Bowel habits of exclusively breastfed 0-4 month-old babies
Keywords:
bowel habit, stool, frequency, consistency, color
Abstract
Background Exclusively breastfed newborns have frequent bowelmovements and sometimes watery stool, which parents or doctors
might think as diarrhea.
Objective The aim of this study was to observe the bowel habits
of exclusively breastfed infants.
Methods A longitudinal study was done on 100 babies born be-
tween November and December 2002 in Cinta Kasih Maternity
Hospital. The inclusion criteria were fullterm baby, exclusively
breastfed for 4 months, and informed consent from parents. Ba-
bies with problems in organ or nerve that influenced the gastrointes-
tinal tract were excluded. Stool frequency, consistency, and color
were observed.
Results The mean stool frequency per day were 3 times in the 1 st
week (95%CI 2.6;3.4), 2 times in the 2 nd week (95%CI 1.7;2.3),
1.8 times in the 3 rd week (95%CI 1.5;2.1), and 1.5 times in the 4 th
week (95%CI 1.3;1.7). In the second and third month, it was 1.4
times a day and the fourth month, 1.2 times a day. The consis-
tency of meconium was soft in the first four days. After that, 18% of
babies had watery stool, which increased to 30% on day 15-113.
In the last week of the fourth month, all babies had soft stool. Meco-
nium was black and lasted for 1-3 days. On the fourth day, the
stool became yellow. On day 5-14, 6% of babies had green stool,
which increased to 12% on day 15-120.
Conclusion The first week of the first month was the week when
the stool frequency was highest compared to the weeks or months
after. The consistency of meconium was soft. After it disappeared,
most babies had soft stool. Eighteen up to 30% percent of babies
had watery stool. Regarding the color, meconium was black and
stayed for 1-3 days. After that, most babies had yellow stool and 6-
12% had green stool
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Markum AH, Ismael S, Alatas H, Akib A,
Firmansyah A, Sastroasmoro S, editors. Buku ajar
ilmu kesehatan anak. Jakarta: Balai Penerbit
FKUI; 1991. p. 407-8.
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delphia: Saunders; 1981.
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baby normally poop? Available from: URL: http://www.
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1999. p. 218.
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www.ibscrohns.html.
first week of life. Pediatrics 1952;10: 414-25.
2. Firmansyah A. Gejala gangguan saluran cerna. In:
Markum AH, Ismael S, Alatas H, Akib A,
Firmansyah A, Sastroasmoro S, editors. Buku ajar
ilmu kesehatan anak. Jakarta: Balai Penerbit FKUI;
1991. p. 408-12.
3. Wolman IJ, Laboratory applications in clinical pediat-
rics. New York: McGraw Hill; 1957. p. 696-7.
4. Tham EB, Nathan R, Davidson GP, Moore PJ. Bowel
habits of Australia children aged 0-2 years. J Paediatr
Child Health 1996;6: 504-7.
5. Shelov SP. The American Academy of Pediatrics: The
complete and authoritative guide caring for your baby
and young childbirth to age 5. USA: Bantam Books; 1998.
p. 488-94.
6. Condon S. What’s the normal color of a breastfed
baby’s bowel movement? Available from: URL: http:/
/www. Babycenter.com/expert/8850.html.
7. Hambidge KM, Krebs NF. Nutrition and feeding. In:
Merenstein GB, Kaplan DW, Rosenberg AA, editors.
Handbook of pediatrics. 18 th ed. Connecticut:
Appleton & Lange; 1997. p. 50-84.
8. Hegar B, Buller HA. Breath hydrogen test in lactose
malabsorption. Paediatr Indones 1995;35:161-71.
9. Lebenthal E, Lee PC. Development of functional re-
sponse in human exocrine pancreas. Paediatrics
1980;66:556-60.
10. Lebenthal E. Prolonged small intestinal mucosal injury
as primary cause of intractable diarrhea of infancy in
chronic diarrhea in children. In: Lebenthal E, editor.
Chronic diarrhea in children. New York: Raven Press;
1984. p. 5-25.
11. Lebenthal E. Impact of digestion and absorption in the wean-
ing period on infant feeding practices. Paediatrics
1985;75:207-13.
12. Lawrence RA. Breastfeeding, a guide for the medical
profession. 4 th ed. Missouri: Mosby; 1994. p. 91-148,
215-73.
13. Lesne E, Binet L, Paulin A. La traversee digestive chez
le nourrisson variations biologiques et pathologiques.
Archives de Medicine des Enfants 1920;23: 449-56.
14. Triboulet H. Duree de la traversee chez l’ enfant
malade: Epreuve du carmin. Bull Soc Pediatr Paris
1909; 11: 512-29.
15. Riordan J, Auerbach KG. The breastfeeding process:
The postpartum period. In: Riordan J, Auerbach KG,
editors. Breastfeeding and human lactation. 2 nd ed.
Sudbury: Jones & Bartlett Pub; 1999. p. 311-40.
16. Sunoto. Keadaan saluran cerna normal. In:
Markum AH, Ismael S, Alatas H, Akib A,
Firmansyah A, Sastroasmoro S, editors. Buku ajar
ilmu kesehatan anak. Jakarta: Balai Penerbit
FKUI; 1991. p. 407-8.
17. Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary. 26 th ed. Phila-
delphia: Saunders; 1981.
18. Condon S. How many times a day does a breastfed
baby normally poop? Available from: URL: http://www.
Babycenter.com/refcap/4417.html.
19. Budd C, Gardiner M. Paediatrics. London: Mosby;
1999. p. 218.
20. Hull. Green stool. Available from: URL: http://
www.ibscrohns.html.
Published
2016-10-10
How to Cite
1.
Tehuteru E, Firmansyah A, Madiyono B. Bowel habits of exclusively breastfed 0-4 month-old babies. PI [Internet]. 10Oct.2016 [cited 24Apr.2024];44(4):138-2. Available from: https://paediatricaindonesiana.org/index.php/paediatrica-indonesiana/article/view/752
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Received 2016-09-30
Accepted 2016-09-30
Published 2016-10-10
Accepted 2016-09-30
Published 2016-10-10
