For the first few days, when babies pass stool, the meconium is passed out of their body. Around day three to five, a baby's bowel movements turn to yellow, seedy stools. Babies should have their first meconium bowel movement within the first 24 hours of life. Some babies will pass their meconium in the delivery room.

How long does it take for a baby to pass meconium?

Failure to Pass Meconium

The majority of healthy full-term babies pass their first stool within 48 hours of being born, and most will have a meconium stool within 24 hours of birth. If your baby does not have a bowel movement or pass a meconium stool, it could be a sign that something is wrong.

When do babies start producing meconium?

Meconium begins to form between the 12th and 16th week of gestation. Meconium drug testing can detect maternal drug use during the last 4 to 5 months of pregnancy. A negative result does not exclude the possibility that a mother used drugs during pregnancy.