An infant vomited after breastfeeding

Differences between regurgitation and vomiting

Regurgitation is a normal process that does not require treatment, while vomiting is more common in illness. In both cases, gastric contents are released, making it difficult to distinguish between the two processes.

You can find out whether a child is regurgitating or vomiting by the following signs:

• When regurgitating, a small amount is released, but it comes off easily. The baby behaves as usual after it;
• The baby usually spits up after feeding, and vomiting occurs regardless of the time of feeding.
• Regurgitation is very rarely repeated several times, and attacks of vomiting are often not single, but multiple.
• Children usually regurgitate unchanged food (formula or milk) or slightly coagulated food, and when vomiting there may be digested food and gastric juice with bile (yellowish liquid).
• The child’s health when regurgitating is almost always good, but when vomiting it is often worse.

Many children vomit periodically, but, as a rule, it happens only once and does not indicate the presence of a serious illness, so you can help your child at home. But sometimes it can be a sign of a disease that requires medical intervention.

The appearance of vomiting in a baby may be due to the following reasons:

• Fast feeding and overeating;
• Changing the mixture;
• Mother's failure to comply with hygiene rules;
• Maternal diet violations;
• Introduction of complementary foods;
• Milk intolerance;
• Long and strong crying;
• Pylorestenosis;
• Cough;
• Intestinal infection, gastroenteritis;
• Poisoning;
• Concussions;
• Meningitis;
• Appendicitis.

Vomiting due to overfeeding or fast feeding is quite harmless and occurs when more food has entered the baby’s stomach than it can accommodate and digest. To avoid such vomiting, you do not need to feed the baby more than prescribed (if the baby is fed formula), and after eating, you should not bathe the baby or actively play with him for half an hour. If he appears otherwise healthy, there is no cause for concern.

In children under one year of age, vomiting can be provoked by a new mixture. You should only change your diet for a good reason after consulting your pediatrician. In addition, the new mixture should be introduced gradually.

If the mother does not follow the rules of hygiene and does not monitor her diet, then these are risk factors for the development of infectious diseases manifested by vomiting. Eating fatty, spicy and salty foods by a nursing mother can disrupt the baby's digestion.

The baby may react by vomiting and feeding. In this case, there is no need to panic if the episode of vomiting was a one-time event. This is how the baby’s body could react to an unfamiliar product. It is important to start complementary feeding with single-ingredient products, not to give your baby food that has been left open for a long time, and to always check expiration dates.

Vomiting occurs especially often during intestinal infections. It is accompanied by diarrhea, which is especially dangerous due to large fluid losses. The disease threatens the baby’s life and therefore requires immediate medical attention. An equally dangerous cause of vomiting is poisoning.

Vomiting can develop in children and with such serious diseases as appendicitis, meningitis, pneumonia, strangulated hernia and others.

With pyloric stenosis, the muscle ring located at the transition from the stomach to the duodenum is thickened, as a result of which it does not allow food to pass into the small stomach. Food stays in the stomach and then comes out with vomiting. Therefore, the child wants to eat and, despite frequent feeding, the baby’s weight decreases, and the milk is not absorbed. This diagnosis requires surgical intervention.

A concussion can lead to vomiting. If a child falls from a great height, loses consciousness, or his movements are uncoordinated, it is important to immediately consult a doctor.

Pathological regurgitation

In some cases, frequent regurgitation in a baby still indicates the development of certain pathologies. Sometimes this is due to disturbances in the intrauterine development of the fetus due to pregnancy . If parents are still seriously concerned about why the newborn spits up frequently and profusely, the doctor should look for reasons related to the pathologies described below. Dr. Komarovsky and other experts name the following diseases in which regurgitation may occur.

Perinatal encephalopathy

If an infant burps frequently, the reasons for this phenomenon may be related to the severe course of pregnancy and childbirth in the mother. The collective diagnosis of perinatal encephalopathy includes dysfunction of the nervous system, which is characterized by excessive regurgitation. Sometimes the baby can even spit up like a fountain. He also sleeps poorly, is often restless, and has tremors limbs and chin. The risk of developing this disease increases significantly with prolonged hypoxia during pregnancy. There is also a high risk of this disease if the baby was born with scores less than 5 points on the Apgar scale , if he experienced a short-term respiratory arrest.

