Many factors, including genetics, stress, and environmental exposure, can shape pregnancy and fetal development. Physicians who care for pregnant patients and their babies before and after birth work ...

Meconium is a thick substance that lines a baby’s intestines in the womb. A baby usually passes meconium after birth, but if they pass it early, the amniotic fluid may become meconium-stained.

During pregnancy, a fetus grows inside of the uterus surrounded by a liquid called the amniotic fluid. This watery world provides the developing baby with a protective barrier against physical injury.