Pediatric Pearls. 4 Things to Think of When the Newborn Hasn’t Pooped

January 16, 2024

This Pediatric Pearl post builds on last week’s post about imperforate anus and VACTERL syndrome.

The Case

Here’s the case. This is a 40-hour-old male infant who was born at 39 weeks by vaginal birth to a 28-year-old G1P0-1 woman with an unremarkable pregnancy. The infant has been breastfeeding well with a good latch and the mother is able to express quite a few drops of colostrum after each feed which she is giving to the baby. The resident calls to share that the nurses notified her that the baby has not passed any stool since birth. The resident examined the infant and reports that the infant appears well, has a soft abdomen and what appears to be an opening at the anus. The infant has had no spitting or vomiting. On her review of the chart and speaking with the parents, no meconium was noted to date, including after birth.

So, what do you think?