What are the types of meconium in newborns?

After the baby is born, parents should start paying attention to the baby's meconium excretion problem. Everyone should know that meconium is not an excrement that starts to be produced after the baby is born. In fact, the baby's intestines have already begun to accumulate feces when the baby is in the mother's womb. These feces should be discharged within 12 hours after the baby is born, otherwise it will have adverse effects on the baby's body. So, what should we do if the newborn does not pass meconium? Let’s take a look.

1. Neonatal meconium (dark green)

(1) Even if a newborn baby has not eaten anything, it will pass dark green meconium 6 to 12 hours after birth.

(2) I don’t know whether the babies are considerate of their mothers or they don’t want to dirty the amniotic fluid they swallow every day, but the babies will not poop for the first time until they come out of their mother’s belly. Meconium that has accumulated for 9 months must be cleared out through frequent bowel movements, which usually takes 2 to 3 days, 3 to 5 times a day, for the dark green color to disappear.

(3) Meconium is usually odorless, viscous, and dark green in color. It is mainly composed of amniotic fluid swallowed by the baby in the womb, epithelial cells shed by the fetus, vellus hair, sebum, bile, intestinal secretions, etc. These innate things are difficult to wash off, and experienced elders will tell the children's parents that they must use diapers instead of cloth diapers in the first few days.

(4) Experts remind us that this is not a bad thing: the time for premature babies to pass meconium is sometimes delayed. This is mainly related to the poor intestinal motility of premature babies or delayed feeding of the children.

2. What should I do if my newborn baby does not pass meconium?

Within 1-3 days after birth, newborns will excrete dark brown or dark green meconium. It is formed by the accumulation of sediment in the amniotic fluid swallowed by the fetus in the mother's womb. After delivery, the baby begins to breastfeed, and the intestines move rapidly to expel meconium. Generally, the color of the stool will turn into a yellow paste after 3 days, and bowel movements will occur about 3-5 times a day. If the newborn still has no meconium within 24 hours of birth, it may be caused by sticky meconium blocking the rectum. There is also the possibility of congenital abnormalities in the intestines or anus. At this time, be sure to consult a doctor.

Mothers can feed their newborns more water, and mothers who have breast milk should try to feed their babies breast milk, which will help the baby to expel meconium as soon as possible. If the baby eats milk powder, it may be easier for the baby to get a sore throat. Mothers should remember to feed the baby more warm water. If meconium still cannot be discharged, you should go to the hospital and ask a doctor to check.