Baby throwing up formula after every feeding
Formula Feeding FAQs: Some Common Concerns (for Parents)
Whether you plan to formula feed your baby from the start, want to supplement your breast milk with formula, or are switching from breast milk to formula, you probably have questions.
Here are answers to some common questions about formula feeding.
Is it Normal for My Baby to Spit Up After Feedings?
Sometimes, babies spit up when they have eaten too much, burp, or drool.
Many infants will spit up a little after some — or even all — feedings or during burping because their digestive tracts are immature. That's normal.
As long as your baby is growing and gaining weight and doesn't seem uncomfortable with the spitting up, it's OK. The amount of spit-up often looks like more than it actually is.
But spitting up isn't the same as forcefully vomiting all or most of a feeding. Vomiting is a forceful ejection of stomach contents. Spitting up is a more gentle flow out the mouth or nose.
If you're concerned that your baby is vomiting, call your doctor. Keep a record of exactly how often and how much your baby is vomiting or spitting up. In rare cases, there may be an allergy, digestive problem, or other problem that needs medical care. The doctor should be able to tell you if it's normal or something of concern.
How Can I Keep My Baby From Spitting Up?
If the doctor says your baby's spitting up is normal, here are some things you can do to help lessen it:
- Burp your baby after your little one drinks 1–2 ounces from a bottle.
- Don't give the bottle while your baby is lying down, and keep your baby’s head above their feet.
- Keep your baby upright after feedings for at least 30 minutes. Holding your baby is best. The way your baby sits in an infant seat can make spitting up more likely.
- Don't jiggle, bounce, or actively play with your baby right after feedings.
- Make sure the hole in the nipple is the right size and/or flow for your baby.
For example, fast-flow nipples can make babies gag or may give them more milk than they can handle at once. Many breastfed babies do well with a slow-flow nipple until they are 3 months old, or even older.
- Raise the head of your baby's crib or bassinet. Roll up a few small hand towels or receiving blankets (or you can buy special wedges) to place under (not on top of) the mattress. Never use a pillow under your baby's head. Make sure the mattress doesn’t fold in the middle, and that the incline is gentle enough that your baby doesn’t slide down.
Most babies grow out of spitting up by the time they're able to sit up.
How Do I Know If My Baby Has an Allergy?
Some babies are allergic to the protein in cow's milk formula. Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- belly pain
- rash
- blood or mucus in the baby's poop
If your baby has any of these symptoms, tell your doctor. Also talk to the doctor before switching formulas.
If your baby has symptoms of a severe allergic reaction — like sudden drooling, trouble swallowing, wheezing, or breathing problems — see a doctor right away.
Is Soy Formula Safe for My Baby?
Store-bought iron-fortified soy formula is safe and nutritionally complete. Doctors usually recommend soy-based formulas if:
- Parents don’t want their babies to eat animal protein.
- A baby has congenital lactase deficiency, a rare condition where babies are born without the enzyme needed to digest lactose. Lactose is the main sugar found in cow’s milk.
- A baby is born with galactosemia, a rare condition where babies can’t digest galactose. Lactose is made up of glucose and galactose.
Many babies who are allergic to cow's milk also are allergic to the protein in soy formulas, so doctors usually recommend hypoallergenic formulas for these infants.
Soy formula is a good alternative to cow's milk formula for full-term babies (those born at 39 weeks or later). Soy formulas are not recommended for premature babies. Talk to your doctor if you are considering a soy-based formula for your baby.
Do not try to make your own formula at home. Online recipes may look healthy and promise to be nutritionally complete, but they can have too little — or too much — of important nutrients and cause serious health problems for your baby.
Is it OK to Switch to a Different Formula?
It’s probably OK to switch brands of the same kind of formula. For example, parents might buy another brand of cow’s milk formula because it’s on sale or to see if it helps with constipation, or switch to an organic formula because they’re concerned about pesticides.
But before switching formulas, talk to your doctor. Some parents may think that formula plays a part in a baby's fussiness, gas, spitting up, or constipation. But that’s not usually the case. Your doctor can help find out what may be causing these symptoms and recommend the right formula for your baby.
