The incidence of guiac positive stools in newborns and infants.

PURPOSE: To describe the frequency of occult blood in the stool of newborns and infants who were hospitalized for a medical problem other than a gastrointestinal disorder.

METHOD: One hundred and eighty patients, ages 2 days to 1 year of age, participated in the study. Stool was collected and assayed for fecal occult blood using the Propper Seracult test for invitro diagnostic evaluation.

FINDINGS: The majority of infants, 77.2%, had guiac negative stools for the entire hospitalization, while 22.8% had guiac positive stools during part or all of the hospitalization.

CONCLUSIONS

Since most of the infants who tested guiac positive were not receiving a milk-based formula or breastmilk, it would suggest a cause other than allergic sensitivity or milk-induced enterocolitis.