- The child usually passes stool (meconeum)at the time of delivery. By end of 48 hours 99% of newborns would have passed stool, failing which the child should be investigated.
- In the first 3 months of life, breastfed infants have more frequent, softer and more yellow-coloured stools than standard formula-fed infants. At times this is confused as diarrhea and unnecessarily treated.
- Frequency of stooling in an exclusively breast fed infant may decrease after 2-4 weeks of age. The child may not pass a stool even up to 5-7 days or even more. But when a child does pass the stool, it is soft. Such a child is normal otherwise and family needs only a reassurance.
- Green-coloured stools in standard formula-fed infants should be considered normal.
- Iron therapy also results in Greenish-black coloured stools intermittently
- A healthy well thriving infant with blood or mucus in stool can be a presentation of Bovine Milk Protein Allergy.
Pediatric Practice... Pearls for your Pediatric Office Practice 