Do I Need to Give My Formula-Fed Baby Vitamins?
No. Commercial infant formulas with iron have all the nutrients your baby needs. Babies who are drinking less than about 1 quart (1 liter) of formula will need a vitamin D supplement.
Does My Baby Need Fluoride Supplements?
Babies do not need fluoride supplements during the first 6 months. Your doctor may recommend fluoride supplements when your baby is 6 months to 3 years old, but only if fluoride is not in your drinking water.
Is it OK to Prop a Bottle in My Baby's Mouth?
Never prop your baby’s bottle. Your baby can choke drinking from a propped bottle. Propping a bottle also can lead to ear infections and tooth decay. Always stay with and hold your baby during feedings.
It is OK to Let My Baby Sleep With a Bottle?
Never put your baby to bed with a bottle. Like propping a bottle, sleeping with a bottle can cause choking, ear infections, and tooth decay.
Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: November 2021
Baby Vomiting After Feeding Formula: Causes and Treatment
Your little one is happily gulping their formula while cooing at you. They finish off the bottle in no time flat. But shortly after feeding, it seems to all come out as they vomit.
There are several reasons why your baby might be vomiting after a formula feeding, but it’s important to remember that it can be — and often is — very normal.
It’s common for babies to throw up sometimes after feeding on formula or breast milk. Their shiny new digestive systems are still learning what to do with all the yummy milk coming down into their tummy.
However, if your baby often has a hard time keeping their formula down on a regular and frequent basis, let your pediatrician know.
Having a baby around means getting used to soft mushy stuff coming out fairly often. This includes spit-up and vomit.
Spit-up and vomit might seem pretty much the same — and require similar amounts of cleaning to get them off of your sweater and the sofa — but they’re very different. Spitting up is an easy, gentle dribble of milk. Baby may even smile at you as the curd-like spit-up flows from their mouth.
Spit-up is normal in healthy babies, especially if they’re under the age of 1.
On the other hand, vomit takes more effort, as it comes from deeper in your little one’s stomach. It’s a sign that your baby’s stomach is saying nope, not now, please. You might see your baby strain and recoil just before they projectile vomit. This force happens because vomit is squeezed out by the stomach muscles.
Your baby might also look more uncomfortable during and after vomiting. And vomit looks and smells different. This is because it’s usually formula, breast milk, or food (if your baby is eating solids) mixed with stomach juices.
If you’re not sure whether your baby is vomiting or spitting up, look for other vomiting symptoms, like:
- crying
- gagging
- retching
- turning red
- arching their back
That said, there doesn’t seem to be agreed-upon definitions of these two terms among healthcare providers, caregivers, and others. Plus, their symptoms may overlap. For example, spitting up may sometimes be forceful, and vomiting may sometimes seem painless.
Overfeeding
It’s easier for your baby to overfeed when they’re drinking from a bottle than when they’re breastfeeding. They can also gulp down milk faster from a bottle and rubber nipple. What’s more, because formula is always available, it’s easier for you to give them more milk than they need by accident.
Babies have tiny stomachs. A 4- to 5-week-old infant can only hold about 3 to 4 ounces in their tummy at a time. This is why they need lots of smaller feedings. Drinking too much formula (or breast milk) in one feeding can overfill your baby’s stomach, and it can only come out one way — vomit.
Not burping properly
Some babies need to be burped after every feeding because they swallow lots of air as they gulp down milk. Bottle feeding your baby breast milk or formula may lead to more air-swallowing, as they can gulp even faster.
Too much air in the stomach can make your baby uncomfortable or bloated and trigger vomiting. Burping your baby right after feeding them formula may help prevent this.
To help prevent your baby from swallowing too much air and vomiting after formula feeding, check your baby’s bottle. Make sure you’re using a smaller bottle that’s just big enough to hold a few ounces of milk. Also, check to make sure the nipple hole is not too big, and don’t let your baby continue gulping when the bottle is empty.
Baby or infant reflux
Baby can have acid reflux, indigestion, or occasionally gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD just like grown-ups! This happens because their stomach and food tubes are still getting used to holding down milk.
