Question:easy
What is the cause of the greenish-black colour of stool (meconium) in a neonate?
What is the cause of the greenish-black colour of stool (meconium) in a neonate?
Show Hint
Which bile pigment is green, not yellow?
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- Meconium
- Biliverdin
- Bilirubin
- Urochrome
Show Solution
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Option-elimination approach:
Option a (meconium) just names the stool, it cannot be the cause of its own colour, so reject it. Option c (bilirubin) is yellow-orange and is responsible for jaundice, not a green hue. Option d (urochrome) is the pigment that colours urine yellow and has nothing to do with stool. That leaves biliverdin.
Why biliverdin: Biliverdin is the green intermediate formed when haem is broken down, sitting one step before bilirubin. Meconium contains bile that is rich in this green pigment, which is why a newborn's first stools look dark greenish-black. The colour shifts to yellow-brown later once milk feeds and normal gut bacteria take over. So the correct answer is biliverdin.
Option a (meconium) just names the stool, it cannot be the cause of its own colour, so reject it. Option c (bilirubin) is yellow-orange and is responsible for jaundice, not a green hue. Option d (urochrome) is the pigment that colours urine yellow and has nothing to do with stool. That leaves biliverdin.
Why biliverdin: Biliverdin is the green intermediate formed when haem is broken down, sitting one step before bilirubin. Meconium contains bile that is rich in this green pigment, which is why a newborn's first stools look dark greenish-black. The colour shifts to yellow-brown later once milk feeds and normal gut bacteria take over. So the correct answer is biliverdin.
Was this answer helpful?
0
