Wikipedia defines Meconium as the “earliest stools of an infant”. As opposed to later feces, Meconium has no odor, and is sterile. According to studies, babies pass Meconium during their 12th to 41st weeks in mother’s uterus, with most occuring between the 15th and 41st weeks. Typically, it is thick, sticky and green/black in color. While in the uterus, the baby swallows amniotic fluid along with any other particles that are present in it. The amniotic fluid mixed with other particles passes through the intestines which absorbs the water and leaves behind a thick and sticky substance called Meconium.
Many studies have come to the conclusion that passage of Meconium in most babies is a normal physiological process. However, it is also true that when there is evidence of Meconium staining and birth is not imminent, it should be taken as a “red flag” and care givers should monitor baby more carefully and frequently. At our Healthy Mother Birthing Center, we have seen a couple of mothers’ bag of waters break with the water stained with green color. But in our experience we have found that in many cases, the mere presence of Meconium does not indicate that the baby is in fetal distress, as our heightened monitoring proved that fetal heart rates were within normal range. Once we notice Meconium stained amniotic fluid, we check for fetal heart rate more frequently.
Many healthcare providers view the presence of Meconium as a necessary and sufficient condition to perform c-sections. While thick Meconium accompanied by less amniotic fluid does indicate fetal distress in most cases, it should be noted that meconium by itself does not indicate that the baby is currently having a problem and that intervention is required.
Today, in most hospitals in India, the presence of even slight amounts of Meconium in the amniotic fluid is taken as a clearance for performing c-sections, without looking at the big picture. Continuous monitoring requires lots of patience, which is a rarity in many of today’s hospitals.