Baby reflux happens when milk travels back up toward your baby’s throat and mouth. This usually just causes some painless spitting up, but it can irritate your baby’s throat and trigger gagging and vomiting.
Sometimes, smaller feedings can help prevent baby reflux. If not, don’t worry! Most little ones outgrow baby reflux by the time they’re 1 year old.
Constipation
While simple constipation would be an uncommon cause of vomiting in an otherwise healthy infant, sometimes baby vomiting happens because of what isn’t happening at the other end.
Most babies who are formula-fed need to poop at least once a day. Anything less than your baby’s typical pattern, though, might indicate they’re constipated.
If your baby is vomiting after a formula feeding, they might be constipated if they have other symptoms, including:
- gassiness
- not pooping for longer than 3–4 days
- a swollen or bloated stomach
- a firm or hard stomach
- crying bouts or irritableness
- straining very hard but not pooping or pooping only a little
- small, hard pellet-like poop
- dry, dark poop
Stomach bug
If your baby doesn’t usually vomit after having formula, they might have a stomach bug. Also known as gastroenteritis or the “stomach flu,” a stomach bug is a very common cause of vomiting in babies. Your little one may vomit several times for up to 24 hours.
Other symptoms of a stomach bug include:
- crying
- stomach cramps
- stomach rumbling
- bloating
- diarrhea or watery poop
- mild fever (or none at all in babies)
Allergy
In rare cases, the cause of your baby’s vomiting might be in the formula. Although it’s uncommon for babies to be allergic to cow’s milk, it may happen to up to 7 percent of babies under the age of 1.
Most children outgrow a milk allergy by the time they’re 5 years old, but it can cause vomiting and other symptoms in babies. A cow’s milk allergy might cause vomiting right after your baby eats. It can also cause vomiting and other symptoms hours or rarely days later.
If your baby has an allergy to milk or something else, they might have other symptoms of an allergic reaction, like:
- skin rash (eczema)
- diarrhea
- cough
- hives
- difficulty breathing
- wheezing
Lactose intolerance
An allergy to milk is different than being lactose intolerant. Lactose intolerance usually causes digestive symptoms like diarrhea. It can also make your baby vomit after drinking formula containing cow’s milk.
Your baby might get temporary lactose intolerance after getting a tummy bug or gastroenteritis, although this is uncommon.
Other symptoms include:
- diarrhea or watery poops
- constipation
- bloating
- gassiness
- stomach pain
- stomach rumbling
Note that lactose intolerance is rare in babies under the age of 1.
Other causes
Some common health conditions can cause vomiting at any time, including after breastfeeding or formula feeding. Some rare genetic conditions can also cause vomiting in babies.
Other causes of vomiting in babies include:
- colds and the flu
- ear infections
- some medications
- overheating
- motion sickness
- galactosemia
- pyloric stenosis
- intussusception
In most cases, minor tweaks can help stop your baby’s vomiting. Remedies to stop your baby’s vomiting after formula depend on what’s causing it. Try some of these tried and tested methods to see what helps your baby:
- feed your baby smaller amounts of formula more often
- feed your baby slowly
- burp your baby after the feeding
- hold your baby’s head and chest up while feeding
- hold your baby upright after a feeding
- make sure your baby doesn’t move around or play too much right after a feeding
- try a smaller bottle and smaller-hole nipple to feed
- check the ingredient list on your baby’s formula
- ask your baby’s doctor if you should try a different kind of formula
- talk to your baby’s doctor about a possible allergic reaction
- dress your baby in looser clothing
- make sure their diaper isn’t on too tightly
If your baby has the stomach flu, you’ll both usually just have to ride it out for a day or two. Most babies and children with a stomach bug don’t need treatment.
