Variation in bowel habits of healthy indian children aged up to two years.

To study the normal bowel habits of healthy Indian children up to 2 y of age. This cross sectional study was conducted in medical college associated teaching hospital in Delhi. Ethical clearance was obtained from Institutional Ethical Committee. A total of 500 infants and toddlers up to 2 y of age were recruited for the study. Data were collected by interviewing parents of the eligible children who came for immunisation using pre designed Performa. There was steady decline in stool frequency with increasing age. Maximum decline in stool frequency was noted after 1 mo of age. Variation in stool frequency between children was maximum in 0–3 mo of age and decreased with increasing age. Stools at 4 wk were usually semiliquid, watery and semisolid. By 6 mo of age 55 % infants were passing semisolid stools and 40 % were passing formed stools. At 24 mo of age, 89.2 % children usually passed formed stools. This is the first study in India to date documenting the frequency and consistency of the stools of young children. These results make an important contribution to defining normal stool patterns in young Indian children.