stool color can also turn bright red if they have eaten beets in their meal. Other foods that can give a similar color to your baby’s stool include tomatoes, cranberries, grape Kool-Aid, cheery or cranberry Jell-O. |
| Red Streaks |
No, red streaks in your baby’s stool are not normal and you should see a pediatrician in such cases. They can happen when bleeding occurs from breaking of skin around the anus that happens when your child passes hard and large stools. |
| Green |
When it is normal: Green color of your baby’s stool may be normal for babies who are breast fed, especially during the first few months. Green stool also occurs in toddlers who eat spinach or green Jell-O in their meals or are taking iron. When it is not normal: However, the color of the stool can also turn green in an infection of the intestinal tract caused due to rotovirus, which warrants immediate medical care and attention. |
| Yellow-brown |
Aside from the first case in babies born a few days, yellow brown stools that are loose and watery and are associated with pain in abdomen should be reported immediately to a pediatrician. They denote irritable bowel syndrome and your child may also have constipation alternatively. IBS is more commonly seen in school going children than in toddlers. Often it is accompanied by relentless stomach cramps. |
| Light Gray/ Chalk White/ Pale Yellow |
This type of color of stools is common in babies who ingest moo-juice and who are on milk-only diets or in babies who are given antacids for stomach ache. However, such stools can also indicate blockage of bile ducts, which requires medical attention. Pale colored, and/or fatty and bad smelling stools are indicative of celiac disease or mild intolerance to gluten. Such children are unable to digest gluten, which is a protein present in barley, rye and wheat. You should consult a pediatric gastroenterologist if your child’s stool is of such color and your child’s growth is slow and they are also having lingering loose stools. |
| Black as Tar/ Tarry Black |
When it’s normal: This color of stool is normal in babies who eat foods such as Oreo cookies, licorice and grape juice. A very dark colored stool can be harmless in children who take iron supplements, or eat a pack of black licorice or a pack of black jelly beans. When it’s not normal: Black tarry stools are sign of significant bleeding which call for emergency treatment. Consult your pediatrician and he will check for bleeding or hemorrhage from the upper gastrointestinal tract such as esophagus, stomach and intestines. |
When to See a Doctor
When you are changing the diaper of your baby, look closely for the consistency of their stools. Babies who feed on breast milk tend to have loose and watery stools. However, watery bowel movements may be a sign of diarrhea and stools that are like pebbles are a sign of constipation in your baby.
You should immediately contact your baby’s pediatrician in case the color and consistency of your child’s stool is a cause of concern. This is particularly of importance in cases where your baby’s stools are:
- Black after the initial bowel movement for the first few days after birth
- Bloody or red colored
- Gray or white colored
- Continuously loose and watery
- Continuously large and hard and difficult to pass
While consulting your baby’s pediatrician, you will be required to describe your baby’s stool including its color, consistency, frequency and volume. It is important to provide as much details about the stool as possible so that your doctor is able to determine whether such stools are normal for your baby or whether they require any medical treatment.