What is merconium?

Meconium is the thick, sticky, greenish-black substance that forms in the intestines of a fetus during pregnancy and is typically the first stool passed by a newborn, usually within the first 24 to 48 hours after birth. It consists of a mixture of intestinal secretions, bile, amniotic fluid, and cells shed from the intestinal lining. The presence of meconium in the amniotic fluid can indicate fetal distress and may lead to complications, such as meconium aspiration syndrome, if inhaled by the baby during delivery.