The Poop Scoop

Poop

• Understandably, caregivers pay a lot of attention to the poop, and place a great deal of weight on what they see. 
• From a medical standpoint, poop is rarely important, and we often tell parents to ignore it entirely. 
• That being said, there are a few things to look out for.
  • Concerning Poop Features
    • Color
      • All the colors of the rainbow are normal, except for bright red blood.
      • White or acholic (without color) poop indicates an extremely uncommon, but dangerous, problem in children under 2 months old.
        • If older than 2 months old, this is not concerning.
    • Odor
      • Poop is (very) stinky!
      • None of the odors you may notice is medically important.
    • Consistency
      • All consistencies are normal except for hard, little pellets/pebbles (think rabbit poop, or dog kibble).
      • This is the way we define constipation in children, and not by how often they poop.
    • Frequency
      • Many babies poop every time they eat.
      • Many babies don’t poop every day.
      • Around a month of life, a baby’s digestive system becomes more efficient, and they may go 10+ days without pooping. 
      • What’s important is that they are peeing and eating normally, and that they are not pooping pellets/pebbles.
      • Constipation is defined by what they poop (pellets/pebbles), not how often.