The Color of Poop

What Our Poop is Telling Us

By

Kate Allen

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Copyright © 2012 by Kate Allen – All rights reserved.

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Table of Contents

IntroductionBaby PoopBaby Poop ColorsToddler PoopAdult PoopAdult Poop ColorsConclusion

Introduction

Poop tells a story. The color can reassure you that you arebasically healthy or it can alert you to potential health or dietaryissues. Parents with infants and toddlers are often faced withconfusing and sometime alarming baby poop. And adults maynotice that their poop is an unusual color and wonder what’sgoing on with their bodies.

The purpose of this book is to help clarify what the color ofpoop is telling us.

I’m not a physician. I’m a Mom who has seen some pretty

I’m not a physician. I’m a Mom who has seen some prettyscary looking baby poop and some confusing human poop. What I’ve collected in this book is information about the color ofpoop that I hope is helpful for others. If you have any concernsat all about your baby’s poop or your own poop, please consulta medical doctor.

Baby Poop

At some point in a new Mom’s life she’ll open her baby’sdiaper, look at the poop sitting there and wonder if her baby’spoop is normal. It most likely is. The color and consistency ofbaby poop can be frightening. My son-in-law oncecommented that his baby’s poop could be used as a militarysecret weapon and would scare the enemy to death!

What exactly is in baby poop? Well of course you have what’sleft of any food that’s passed though the baby’s system andhasn’t been absorbed for nutrients. You also have protein, bileand other cells from the intestines. Eventually the baby startsproducing normal bacteria and some of that is also expelled inthe poop.

The color of poop is affected by bile and components ofbilirubin, a pigment. The bilirubin components result from the

bilirubin, a pigment. The bilirubin components result from thenormal break down of the body’s red blood cells. New bornbabies and babies who are breast fed don’t produce a lot ofbilirubin. After passing initial dark poop called the meconiumfrom their bodies, young babies usually have poop that is yellowor yellow-green. Baby poop color and consistency is alsoaffected by the food the baby eats. Finally poop color isdependent on whether the baby is breast fed, bottle fed or eatingmore solid baby foods.

Don’t be surprised if one day your baby’s poop is yellow andthe next day it’s green and then it returns to yet another color. Baby poop has a lot of variations in color. But if your baby hasthe best looking poop in the world but is acting cranking and ill,call your pediatrician or emergency room right away.

Baby Poop Colors

Greenish Black

Baby’s first poop will be greenish-black and sticky. It’s calledthe meconium and is entirely normal. It contains the remnants ofamniotic fluid. This black poop is very short-lived. Breast milkhelps to clear the meconium out of the baby’s system.

Black

Some babies receiving an iron supplement may also have blackpoop. Black poop can also be a sign of an internal bleedingproblem.

So if your newborn passes black poop for two or three days it’susually normal. If an older infant passes black poop and is onan iron supplement it’s probably normal. If you have anyconcerns you can call your doctor to confirm. If an older infantpasses black poop and isn’t on an iron supplement call yourdoctor to get his opinion.

Mustard Yellow

This is the color of the poop of a formula fed baby althoughsome Moms who breast feed their babies describe the poop asmustard yellow too. It’s a normal color.

Yellow-Brown

This is a normal color especially if you’re bottle feeding yourbaby formula. It’s also often the color of the poop of babieswho have just started breast feeding.

Light Yellow

This is a normal color for the poop of a baby who is beingbreast-fed.

breast-fed.

Yellow-Green

This is another normal poop color for a breast fed baby inparticular.

Brown

This is the normal color of poop for a baby who has started onsolid foods.

Tan

Some breast fed babies will have tan poop. However it wouldbe good to check with your doctor to see if he wants to see thebaby for a check-up.

Very Pale Yellow

If your baby’s poop is pale yellow call your doctor and let himknow. It could be a sign of liver issues.

Green

Green poop can be a sign of certain illnesses like jaundice orallergies. But it also can be the color of poop for a new bornbaby who has just started breast feeding. Babies who havestarted eating foods like spinach can also have green poop.

Bright Green

This is a normal poop color for a breast fed baby.

Red

If your baby’s poop is any shade of red call your doctor to gethis opinion. It could be due to minor anal bleeding because ofconstipation. There are also other conditions that can cause redpoop in babies.

