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.