Why do newborn baby vomit after feeding

Why This Happens and What to Do

It can be difficult to tell the difference between vomit and spit-up. Both might look the same since your baby is currently on a steady of diet of milk or formula. The main difference is in how they come out.

Spit-up usually happens before or after a burp and is most common in babies under the age of 1 year. Spit-up will easily flow from your baby’s mouth — almost like white, milky drool.

Vomit typically comes out forcefully (whether you’re a baby or an adult). This is because vomiting happens when the muscles around the stomach are triggered by the brain’s “vomiting center” to squeeze it. This forces whatever is in the stomach to be hurled out.

In a baby’s case, vomit may look like milky spit-up but have more clear stomach juices mixed into it. It may also look like milk that has been fermented for a little while — this is called “cheesing.” Yes, it sounds gross. But the texture probably won’t bother you when you see it — you’ll be more concerned with baby’s well-being.

Your baby may also cough or make little retching noises before they vomit. This is likely the only warning you’ll have to grab a towel, bucket, burp cloth, sweater, your shoe — hey, anything.

Additionally, spit-up is normal and can happen at any time. Your baby will only vomit if there’s a digestive issue or they have another illness.

Feeding difficulty

Babies have to learn everything from scratch, including how to feed and keep the milk down. Along with spit-up, your baby may vomit occasionally after being fed. This is most common in the first month of life.

It happens because your baby’s tummy is still getting used to digesting food. They also have to learn to not gulp milk down too fast or overfeed.

Post-feeding vomiting typically stops after the first month. Give your baby more frequent, smaller feeds to help stop the vomit.

But let your pediatrician know if your baby vomits often or has very forceful vomits. In some cases, it might be a sign of something other than feeding difficulty.

Stomach flu

Also known as the tummy bug or “stomach flu,” gastroenteritis is a common cause of vomiting in babies and children. Your baby may have cycles of vomiting that come and go for about 24 hours.

Other symptoms in babies may last for 4 days or longer:

watery, runny poop or mild diarrhea
irritability or crying
poor appetite
stomach cramps and pain

The tummy bug can also cause a fever, but this is actually less common in babies.

Gastroenteritis usually looks a lot worse than it is (thank goodness!). It’s typically caused by a virus that goes away by itself in about a week.

In babies, severe gastroenteritis can lead to dehydration. Call your pediatrician immediately if your baby has any signs of dehydration:

dry skin, mouth, or eyes
unusual sleepiness
no wet diapers for 8 to 12 hours
weak cry
crying without tears

Infant reflux

In some ways, babies really are like tiny adults. Just like adults of any age can have acid reflux or GERD, some babies have infant reflux. This can lead to baby vomiting in the first weeks or months of your baby’s life.

Vomiting from acid reflux happens when the muscles at the top of the stomach are too relaxed. This triggers baby vomiting shortly after feeding.

In most cases, the stomach muscles strengthen, and your baby’s vomiting goes away on its own. Meanwhile, you can help slow down the vomiting by:

avoiding overfeeding
giving smaller, more frequent feeds
burping your baby often
propping your baby up in an upright position for about 30 minutes after feeding

You can also thicken milk or formula with more formula or a bit of baby cereal. Caveat: Check with your pediatrician before you try this. It might not be suitable for all babies.

Cold and flu

Babies catch colds and flus easily because they have shiny new immune systems that are still developing. It doesn’t help if they’re in day care with other sniffling kiddos, or they’re around adults that can’t resist kissing their little faces. Your baby may have up to seven colds in their first year alone.

Cold and flu can cause different symptoms in babies. Along with a runny nose, your baby may also have vomiting without a fever.

Too much mucus in the nose (congestion) can lead to a nasal drip in the throat. This can trigger bouts of forceful coughing that sometimes cause vomiting in babies and children.

As in adults, colds and flu in babies are viral and go away after about a week. In some cases, sinus congestion may turn into an infection. Your baby will need antibiotics to treat any bacterial — not viral — infection.

Ear infection

Ear infections are another common illness in babies and children. This is because their ear tubes are horizontal rather than more vertical like in adults.

