Question
A 20-day-old baby has three bowel movements a day and is regular. The bowel movements are of a clay-like yellow color, in a ribbon or paste-like form, and not runny. The specific situation is as follows: 1. After waking up in the morning, one bowel movement is ribbon-like, soft in texture, and in a larger quantity; 2. After waking up in the morning, one bowel movement is ribbon-like but in a smaller quantity; 3. After waking up in the afternoon, one bowel movement may be ribbon-like or paste-like, in a smaller quantity. The parents want to know if this is considered diarrhea.
Answer
For babies under six months old, bowel movements are usually not formed yet, appearing as runny or paste-like, golden or yellowish, with no distinct odor. The frequency of bowel movements may range from two to three times a day or two to three days once, which is all normal. For babies over six months old, as they start to introduce solid foods, bowel movements gradually become formed, mostly ribbon-like, and normally still yellowish with an odor. If there are more green foods in the diet, the color of the bowel movements may be slightly green. The frequency of bowel movements is generally once or twice a day, or once or twice every two days, which is also normal.