Patient's question:
My daughter was born on July 26th, and until now, she has been having frequent bowel movements every day. Basically, she has a bowel movement every time she eats milk, with intervals of 1 to 2 hours. The stool is golden yellow but quite liquid. Is this normal? If not, what could be the issue and how can it be resolved?Doctor's answer:
After birth, the newborn begins to pass meconium within ten hours. Meconium is black, green, or dark green in color, viscous, odorless, and somewhat similar to road-paving asphalt. It is composed of bile, intestinal secretions, shed epithelial cells, and amniotic fluid, as well as vernix caseosa and fetal hair swallowed by the child in the womb. It is usually completely expelled within two to three days, with an average of 3 to 5 bowel movements per day. If no meconium is seen within twenty-four hours after birth, it should be suspected whether a congenital gastrointestinal malformation is causing fecal obstruction, and timely medical treatment is required.