If your little one has an ear infection, they might have nausea and vomiting without a fever. This happens because an ear infection can cause dizziness and loss of balance. Other symptoms of ear infections in babies include:

pain in one or both ears
tugging or scratching at or near the ears
muffled hearing
diarrhea

Most ear infections in babies and children go away without treatment. However, it’s important to see a pediatrician in case your baby needs antibiotics to clear up the infection. In rare cases, a serious ear infection can damage a baby’s tender ears.

Overheating

Before you swaddle your baby or put them in that adorable fluffy bunny suit, check the temperature outside and in your home.

While it’s true that the womb was warm and cozy, babies can overheat quickly in hot weather or in a very warm house or car. This is because their tiny bodies are less able to sweat out heat. Overheating might cause vomiting and dehydration.

Overheating can lead to heat exhaustion or in much more serious cases, heatstroke. Look for other symptoms like:

pale, clammy skin
irritability and crying
sleepiness or floppiness

Immediately remove clothing and keep your baby out of the sun and away from heat. Try to breastfeed (or give your baby water if they’re 6 months or older). Get urgent medical attention if your baby doesn’t seem their usual self.

Motion sickness

Babies below the age of 2 years don’t commonly get motion or car sickness, but some babies may get sick after a car ride or being twirled around — especially if they’ve just eaten.

Motion sickness can make your baby dizzy and nauseous, leading to vomiting. It might be more likely to happen if your baby already has an upset tummy from bloating, gas, or constipation.

Strong smells and windy or bumpy roads can also make your baby dizzy. Nausea triggers more saliva, so you might notice more dribble before your baby vomits.

You can help prevent motion sickness by traveling when your baby is ready to sleep. (Great trick if your baby loves to sleep in the car!) A sleeping baby is less likely to feel queasy.

Keep their head well supported in the car seat so it doesn’t move around too much. Also, avoid going for a drive right after giving your baby a full feed — you want your baby to digest the milk, not wear it.

Milk intolerance

A rare kind of milk intolerance is called galactosemia. It happens when babies are born without a certain enzyme needed to break down sugars in milk. Some babies with this condition are even sensitive to breast milk.

It can cause nausea and vomiting after drinking milk or any kind of dairy products. Galactosemia can also cause a skin rash or itching in both babies and adults.

If your baby is formula fed, check the ingredients for any dairy, including milk proteins.

Most newborns are screened at birth for this rare condition and other illnesses. This is usually done with a heel prick blood test or a urine test.

In the rare event that your baby has this, you’ll know it very early on. Make sure your baby completely avoids milk to help stop vomiting and other symptoms.

Pyloric stenosis

Pyloric stenosis is a rare condition that happens when the opening between the stomach and intestines is blocked or too narrow. It can lead to forceful vomiting after feeding.

If your baby has pyloric stenosis, they may be hungry all the time. Other symptoms include:

dehydration
weight loss
wave-like stomach contractions
constipation
fewer bowel movements
fewer wet diapers

This rare condition can be treated with surgery. Tell your pediatrician immediately if your baby has any of the symptoms of pyloric stenosis.

Intussusception

Intussusception is a rare intestinal condition. It affects 1 in every 1,200 babies and most commonly happens at the age of 3 months or older. Intussusception can cause vomiting without a fever.

This condition happens when the intestines are damaged by a virus or other health conditions. The damaged intestine slips — “telescopes” — into another part of the intestine.

Along with vomiting, a baby may have severe stomach cramps that last for about 15 minutes. The pain can cause some babies to curl their knees up to their chest.

Other symptoms of this intestinal condition include:

fatigue and tiredness
nausea
blood or mucus in bowel movements

If your baby has intussusception, treatment can push the intestine back into place. This gets rid of vomiting, pain, and other symptoms. Treatment includes using air in the intestines to gently move the intestines. If that doesn’t work, keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery heals this condition.

See your baby’s pediatrician if your baby has vomiting for longer than 12 hours. Babies can get dehydrated quickly if they’re vomiting.

