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Why is the baby's feces yellow in color and what to do?
Last reviewed: 12.07.2025

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Feces are all that remains of food after it enters the body. It takes one to three days for food to turn into feces. Feces consist of undigested food, dead cells, mucus, bacteria. Their color, shape, smell, consistency can be used to judge the condition of a person's internal organs. If the child is still very small and cannot tell about his problems, most parents carefully monitor the condition of the feces in order to promptly respond to deviations in health. What does yellow feces in a child indicate?
Causes of yellow stool in a baby
The color of feces, as well as consistency, are different at different ages. After birth, it depends on the type of feeding: when breastfeeding - light yellow, with formula - it can have a different shade. Most often, yellow-orange is considered normal for infants. At an older age, the color of feces directly depends on the natural dyes of food. Thus, dairy and plant foods give poop a lighter tone. Taking certain medications can affect the shade. The reasons for yellow feces in a child, which parents should know about and take measures for diagnosis, are:
- celiac disease is a disorder of absorption of certain food proteins – gluten, avenin, hordein, etc.;
- liver and biliary tract disease;
- intestinal dysfunction ( dysbacteriosis );
- pathologies of the pancreas.
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Risk factors
Risk factors for pathologies associated with the appearance of yellow stool in a child include:
- hereditary predisposition to cholecystitis, the formation of stones in the gallbladder;
- diabetes mellitus;
- obesity;
- irregular meals;
- rapid weight loss;
- chronic inflammatory processes of internal organs.
Pathogenesis
The normal, ordinary brownish color of feces is due to bile salts contained in bile and directly involved in digestion. Together with fatty acids, they form soluble complexes, facilitating their absorption. Also present in bile is an enzyme - alkaline phosphatase, which splits off phosphate from organic substances. It is bile that neutralizes the hydrochloric acid of the stomach contents before it enters the duodenum, enhances intestinal motility, forms fecal matter, and affects its color.
Epidemiology
According to statistics, more than half of children under seven have problems with the gallbladder. There is no data on the prevalence of celiac disease in our country, according to WHO, every 200-300 Europeans has this disease. Among the inhabitants of Japan and China, it is extremely rare, because they almost never eat bread. Gallstone disease affects 15% of the world's population, and in Ukraine, according to the latest data, almost 700 out of 100 thousand people have stones in the gallbladder.
Symptoms
Caring parents always show interest in their children's stool, because they understand that this is one of the indicators of their health. The first signs that signal various digestive disorders in a child, when the child's stool is of this color:
- light yellow - may indicate inflammation of the pancreas. This is confirmed by disturbing pain in the navel area and above, nausea, bloating, and possibly elevated body temperature;
- yellow-green - a companion of dysbacteriosis, in addition, there is mucus in the feces, the stool is liquid with an unpleasant putrid odor, accompanied by abdominal pain, skin rashes are possible;
- white-yellow - feces become white with hepatitis. This can happen before the skin and sclera of the eyes turn yellow. Another confirmation of the diagnosis is the darkening of urine to a dark brown color;
- liquid yellow - on the first day this is how rotavirus infection manifests itself, on the second or third day the feces become grayish. Headache, fever, runny nose, redness of the larynx are added;
- yellow-gray - Whipple's disease, a rather rare pathology of an infectious nature, can manifest itself in this way. Changes in feces are characteristic of the second stage of the disease, at the first stage there are muscle pains, redness in the joint area, enlarged lymph nodes, and an increase in temperature to 38° C.
Other warning signs of yellow stool in a child include:
- yellow stool with mucus - may indicate food poisoning. If the stool is also frequent, you need to call a doctor, and until he arrives, give the child non-carbonated mineral water or a solution of water with salt and sugar (a tablespoon of each ingredient per liter of boiled warm water). Infrequent stool may be a sign of the presence of helminths, and is also often accompanied by teething or taking certain medications;
- yellow lumps in the stool - indicate incomplete digestion of food. This occurs due to a lack of digestive enzymes, which occurs with pancreatitis, low stomach acidity, and accelerated intestinal motility;
- yellow foamy stool - in infants, this phenomenon is associated with the introduction of new products into the diet of the nursing mother and, if the child does not express any other concerns, then everything is fine. Perhaps the mother does not breastfeed enough and only the foremilk gets to him. Other causes are food allergies, dysbacteriosis, infections (staphylococcal, rotavirus, food), fermentation dyspepsia due to the large amount of carbohydrates consumed;
- yellow oily stool is a sign of increased excretion of fats from the body (steatorrhea). This diagnosis is made when more than 7g are excreted per day. The occurrence of steatorrhea is most often associated with pancreatic insufficiency and impaired fat absorption.
