Poops through the Ages: Newborns
Infant dyzchezia! Babies under three months old can poop ten times a day or only poop every few days. It can all be normal. I’m Dr. Wagner, a pediatrician. In a study in 2023 that looked at more than 9000 babies under 14 weeks old across more than 21000 poops, breastfed babies had an average of three poops per day and formula fed babies an average of two poops per day with huge ranges of normal in each category. Every infant has a completely normal condition called infant dyschezia, which means a baby turns bright red, sometimes fusses and cries and can take up to 10 minutes to pass a stool. This is because it is very hard to poop before they have any abdominal muscles, while lying on their backs and also before their brain develops enough to coordinate tightening their belly and opening their anal sphincter at the same time – it is a hard skill to learn that requires a lot of practice. As long as the poop that comes out is soft (not formed like adult poops), baby’s belly is soft (when they are not straining, no one has a soft belly when they are trying to push poop out), baby is still feeding well and there is no blood or very very light colored stool, babies under three months looking red and angry when they are pooping or passing gas is completely normal. Thanks so much!
