Baby Poop: What New Parents Need To Know

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Title: Baby Poop: What New Parents Need To Know

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Author: Mike Jr, MD

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Baby Poop: What New Parents Need To Know

Copyright 2006 Mike Jr, MD

Newborn babies don't do much. They cry and sleep. They gaze

around some. They eat and spit-up. They pee and poop.

Really, that's about it. So it's easy to see why new

parents focus on their infant's bowel habits. Of course,

relatives are also responsible. Everyone has an Aunt Betty

(or maybe it's your Mother-in-law) whose goal in life it is

to voice concern about everything. " He poops too much. She

doesn't go enough. It's too hard. It's too soft. Why's he

always grunting like that? " Often new parents aren't

concerned until someone convinces them of a so-called

problem.

The trouble with baby poop is the wide-degree of variation.

Some infants stool shortly after every feeding, while

others go once a week. There's also a wide-range of

thickness--from thin liquid to clay patties. And then

there's color: yellows, greens, browns, reds, and blacks.

Let's take a quick look at each of these factors and

discuss what's normal and what's not.

Stool frequency depends on how much stool your baby makes

and how quickly the intestine moves it down the pike. The

amount of stool is dependent upon two variables--how well

your baby's intestine absorbs food and how many bacteria

live in the gut. Since a baby's ability to absorb food

changes over time, the amount of residue left over also

changes. Typically there is more residue to stool out in

the first few weeks of life. Then, as your baby's intestine

matures, absorption improves and the amount of residue

decreases. Thus, babies who used to poop several times a

day may slow production down to once every couple days.

On the other hand, bacteria may have the opposite result.

As a baby matures, more and more bacteria populate the gut.

They are important to the digestion process and are one of

the reason baby stool changes in character over the first

few months of life. But as their numbers increase, the body

eliminates more and more of them in the stool. Stool bulk

increases as the number of bacteria increases, and

increased stool bulk leads to more frequent bowel movements.

Another factor affecting stool frequency is transit time.

Some guts work faster than others. So what's normal? Well,

some newborns will have a stool every time they eat, while

others will go every few days. If your infant's stools are

more than three or four days apart, it may still be

alright, but you should give your child's doctor a call and

let him know.

Stool consistency is another important consideration. If

your baby's stools are always slimy like mucus or thin like

water or thick like clay, talk to your doctor. The ideal

consistency of newborn stool is like mustard, but some

variation on this may be okay.

Also pay attention to color. Bright red usually means

blood. Bring this to your doctor's attention right away.

Possible causes include milk allergy, a crack in the skin

around the anus, or (rarely) a more serious internal

problem of the intestinal tract. Black tar-like stool is

normal during the first few days of life. But if it remains

this way long or becomes this way again, talk to your

doctor. It could be a sign of bleeding in the gut.

Other colors depend on diet and the make-up of intestinal

bacteria. Normal colors can range from pale yellow to dark

green and light tan to dark brown.

Putting this all together, normal baby poop should be the

consistency of mustard. It may be yellow, green, tan, or

brown and it may come several times a day or once every

several days. Reasons to call your doctor include black

tar-like stool, presence of blood, watery diarrhea,

constant mucus, and thick or formed stool. Also let your

doctor know if your baby routinely goes several days

without passing stool.

A word about fussiness is in order. Many parents assume a

fussy baby who has a bowel movement every few days is

constipated. This may not be the case. Keep in mind that

upset babies, whether they are upset from hunger or the

pain of an ear infection or heart burn, will stiffen their

bellies, draw up their legs, and pass gas as they bear

down. You should not assume this behavior is from

constipation, even if their bowels move irregularly.

Instead, make an appointment with your child's doctor for a

thorough examination.

Okay, let's say your infant is constipated. She has thick

formed stool that is difficult to pass and she goes

infrequently. Your doctor agrees your infant is

constipated. What will he have you do? Here are some

options:

RECTAL STIMULATION: Put a glob of lubricant on a rectal

thermometer or Q-Tip. Insert the tip a quarter to half inch

into the rectum, give a little twist, and pull back out.

Often, this will stimulate a bowel movement within a minute

or two.

GLYCERIN SUPPOSITORIES: These are available at most

pharmacies. Use half a suppository to start, inserting it

into the rectum. This works by increasing the water content

in the stool through a process known as osmosis (think back

to high school science class).

JUICE: Processed apple or prune juice from a grocery store

(not fresh from a fruit stand) will also increase the water

content of stool through osmosis. This works because

undigested sugars make it all the way down to the large

intestine and draw water into the bowel. Baby juice

probably won't work because it's so dilute. Start with an

ounce or two of full-strength processed juice. If it works,

you may need to continue giving an ounce or two of juice

once or twice a day to keep your baby regular.

ORAL MEDICATION: There are several of oral medications that

work the same way as juice. Milk of Magnesia is available

over the counter, while Lactulose and Miralax require a

prescription. Oral medications are rarely necessary for

young infants.

It's important to consult your doctor before trying any of

these methods. There are diseases, some of them serious,

that mimic constipation--so don't treat it without your

doctor's help.

Finally, a word is in order concerning some things you

shouldn't use to treat constipation. Kayro syrup and honey

have the remote possibility of transmitting botulism to

infants, so don't use these products in children less than

a year old. Likewise, unprocessed juice may contain harmful

bacteria, such as E. Coli. Also, enemas are not recommended

for infants--save those for the older kids and use them

only under the guidance of your child's doctor.

Baby poop is funny because it can be so different from one

child to the next. And for some crazy reason, well-meaning

relatives always seem to gravitate toward a newborn's bowel

habits. But don't let Aunt Betty (or your Mother-in-law)

get to you. Armed with the knowledge of what's normal and

what's not, if she keeps pushing, feel free to teach her a

thing or two.

About the Author:

Mike is an American pediatrician. Read more health,

parenting, and family articles at http://www.pediascribe.com