Forms
Deviation of the color of feces from the usual brown, not associated with specific dietary influences of such products as beets, elderberries, black currants, blood sausage, fruits and vegetables rich in keratin, or the intake of certain medications ( activated carbon, multivitamins), indicates the presence of a pathological process in the body, a metabolic disorder. The saturation of the color, lasting for quite a long time, shows the stage of the disease. The types of possible diseases in which the color of feces becomes yellow are described above.
Who to contact?
Diagnostics of yellow stool in a baby
To diagnose a disease that has caused yellow stool in a child, the clinical picture, tests, and instrumental examination of internal organs are important. To begin with, the doctor will ask the parents when the health problems began and what they were. Next, he will look at the tongue: its color, coating, dryness or moisture, hardness - all this is important when making a diagnosis. Then the doctor will palpate the child's abdomen, its shape, symmetry, muscle tension, and movement of the walls during breathing are important.
Tests
The most important test for diagnosing gastrointestinal disorders is a coprogram or stool analysis . This laboratory test evaluates the consistency, color, and composition of feces and provides a picture of the processes of digestion and absorption of nutrients. The analysis determines the presence or absence of mucus, blood, epithelium, adhesive, starch, fatty acids, helminths, and a number of other indicators that indicate one or another coprological syndrome. Thus, the presence of starch, connective tissue, and unchanged muscle fibers in the feces indicates gastrogenic problems; red blood cells, mucus, and leukocytes indicate colitis syndrome; liquid yellow-gray feces, starch, fat, and altered muscle fibers indicate pancreatitis, etc. Biochemical and bacteriological analysis of feces, as well as analysis of feces for carbohydrates, are also possible, for example, if dysbacteriosis is suspected to determine the intestinal microflora. You will also need a general blood test and a urine test to determine whether changes are occurring in the body.
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Instrumental diagnostics
Instrumental diagnostics primarily includes endoscopy, which allows visual examination of the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine of the upper part of the intestine. If necessary, this procedure is also used to examine the colon and rectum. Endoscopic pH-metry determines the acidity of the stomach. Manometry is also used - measuring the pressure in various parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Electroenterogastrography is a method for studying the motility of the gastrointestinal tract. It gives an idea of the peristalsis of the organs, which determines the grinding of food entering the stomach, mixing it with gastric juice, and further movement. But fluoroscopy and ultrasound allow you to see the organ and its pathologies in its entirety.
Differential diagnosis
The task of differential diagnostics is to isolate from all symptoms and studies the characteristic features of a specific disease, although in the case of pathologies of internal organs that provide nutrition and removal of food waste, most often a failure of one system entails disturbances in another. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the primary and concomitant diseases.
Treatment of yellow stool in a baby
Treatment of pathologies that cause yellow stool in a child depends on the diagnosis. Acute pancreatitis is treated with a starvation diet, pain relief with narcotic analgesics, drips with saline solutions are administered, and medications that block enzyme synthesis are administered. In case of chronic inflammation of the pancreas, a strict diet is indicated, enzyme and painkillers are prescribed.
Dysbacteriosis, which essentially means an imbalance of intestinal microflora, requires treatment, depending on what the tests reveal, what opportunistic flora prevails in it. Probiotics, prebiotics, bacteriophages, digestive enzymes can be used.
Hepatitis A in children is not treated with medications, only choleretic drugs are used. Other disorders in the liver and biliary tract may include cholecystitis, dyskinesia of the gallbladder, cholelithiasis. With such diagnoses, choleretic agents and hepatoprotectors are used.
Celiac disease requires a special diet that excludes foods containing gluten (confectionery and pasta, chocolate, drinks made from grains).
Medicines
Enzyme preparations (mezim, pancreatin, creon) are frequently requested treatments for yellow stool in children.
Pancreatin forte — coated tablets, capsules, jelly dragees. Promotes digestion of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. It should be taken during or immediately after meals, with plenty of water. The dose of the drug is calculated in terms of lipase — a pancreatic enzyme. Children under one and a half years are prescribed 50 thousand units per day, older — 100 thousand units/day. Contraindicated in acute pancreatitis, hypersensitivity. Can cause allergies, increase the level of uric acid in the urine.
Probiotics are living organisms for improving the existing microflora. These include Linex, Bificol, Atsilakt, Enterol.
Enterol has two pharmaceutical forms: capsules and powders. Powders in a dosage of 100 mg of the active substance are considered for children. They are taken an hour before meals, after dissolving the powder in a glass of water. Two doses of up to 3 sachets are allowed per day for people aged 1-3 years, and up to 4 sachets for older children. Side effects include stomach discomfort and allergic reactions.
