CNM Certified Nurse Midwife

Answer: D - A newborn presenting with blood-flecked stools indicates that further tests and notification of the physician are necessary. It is usually a sign of anal fissure. In certain cases, the newborn swallows the maternal blood during birth, so a dipstick Apt test is usually performed. The other options are expected findings in newborns. Newborns usually pass meconium stools 24 to 48 hours after birth. If this does not occur, the newborn may have meconium ileus, an imperforated anus or a bowel obstruction. Newborns regurgitate easily because of immature cardiac sphincters. Loose, green stools on the third day of life are transitional stools.