Hydrocephalus

This disease is characterized by profuse and frequent regurgitation. After feeding, the baby regurgitates almost everything he has eaten. The newborn often cries, worries, and when sleeping, throws his head back. With hydrocephalus, there is a possibility of delayed physical and mental development, increased muscle tone in the limbs, and delayed development of the step reflex. Hydrocephalus progresses quickly and requires immediate treatment.

Other CNS diseases

Constant regurgitation may indicate impaired blood flow to the brain, birth injuries, or underdevelopment of the central nervous system. Regurgitation, accompanied by belching, occurs after each feeding. The child regurgitates undigested food.

Anomalies and pathologies of the development of the digestive system

Persistent and frequent regurgitation may be a consequence of pyloric stenosis or diaphragmatic hernia . If the baby has pyloric stenosis , signs of this disease appear almost immediately after birth - on the second day the baby regurgitates curds. The newborn loses weight because food is not absorbed and does not pass beyond the stomach. In this condition, the baby does not have stool, even if you give the baby an enema .

Infectious diseases

The baby may burp due to sepsis , food poisoning , meningitis , hepatitis , etc. In addition, the baby’s temperature rises, drowsiness , lethargy are noted, and the skin turns pale or yellow. As Dr. Komarosky and other pediatricians note, if there is mucus in the contents that the baby regurgitates, this is evidence of intestinal dysbiosis or gastrointestinal infection . In such a situation, doctors prescribe probiotics or other medications.

Hereditary diseases

This symptom is characteristic of phenylketonuria , adrenogenital syndrome . Periodically, a baby may spit up due to kidney failure .

Symptoms to contact your pediatrician immediately

You should contact your doctor immediately if your child:

• refuses food;
• sleepy and lethargic;
• his body temperature increased;
• attacks of vomiting are repeated more often than 3 times a day or there was a repetition within 6 hours;
• loose stools;
• the baby's stomach is swollen or hurts;
• if there are signs of dehydration: lips, tongue are dry, urination is scanty or infrequent, and urine is darker than usual;
• if there is blood in the vomit;
• there is blood or mucus on the diaper.

Do not waste time and do not treat the baby yourself, but immediately call an ambulance.

Vomiting in infectious diseases

Unlike other causes, infectious diseases cause vomiting and fever in the infant. All diseases caused by infection are divided into 2 groups:

• Intestinal infections
• Acute infectious diseases

Depending on the cause, your child may have additional problems.

The disease occurs due to pathogens entering the child’s gastrointestinal tract - bacteria and viruses that penetrate the oral cavity when the child tries to eat something dirty or suck on unwashed hands. In addition to vomiting during intestinal infections, the following signs of the disease are present:

• Diarrhea
• Sharp pain in the abdomen, due to which the baby bends his legs to his stomach and screams
• Increased body temperature

If these symptoms occur, you should call an ambulance immediately. Frequent vomiting and loose stools in an infant can cause dehydration, which requires immediate fluid replacement using droppers.

Vomiting is common when a child is ill and is caused by various infections. It occurs with sore throat, ARVI, pneumonia and otitis media. As a rule, with these diseases, vomiting occurs in response to food intake. In addition, the baby experiences an increase in temperature, general weakness, drowsiness, capricious mood and lack of appetite. During the examination, the doctor pays attention to inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose and throat. A cough appears.

More serious diseases, the first signs of which may be vomiting, are meningitis and encephalitis. With these diseases, vomiting is regular and the amount of food rejected is large. The baby screams loudly and continuously, hides from bright light, and convulsions may occur.

If these symptoms occur, you should immediately call an ambulance, as the disease can be fatal.

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What to do before the doctor arrives

Since vomiting is dangerous due to the rapid development of dehydration, parents should not just wait for an ambulance or a local doctor, but must ensure that the body receives the crumbs of the liquid it needs. It is important to begin replenishing fluid loss immediately after an attack of vomiting. For infants, the best way to replenish fluid lost during vomiting is to apply to the breast.