Poop with Multi-Colored Food Bits

Sometimes babies who are eating baby food end up passingundigested food. So you are treated to the sight of poopdecorated with bits of carrots or spinach. If it happens onoccasion that’s one thing. But if your baby always hasundigested food in his poop then call your doctor and get hisopinion.

What Colors of Baby Poop Should Worry Me?

1. Black. After your new-born passes the green-blackmeconium you should report any black or dark poop toyour pediatrician. While things like iron supplements candarken baby’s poop, it’s still a good idea to call yourdoctor.

doctor.

2. Red. If your baby’s poop has any shade of red in itcall your doctor and get his advice. There are some minorconditions that can result in red poop. But it’s better to besafe than sorry.

3. White. If you see white poop it’s good to call yourdoctor. It can indicate a lack of bile which should bechecked out.

4. Green. There are some normal causes for greenpoop. But if your baby is acting sick or fussy and also hasgreen poop it’s worth it to call your doctor.

Toddler Poop

Your toddler’s diet will be more varied and will include a widervariety of protein. Toddler’s poop is normally brown, orange,yellow or green.

As with babies and adults, what your toddler eats can also affectthe color of his poop. If he eats food like popsicles or cakefrosting with food coloring in it, you can expect his poop to bedarker.

darker.

Again if you see certain poop colors you should call yourdoctor. This is even more important if your toddler is actingsick.

1. Black poop. This could be the result of an ironsupplement or even certain foods. But it’s worth a quickcall to the doctor to get his opinion.

2. White or clay –colored poop. If your toddler hastaken any medicine for diarrhea this can cause white orclay-colored poop. Again it’s good to run this by yourdoctor.

3. Red poop. If you see any blood in your toddler’spoop call your doctor to get his opinion. There are someeasily treatable conditions that can cause red poop. Butit’s good to contact your doctor.

Adult Poop

Normal adult poop ranges in color from light brown to mediumbrown. As with babies and toddlers, the food you eat and the

brown. As with babies and toddlers, the food you eat and themedicines you take can affect the color of your poop. Alsovarious physical illnesses can change the color of your poop.

A note about corn: Most adults have noticed that after they eatcorn they see remnants of the kernels in their poop. This isentirely normal but does make for some festive looking poop! The outer hull of corn is high in cellulose and human beings don’thave the enzyme needed to break down cellulose. However, thebody can digest the starch and nutrients from the heart of thecorn kernel. The cellulose in corn and other vegetables and fruitsdoes serve as valuable fiber to help keep us healthy.

Adult Poop Colors

Light Brown to Medium Brown

This is the normal color of an adult’s poop.

Very Light Brown

This can be a sign of constipation. Liver issues can also result inlighter colored poop. It could also be a sign of fat that was notdigested. If your poop remains very light brown for a number ofdays consult your doctor.

Orange

Orange

There are a lot of things that can cause orange poop. If the foodyou ate passed through your body too quickly that can result inorange poop. This is because the food hasn’t been exposed tobile. Liver problems can also cause orange poop. Some otherthings that can cause orange poop are:

1. Taking medications containing aluminum hydroxide orbeta-carotene

2. Eating carrots, tomato sauce

3. Eating anything with a lot of orange artificial foodcoloring

Yellow

There are a number of medical conditions that can cause yellowpoop in adults: Malabsorption, Pancreatic cancer, Gilbert’sSyndrome are just a few. There’s also a parasitic infectioncalled giardia that can result in yellow diarrhea. Yellow poopcan also be greasy and smelly which could indicate a problemwith the pancreas.

Eating some foods like carrots or foods with yellow foodcoloring can also cause yellow poop.

coloring can also cause yellow poop.

If your poop remains yellow for several days and you haven’teaten anything that might cause the color change, consult yourdoctor.

Black

Black poop can be a sign of bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. If the black poop is sticky or tarry andaccompanied by a very strong odor you should go see yourdoctor as soon as you can.

However there are other things that can cause black poop. Thistype of black poop won’t be tarry and smelly. If you consumeany of the following drugs or foods your poop may turn black fora short amount of time.

