Definition
The general term baby usually refers to the technical term of an infant who is older than one month but younger than 1 year. Despite the fact that babies are initially fed only milk, they naturally also defecate. The feces of the very first bowel movement a newborn baby has (from birth to the first month of life) is called meconium.
How often do babies have bowel movements?
In the first two days after birth, the newborn baby defecates for the first time, but this is considered special. It is the so-called meconium – also called child’s spittle – the very first stool excretion. This stool is the result of bile and other substances swallowed by the baby in the womb.
It is green-black and very sticky. After the first stool is deposited, it is by no means the case that we can speak of a fixed stool frequency. The variability of stool frequency is quite large.
Towards the end of the first year, the frequency of stool frequency levels off to a certain extent. The frequency in the first few weeks can be 3-4 times a day or even more in babies. However, it is also possible that there is no stool for a few days to a week.
It is important here to always observe the baby. If he or she has to press hard and starts to turn red, for example, this can mean that he or she is suffering from constipation, which makes excretion more difficult. However, if the baby feels well and likes to drink enough, short-term stoollessness is no cause for concern. In the further course of the first year the frequency is by no means fixed. From an age of about three months, a stool frequency of about 2-3 times a day is the average.
Is green bowel movement dangerous?
In the first days after birth, the tough black-green stool, the meconium, is excreted first. In the course of the next few days, the baby excretes a green stool, also known as transitional stool. This is a mixture of residual meconium and new stool, which is produced by the supply of breast milk or infant milk.
As the process continues, the stool lightens in breastfed babies and becomes and takes on a light green to light yellow color, while the stool also becomes more liquid and mushy. Babies fed with baby food are more likely to have a brownish, yellow-brown or greenish-brown coloration. It is somewhat doughy and resembles peanut butter in consistency, although it can also appear slightly crumbly in places.
The coloration of the bowel movement can therefore show many variations, which can be considered normal. There are also other reasons why a baby may have green stool. One of them is feeding a so-called hypoallergenic food (HA food).
This can result in green and also stinking stool. Even if the baby is given food supplements such as iron supplements or supplementary food such as vegetables, which have a greenish color, the stool can still be greenish. Another reason for greenish stool is that the baby drinks too much of the so-called front milk when breastfeeding.
When breastfeeding, the mammary gland first secretes the so-called front milk, which is lower in fat and calories. It contains a lot of lactose, the milk sugar. After a certain sucking time, the baby reaches the rear milk.
This milk is richer in fat and differs in its composition. If the infant sucks on each breast for only so long that it does not yet receive the hind milk, it can happen that it is fed mainly with the first milk. One possible solution is to offer only one breast for each breastfeeding procedure so that it is sucked “empty”.
In children who receive infant formula, an intolerance to cow’s milk can also manifest itself in the form of green stool. However, greenish stool is more common in children who are fed artificial baby milk even without a pathological cause. If the reasons already mentioned do not apply and the green stool persists for a longer period of time, this green stool can also indicate a viral infection.
In case of prolonged green stool, after the already mentioned transitional period in the first week after birth, in which green stool is very regular, a pediatrician should be consulted. Greenish stools are therefore often normal in infants and not directly a cause for great concern. Especially in children in the transition phase (first week after birth) and in children fed artificial food, green stool is the rule.If the reasons already mentioned do not apply and the green stool lasts longer, this green stool can also indicate a viral infection.
In case of prolonged green stool, after the already mentioned transitional period in the first week after birth, in which green stool is very regular, a pediatrician should be consulted. Greenish stools are therefore often normal in infants and not directly a cause for great concern. Especially in children in the transition phase (first week after birth) and in children fed artificial food, green stool is the rule.
All articles in this series:
