RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The variation in stool patterns from 1 to 42 months: a population-based observational study
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood
JO Arch Dis Child
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP 231
OP 233
DO 10.1136/adc.2007.130849
VO 94
IS 3
A1 C D Steer
A1 A M Emond
A1 J Golding
A1 B Sandhu
YR 2009
UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/94/3/231.abstract
AB Objective: To document the normal stool patterns of young children.Design: Prospective population-based longitudinal study.Setting: Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).Subjects: 12 984 children, whose parents completed questionnaires at 4 weeks, 6, 18, 30 and 42 months on their frequency of bowel movements and the consistency and colour of their stools.Results: Stool frequency declined from a mean of 3.0 times/day (3rd centile 0.6, 97th centile 5.9) at 4 weeks to 1.3 times/day (0.6, 2.7) at 42 months. Stool consistency was soft in most babies with nearly half passing liquid or curdy stool at 4 weeks. 14% of babies usually passed a hard stool at 4 weeks, rising to 30% at 42 months. Stool colour was commonly yellow at 4 weeks and had changed to brown by 6 months. Black stools were extremely unusual at all ages.Conclusions: These data on the changes with age in the stool patterns of young children will be useful for clinicians.