1 Reasons why babies spit up milk
Children spit up milk due to physiology
For children in the period from 1 to 2 months old , the digestive system is still weak, the valves in the stomach do not work synchronously. As a result, the baby can swallow air into the stomach, causing fullness during feeding. After that, if the mother is placed in the prone position, the baby is prone to spitting up milk.
Besides, the mother feeding the baby too much milk will make the stomach unable to digest, at this time the milk will be spilled out.
Children vomit milk due to illness
If your baby spits up milk and spits up along with some of the following signs , you need to pay attention because it's likely that your baby has a medical condition:
- When the child shows signs of continuous regurgitation of milk even though he does not suckle, or vomits and then sucks, then vomits again after sucking: it is possible that the child has gastrointestinal abnormalities such as esophageal stricture, duodenal stenosis, etc.
- The child suddenly vomits, is suckling normally, suddenly cries, bulges out, the abdomen may swell: maybe the child has some gastrointestinal diseases such as intestinal obstruction, intussusception, which is common in children after 3 months of age. .
- Children with milk vomiting accompanied by twisting, startling or convulsing, crying at night: due to calcium deficiency .
2 Is it dangerous for children to vomit milk?
When is spitting up milk, vomiting in babies considered normal?
Regurgitation and vomiting are common in the first weeks after birth, when the baby has just finished eating or when the baby turns around. The baby spits up curdled milk and this can scare the baby, cry more. There are many reasons why babies spit up, from car trips to digestive disorders, even prolonged crying or coughing can stimulate this reflex.
Regurgitation usually clears up on its own after 6-24 hours without the need to apply any special repulsion. As long as your baby is healthy and continues to gain weight, you do not need to worry about this phenomenon.
When should parents be concerned?
In the first months after giving birth, the phenomenon of regurgitation, vomiting can be a sign of something related to eating, such as eating too much. After this period, the cause may be a stomach virus. Occasionally, though very rarely, vomiting is rarely a sign of an infection in the respiratory system, urinary tract, or even the ear.
The older the baby, the more severe the condition of regurgitation and vomiting, take the baby to the doctor immediately. Here are some warning signs that you need to go to the hospital right away: stomach cramps, abdominal distention, lethargy or excitement, convulsions, continuous vomiting or continued vomiting for more than 24 hours , dry mouth , less tears, less urination, blue blood or bile,…
3 What to do when the child spits up milk, vomits
Babies who spit up milk may be due to over-feeding, for example, if they are bottle-feeding, but if the hole is large, we need to punch the hole in the small bottle to feed the baby to avoid over-feeding and causing the milk to leak. full nipples.
The way to detect a baby sucking too much is quite simple, you just need to pay attention to the baby when feeding if the bottle foams up a lot, it means too much air in the bottle. When using the bottle, pay attention to avoid the baby's airway such as avoiding directly into the baby's throat, which can easily cause the baby to spit.
If the baby spits up milk due to lack of calcium, calcium supplements must be given to the baby to avoid spitting up milk.
4 Effective ways to avoid spitting up milk and vomiting in children
Keep your baby upright and quiet after eating
With an immature digestive system, it is easy for babies to swallow air while nursing. And if the mother puts the baby in bed right now, vomiting is very likely. Therefore, after feeding the baby, the mother should keep the baby from lying down.
For infants who are vomiting milk, the basic rule to do is to keep the baby's stomach down . Place your baby on your lap with his head resting against your chest. Hold your baby in this position for 30 minutes after eating.
Feed your baby in small doses and often
Compared to older babies, the immature digestive system of newborns has a much smaller capacity. So, instead of feeding the baby too much at one time, the mother should feed more often , with a reduced amount of milk each time. This is to ensure enough milk for the baby. This can help the baby digest faster and easier, but also makes the mother much more difficult.
Let your baby sleep in a comfortable position
Babies who spit up milk, spit up frequently, or wake up in the middle of the night because babies on their backs don't have the gravity needed to keep food down. If your baby is still sleeping well, there is no need to change your baby's sleep pattern.
Wear diapers, loose diapers for babies
Let your child wear loose, breathable diapers to minimize pressure on the baby's abdomen. Do not change diapers, diapers for children after eating because placing the child on his back or letting him twist while changing diapers is more likely to cause vomiting.
Change the consistency of formula milk
If your baby is taking formula, consult your doctor about making the formula a little thicker to suit. Thicker formula will reduce the frequency of baby spitting up.
Calcium supplements for babies
Breast milk, vomiting accompanied by symptoms of twisting, trouble sleeping every night can be signs that your baby's daily nutrition does not have enough calcium needed. In this case, adequate calcium supplementation is the best way to help your baby.
Breastfeed your baby properly
Mother should breastfeed the baby on the left first, then switch the baby to the right side because the baby's stomach is full of milk, the baby needs to lie on the left side. With this way of feeding, the milk will easily come down and keep in the baby's stomach without refluxing out . If the baby is bottle-fed, the mother should keep the nipple full of milk, avoiding the bottle lying on its side.
If the baby cries while breastfeeding, the mother should stop immediately because if the baby suckles at this time, the baby may swallow a lot of air, causing the stomach to swell so it is easy to reflux. Parents should also be careful not to make the baby laugh too much because it is easy for the baby to spit out milk.
Besides, the mother should not feed the baby too much, the stomach will stretch, making it easy for the baby to vomit. If you are introducing a new food to your baby, you should start with a very small amount and then gradually increase it to test your baby's adaptation.
With the information and experiences shared in the above article. Hope the mothers will successfully apply and overcome the problem of spitting milk and vomiting of their children!
