A Green and Seedy Mucous Stool in an Infant

Very young or breastfed infants often pass green and seedy stools, particularly in the first few weeks of life. Most of the time, this is normal and shouldn't cause you any extra sleepless nights. However, if your infant is a few months old, has very loose stools, a fever or is otherwise uncomfortable, visit your doctor. Your infant may have an infection, an allergy to breast milk, or another condition.

A father changing his baby's diaper. (Image: monkeybusinessimages/iStock/Getty Images)

Transitional Stool

When a baby first arrives from the womb her stools still contain much of the amniotic fluid and mucus ingested during pregnancy. This creates thick, sticky stools called meconium. As the baby starts to feed, the meconium disappears. The stage between getting rid of meconium and producing normal poop creates transitional stools, according to Stanford School of Medicine. These are often green or dark yellow in color, but have the seedy texture common in very young babies.

Green Seedy Stools

Green color to an infant's stool is often perfectly normal, according to Barbara Morrison, Ph.D., C.N.M., F.N.P. on the Netwellness website. Green seedy stools often happen in the early stages of breastfeeding. The little seedy pieces are actually milk curds where the baby's immature digestive tract has been unable to break down the fat. Breastfed babies in particular tend to have squishy, greenish stools with soft seedy flecks. Over time, these stools usually turn lighter and more yellow in color.

Abnormal Stools

Though green seedy stools often don't signal any serious problems, an infant with certain stool types may be experiencing difficulties. Very watery stools, sometimes green in color, can signify diarrhea. This can quickly lead to serious health problems in infants, so speak to a doctor as soon as you can. Similarly, if dark green stools persist after more than a few weeks after birth, ask your doctor for advice. Meconium is usually completely out of the system after a few days and stools then lighten in color.

Other Problems

An infant with a gastric infection may produce green stools. Other infections, such as thrush, can interfere with proper breastfeeding. A baby that only nurses for a very short time may only swallow the thinner milk at the front of the breast, rather than the richer milk toward the back. If you notice that your baby doesn't suckle for long or reacts badly when latching on to the breast, speak to your pediatrician.