Poop comes in all colors (and smells and textures), including many shades of brown, green or yellow. In general, these colors are normal and variations in these colors do not indicate that anything is wrong.

In some instances, poop color can provide important clues as to problems with the gastrointestinal tract or liver. 

Normal Stool Color

Breast milk poop is often described as mustardy in color and seedy in texture. This is because the nutrients in breast milk are very well-absorbed by the baby. 

Babies on formula and those who have started eating solid foods will produce poop that is usually darker yellow, brown or green in color. Any shade of brown, green or yellow is possible and normal, from light beige to dark green. In some instances, food is not entirely digested, so it can be chunky or have whole pieces in the diaper.

Blood in the Stool 

Some babies don’t do well on standard cow’s milk formulas. These formulas can cause some irritation at the rectum (the last part of the gastrointestinal tract), causing a little blood staining on the diaper. Though not an emergency, you should take your baby to the pediatrician to discuss whether other formulas would be better tolerated.

Although rare, there are many causes of larger volumes of blood in the diaper. Sometimes, bloody poops are caused by an infection. In this case, your child might appear sick and develop fever, vomiting or changes in behavior. Some other causes of bleeding include allergies, blood vessel malformations and polyps (warty growths) that have fallen off. It is difficult for a parent to figure out how significant the bleeding is, so you should take your baby to the doctor right away if you see bloody poop.

Abnormal Stool Color

Red and Black Stools

Lots of foods, drinks or medications may make the poop red or black, and it is not concerning when foods do this. For example, beets and artificial fruit juice can make the poop red, while licorice, blueberries and bismuth subsalicylate (used to treat diarrhea, heartburn, and upset stomach ) can make it black. All babies have black stools called meconium for the first few days of life. However, if you see black tarry poop after the baby has transitioned to yellow, green or brown poops, it may be abnormal.

Bright red stools are most commonly associated with problems near the end of the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., the rectum) and black stools typically suggest problems earlier in the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., the stomach or the beginning of the small intestine). Maroon stools can suggest a problem somewhere in the middle of the gastrointestinal tract. 
If you suspect that your child has red or black stools, you should see your child's pediatrician right away.

White and Other Abnormally-Colored Stools

Very rarely, babies will develop white, chalky grey or pale, yellow stools. This may not be obvious in the first few days or weeks of life when all babies have normal, black stools. However, these pale stools suggest that there may be a life-threatening blockage in the liver preventing bile, the green fluid stored in the gallbladder that gives stool the yellow/brown color, from getting out of the liver. If you suspect that your infant has white, chalky grey or pale, yellow stools, you must contact your child's pediatrician right away. The most common cause of these stools in infants is a disease called biliary atresia can be found on our website, and early diagnosis of this condition is important to correct this problem.