| Spitting up and vomiting | 457.000000000000 | Spitting up and vomiting | Spitting up and vomiting | S | English | Neonatology | Newborn (0-28 days) | Mouth;Stomach | Digestive system | Conditions and diseases | Adult (19+) | Vomiting | | 2009-10-18T04:00:00Z | | | | | | 9.30000000000000 | 59.1000000000000 | 965.000000000000 | | Flat Content | Health A-Z | <p>In-depth descriptions and ways to treat spitting up and vomiting. A more serious type of vomiting, called projectile vomiting, is also discussed.</p> | <p>It's common for newborns to spit up after feeding. However, if your baby vomits after feeding, it could be a sign of viral infection in the stomach, a reaction to something they ate or another gastrointestinal problem.</p> | | <h2>Key points</h2>
<ul><li>Spitting up occurs when the ring of muscle at the top end of the stomach does not close properly and decreases as your baby gets older.</li>
<li>See a doctor if your baby's spit up has streaks of blood in it, causes your baby to choke or gag, or if your baby has problems gaining weight.</li>
<li>Vomiting can be a sign of a viral infection in the stomach, a reaction to something the baby ate, or another gastrointestinal problem.</li>
<li>Contact your doctor immediately if the vomiting appears to be excessive, if there is green bile or blood in the vomit, or if the vomiting is accompanied by diarrhea.</li></ul> | <h2>Spitting up</h2>
<p>Many newborn babies and young infants are prone to spitting up some of their breast milk or formula during or shortly after a feeding. Some newborn babies spit-up only occasionally, and others spit-up with every feeding. Spit-up effortlessly rolls out of the baby’s mouth, sometimes with a burp. </p>
<p>Spitting up, also called <a href="/Article?contentid=817&language=English">gastroesophageal reflux</a>, occurs when the ring of muscle at the top end of the stomach does not close properly. </p><p>Spitting up decreases as the baby gets older, and it generally goes away before the baby reaches one year of age. </p>
<h3>Ways to help your baby</h3>
<p>You can reduce the amount that your baby spits up by trying the following:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Article?contentid=496&language=English">Feed</a> your baby before they become frantically hungry. </li>
<li>If you are bottle feeding, feed them smaller amounts, as overfeeding can make spitting up worse. Your baby does not have to finish a bottle. </li>
<li>If you are bottle feeding, make sure the nipple is neither too large nor too small. A nipple that is too large will cause the milk to flow too fast; a nipple that is too small will cause your baby to swallow a lot of air. </li>
<li>Keep feeding times quiet and calm, and try to minimize distractions. </li>
<li>Avoid tight diapers because they put pressure on the abdomen. Don’t put pressure on your baby’s tummy. </li>
<li>Burp your baby a couple of times during feedings, to get rid of some of the air in their tummy. Don’t interrupt their feeding, but instead burp them when they take a break. </li>
<li>Hold your baby upright after each feeding. </li></ul>
<h3>When to visit the doctor</h3>
<p>Usually spitting up is harmless; however, it can pose a problem if it leads to poor weight gain, choking, or acid damage to the esophagus. If your baby experiences any of the following symptoms when they spit up, bring them to the doctor: </p>
<ul>
<li>streaks of blood in the spit-up </li>
<li>spit-up that causes your baby to choke or gag </li>
<li>spit-up that causes your baby to turn blue </li>
<li>problems gaining weight </li>
<li>vomiting or projectile vomiting </li></ul>
<h3>A note about sleeping position</h3>
<p>Putting your newborn baby to sleep on their back is considered one of the best things you can do to help prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). This is recommended by the Canadian Paediatric Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and many other paediatric societies around the world. Although you may be concerned about putting your newborn baby to sleep on their back if they are prone to spitting up, there is no need to worry. There is no increase in choking in newborn babies who are put to sleep on their backs. </p>
<h2>Vomiting and projectile vomiting</h2>
<p><a href="/Article?contentid=746&language=English">Vomiting</a> is more forceful than spitting up, and it involves more than just a couple of tablespoons of stomach contents. Vomiting can be a sign of a viral infection in the stomach, a reaction to something the baby ate, or another gastrointestinal problem. </p>
<h3>Treatment for vomiting</h3>
<p>Initial treatment for vomiting involves feeding your baby in smaller amounts. If you are breastfeeding, reduce the amount of time that your baby spends at the breast at each feeding. You may need to feed your baby more frequently to make up for the smaller feedings. </p>
<p>You may need to temporarily replace breast milk or formula with an electrolyte solution such as Pedialyte. If this is the case, offer your baby the clear fluid for eight hours after the vomiting has stopped. Feed your baby small amounts at frequent intervals: about 5 mL (one teaspoon) every five minutes to start. After four hours without vomiting, double the amount each hour. If your baby vomits at this point, let their stomach rest for one hour and then start the feedings again with smaller amounts. </p>
<h3>When vomiting becomes a concern</h3>
<p>If there is a viral infection, vomiting is often accompanied by <a href="/Article?contentid=7&language=English">diarrhea</a>. If there is green bile in the vomit, it could be a sign of a blockage in the intestine, which requires immediate attention and possibly emergency surgery. Contact your doctor immediately if the vomiting appears to be excessive, if there is green bile or blood in the vomit, or if the vomiting is accompanied by diarrhea. Also call the doctor if your newborn baby shows signs of dehydration such as dry mouth, less than six wet diapers per day, sunken eyes, a sunken fontanelle, or dry skin. </p>
<p>Projectile vomiting is when spit-up or vomit forcefully flies out of a baby’s mouth. If your baby begins projectile vomiting, contact your doctor immediately. It could be a sign of pyloric stenosis, which is a common condition in young infants. Pyloric stenosis occurs when there is a narrowing of the lower tubular portion of the stomach that prevents food from leaving the stomach. Surgery is used to correct this problem. </p> | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | https://assets.aboutkidshealth.ca/AKHAssets/spitting_up_vomit_newborn.jpg | | | | | | | Spitting up and vomiting | | False | | | | | | | | |