Prebiotics are prescribed to accelerate intestinal motility and improve its microflora (Duphalac, Hilak Forte, Exportal).
Dufalac - stimulates intestinal peristalsis, promotes absorption of calcium salts and phosphates. Available in the form of syrup, can be diluted in water before use. The dose for children under one year is 5 ml, 1-6 years - 5-10 ml, 7-14 years - 10-15 ml per day. In the first days of use, flatulence may occur, nausea and vomiting are possible. Contraindicated in acute intestinal obstruction. Caution is required for patients with lactose intolerance, diabetes.
Bacteriophages are designed to combat bacteria that cause pathogenic processes. Their name contains the group of bacteria that they suppress: staphylococcal, dysenteric, potassium, streptococcal.
Choleretic drugs include allachol, holenzym, flamin, and berberine.
Flamin for children - granules from which a suspension is prepared (the contents of one packet are combined with 1.5 teaspoons of boiled water and shaken before use). The resulting mixture is divided into 3 doses, the dose for different ages is different:
- 1 month - year - 1 package;
- 1-3 years - 2 pcs.;
- 3-5 years - 3 pcs.;
- 5-12 years old - 4 pcs.
Duration of therapy is from 10 to 40 days. There may be manifestations of allergy, diabetics should take it with caution. Contraindicated for children with congenital fructose intolerance, gallstones.
Hepatoprotectors are of plant origin (karsil, silymarin), animal (hepatosan, sirepar), essential phospholipids (essentiale, phosphogliv), amino acids (heptral, arginine), ursodeoxycholic acid preparations (ursofalk, ursosan ).
Ursofalk - exists in a convenient for children form - suspension. Reduces the production of cholesterol stones by the liver, promotes their dissolution, increases the secretion of the stomach and pancreas. The recommended dose of the suspension depends on body weight:
Body weight (kg) |
Dose (ml) |
5-7 |
1.25 |
8-12 |
2.50 |
13-18 |
3.75 |
19-25 |
5.0 |
26-35 |
7.5 |
36-50 |
10.0 |
Taken in the evening before bedtime, washed down with water. Not prescribed in acute periods of cholecystitis, kidney, liver, pancreas disorders. May cause nausea, diarrhea, allergies.
Vitamins
Vitamins A, E and C are prebiotics that stimulate the growth of beneficial microflora in the large intestine. They are included in many food supplements and medications. For hepatitis A, doctors prescribe complex vitamins of group B, vitamins C and PP. Patients with celiac disease need vitamins K, C, PP, and folic acid.
Physiotherapy treatment
Physiotherapeutic treatment is very relevant in the treatment of pathologies of internal organs involved in digestion processes. Hydrotherapy is widely used, the most famous mineral springs in our country and abroad are located in Truskavets, Mirgorod, Morshyn. Electrophoresis with a solution of novocaine, ultrasound on the projection area of the pancreas are used to treat pancreatitis. New methods of physiotherapy of pathology are also appearing: the use of low-energy laser radiation, energy neurostimulation, alternating magnetic field of low frequency. The advantage of the latter over high-frequency is that it does not create a thermal effect.
Physiotherapy procedures are also indicated for most pathologies of the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts:
- UHF, diathermy - reduce inflammation, restore hepatocytes;
- electrophoresis with magnesium and aminocaproic acid - has a choleretic effect, prevents the formation of stones, relieves spasms;
- tubage - cleanses the liver, removes stones;
- mud therapy - relieves inflammation, improves bile synthesis;
- hydrotherapy - removes toxins, prevents bile stagnation;
- laser therapy - relieves pain, has an anti-inflammatory effect;
- Physical therapy improves blood circulation and bile secretion.
Treatment of dysbacteriosis is accelerated by using procedures such as diathermy, electrophoresis of novocaine, dry heat on the stomach, warm radon or pine baths, paraffin, ozokerite, mineral waters.
Folk remedies
When using one or another folk treatment method on a child, it is necessary to obtain the approval of a doctor, since there is no single approach for everyone. Among the possible recipes may be the following:
- grate raw potatoes, squeeze them out, take a third of a glass of juice before meals;
- chop and squeeze out the juice of raw cabbage, you can combine it in equal parts with carrot juice, drink half a glass;
- prepare jelly from oat broth;
- from a small pumpkin, scrape out the middle through the cut off top, pour in honey, seal the hole with dough, keep in a dark place for 10 days; half an hour before eating, eat a tablespoon three times a day;
- Chew small pieces of propolis shortly before eating.