It is also recommended that children be given solutions from pharmaceutical preparations containing the necessary electrolytes. If you do not have the opportunity to buy a pharmaceutical drug, prepare its analogue at home by dissolving salt (a level teaspoon) and sugar (from 4 to 6 teaspoons) in one liter of boiled water. This solution can be stored for up to 24 hours.

The child should not drink tea, sweet soda, chicken broth, fruit juice, cow's milk, or even rice water. Such drinks do not contain the electrolytes lost during vomiting, so they will only worsen the condition.

So, what needs to be done if an infant is vomiting before the pediatrician arrives:

• Give your baby breastfeeding more often (if breastfeeding).
• Offer formula to the baby more often (if the baby is bottle-fed). There is no need to change the mixture.
• In addition to milk and formula, give your baby 60 to 120 ml. solution with electrolytes after each attack of vomiting. This solution should be given in small doses through a bottle with a nipple or from a spoon. You can also give the solution using a syringe that does not have a needle.
• If the baby has drunk the specified amount of solution, but is still thirsty, continue to give him the solution until his thirst is quenched.
• If the baby vomits the solution you just drank, try to give the baby something to drink again, giving the liquid a few milliliters at a time with short breaks.
• As complementary foods, a baby over 6 months old can be given rice, apple puree, crackers, and bananas.
• It is not recommended to give your baby any medications before the doctor arrives - antibiotics, anti-diarrhea medications, sorbents, prebiotics, antiemetics and others. Many of these medications can not only “blur” the overall picture of the disease, but also cause complications in the baby’s condition.

If you think that your baby has been poisoned by medicine or food, you should immediately call a doctor and tell him about the possible causes. Take a sample of the substance or its packaging with you.

What to do to make regurgitation disappear

There are a number of recommendations that can help young mothers reduce regurgitation to a minimum:

Before feeding

1. The baby should be calm. There is no need to disturb him or shake him. It is better to give a relaxing massage with warm hands.
2. You need to massage your tummy clockwise, in a circular motion, and do not press under any circumstances. Mom's touch has a calming effect on the child's nervous system.
3. The mother herself also needs to be balanced and calm, because her psychological state is transmitted to the newborn. Babies are very sensitive, good for mother - good for child. Mom is tense and nervous—the baby will behave the same way.

During feeding

1. A newborn should eat its quota; there is no need to overfeed, otherwise the excess will come out in the form of regurgitation.
2. The position of the baby's body plays a significant role. He should lie comfortably and correctly: the head is not thrown back, the spine is straight, the arms are free, not pressed down, the nose is clean and breathes well.
3. It is important that the baby latch onto the breast correctly, otherwise he will swallow excess air and then after eating he will vomit it, and with it the milk he has eaten. The baby should capture not only one nipple, but the entire areola. The mouth should be wide open, the lower lip turned outward. If your baby doesn't take the entire areola, put your finger in his mouth, gently pull out the nipple and try again. Take the nipple with 2-3 fingers, squeeze it a little and put it in the baby's mouth. If the lip is not turned out again, try sticking it out with your finger.
4. Continue until your baby latch onto the breast in the correct way. This is significant, because then the peristalsis of the stomach begins to work as it should, the baby sucks out all the milk, it is easy and tasty for him, and the mother is not in pain.
5. If your newborn is bottle-fed, use special slow-flow bottles. The nipples in these bottles are designed in such a way as to prevent the swallowing of excess air and the formation of colic. You can buy bottles at a pharmacy or any specialized children's store.

After feeding

1. It is necessary for the baby to continue lying for 1-2 minutes.
2. Then, very carefully and without sudden movements, lift vertically, lift slowly, not all at once, otherwise regurgitation is guaranteed. Hold the baby in this position for at least 2-5 minutes. Some people need more time, some less.
3. After a specified period of time, the baby will belch to release the excess air that he swallowed while eating.
4. After burping, it is better to put the little one to bed.

If the formula is not entirely suitable for the baby, it can be replaced with another. But this is possible only with the permission of the pediatrician. He will assess the baby's condition and decide whether switching to a new formula would be beneficial.