Get immediate medical attention if your baby is vomiting and has other symptoms and signs like:

diarrhea
pain or discomfort
constant or forceful coughing
hasn’t had a wet diaper for 3 to 6 hours
refusing to feed
dry lips or tongue
few or no tears when crying
extra tired or sleepy
weakness or floppy
won’t smile
swollen or bloated stomach
blood in diarrhea

Baby vomiting without a fever can happen because of several common illnesses. Your baby will likely have one or more of these several times in the first year. Most of these causes go away on their own, and your little one will stop vomiting without any treatment.

But too much vomiting can lead to dehydration. Check for signs of dehydration and call your pediatrician if you’re not sure.

Some causes of baby vomiting are more serious, but these are rare. Your baby will need medical care for these health conditions. Know the signs and remember to keep the doctor’s number saved in your phone — and take a deep breath. You and baby got this.

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 does the baby spit up after feeding?

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Regurgitation is a common condition in newborns and infants and is most often a normal variant. However, it is not uncommon for parents to worry if their baby is spitting up frequently, believing that it is due to nutritional or health problems in general. Sometimes these fears are not unfounded, and regurgitation really has a pathological origin. What is its cause and when should you really consult a doctor about this?

Regurgitation - Return of a small amount of food (uncurdled or partially curdled milk) from the stomach up the digestive tract: into the esophagus and further into the oral cavity. According to statistics, at least 1 time during the day, at least 50% of babies from 0 to 3 months old can spit up, more than 60% of children 3-4 months old, and in 5% of children spit up continues up to the year ¹.

Regurgitation in newborns is considered a physiological process. It is caused by a number of factors, including:

Features of the structure of the upper digestive tract in babies
In newborns and infants up to a year of life, the stomach has a spherical shape. It holds a small amount of food, besides, the release from it into the duodenum is slower in comparison with children after the year ².
Weakness of the lower esophageal sphincter that separates the esophagus from the stomach
Normally, the lower esophageal sphincter should tightly "close" the esophagus, allowing food to pass into the stomach and not allowing it to enter back into the upper digestive tract. However, in young children (up to a year), the muscles of the esophageal sphincter are poorly developed, and it does not do its job very well ² .
Slow movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract
The neuromuscular system of newborns is immature. It does not ensure the proper movement of food through the esophagus, causing regurgitation.

One of the important risk factors contributing to regurgitation in newborns is aerophagia. This is the swallowing of large amounts of air during feedings. This happens when the baby is not properly attached to the breast, the mother has a lack of breast milk, or the bottle is in the wrong position in the child who receives the mixture. The size of the opening in the nipple also matters - if it is too large, the newborn swallows a lot of air ³ .

With aerophagia, the baby becomes capricious, restless immediately after feeding. Noticeable bloating. If the baby spits up immediately after a feed, the milk (or formula) remains practically fresh, uncurdled ³ .

Promotes regurgitation after feeding and a predominantly horizontal position of the baby during the day, combined with relatively high intra-abdominal pressure ⁴ . Therefore, the correct position of the baby after feeding is so important. To avoid regurgitation of an excessive amount of stomach contents, after feeding, it is necessary to hold the baby in an upright “column” position for some time (10-20 minutes), lightly patting on the back and allowing excess air to “exit”.

Regurgitation in many newborns can be provoked by other situations in which pressure in the abdominal cavity increases and stomach contents are thrown into the esophagus, in particular ³ :

tight swaddling;
stool disorders, in particular constipation;
long, forced cry and some others.

Want to avoid common feeding problems?

Start with a baby bottle with an anti-colic system that helps you avoid common feeding problems such as colic, gas and spitting up*

How can you tell the difference between normal spitting up and vomiting?

Sometimes regurgitation is considered a manifestation of disorders in the digestive tract of children. Due to the constant reflux of acidic stomach contents into the upper sections, inflammation and other complications may develop, including growth retardation, a decrease in hemoglobin levels, and others. Therefore, it is important for parents to understand where the line is between physiological and pathological regurgitation ¹ .

