๐Ÿ‘ถ Newborn & Baby

Meconium

A baby's first stool, which can sometimes appear in amniotic fluid before birth

Pronunciation: /meh-KOH-nee-um/

๐Ÿ“– Definition

The dark green, sticky substance that makes up a newborn's first bowel movements. Composed of intestinal epithelial cells, lanugo, mucus, and bile, meconium is normally passed after birth. When a baby passes meconium before birth (meconium-stained amniotic fluid), it may indicate fetal distress.