Strangely Colored Poops
Berkeley Parents Network >
Advice >
The Potty >
Strangely Colored Poops
June 2006
My 4 year olds poop was green. Not even a brownish green, more
like a sage green. It happened the day after he ate a green
apple flavored ''Fun Dip'', that pixie stick type powdery candy,
which was also green. (Not a staple of his diet, believe me).
Has anyone else ever experienced this reaction to a ''Fun Dip''
or other candy? Or should I be concerned? His poops are
normal colored now (just 2 days later).
mom of the alien pooper
Hi -- I laughed when I read your post because my 19-month old son had a bright green (kelly
green) poop last week for the first time! I totally freaked out and called the daycare to
find out what he'd eaten the day before. Apparently, one of the other kids had shown up
with some ''fun'' blueberry yogurt that is actually dyed bright blue.
Of course, my son had to have some, and it turned his poop bright green. The daycare
provider told me that whenever the kids eat that particular kind of yogurt, they all have
green poops the next day.
Lindsay
my son had this issue when he ate the yougart sticks or tubes with the green flavor and then
his poops were green like totally green. so stay away from the green yougart sticks as well
will make poops green.
crazy mom of green pooper too
It's the food coloring in the candy. Don't worry. When I was in college, my friends and I
got in this habit for a while of making rice crispy marshmallow treats with different food
coloring added. (We make them red and/or green for Christmas, pink, orange, purple,
whatever.) Occasionally, when I ate A LOT of a colored batch, my poop would later be that
color. Green food dye would especially color the poop. No big deal.
Anon
Happens when my kids overindulge on the broccoli too, so it's not all about the artificial
dye. I wouldn't worry about it.
You are what you eat!
We've noticed the same phenomenon after eating jello. It's just the coloring used. It's just
the same as peeing/pooping red after eating beets (except the coloring is rarely natural).
another colored pooper
Ah, the wonders of green food dye. About 30 years ago I ate a piece of chocolate cake that
had been dyed green. Tasted less chocolaty to me, but that was probably in my head. Anyway,
I was surprised some 24 hours later to produce a very green turd. I talked to several other
people who'd eaten the cake, and they had the same reaction. But no worry, once the dye had
exited my body, no side effects, no problems. I've never eaten anything dyed blue; it would
be interesting to see what that does.
anonymous
April 2006
All of a sudden, my one year old has white poop, I haven't
given him any thing new lately, and it also smells very very
bad, has any one had this happen and do you know why???
Heather
My baby did this too! I don't know if it was the adjustment
from nursing to cows milk, or something else she ate, but it
lasted off/on over a week or two and then no more. She seemed
fine though it all. she's 15 months now.
white poop mom
June 2006
I don't recall ever seeing this question before: my four-year-
old son does not eat a wide variety of foods, although it's
improving slowly. He does, however, poop in a variety of
colors, most notably green, light brown, and red. This has
been true his whole life, and we joke a little about
his ''playdough'' poop. I have correlated the red ones to
watermelon ... but a lovely green poop last night didn't seem
to match anything he'd eaten. When he was a baby the
pediatrician said it wasn't anything to worry about ... in
babies. But he's not a baby anymore. His main food is still
milk, and he eats pasta, carrots, yogurt, broccoli, some
cereals, peeled apples, french fries, pancakes, the occasional
chicken nugget, and any candy he can get. Before I alert the
doctor to what may not be a big deal, do any parents out there
have any idea/experience with this? Thanks!
- Perplexed
I wonder if your son is not digesting his food properly....
You said he didn't have a wide variety. If he seems happy and is
pooping regularly it's probably nothing but an interesting
digestive system. Do you see undigested food in his poop?
If he's not digesting, you may want to try to change....cooked
vegies? cooked fruit? more fiber?
HOpe this is ''food'' for thought....just my 2 cents.
anon
My 3 year old has lots of interesting colored poops, too.
Somehow I'm always surprised by the black blueberry poops and
the orange carrot ones. Seems normal to me. Good luck!
anon
this page was last updated: May 2, 2009
The opinions and statements expressed on this website
are those of parents who subscribe to the
Berkeley Parents Network.
Please see
Disclaimer & Usage for
information about using content on this website.
Copyright © 1996-2013 Berkeley Parents Network