Is my baby's poop healthy? Newborn Baby Poop Colors And What They Mean

Your baby's poop will encompass a wide range of colors that could be a sign of their overall health. From green to black to yellow poop, and many more in between!

Whether they're a breastfed baby or whether they are a formula fed baby, it can affect their poop color.

Follow this guide to better understand the meanings of the different poop colors to ensure your baby's health!

The color of your baby's poop can change a lot depending on the day. And although most poop colors are considered as normal, certain colors can mean that your baby might be experiencing a health problem. This poop color wheel chart can help you learn what the color of your baby's poop can mean, and whether you need to call your pediatrician or not.

Dark Green-Black Poop Color

Newborn poops can typically look like sticky greenish black tar. This type of poop is also known as meconium, it's not exactly poop but rather a mixture of bile, amniotic fluid anf secretions from their intestinal glands. It doesn't have a pungent smell, but it is more difficult to clean up than normal poop.

This is typically common if your baby is a newborn. During the first few days post-birth your baby will excrete transitional poops which consists of meconium and stools. It would be between a dark green/brown color, with a moist consistency. This eventually goes away after your baby starts eating better.

Yellow Poop Color

After about a week, babies stop pooping the dark green-black meconium to a bright yellow color. This is because they start digesting food properly. This color is usually associated with a breastfed baby's poop, and is usually watery and smells somewhat like yeast.

Parents might see and smell this and think of dairy products like cheese or eggs, but it's completely normal for the poop to smell like this.

Yellow-Brown Poop Color

If your baby is formula fed, their poop will be a range from yellow-brown, green-tan, or brown about one or two weeks post-birth. It's texture is thick and solid almost like the same consistency as peanut butter.

Similarly to the breastfed baby poops, the smell should smell yeasty (due to the presence of sugar in the baby formula)

Newborn babies that receive a mixture of breast milk and baby milk formula will excrete brown or dark yellow colored poop.

Brown Poop Color

As your baby progressively grows and starts consuming more solid food, healthy bacteria starts populating in their gut. A result of this is that your baby will produce a brown colored smellier poop. This is of course also subjected to what type of food you feed your baby.

Instead of brown, it can also be a reddish-orange, green, yellow and even blue! These poop colors are typically a result of your baby digestive system not being able to fully digest the food they ate. These colors tend to also be very foul-smelling.

Watery Green-Brown Poop Color

Simply put, yellowish, brown, or green baby poop that has a watery texture are telltale signs of diarrhea. Digestive problems, antibiotics and viral infections are usually the culprits of this poop color. Babies experiencing diarrhea can possibly face dehydration, so make sure to keep an eye on them and their poops.

Though it is important to know that mucus in baby poop can also look like diarrhea. Especially if it has a yellow, brown or green colour. Mucus can occur in your baby's bowel movements to indicate an infection, a milk allergy or excess saliva from your baby's teething.

Harder Dark Brown Poop Color

Babies experiencing constipation tend to poop out dark brown-ish or black poop. Constipation is very hard and thick similar to marbles or pellets. Similarly to adults, constipation in a baby can happen from unabsorbed fiber and fluids, usually from a milk protein allergy or other nutritional intolerance.

Bright Green Poop Color

A bright green color usually tells you that food is moving at a fast rate through your baby's digestive system, probably from a mild stomach bug. The bright green color is typically from bile that didn't get enough time to break down.

If your baby has been release a strong stinky aroma with a green-ish poop color, it can either be from drinking bottle/breast milk too quickly. Consult your pediatrician to find ways to slow down their drinking, after solving this problem, the poop color should go back to normal.

Dark Green Poop Color

A dark green bowel movement on the other hand can mean that your baby didn't digest their iron-potent vegetables properly. Aside from that, it can also be a result of supplements as well.

Red Poop Color

A yellow-brown poop with hints of bright red can be a cause of concern. It's most like streaks of undigested blood from a milk allergy, anal fissure or an infection in your baby's intestines.

Red specks can also be from a mishap during breastfeeding, like swallowing nipple blood during a feeding session, or from dark-red beverages and meals. However, it's safe to inform your pediatrician in case of anything serious.

Dark Red or Black Poop Color

If your baby poops out a fully dark red or black color poop, call your pediatrician immediately. This color may indicate a bleeding in the gastrointestinal organ. Any type of blood expelled out of a baby's bowel movements should always be checked by a pediatrician.

Gray or White Poop Color

If your baby excretes a white-gray baby poop color, make sure to call a doctor as soon as possible. This poop color can mean your baby might have serious liver problems, bile problems, or lack of nutritional malabsorption.

Conclusion

Most yellow, green, or brown colors are considered normal and health for baby poop. Any other colours however such as red, white, pale yellow or black (at least after the meconium stage), book an appointment with a doctor to identify what health problems your child might be experiencing. Silver, maroon, raspberry and wine-red colors that have a gel-like consistency in particular require emergency medical help.

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