There is nothing pathological in the fact that a baby feels sick from the introduced complementary foods. Again, it is necessary to consult a doctor. He will tell you which products to introduce first and which ones to put off for a while.

Vomiting in an infant - the main causes and what to do about it

Children under the age of one year often spit up. This is a normal process that relieves them of excess air that entered the intestines during feeding. It happens that after eating a child spits up formula or breast milk in a fountain, which does not even have time to curdle in the stomach. How to understand that it is not vomiting in a baby? What are the differences, and what measures should be taken? Is it possible to stop vomiting at home, and why is it dangerous?

Vomiting in response to overeating

Feeding a child is a responsible task that requires attentiveness, especially if it concerns the baby in the first months of life.
The rate of food consumption is individual for each child; with artificial feeding, the amount of formula prescribed by age may be too large for a particular baby. If the baby is fed with mother's milk, it is almost impossible to control the amount of food eaten. In response to exceeding the required volume of milk or formula, the infant vomits. It is enough to simply determine that the contents of the stomach have left it due to overeating:

• Vomiting occurs immediately after eating
• Before this, the child bends over, screams non-stop, sticks out his tongue
• There are no symptoms of the disease
• Vomiting occurs once, with a maximum of one repetition

If part of the food is rejected, you should reduce the portions of food for the baby and monitor the further condition. If, when portions are reduced, the child continues to vomit after eating, there are serious reasons to inform the doctor about this.

Differences between vomiting and regurgitation

Vomiting in young children begins suddenly. She doesn't cause any urges. Sometimes a child may vomit in the middle of the night without any apparent reason or fever, but by the morning he will be completely healthy. In the first year of life, infants burp after feeding, and parents can easily mistake the regurgitation for vomiting.

What is the difference between these states:

1. Regurgitation is the involuntary expulsion of eaten food from the stomach through the esophagus, pharynx and mouth. Occurs after feeding, after 10-40 minutes. The baby can vomit milk through the nose. The main causes of regurgitation in newborns are overfeeding, improper attachment to the breast (article on attachment), inappropriate formula, and tight swaddling. Less commonly, fountain regurgitation indicates the presence of diseases of the nervous or digestive system. When we are not talking about pathologies, the child feels good after regurgitation, smiles, he is calm and does not cry. At the same time, his weight increases, stool and urination remain normal.
2. Vomiting is a reflexive release of the contents of the stomach out. At the same time, the diaphragm and abdominal muscles contract. The gag reflex is coordinated by the brain, and it gives other signals - pallor, drooling, rapid heartbeat, cold extremities. The volume of fluid erupted from the stomach exceeds the volume of food eaten, since gastric juice is added to it.

distinguish an attack of vomiting in a baby from normal regurgitation by some signs:

• repetition;
• large volumes of fluid expelled from the stomach;
• Bile or mucus is seen in the vomit, and curdled milk in the regurgitation;
• the temperature rises;
• the child is worried, capricious, nervous;
• diarrhea begins.

Diseases of the central nervous system

If the central nervous system is damaged, infants may vomit regularly. Usually it manifests itself in the form of small but frequent regurgitation, less often - rejection of large amounts of food. Diseases that can cause this problem are the following:

• Poor blood circulation in the brain
• Various injuries, including concussion
• High intracranial pressure
• Brain tumors

Contacting a neurologist in case of frequent food rejection is necessary, because the neurological causes of this phenomenon must be treated as early as possible in order to achieve the desired result. As a rule, vomiting in infants with neurological diseases is accompanied by other signs of the disease:

• Hypertonicity of muscles or, on the contrary, decreased tone
• Tremor - trembling of the baby's hands, the chin may also tremble
• Restless and interrupted sleep in the baby
• Increased excitability of the baby or lethargy and lack of interest in what is happening around

The main causes of vomiting in an infant

Common causes of vomiting in infants are:

• overfeeding and diet of a nursing mother;
• abrupt transition to a new mixture;
• lure;
• food poisoning;
• intestinal infections;
• heat;
• concussion;
• infectious diseases;
• appendicitis;
• ingestion of a foreign object;
• neurological disorders;
• intestinal obstruction.

