When your baby is born, his first cry is for food. As that little body grows and changes, more breast milk or formula enters that tiny tummy. Sometimes, just as we adults do, Baby eats too quickly, so, when you burp him, he spits up everything he just ate. Concern or even frustration—after all, you got up in the middle of the night to satisfy his hunger cries—can perplex new parents when spit-ups happen. So what’s going on in that little body?
During their first three months, about half of all babies experience their stomach contents’ coming back into the esophagus, a condition known as gastroesophageal reflux, infant reflux or infant acid reflux. Normally, a muscle between the esophagus and the stomach, the lower esophageal sphincter, keeps stomach contents where they belong. Until this muscle has time to mature, though, spitting up can be an issue, especially if your little one is relatively full.
Spitting up is the easy flow of a baby's stomach contents through her mouth, sometimes with a burp. Vomiting, on the other hand, occurs when the flow is forceful, which means shooting out inches rather than dribbling from the mouth. Normal spitting up won’t interfere with your baby’s well-being. As long as your baby seems comfortable, is eating well and gaining weight, there is little cause for concern. The loss of calories isn’t harmful in this case.
Babies do outgrow spitting up. Most infants will slow down on the spitting up at about 3 to 4 months. Others begin spitting up less starting at 6 months, once they start solids, which can often help them hold down their food and settle their stomachs. Other babies take a little longer and don’t stop spitting up until 9 months or closer to a year old
To reduce spitting up, you can try several different techniques. For example, keep your baby upright when you feed him. Follow each feeding with 30 minutes in an upright position and avoid immediate active play or use an infant swing and avoid putting excessive pressure on your baby’s belly.
Also try to avoid overfeeding. Feeding your baby smaller amounts more frequently can help. And take time to burp your baby. Frequent burps during and after each feeding can keep air from building up in that little tummy. Don’t wait until your baby is too hungry to feed her, and make sure the bottle nipple is the appropriate size for that little mouth. You can experiment with this as there are so many different shapes and sizes.
If you’re breastfeeding, another tactic is to experiment with your own diet. For instance, you may need to eliminate dairy products and hot sauce. Other culprits could be soy; gas-producing veggies including broccoli, cabbage, onions and peppers; acidic foods such as coffee, tomatoes and citrus; and even wheat, nuts, shellfish and eggs. Just as you watched what you ate when you were pregnant, you’ll need to be mindful of your diet if you are producing your newborn’s nutrition.
Keeping a record of the foods you eat is an important part of this elimination diet. While you record your diet, also keep a note of Baby’s problem behaviors. Try to correlate Baby’s fussy spells with what you’ve eaten in the past day or so. This gives you a clearer perspective and helps you stay objective, which is hard to do when you are sleep deprived. This is especially important when Baby has stayed fussy past 4 months of age.
If your baby is spitting up, you may encounter a sleep time specter—a fear your baby may choke on spit-up. Here’s an important thing to remember: In spite of spit-ups, always put your baby to sleep on his back, a practice that reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Doctors strongly discourage placing babies to sleep on their tummies. Babies are born with a reflex that causes them to cough out or swallow any fluid they spit up or swallow—even while asleep! If you are still worried or just want to ease Baby’s discomfort, prop up the end of the entire crib with blocks or something else solid to elevate his little head. Never use pillows or anything inside the crib to prop up your baby.
Try not to fret, you overtired caregivers. Most babies stop spitting up by the time they reach their first birthday, which is good news for your clothing and theirs!
Can spitting up be a sign of a bigger problem?
Certain signs and symptoms might indicate an underlying condition or something more serious than run-of-the-mill spitting up. Contact your pediatrician if your baby:
- Isn't gaining weight.
- Spits up forcefully.
- Spits up green or yellow fluid.
- Spits up blood or a material that looks like coffee grounds.
- Refuses feedings repeatedly.
- Has blood in his or her stool.
- Has difficulty breathing or other signs of illness.
- Begins spitting up at age 6 months or older.
- Cries for more than three hours a day and is more irritable than normal.
- Has fewer wet diapers than usual.
Treatment depends on what's causing the problem. Special feeding techniques might be helpful. In other cases, the doctor might prescribe medication to treat reflux.
Sources: MayoClinic.org, TheOllieWorld.com, MamaNatural.com
Judy Goppert lives in Lee’s Summit. She enjoys drawing on her personal experiences to write about the nuances of everything wonderful about life.
As always, please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns.