My newborn orange urine: the urates

A few hours after the birth of our second child, in one of the first diaper changes we observed that it was stained with a tile color, a dark orange quite scandalous. It was not a uniform color, they were isolated spots, but obviously we were alarmed and decided to ask if it was normal.

My newborn urinates in orange! We told the nurse. Although it may seem alarming, it has a very simple explanation and is common during the first days of the baby's life.

It is normal for babies who have just been born to eliminate urates in their first urination, which are very concentrated.

In some children it happens imperceptibly and in others more intensely, which ends up looking like an orange urine or rather a "tile" color. It is alarming to parents because it may seem that the baby urinates blood, but It is an absolutely natural process and usually disappears on its own after a couple of days.

Medical supervision, just in case

When the fluid supply is low, the urine becomes concrete and when concentrated it can have a dark, brownish or yellowish color. It is not too much for the doctor to monitor the general condition of the newborn and control the number of diapers he spots, because if these spots persist they could be symptoms of dehydration, which should be treated.

As this situation normally happens while we are in the hospital, it is interesting that we communicate it and be valued by the pediatrician, who will surely downplay it. And if we are already at home but we still appreciate them, it is better to have your usual pediatrician supervise you and assess whether it may be due to another cause.

In our case, the urates lasted only a couple of days and then the urine returned to its usual tone.