In plain words
Meconium is a baby's first stool. It is thick, sticky, and dark green or black. It is made of things the baby swallowed in the womb, such as amniotic fluid, skin cells, and bile. Most babies pass it within the first day. Nearly all pass it within two days. It can be hard to wipe off. As milk comes in, stool changes color and texture over several days. If meconium is still passing after about day five, or if the stool looks very different, tell your pediatrician. Meconium in the fluid during labor is a separate question your birth team can explain.
The deeper version
Meconium is the first intestinal discharge, composed of amniotic fluid, lanugo, epithelial cells, bile, and mucin. In neonatology texts, first meconium appears within 24 hours in about 94 percent of term infants and within 48 hours in 99 percent (Gomella et al., 2013). Delayed passage with distension or vomiting is a red flag for obstruction. to milk stools usually occurs over days three to five, with color change tracking feeding volume. Meconium still passing after the first week raises questions about feeding, obstruction, or . The controversy lies in the thresholds used to define delay and in how much feeding volume affects clearance.
Where it comes up
- Colostrum and the first days before milk comes inFeeding Your Baby
- Diaper counts and what newborn poop looks likeBaby Basics
- The first 24 hoursBirth and the First Days
- Is my baby getting enough?Feeding Your Baby
What mothers here say about meconium
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Sources
- Gomella TL et al. — Neonatology: Management, Procedures, On-Call Problems, Diseases, and Drugs (2013)