If your baby is vomiting, see your doctor or pediatrician right away if they:
- are vomiting often
- are vomiting forcefully
- aren’t gaining weight
- are losing weight
- have a skin rash
- are unusually sleepy or weak
- have blood in their vomit
- have green bile in their vomit
Also, see your doctor urgently if your baby has any sign of dehydration from all the vomiting:
- dry mouth
- crying without shedding tears
- a weak or quiet cry
- floppiness when picked up
- no wet diapers for 8 to 12 hours
It’s pretty common for babies to vomit, especially after feeding. This happens for many reasons, including that these little people are still just getting used to keeping down their milk.
Check with your doctor about what you can do. See your doctor urgently if your baby vomits often for any reason.
why baby spit up after feeding
If a child spits up after feeding, this is in most cases due to the anatomical immaturity of the upper digestive system. More often than others, premature babies, babies with congenital pathologies suffer from regurgitation. Sometimes the cause is the wrong breastfeeding technique.
Regurgitation in infants is perhaps the most common occurrence in modern pediatrics. More than half of children spit up at least once a day, which is almost always a physiological reaction. nine0003
As the baby grows older, spitting up less and less and by 6 months it practically stops doing so. However, sometimes the problem remains, and burping continues for up to a year. In such a situation, you need to make sure that the gastrointestinal tract is functioning normally and consult a doctor.
Why does the baby spit up after every feed
There is a very simple explanation for this. The esophagus of newborns is a funnel with a wide part at the top, and the sphincter at the transition to the stomach actually gapes and hardly retains food. nine0003
Normally, after food enters the stomach, the sphincter contracts and prevents it from “returning” into the esophagus. But in this case, when the stomach is full, part of the contents immediately comes out if the baby takes an inclined or horizontal position.
Babies have two more features: increased pressure over the lower esophageal sphincter, as well as a straight and sometimes obtuse angle of His, formed by the side walls of the esophagus and stomach. In adults, this angle is sharp, which also prevents the return of food eaten into the esophagus. nine0003
After feeding, do not put the baby on his stomach, it is better to hold him upright in your arms, trying not to put pressure on his chest. But if he still burps, you should not worry, this is a normal process. If in doubt, please contact our doctors. At a remote consultation, they will explain the causes of regurgitation, talk about pathologies. If necessary, they will tell you which specialists to go through.
A few more reasons why a child often spit up
Physiological belching after feeding is due to two factors: swallowing air (aerophagia) and increased intra-abdominal pressure. The first is usually associated with fast and greedy suckling, improper attachment of the baby to the breast, or the wrong position of the bottle when it comes to artificial feeding. An air bubble forms in the stomach, pushing out a small amount of milk or formula.
The same results are obtained by a quick change in the position of the baby's body after feeding, which will easily burp if it is immediately started to swaddle, shake, bathe or massage. After all, his stomach resembles an open bottle: tilted / turned over - the contents spilled out. nine0003
As for the increase in intra-abdominal pressure, it increases with a too tight diaper or tight swaddling, as well as against the background of increased gas formation, intestinal colic or stool retention.
Regurgitation in newborns after feeding may be due to the lack of a feeding regimen and overeating.
Baby burps an hour after feeding: what does it mean
The most common cause is constipation, which increases intra-abdominal pressure. Food moves slowly through the gastrointestinal tract, so the child can burp an hour or two after feeding. nine0003
Attention! Delayed regurgitation combined with delayed defecation may be a sign of a lazy stomach. But such a diagnosis should be made by a doctor.
5 causes of regurgitation in newborns after formula feeding
The selection of artificial nutrition is a purely individual process with an unpredictable result. There is no 100% guarantee that the mixture will suit the child, even if the brand is very popular. nine0003
Poor digestion of the mixture may well cause not only frequent spitting up, but also other digestive problems, including colic, constipation and allergic reactions. In addition, store-bought baby food has a denser texture than breast milk and lasts longer in the stomach. Therefore, the likelihood of its reverse promotion to the esophagus after feeding is higher.
Your baby may spit up after every feed because: nine0003
- the proportions of dilution of the mixture are violated;
- the feeding regime is not observed;
- the transition from breastfeeding to artificial feeding was too abrupt;
- the wrong bottle is selected;
- allergy.
