Q: Hello Dr. Ketch. I’m so glad to find your page. I just want to ask what a green poop means. My 3 year old & 1 1/2year old daughters sometimes poop green. A doctor once told me that green poop on children is bad, but she didn’t give the reason. Hope you can answer me Doc. Thank you

A: Thanks for writing in. It is important that we all develop the habit of asking our doctors questions. It is your right to fully understand what is wrong with you or your baby and receive sufficient information to make informed choices. It is not something the medic does when he/she is in a good mood. It must happen all the time!

In babies, green poo can be due to:

• Baby not nursing sufficiently from one breast before being moved to the other breast. This means that the baby gets more (watery) fore milk than the fattier, nutrient-dense hind milk.

• If baby is bottle-fed, it could be due to the particular formula being used. Try switching to another formula and see if it helps

• Diarrhea • Inadequate intestinal flora in breastfed babies In children and adults: • Eating a lot of veggies

• Diet rich in iron

• Diarrhea

• Presence of green food dyes etc

Where in doubt as to what exact cause is, please take them in to see their doctor. If diarrhea is the cause, we don’t want the added complication of dehydration.

All the best! Good night, everyone 😀