Q: My son is 52 days old. I have noticed that from the time he was born he is not having proper stools. I feed him on breast milk and once a day he has to take formula milk, since I am a working mother and the breast milk is not sufficient. Two to three time in these days, I have used a suppository for him to pass motion. Could you advise something?

A:Babies who are mainly breast fed, tend to have a variable frequency of stool passage. They may pass 8 - 10 stools per day to stool once in 3 - 7 days. Characteristically breast milk stools are golden yellow in colour, slightly loose with seed like particles, most often they would pass stool while having a feed or immediately after the feed. Whenever they pass gas they may pass a bit of fluid. But in your sons case the stool frequency is less. The consistency of stools is important. If it is hard, it could be due to the formula feeds you are using, which tend to make constipated stools. But if the stool consistency is fine, baby is comfortable, abdomen is soft and the baby is passing gas, there is nothing to worry; it may be taken as a normal pattern. Also get your son checked by your paediatrician if your baby seems fine on examination. How does the abdomen look like. If it is fine, we must always rule out hypothyroidism (thyroid deficiency) in babies who manifest with constipation in early infancy.