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Infant On Formula Has Dark Colored Stool. Due To The Food?
hi thank you for your help in advance, my daughter is almost 7 months old and i have been been weaning her since a week before she was 6 months old. she is on formula milk, has banana porridge (cow and gate) on a morning and broccoli & cauliflower porridge with a peach/banana yogurt for lunch and milk for bed. She did a small stool this morning and it was very dark with what looked like black stones, like a pebble, not a speck or a streak.. I'm just a tad concerned as I'm a new parent and i expect green poo but what are these black stones? Is it anything to do with the banana? I've read that banana can cause black streaks but these were a good small grape size. Please advise, thank you!
posted on
Wed, 22 May 2013
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Wed, 22 May 2013
Answered on
Thu, 23 May 2013
Last reviewed on
Dear user,
I am really not sure of what the black pebbly stool might be. However, I can assure you that they are likely to be normal if the child is good - i.e. there is no sick look, no stomach ache, no fever and no vomiting and she is accepting milk and weaning foods as before.
Just one thing: did you start her recently on any iron medicine? Iron-containing medicines are usually given for anemia and can actually cause black, tarry stools initially. However, they need not be stopped as the stool usually stays dark but causes no harm to the child later on.
Dr. Taher
I am really not sure of what the black pebbly stool might be. However, I can assure you that they are likely to be normal if the child is good - i.e. there is no sick look, no stomach ache, no fever and no vomiting and she is accepting milk and weaning foods as before.
Just one thing: did you start her recently on any iron medicine? Iron-containing medicines are usually given for anemia and can actually cause black, tarry stools initially. However, they need not be stopped as the stool usually stays dark but causes no harm to the child later on.
Dr. Taher
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