If the mother is worried that her baby is spitting up, keep track of when this happens and count the total number of spit ups per day. Normally, regurgitation usually occurs after eating (the child burps after each feeding), lasts no more than 20 seconds and repeats no more than 20-30 times a day. With pathology, the problem manifests itself at any time of the day, regardless of when the baby was fed. Their number can reach 50 per day, and sometimes more ¹ .

The amount of discharge during regurgitation also matters. With normal, physiological regurgitation, it is approximately 5 - 30 ml. If this volume fluctuates between 50 and 100 ml, it is already defined as profuse vomiting. When the range of the jet of vomit is up to 50 cm, doctors talk about "vomiting a fountain." A variant of atonic vomiting is possible, when the contents of the stomach flow "sluggishly". It occurs with atony of the stomach (decrease in muscle tone of the stomach wall) and disruption of the esophagus ¹ .

Vomiting in babies is a warning sign. Doctors are especially alarmed by repeated vomiting, a fountain, with an admixture of bile, in combination with constipation. Vomiting can lead to the development of dehydration, acid-base imbalance and other consequences, therefore, if it occurs, you should urgently contact a pediatrician to find out the cause and begin treatment. A doctor's consultation is necessary if the child is spitting up a lot (more than 15-30 ml at a time), with a frequency of more than 50 episodes per day ^1.3 .

Physiological regurgitation: symptoms

Regurgitation in newborns, which is considered a normal variant and does not cause concern to pediatricians ³ :

usually continues for a certain period of time;
is characterized by slow, "passive" leakage; if the baby spits up a fountain, it is better to consult a doctor;
has a sour smell of curdled milk;
occurs without the participation of muscles - the baby does not strain during regurgitation;
does not affect the general well-being of the baby.

How to help a newborn who spit up often?

If the baby is healthy, no medication is prescribed for spitting up. To help the child allow simple measures based on lifestyle changes and feeding.

Frequent feeding of the baby
It is known that the baby is more prone to spit up if his stomach is full. To improve the situation, it is recommended to feed the baby more often, avoiding oversaturation, best of all - on demand ⁵ .

Correct feeding technique
Every feeding, the mother must ensure that the baby does not swallow too much air during suckling. When sucking, there should be no loud, smacking, clicking sounds. You also need to control that the baby captures the nipple along with the areola.

Choosing the right bottle and nipple
If the newborn is bottle-fed and receiving formula, it is important to choose the right bottle and nipple. The hole in it should be such that the milk flows out in drops, and not in a stream. The nipple must not be filled with air
New Anti-colic bottle with AirFree valve

The AirFree valve prevents air from entering the baby's stomach.
- Baby standing upright after eating
To allow air that has entered the digestive tract during meals to escape, it is important to keep the newborn upright for 10-20 minutes after feeding ⁴ .
- Ensure the correct position of the baby during sleep
To reduce the negative impact of the acidic contents of the stomach on the esophagus, it is necessary to put the baby to sleep in a supine position. The side or prone position, which many pediatricians used to recommend, is no longer recommended. It was found to be associated with an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome ⁵ .

If parents notice alarming symptoms, such as spitting up too often or large volume, etc. , it is important to consult a pediatrician without delay. This will allow you to identify the real problem in time and help the baby grow up healthy and happy.

References
¹ Zakharova I. N., Andryukhina E. N. Regurgitation and vomiting syndrome in young children // Pediatric pharmacology, 2010. V. 7. No. 4.

Nagornaya 2900 V., Limarenko M. P., Logvinenko N. G. Experience with the use of domperidone in suspension in young children with regurgitation syndrome // Child Health, 2013. No. 5 (48).

³ Zakharova IN Regurgitation and vomiting in children: what to do? //Pediatrics. Supplement to Consilium Medicum, 2009. No. 3. S. 58-67.

⁴ Zakharova I. N., Sugyan N. G., Pykov M. I. Regurgitation syndrome in young children: diagnosis and correction // Effective pharmacotherapy, 2014. No. 3. P. 18-28.

⁵ Vandenplas Y. et al. Pediatric gastroesophageal reflux clinical practice guidelines: joint recommendations of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) and the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) //Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition. 2009; 49(4): 498-547.