Herbal treatment
Herbal treatment plays a major role in the complex therapy of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and pancreas. For pancreatitis, decoctions of the following herbs are used: flax seeds, immortelle, licorice, horsetail, chamomile, and St. John's wort. Calendula, corn silk, milk thistle, tansy, sage, and oregano are used to treat the liver. Dysbacteriosis is treated with herbal infusions: meadowsweet, mint, dill seed, violet, and chamomile; another is yarrow, St. John's wort, chamomile, and sage.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy also has a right to exist in the treatment of pathologies associated with digestive disorders.
Amarin - oral drops, a complex herbal homeopathic preparation has an antispasmodic, antimicrobial, analgesic, anti-inflammatory effect. Recommended for children from 11 years old. Method of application for children: 10 drops, combined with a small amount of water 3 times a day. Contraindicated in peptic ulcer, functional dyspepsia. Allergic reactions are possible.
Bioline Candida - antifungal tablets. Children 2-12 years old are recommended to take half a tablet under the tongue until completely dissolved 4 times a day, people older than this age - a whole one. After taking for half an hour, do not eat, drink or rinse your mouth for greater effectiveness of the drug. As a side effect, allergy is possible, contraindicated for people with hypersensitivity.
Galstena - tablets, oral drops. Indicated for acute and chronic diseases of the liver and biliary tract. For children under 5 years old, only drops are used: up to 1 year, one drop diluted in a teaspoon of milk or water; for 2-4 years, 2-4 drops per tablespoon of water; 5-12 years, 5-7 drops. From 5 to 12 years, you can take tablets - 0.5 twice a day. Children after this age are recommended 1 tablet. The drug should be taken between meals, keep the tablets in the mouth until dissolved. The duration of treatment for different diagnoses is different, it will be determined by the doctor. Allergies are possible if sensitive to the components.
Gastrokind - tablets, prescribed for functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. In acute conditions, children under one year can take a tablet every hour, but no more than 6 pieces per day, chronic - 4 times. From one to 6 years old, 2 tablets are allowed in the same regimen. The method of administration is the same as the previous drug.
Enterokind is a liquid for infants and young children (up to 6 years). It is indicated for intestinal disorders. Single dose is 3 drops three times a day, if necessary, it can be increased to 6 times. Infants can be dissolved in water. Side effects and contraindications are unknown.
Surgical treatment
Surgical treatment is used for pancreatitis in case of suppuration and destruction of pancreatic tissue. In such a situation, necrotic tissue is removed, and sometimes a complete resection of the pancreas is performed. Endoscopic treatment is also used to drain pseudocysts in order to remove fluid accumulating in the abdominal cavity. Gallstones and severe cases of liver abscesses are also a reason for surgical intervention.
Complications and consequences
The consequences and complications of pathologies when neglected can be very deplorable for a child. Thus, dysbacteriosis carries the risk of gastritis, colitis, peptic ulcer, furuncles, purulent abscesses, bronchial asthma, arthritis, atherosclerosis, urolithiasis.
Pancreatitis is dangerous because it can lead to diabetes, which affects the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Cysts and erosions can appear on the inflamed pancreas, which can lead to bleeding and peritonitis.
Disorders in the functioning of the liver and gallbladder cause a lot of physical suffering, especially if there are stones in it, and also adversely affect the functions of the entire gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, since bile is involved in the breakdown of fats, activates the production of intestinal hormones, neutralizes the action of pepsin in gastric juice, etc.
Celiac disease is dangerous due to its disruption of reproductive function, musculoskeletal system, late puberty, and blood diseases.
Prevention
In case of hepatitis A, early diagnosis is of great importance for epidemic prevention. This makes it possible to disinfect the source of infection, prevent it from spreading in children's groups, monitor the health of children, control the quality of food, drinking water, and compliance with hygiene rules. Prevention of other pathologies that cause the symptom of yellow feces in a child consists of organizing a healthy diet for the child and an active lifestyle. It is necessary to exclude fatty, spicy food, food containing dyes, flavor enhancers, flavorings, preservatives from the diet. Easily digestible carbohydrates will also not benefit the child. When breastfeeding, these recommendations must be followed by a nursing mother. Another preventive measure is a cautious approach to the use of antibiotics, and patients with celiac disease should adhere to a lifelong gluten-free diet.
Forecast
The prognosis for digestive system disorders in childhood is favorable in case of timely treatment of the pathology, and if necessary, surgical intervention. Ignoring the disease will turn into a serious problem in adulthood. Thus, in severe cases of acute pancreatitis, mortality occurs in a third of patients. Gallstone disease brings painful attacks and complications, and timely removal will not affect the quality of further life.