Define meconium.

Define meconium.

• A. The dark green substance forming the first feces of a newborn
• B. The yellow brown feces produced after breastfeeding
• C. The oily substance released from the meconium sack
• D. The clear liquid found in the amniotic fluid

Answer: (A)

Meconium is the newborn’s first stool. It is typically dark green to black and very thick, tar-like, formed from material the fetus swallows in utero—amniotic fluid, shed intestinal cells, mucus, bile, and other secretions. It is usually passed within the first 24 to 48 hours after birth. After feeding begins, stools become lighter and change in appearance to transitional and then to the yellowish stools common in breastfed infants. The other descriptions refer to later stools or to substances not associated with the newborn’s first feces.

Meconium is the newborn’s first stool. It is typically dark green to black and very thick, tar-like, formed from material the fetus swallows in utero—amniotic fluid, shed intestinal cells, mucus, bile, and other secretions. It is usually passed within the first 24 to 48 hours after birth. After feeding begins, stools become lighter and change in appearance to transitional and then to the yellowish stools common in breastfed infants. The other descriptions refer to later stools or to substances not associated with the newborn’s first feces.