Q: My nephew is 4 months old. Recently, we saw some pink coloured powdery crystals in his urine. On getting the test done, it was confirmed that these were uric acid crystals. He is totally on mother’s milk. What could be the cause of these uric acid crystals? Please tell us, if it is serious and what kind of prevention, precaution and medication we can follow to get the same corrected at the earliest?

A:It is not uncommon for parents to get alarmed with pink spots in diapers of newborns. Uric acid crystals in the urine dry on the diaper to form a salmon pink powder. It is not an uncommon occurrence in breast fed babies. It is absolutely harmless and nothing to worry about. However, if you see it in every diaper it could mean that your newborns urine is very concentrated which could happen if he is not getting enough fluids.