Infant and toddler health

With Mayo Clinic emeritus consultant
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
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Biography of

Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.

Jay Hoecker, M.D.

Dr. Jay Hoecker, an emeritus member of the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, brings valuable expertise to health information content on primary care pediatrics. He has a particular interest in infectious diseases of children.

He's a Fort Worth, Texas, native, certified as a pediatrician by the American Board of Pediatrics and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He was trained at Washington University's St. Louis Children's Hospital, and in infectious diseases at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He has been with Mayo Clinic since 1989.

"The World Wide Web is revolutionizing the availability and distribution of information, including health information about children and families," Dr. Hoecker says. "The evolution of the Web has included greater safety, privacy and accuracy over time, making the quality and access to children's health information immediate, practical and useful. I am happy to be a part of this service to patients from a trusted name in medicine, to use and foster all the good the Web has to offer children and their families."

Question

Baby poop: What's normal?

I'm breast-feeding my newborn and her bowel movements are yellow and mushy. Is this normal for baby poop?

Answer

from Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.

Yellow, mushy bowel movements are perfectly normal for breast-fed babies. Still, there are many shades of normal when it comes to baby poop. Here's a color-by-color guide:

Green-black. During the first two days after birth, a baby's bowel movements are greenish-black and tarry. This type of baby poop is known as meconium.
Green-brown. As the baby begins digesting breast milk or formula, meconium is replaced with green-brown bowel movements.
Yellow-brown. By about three days after birth, breast-fed babies usually have yellow-brown, mushy bowel movements.
Yellow. By about five days after birth, breast-fed babies usually have seedy, loose bowel movements that are yellow to yellow-green or tan in color.
Light brown. Formula-fed babies usually have light brown, pasty bowel movements. The color may sometimes take on a yellow, tan or green hue.
Dark brown. Babies eating solid food usually have dark brown bowel movements. You may also find chunks of undigested food in your baby's bowel movements.
Other colors. Babies eating solid food may occasionally have bowel movements in seemingly odd colors. For example, baby poop may look red after eating beets or may contain streaks of dark blue after eating blueberries. Green and orange bowel movements are possible, too.

It's also important to pay attention to the consistency of your baby's bowel movements. For example, especially watery bowel movements may indicate diarrhea — and bowel movements that look like pebbles may indicate constipation.

If you're concerned about the color or consistency of your baby's bowel movements, contact your baby's doctor. This is especially important if your baby's bowel movements are:

Black (except shortly after birth)
Red or bloody
White or gray
Consistently watery
Consistently large, hard or difficult to pass

The doctor can help you determine what's normal for your baby — and when treatment might be needed.

Next question

Uncircumcised penis: Is special care needed?

References

Bekkali N, et al. Infant stool form scale: Development and results. Journal of Pediatrics. 2009;154:521.
Wyllie R. Normal digestive tract phenomena. In: Kliegman R. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/173763472-2/0/1608/762.html. Accessed Nov. 30, 2009.
Sondheimer JM, et al. Gastrointestinal tract. In: Hay WW, et al. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Pediatrics. 19th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=3403837. Accessed Nov. 30, 2009.
Altmann TR. Pooping. In: Altmann TR. Mommy Calls: Dr. Tanya Answers Parents' Top 101 Questions About Babies and Toddlers. Elk Grove, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2009:55.
LaFleur EA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 3, 2009.

AN02044 Feb. 2, 2010

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Infant and toddler health

Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.