1. Bismuth Subsalicylate (e.g. Pepto Bismol®,Kaopectate®)

2. NSAIDS and aspirin (which can cause bleeding)

3. Iron supplements

4. Dark foods such as black licorice and blueberries

5. Large amounts of spinach or other greens

5. Large amounts of spinach or other greens

6. Other foods dark in color

If your poop remains black for several days and you haven’ttaken any medication or eaten any of the foods that would causeblack poop, go see your doctor.

Dark Green

If you’ve eaten green vegetables like spinach or lettuce it cancause green poop. Also if you’ve eaten anything with a highconcentration of green food coloring it can cause green poop. Certain vitamin supplements can also cause green poop. Somediseases that can cause green poop include ulcerative colitis,gastroenteritis, irritable bowel syndrome celiac disease,malabsorption, Crohn’s disease. Some other things that cancause green poop:

1. If you take too much iron and your body doesn’tabsorb it you can end up with green poop.

2. If you have diarrhea and food goes through your bodytoo quickly your poop may be green.

too quickly your poop may be green.

3. Taking laxatives.

4. Certain medicines.

If your poop remains green for several days and you haven’teaten any food or taken any medications that might have causedthe color change, call your doctor.

Red

Red poop can be a sign of bleeding in the lower gastro intestinaltract. It can also be due to hemorrhoids, ulcers, polyps or otherdiseases.

It can also be caused by:

1. Eating foods with a high concentration of red fooddye.

2. Eating beets, radishes, rhubarb

3. Eating red vegetables and fruits

4. Drinking tomato juice

5. Eating red gelatin or popsicles

6. Eating red JELL-O® or Kool-Aid®

6. Eating red JELL-O® or Kool-Aid®

If your poop is red for several days or you see any type of bloodin your poop, go see your doctor.

Maroon

Maroon poop can be a sign of internal bleeding in the lowergastro intestinal tract, hemorrhoids, polyps and other diseases. Some of the other conditions that can cause maroon poop are: diverticulitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, ulcers, gastritis, coloncancer and others. It’s also possible that eating certain foodsmight cause the poop to be maroon-colored. Depending on theindividual these foods might cause poop that looks maroon andnot red.

1. Eating foods with a high concentration of red fooddye.

2. Eating beets, radishes, rhubarb

3. Eating red vegetables and fruits

4. Eating red gelatin, popsicles

5. Eating red JELL-O® or Kool-Aid®

If your poop is red for several days or you see any type of bloodin your poop, go see your doctor.

Clay or Tan

Poop that lacks color can indicate a problem withmalabsorption, the gall bladder, hepatitis, parasitic infections,pancreatitis and other illnesses. Some other things that can causelight-colored poop:

1. Antacids containing aluminum hydroxide

2. Barium from a recent barium enema

3. If you take large amounts of Kaopectate® or PeptoBismol® and it can result in pale poop. Ironically it canalso cause black poop.

If your poop is clay-colored or tan for several days, go see yourdoctor.

White

White poop can indicate gallbladder disease. White poop canalso be caused by a biliary obstruction. Other things that causewhite poop:

1. antacids containing aluminum hydroxide

2. barium from a recent barium enema test

If your poop is white for several days, go see your doctor.

Conclusion

Poop is pretty amazing! It reflects our general health, the foodswe eat and the medications we take. For new parents a baby’spoop can be a major shock. Understanding the colordifferences for a baby that’s being breast fed or bottle fed can bea real stress reliever. Recognizing problem poop colors alsoallows parents to call their doctor sooner to resolve any possibleproblems. As their child grows and becomes a toddler they cancontinue to watch for the problem poop colors and take action.

As adults we all have times when we wonder if the color of our

poop is a problem. When we see colors different from thehealthy color we’re used to, it can raise a lot of concerns. It’shelpful to understand that food and medicine can affect the colorof our poop. And it’s even more helpful to understand the“problem” poop colors that may be alerting us to a health issue.

I hope this little book brings you peace of mind. But if you seeanything worrisome in the color of your poop or the poop ofyour child, please contact your doctor.

Table of ContentsIntroductionBaby PoopBaby Poop ColorsToddler PoopAdult PoopAdult Poop ColorsConclusion