The stools of the newborn baby

In the first hours of life, the newborn baby eliminates the meconium . Meconium is the material that accumulates in the intestine of the fetus during pregnancy, it is a viscous substance, thick, dark green almost black. It is composed of dead cells and secretions of the stomach and liver. Frequency

In the first hours of life, the newborn baby eliminates the meconium. Meconium is the material that accumulates in the intestine of the fetus during pregnancy, it is a viscous substance, thick, dark green almost black. It is composed of dead cells and secretions of the stomach and liver.

Frequency in the baby's stools

Usually the first meconium deposition of the baby is done in the first 24 hours of life. However, if the fetus removes meconium within the intrauter uterus (ie, the amniotic fluid is dyed with meconium), the baby may have decreased oxygen in the blood before delivery.

In the first 2-3 days of life, the baby will eliminate all the meconium from its intestine , and the stools will be dark or black. After these 2-3 days the stools begin to be greenish, more claritas, what is called 'transitional', for another 2-3 days, to later reach the light yellow coloration of the neonate's stools.During the first month of life it is quite normal for

the baby to make 6-8 stools a day ; they are usually scarce, once per dose, with a yellowish color and with lumps, with little odor. If the baby is fed with breast milk, coloration, consistency and odor may vary depending on the mother's diet.Other newborns make

only one stool a day , and this is also normal, it will be more abundant in these cases. The stools should be soft, semi-liquid, this means that the state of hydration is adequate.If the stools are scarce and hard in the first days of life, it can be a sign of dehydration, and the pediatrician should be consulted for a clinical and weight assessment, and assess whether breastfeeding is adequately established.

Some babies perform

deposition once every 2-3 days ; While the stool is soft and the baby does not have vomiting or abdominal pain, and continue to eat in the same way as usual, most likely it has no pathological significance. There is also the entity called 'false constipation of breastfeeding', which involves a period of a few weeks, in which the baby fed with breastfeeding makes fewer bowel movements a day. It is not a true constipation, since the stools continue to have a soft consistency. It is a physiological period, normal in the infant, that does not need any additional medical treatment, such as laxatives.Baby cacti in their first weeks of life

When introducing artificial feeding we will observe that the

color, consistency and odor of the stools change . The coloration of the stools of children fed artificial lactation is more brown, with a more intense smell, more similar to that of older children, because it changes the intestinal flora. Also the consistency is usually more pasty-hard in children fed artificial milk.Sometimes veins or threads of red blood may appear in the stools

. The reason may be the existence of cracks in the breast of the mother (in the case of breastfeeding), but also intestinal pathology, or an allergy to cow's milk proteins. In these cases you should consult the pediatrician. In the newborn it is important to watch that the stools are normal and adequate, since they are indicative of a correct functioning of the digestive system, as well as an adequate intake. If you have any doubt, remember that you should always consult your pediatrician.