Generality
The first feces of the newborn are called meconium; it is a material with a black-greenish color, odorless and rather viscous, the result of what the young organism has swallowed during its prenatal life (amniotic fluid, cell residues, urine, etc.).
Problems in the Expulsion of Meconium
When this is not the case, it is referred to as meconium ileus, which is the very first sign of cystic fibrosis, as well as Hirschsprung's disease (or congenital megacolon).
More than 90% of normal infants and less than 10% of children with Hirschprung's disease emit meconium within the first 24 hours of life.
In other cases it may happen that meconium is emitted before or during delivery, with the risk of inhalation and subsequent meconium aspiration pneumonia after 24 - 48 hours (more likely when delivery involves post-term babies).
I did in the First Week
In the days following the birth, the feces of the healthy newborn take on transitional characteristics and as such are composed of meconium mixed with food residues.
At the end of the first week the feces of the breastfed newborn are distinguished by the following features:
- egg yellow color, sometimes greenish with the presence of white lumps;
- texture and lumpy appearance;
- slightly sour smell.
In infant formula fed, stools tend to be darker and thicker.
Frequency of Evacuation and Faecal Alterations
In this period, the newborn emits its faeces with a frequency of 1/5 times during the day, often at the end of the feeding, while after the first / second month the frequency of evacuations tends to be reduced to one or two episodes a day.
It can happen that the newborn emits his own feces only every two or three days; however, this eventuality must not arouse excessive alarmism. Rather, according to the instructions provided by the pediatrician, when this pseudo-constipation causes pain and irritation, it can be solved with a glycerin microsuppost or with special micro-enemas available in pharmacies. On the other hand, the emission of liquid stools, in numbers and quantities clearly higher than the norm, should cause greater concern; we also remind you that alterations of the alvus associated with rectal temperature equal to or higher than 38 ° C justify the immediate request for a pediatric consultation or medical assistance. .
Alterations of the alvo can also occur in the eventual passage from breast milk to artificial milk, which usually follows a reduction in the frequency of evacuations, with more consistent neonatal stools, also supported by the change in the intestinal bacterial flora.
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