by Vonda J. Sines

Created on: December 14, 2011   Last Updated: December 18, 2011

Meconium is the term used for an infant’s very first stools.  While most parents get information about this and other health-related things to expect after birth, not all of them realize that the presence of meconium in amniotic fluid can be a significant problem.

What is meconium?

Meconium consists of amniotic fluid, mucus, the fine hair that covers a baby’s body, bile and cells shed from the child’s skin and intestinal tract.  According to

MedlinePlus, it has a greenish-black color and is thick and sticky.  Babies pass meconium before they digest formula or breast milk. Within four to five days after birth, an infant’s stools usually resemble the color of mustard or are a lighter green. 

Prior to birth, a baby floats in the amniotic fluid in the mother’s uterus.  This fluid serves as a protector of sorts as the child develops. 

While in the womb, a baby swallows amniotic fluid.  Any residue beyond the fluid itself gets filtered from the fluid and stored in the baby’s intestines.  Amniotic fluid is recycled during a normal pregnancy, around once every three hours.

When is meconium a problem?

During some pregnancies, the baby passes stool before birth.  The result is a potential danger in which the baby could breathe the meconium into his or her lungs, either immediately after birth or while still in the uterus.

The typical reason why this occurs is a lack of blood and oxygen that puts a baby under stress. Other culprits include a difficult delivery or a long labor, delivery past the due date, high blood pressure of the mother while pregnant or the presence of diabetes in a pregnant mother.

When meconium blocks a newborn’s airways, doctors diagnose the condition as meconium aspiration.  This event can make it difficult for the child to breathe because of swelling or inflammation in the lungs soon after birth.

Children's Hospital Colorado indicates that meconium aspiration can also cause chemical irritation in the tissue of the baby’s lungs, obstruction, infection and interference with the function of a natural substance that helps the lungs expand normally.

The severity of problems resulting from meconium in amniotic fluid swallowed by the baby varies according to several factors.  The amount of meconium inhaled is important. Other factors include infections that occur in the uterus when the baby is at a gestational age of more than 40 weeks.

Up to 25 percent

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