Misproportioning when diluting the mixture
Each manufacturer indicates on the packaging of the mixture how much water is required to dilute it, and what volume is suitable for the baby by weight and age. Sometimes mothers mistakenly or intentionally dilute food in a way that is not recommended, and the child eats more than normal. As a result, the surplus, of course, comes out. nine0003
Case study:
After 3 months, a breastfed child suddenly began to behave restlessly, sleep poorly, spit up after eating, weight gain became slightly below normal. From a conversation with the mother, the doctor learned that the baby was fed too often, the feeding regimen was not observed. After increasing the intervals between breastfeeding, the regurgitation stopped.
Refusal of night feedings is also undesirable: the daily volume of food is distributed during the daytime, which leads to stomach overload and regurgitation. nine0003
Feeding schedule not followed
Unlike natural, artificial feeding involves eating by the hour.
Baby food takes longer to digest, so the recommended interval between feedings is at least 3 hours. If you feed the child more often, he will “give out” the excess back, since the previous portion has not yet been absorbed.
Abrupt transition from breastfeeding to artificial feeding
nine0002 When changing the diet, the child's body must first get used to, adapt to the new food. This applies not only to the transition from breastfeeding to artificial feeding, but also from one type of mixture to another.Wrong bottle selected
This refers to the too wide neck of the container, because of which the child swallows a lot of air along with food. Its discharge will provoke regurgitation after feedings.
Allergy
nine0002 An allergic reaction to cow's milk protein causes inflammation of the intestinal wall, which in turn leads to malabsorption. Carbohydrate metabolism worsens, since secondary lactase deficiency occurs against the background of an inflammatory reaction - a decrease in the synthesis of the lactase enzyme.![](/800/600/http/1.bp.blogspot.com/-qktrKLVYtxA/Xr1I2wxFsjI/AAAAAAAAHeA/qgNU6x2lj_YAv9wt8Wk7qHZxHNWdbjglwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/img0.jpg)
As a result, sugar is broken down incorrectly, increased gas formation occurs, and the baby spits up a fountain. In addition, the baby may feel discomfort at the beginning of feeding and react with an increase in nervous excitability during the period of increased intestinal motility. This also often leads to belching. nine0003
What does curd spitting up mean
Belching with curdled milk after feeding only indicates that the food was in the stomach for some time and managed to curdle - it was fermented. The reason may be in a change in body position or indicate pyloric stenosis with profuse vomiting with a fountain.
Attention! When spouting against the background of pyloric stenosis, the child spits up profusely, the jet scatters to a distance of half a meter. nine0003
What to do
First you need to make sure that you really need to do something. Pediatricians are advised to determine the intensity and frequency of regurgitation on a five-point scale.
Points | Regurgitation frequency | Volume nine0111 |
1 | No more than 5 per day | Not more than 3 ml |
2 | > 5 times a day | > 3 ml | nine0120
3 | > 5 times a day | > 0.5 volume of food eaten |
four | After every feeding | Small amount over 30 minutes or more nine0003 |
five | At least half of the meals are accompanied by regurgitation | > 0.5 volume of food eaten |
Now you can determine if there really is a problem. The criteria are:
- the baby is not yet a year old; nine0046
- he spits up 2 times a day for 3 weeks or longer;
- before burping there are no precursors, specific signs;
- during regurgitation, the tension of the anterior abdominal wall is not felt;
- there are no difficulties with swallowing, sucking, the child does not take any specific forced position;
- the baby does not begin to sweat a lot, turn pale after burping, and feels normal; nine0046
- he is active, has a good appetite, and is gaining weight appropriately for his age.
The above points indicate that everything is in order.
If the intensity and frequency of spitting up is 3 points or more, this is a reason to consult a doctor. Our doctors are ready to advise on all issues at any time of the day. At a remote consultation, possible causes will be identified, and a plan of further action will be drawn up. nine0003
How parents determine the amount of rejected food
Normal regurgitation after feeding occurs in small volumes, within 1-2 tablespoons. You can determine how much food came out when you burp.
When the child burps into the diaper, you need to pour 1 tbsp nearby. l. water and compare the size of the spots. If they are almost the same, there is no reason to worry.
