After weaning, babies need to appropriately supplement some solid foods, and rice flour is a good choice. Some children may have green stool after eating rice flour, which may be caused by incomplete absorption of iron in rice flour or indigestion.

What Causes Babies to Have Green Stool After Eating Rice Flour?

Under normal circumstances, babies' stool can be green, such as when hungry. The color of stool is related to the chemical changes of bile secreted by the liver. Breastfed babies have acidic stool, and more bilirubin in bile is converted into biliverdin, resulting in green stool. Babies fed with milk have alkaline stool, and bilirubin in bile is converted into colorless fecal bilirubinogen, resulting in light yellow stool. Therefore, green stool in babies may be a normal physiological phenomenon and does not require concern. In fact, many newborns will pass green stool within 24 hours of birth, which is called meconium. It is formed by the mixture of secretions in the intestines of the fetus, swallowed amniotic fluid, vernix caseosa, bile, shed epithelial cells, and lanugo. Normally, the baby can eliminate meconium within three or four days. After starting breastfeeding, the baby will pass yellow stool. Green stool in babies eating rice flour may be due to the iron content in rice flour. If the iron in rice flour is not completely absorbed by the baby, the baby may pass yellowish-green stool. Another possibility is that the baby eats too much rice flour and experiences indigestion, which may also lead to green stool.

What Should I Do if My Baby Has Green Stool?

Usually, if the baby's appetite and spirit are good and there are no other discomforting symptoms, green stool is normal. The claim that green stool in babies is caused by being scared is not scientific. Green stool in babies is generally normal. If the baby passes bright green stool accompanied by fussiness, irritability, or diarrhea, it may be due to a viral infection. Breastfed babies who consume more foremilk than hindmilk may pass bright green stool. Mothers do not need to worry too much about this. Dark green or black-green stool may be the product of iron supplements in the baby's diet, such as iron-fortified milk powder. Parents do not need to worry about this color change, as it has no impact on the baby's digestive system.