Definition
Colloquially, meconium is known as child’s pitch. The meconium is excreted from the intestine of the unborn or newborn child. It can be excreted intrauterine as well as after birth.
Amniotic fluid containing meconium indicates stress of the child at a certain time of pregnancy. Since the child is nourished via the umbilical cord during pregnancy, meconium is not defecation in the true sense. The meconium consists of swallowed amniotic fluid, which is not excreted via the kidneys, epithelial cells of the intestine and bile. The meconium should have disappeared 48 hours after birth.
Function
Meconium is used to excrete toxic substances that are broken down by the liver, as well as bile. Residues of drugs consumed during pregnancy can be detected in the meconium.
Meconium ileus
An ileus is an intestinal obstruction. In the case of an intestinal obstruction, intestinal passage is prevented. It leads to a build-up of stool and food.
Symptoms are vomiting, severe abdominal pain and stool retention. Failure to treat an intestinal obstruction leads to fatal peritonitis. A meconium ileus is an intestinal obstruction caused by the meconium. Due to adhesions, the intestinal passage is disturbed.
Meconium aspiration
If the amniotic fluid contains meconium, there is a risk of meconium aspiration during the birth of the child. An aspiration is the unintentional inhalation of body fluids or foreign bodies. Since the meconium is colonized by intestinal germs such as E. coli and enterococci, there is a risk of pneumonia for the newborn when the meconium is breathed in. Under certain circumstances this can lead to blood poisoning.
Smell of the mekonium
The meconium usually has a very unpleasant smell. This makes it distinguishable from the defecation caused by food intake of the newborn.