Alarm symptoms
Medical assistance is necessary if the child spits up a lot after feeding, while crying and acting up. A bad symptom is the requirement of supplementary feeding, that is, the baby remains hungry after he has eaten his portion.
Serious illnesses can present with symptoms such as:
- sudden weight loss, weight gain does not meet the standards;
- lack of stool; nine0045 profuse vomiting with an admixture of bile;
- urination less than 8-10 times a day;
- continued spitting up after the child is one year old.
How to deal with regurgitation: a step-by-step guide
If the baby is spitting up after feeding breast milk or formula, you can start with a nutritional correction. When breastfeeding, it is important to ensure that the baby completely captures the nipple along with the areola. His lower lip is usually slightly twisted. nine0003
Step 1
It is better to feed the baby while sitting, holding the baby at an angle of 45-60 ° to the chest. In this position, the air freely leaves the stomach, due to which the likelihood of reflux of food into the esophagus is reduced. After eating, it is preferable to put it on its side in a crib: this way, when returning from the stomach, the masses will not enter the respiratory tract. If the child burped while lying on his back, you should lift him up and turn him face down.
Step 2
After the baby has eaten, it must be held upright (pose of a soldier) for at least 20 minutes. nine0003
Step 3
You can partially remove the air from the stomach before feeding, putting the baby on the stomach for 10-15 minutes. With a tendency to intestinal colic, a light massage of the abdomen, which is done in between meals, will help.
Step 4
Even if the child is constantly spitting up, this is not a reason to transfer him to artificial mixtures. But a clear feeding regimen is desirable after a more or less strict period of time. In addition, mom should follow a hypoallergenic diet and exclude foods that can provoke flatulence - cabbage, legumes, black bread. nine0003
Step 5
For artificial babies, it is preferable to use a special anti-colic bottle and a nipple with a special design. The bottle has a valve that prevents you from swallowing air while eating. It is also necessary to make sure that the milk does not flow like a river, but slowly drips, that is, the hole in the nipple must have the appropriate diameter.
Step 6
When buying a mixture for a spitting up baby, it is better to consult a pediatrician. He may recommend a hypoallergenic formula or a formula that does not contain bovine protein. For some children, the so-called anti-reflux mixture is suitable. nine0003
Step 7
Normally, complementary foods are introduced from the 4th month of a child's life, but in the presence of regurgitation, it is allowed to include food thickeners in the diet after the 1st month. It can be mixtures with rice flour, rice porridge without milk. But they are used in an amount of a maximum of 1 tsp. in one feeding.
Pitch 8
Do not swaddle too tightly, massage, and generally somehow disturb the child after eating. You can only lightly pat him on the back, putting him on his knees, to prevent spitting up. nine0003
Step 9
Is the child overeating? To check this, you just need to weigh it before feeding and after. And it does not matter what he eats - mother's or artificial milk.
FAQ
What symptoms should you call an ambulance for?
+
If, after spitting up, the child does not breathe or has lost consciousness; lips and face take on a bluish tint; reflux - gastric contents - has a green or brownish color, which may indicate intestinal obstruction, gastric bleeding. nine0003
Why does a baby spit up breast milk, but formula does not?
+
If everything is in order with the calculation of “doses”, and there is no overfeeding with breast milk, most likely it is lactose intolerance. To clarify the diagnosis, it is necessary to take tests.
Should I supplement my baby if he burps?
+
No, by no means.
What complications can regurgitation cause? nine0003
+
Lack of weight gain and even weight loss are the most harmless consequences. With a long-term existence of the problem, 15% of children have a developmental delay, however, only in the physical. Insufficient digestion of food leads to anemia, vitamin deficiency and an increased risk of aspiration pneumonia when inhaled gastric masses.
