Bright Green Diarrhea

Bright green poop (poo) is usually caused by lack of food. Often when infants and toddlers are unwell they don't eat much. This is especially true when your toddler or infant has gastroenteritis.

When your child is not eating, the bile that the body produces to help digest food has nothing to act on. Bile is bright green. If it isn't used up in food digestion, it comes out in the bowel motions (stools, poop, poo).

We often refer to diarrhea that is bright green as "starvation stools".

Should I be worried if my child has bright green poop?

No. If your toddler or child hasn't been eating much, encourage him to start eating again. This will use up the bile and the diarrhea should settle and the green poop will cease.

How can I prevent bright green loose poop (diarrhea)?

When your toddler or infant has gastroenteritis, do not stop normal food.

If he is vomiting, you may need to give clear fluids, (such as Gastrolyte, Dioralyte, Pedialyte or Rehydralyte) for a few hours, but resume feeding as soon as possible.

In the past, doctors often advised clear fluids only for 24 hours. We now advise early feeding within 24 hours of the gastroenteritis starting.