Black chair at the baby | Black bowel movement

Black chair at the baby

Black stools in babies can be both normal and very worrying. Basically, the first bowel movement of the newborn baby is black. The coloration is due to the high amount of amniotic fluid contained in this defecation.

Because of its color, the baby’s first bowel movement is also called child’s spit. If, on the other hand, this defecation does not occur, the child should be examined for malformations or other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. After the first days of the newborn period, black stools should no longer occur in the baby. In general, babies’ bowel movements can take on many colors, so a very dark coloration of the bowel movements is not unusual. A deep black coloration with a conspicuous odor, however, is not normal in babies and should therefore be examined.

Black chair at the child

In children, black stools do not usually occur. However, it can be caused, for example, by changed eating habits or very dark-colored foods. If the black bowel movement no longer exists after one or two days, there is usually no reason to worry.

The most common cause of dark to black stools in children is gastrointestinal infections. In addition to diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, these can also cause black stools.