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Why do newborns spit up? | Philips Avent
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Home ›› Why is my baby spitting up and how can I help him?

Home ›› Why does my baby spit up and how can I help him?

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Whether it's your first or third baby, you're bound to have questions about feeding. Reflux (spitting up) is a common topic among frequently discussed feeding topics, so you are not alone in finding the answer to the question “Why does my baby spit up so often?”.

So why do babies spit up? And is spitting up normal for babies? You have probably thought about this many times. After reading this article, you will receive important information that will explain the causes of infant spitting up, and you will learn how to act to help the child.

If you have any questions or your child has other symptoms, be sure to contact your doctor.

Why do babies spit up and when is it normal?

Let's look at why babies spit up and answer the frequently asked question "Why does my baby spit up so much?". Many newborns spit up after feedings or when burping because their digestive tract is not yet fully developed. However, in some situations, the likelihood of regurgitation in infants increases.

So what causes reflux in babies? The following are some of the main causes of regurgitation in infants: ¹
- The child has moved.
- The child was eating too fast.
- You help your baby spit up air, and with the air, the baby spit up part of the food.
- The child has too much air in the stomach.
- The child has excessive salivation.
So is spitting up normal in infants? In simple words: spitting up after some feeds, or even after each, is absolutely normal for a growing baby. However, there are points that need to be noted in order to distinguish ordinary regurgitation from vomiting. The two processes are very different, so you should check with your doctor if your baby is vomiting heavily after every or most feeds.

Also seek medical attention if your child has the following symptoms, which a doctor can help identify: ²
- The child spit up frequently, does not gain enough height or weight.
- Appears to be in pain, cries a lot, or arches his back.
- Coughing or difficulty breathing, which may be a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
- Regurgitates even if he hasn't eaten anything.
- There is severe vomiting.
- Fever or diarrhea, which may be a sign of an intestinal infection and lead to dehydration.
If your baby spit up a small amount of milk after a feed and continues to grow and stay healthy, rest assured that this is normal and nothing to worry about. If you have any questions about reflux in infants, check out this article to learn about the symptoms of reflux and how to deal with it!

What to do

Now that you know that spitting up is a normal physiological process and what causes it, you are probably wondering what you can do to help your baby. After you have consulted with your pediatrician and he has determined that spitting up is not a cause for concern, there are a few things you can do to help you when you are confused: ¹

1. Regular belching of air.

In addition to burping after feedings, try helping your baby burp when changing breasts. And when feeding from a bottle, try to have the child spit up air every 30-60 ml of the mixture. Consider using an anti-colic bottle with an AirFree valve. The AirFree valve prevents air from entering the nipple even when the bottle is in a horizontal position and the nipple remains completely filled with milk. The use of such a bottle will allow your baby to drink in an upright position, which will reduce the frequency of reflux, improve the digestion process and make the feeding process more comfortable for both you and the baby. Find out more about Philips Avent anti-colic bottles with AirFree valve here.

3. Avoid vigorous movement after feeding.

To avoid regurgitation after a feed, it is best to refrain from any bouncing, swaying or active play until the milk has been digested better.

4. Keep your baby's head up while feeding.

When you're trying to find the right feeding position that's comfortable for both your baby and you, try to avoid a position where your baby's head is down. In other words, it is necessary to ensure that in the process of feeding the head of the child is above the level of his legs.

5. Raise the mattress at the head of the bed

It is a good idea to roll up some towels or blankets and place them under the mattress (but not on top of the mattress) in the crib. Make sure that only the headboard is raised and that there are no creases in the middle of the mattress. There should be a very slight slope from which the baby will not slip.

It's a natural process

If you ever ask yourself the question "Why is my baby spitting up?" just remember that spitting up is a completely natural, sometimes troublesome process that is part of parenthood. There are various reasons for spitting up in babies, but if your baby looks calm after a feed and is actively developing, you have nothing to worry about. In truth, spitting up is more of a problem for the parents than for the child himself, who may not even notice it.
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