The condition of a newborn's bowel movements can describe his health condition, including whether the baby is getting enough breast milk or has certain diseases. Therefore, it is important for parents to know what the characteristics of a normal newborn's bowel movements are.
Newborn bowel movements can have a typical normal stool frequency, shape, texture, color, or consistency. However, because the baby's digestive system is still not perfect and is still developing, the baby's bowel movements can experience changes from time to time. So, what is it like, a newborn's CHAPTER?
Frequency of Newborn CHAPTER
During the first 6 weeks, a newborn who is breastfed can defecate 3-12 times a day. After that, they will only defecate every few days, some even do not defecate for about 1 week.
Because your little one's digestive tract is still not perfect and he's just starting to adapt to his surroundings, this can still be considered normal as long as your baby's stools are soft and easy to expel.
This also indicates that breast milk is well absorbed by the body. However, if he seems restless and his stomach feels hard, he may be constipated.
Meanwhile, babies who are given formula milk defecate 1-4 times a day for the first 6 weeks of age. After that, your little one will defecate every day or twice a day. If a formula-fed baby doesn't have a bowel movement within three days, and the stools are round in shape, the baby may be constipated.
Normal Newborn Baby CHAPTER Color
Not only from the frequency of bowel movements, healthy babies can also be recognized by the color of their stools. The color of the baby's poop can change as the baby gets older, so parents don't need to worry if the color of the baby's poop looks like the following:
blackish green
At the age of 1-3 days, the baby will pass meconium, which is the feces of newborns. Meconium consists of amniotic fluid and mucus that a baby swallows while it is still in the womb.
The texture tends to be sticky and dark green in color. When a newborn passes meconium, it is a sign that the small intestine is able to work properly.
Brownish green
After the 3rd day, the color of blackish green feces will gradually change to brownish green. Newborn baby's bowel movements that are green-brown in color indicate that he has started digesting breast milk.
If at this time the baby's stools continue to be black for several days afterward, then parents need to consult a pediatrician.
Green-brown bowel movements are also usually experienced by babies who drink formula milk. However, the texture is thicker or denser than babies who are exclusively breastfed. The smell is also more pungent like adult feces. This is because babies have not been able to fully digest formula milk.
Yellow
Newborn stools are dark yellow in color, common in breast-fed and formula-fed babies. If it turns a bright yellow color, this may be the effect of medication or food consumed by the mother.
Colors of Newborn BABY CHAPTER to watch out for
Although the color of the baby's bowel movements can vary, there are also things that parents need to pay attention to, namely if the baby's bowel movements are red, black, or white. If your baby's bowel movements are colored like this, immediately consult a doctor.
Here is the explanation:
Red
The red color can indicate the baby's stool is bleeding. This means that there is fresh blood from the rectum or small intestine that comes out with feces. This can indicate that your child is constipated, has an infection, an allergy, or a gastrointestinal disorder that needs to be checked by a doctor immediately.
Very pale or white
The color of the baby's bowel movements that look pale or white can indicate a problem with the liver or bile ducts. The color of the baby's white stool is also common in babies who have jaundice.
Black
The black color indicates the presence of blood in the digestive tract. Consult a doctor if this occurs. It is possible that this stool is no longer meconium.
When changing diapers, pay attention to the color and texture of the newborn's stool. In addition to the color of the stool in the stool of a newborn, also pay attention to whether the baby shows other signs and symptoms, such as fever, fussiness or looks sick, the baby has colic, is vomiting, and if he doesn't gain weight.
This is an explanation of the BAB of a healthy newborn. So, you don't need to worry too much anymore, when you see the changes in your little one's bowel movements? But if the baby's bowel movements turn red, black, or white, don't hesitate to take your little one to the pediatrician right away!
If it is caused by formula milk, the doctor may suggest changing the type of formula given to your little one. However, if there are other health problems, the doctor will provide treatment according to the disease that causes the baby's bowel movements to experience these abnormalities.