Of course, one could do a stool exam and test for blood and anything else.
However, if the infant in question was content most of the time, had a soft
abdomen, and was growing, gaining appropriately, I believe I would consider
this 'dark tan' stool to be within the realm of normal. I never discount a
mother's intuition and so I would counsel her to monitor the stools for
anything else out of the "ordinary" and to especially monitor the infant
for any signs of illness, and of course advise her to report any of that to
the pediatrician. I would generally reassure the mother if there are no
other worrisome s/s.
Laurie Wheeler RN MN IBCLC RLC]
Beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast USA where everyone seems to be waiting for
fall but I am content with summer

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome