Meconium
All babies have meconium and will dispense of it through bowel movements at some point, hopefully after they are born. Meconium is the result of the first bowel movements from a newborn, and it includes cells, mucus, bile, amniotic fluid and lanugo that has been stored in the baby’s intestines while in utero. It is dark green, almost black, in color.
Most babies will have their first meconium bowel movement within 24 hours of birth, and may have several before the feces changes to a yellow color. The meconium is sticky and tar-like and will generally come out in large amounts, larger than the baby’s regular bowel movements will be. Unlike later bowel movements, the meconium is normally scentless, making the stickiness the biggest obstacle for new parents.
Sometimes however a baby will pass his first meconium while still in the womb, before the mother-to-be’s water breaks. If this happens, the amniotic fluid will be tinted green. In many cases of hospital births where the baby has passed meconium before birth, a special NICU team will be called when the baby is delivered in case there was ingestion of the meconium into the baby’s lungs.
If a newborn does swallow some meconium it can lead to Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (MAS). While it is estimated that 5%-20% of newborns pass meconium in utero, only 5%-10% of those cases result in MAS. The newborn passing meconium prior to delivery occurs most often in postdate births. It can also be caused by fetal stress during the pregnancy or during labor and delivery.
If the meconium is ingested into the baby’s lungs, three things can happen, although these conditions are not the norm. Only a third of infants who ingest meconium need breathing assistance. The result of the baby ingesting meconium can result in:
- blockage of airways
- lower gas exchange in lungs
- inflamed airways leading to pneumonia
While it is almost impossible to prevent your baby from passing meconium in utero, it should be comforting to know that it is a common occurrence that most doctors and midwives know of and can respond to during your labor and the birth of your baby.
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