Expert opinion
If the baby spit up after feeding, this is completely normal in the absence of alarming symptoms. In case of profuse regurgitation, insufficient weight gain, restless behavior, the baby should be shown to the pediatrician. nine0003
Neonatal regurgitation after formula feeding
01/01/1970 Rassadina Zinaida Vladimirovna
Articles
Neonatal regurgitation after formula feeding
Spitting up in a newborn baby is a common occurrence, but it is very frightening for new mothers.![](/800/600/http/i.pinimg.com/736x/01/3c/57/013c57af74d90098d109a1dafd02e763.jpg)
At least 80% of babies under the age of six months regurgitate some amount of food just eaten. This happens for various reasons, and most often it is a variant of the norm.
But since the biggest aspiration of parents during this period is weight gain in the baby, spitting up often causes real panic. The child appears to be malnourished.
Let's figure it out: what is the norm, and in what cases you need to run to the doctor.
Causes of regurgitation
First, consider the causes of regurgitation, which happens in most babies and should not cause concern to parents:
- Immaturity of the digestive system . In an adult, a special muscular valve or sphincter is located between the stomach and esophagus. It's called Cardia. This valve prevents food from being thrown back into the esophagus.
In babies up to six months, it is not sufficiently developed. Therefore, any contraction of the walls of the stomach causes regurgitation or reverse reflux. This is the absolute norm for all children. Most often, by the age of 6 months, everything passes. In rare cases, it continues until the age of one. nine0046
- Overeating . Toddlers do not always eat as much as they need, often they eat as much as they like. And the body already regulates the required amount of food, belching the excess. This cause of regurgitation is typical for artificial children. The mixture comes through the nipple more easily than from the breast. The baby eats faster than the feeling of fullness sets in. So overeating happens.
- Swallowing air with food . In this case, the air goes back along with the milk, and the baby spits up. nine0046
- Gas and colic . They can also cause reflux. Air bubbles press against the walls of the intestines and stomach and help food return to the esophagus.
- Increased nervous excitability . When the baby is worried, the walls of the stomach begin to contract and return of the milk eaten occurs.
Alarming symptoms that are the reason for an immediate visit to the doctor are most often accompanied by violations in weight gain, since the milk eaten is not absorbed by the body: nine0003
- Frequent regurgitation with a fountain . It can be an indicator of lactase deficiency - in other words, indigestibility of milk. Read more about lactase deficiency in our article. Fountain regurgitation can also occur due to improper development of the baby's digestive system.
- Regurgitation of yellowish or greenish milk . May be an indicator of an infectious disease. Or occur as a result of the reflux of bile into the stomach. The baby is likely to behave restlessly, because bile irritates the walls of the stomach. nine0046
But how to determine the cause of reverse reflux? In fact, this is not necessary! There is only one indicator that is important to monitor - this is weight gain. If your child is gaining weight normally and you are not experiencing warning signs, then there is no cause for concern. The regurgitation will stop on its own as the child grows.
Regurgitation after formula feeding
This is not to say that regurgitation after formula feeding is more common than with breast milk. However, it happens that the mixture did not fit the baby due to the characteristics of the composition. nine0325 In any case, remember that if abundant regurgitation occurs with a fountain after the mixture, then there is an indication to consult a doctor. And this must be done immediately.
The pediatrician will determine the cause. And if she is in the mixture, she will prescribe a different or special anti-reflux mixture.
How to reduce regurgitation
It will not be possible to completely get rid of the natural process of returning food, but this process can be facilitated for the baby and parents. nine0003
- Carry your baby upright in a "column" position after feeding.
So the air that he swallowed during feeding will come out faster.
- Make sure that the baby completely captures the circumference of the nipple. Then the air will not penetrate when sucking.
- Use anti-colic nipples when formula feeding. They are designed in such a way as to prevent air from getting inside.
- After feeding, do not entertain the baby, let him rest for a while. nine0046
- Try to feed a little less time to avoid overeating.
- Give your baby a pacifier before bed to stimulate digestive activity for some time after the meal.
- Provide your baby with more movement: exercise, massage, swimming, tactile contact, walking in the fresh air. To develop the muscular system more actively. Along with it, all internal organs will develop. nine0055
There is no drug that will reduce regurgitation. Because it is not a disease, it is either a symptom of it, or a natural process.
The only thing that can affect the amount of food returned is the use of anti-colic drugs, which reduce gas formation in the intestines.