Overfeeding and the diet of a nursing mother

The health of the newborn directly depends on the organization of nutrition for a nursing mother. The quality of milk and its quantity can be regulated with proper nutrition. If salty, spicy, smoked dishes appear on the mother’s table, this will affect the milk and the stomach of the infant. The consequence of such a diet can be vomiting after feeding, an allergic reaction, anxiety and diarrhea.

Abrupt transition to a new mixture

You can provoke vomiting in a baby by changing the formula. If the formula used by the baby does not suit his body, he often spits up like a fountain, suffers from diarrhea or constipation, and does not gain weight well, the doctor advises changing it to another. This is done gradually, since the child is accustomed to the old formula and a sudden switch to a new one can cause vomiting.

A newborn may react to new foods with allergies and vomiting. If the vomiting was a one-time occurrence, there is no need to be alarmed.

To correctly introduce complementary foods into your child’s menu, you need to:

1. Follow your doctor's recommendations for introducing complementary foods.
2. Start introducing new products with one component - grated apple, carrot juice, mashed potatoes. This makes it easier to monitor the body’s reaction to introduced foods and identify inappropriate foods in time.
3. When purchasing baby food, be sure to read the instructions. Pay special attention to the composition, expiration date and manufacturer.
4. Prepare only fresh food for your baby and give purchased purees, porridge or juice from a freshly opened jar.
5. Do not overfeed your baby, even if he is ready to eat a lot of food.

Detailed article about introducing the first complementary foods to an infant

Food poisoning

Beware of large fluid loss in a newborn baby

A serious cause of vomiting, accompanied by diarrhea and high fever, is food poisoning. If low-quality food gets into the baby’s stomach, the body will try with all its might to get rid of it in order to reduce the amount of toxins absorbed into the blood. You can recognize that a child has been poisoned by vomiting like a fountain, which will be repeated regularly. In this case, the child’s condition will deteriorate sharply. He will become weak, lethargic, capricious.

The task of parents is to prevent the newborn’s body from losing a lot of fluid. Every 5 minutes the child should be given boiled water. You need to offer clean water one teaspoon at a time and try not to over-drink, otherwise the irritated walls of the stomach will not be able to hold a large amount of liquid, and the baby will vomit again. After the vomiting stops and the baby pees, the drinking dose is increased to a tablespoon.

Important! Do not resort to self-medication, but urgently call a doctor, even if the vomiting and diarrhea have stopped.

Intestinal infections

Causes the same symptoms as food poisoning - diarrhea, vomiting, fever. Coping with an intestinal infection at home is extremely difficult. The child loses a lot of fluid, vomits bile every half hour, and the infection spreads throughout the body, poisoning other organs. If you do not call an ambulance in a timely manner, convulsions may begin from the high temperature. Inpatient treatment will allow you to intravenously replenish fluid loss, cleanse the body of poisons, destroy pathogenic bacteria, and stabilize the intestinal microflora.

Important! Intestinal poisoning is fatal to a child’s life and requires hospital treatment.

Heat

The gag reflex is provoked by high temperature. It appears against the background of intestinal and infectious poisoning, overheating, and teething. When an infant has a fever (temperature rises above 38.5 degrees) caused by infectious diseases, viruses or a cold, you cannot hesitate. The child is frequently given warm drinks and given antipyretic drugs.

Concussion

Breasts at 4-5 months are very mobile. But newborn babies also manage to turn around and, unexpectedly for their mother, fall from the changing table, crib or sofa. First of all, you shouldn’t get lost and reproach yourself for an oversight.

The baby needs to be monitored if:

• he lost consciousness;
• cries for no reason and for a long time;
• his coordination of movements was impaired;
• he vomited.

These are signs of a concussion. Parents need to call an ambulance. The doctor will order an ECHO and x-ray to rule out any suspicion of head injuries. Even a week after the fall, dangerous symptoms may appear. Identifying and treating a missed disease will be much more difficult. Therefore, if the baby falls, it is better to consult a doctor and get diagnosed.

Infectious diseases

Vomiting can signal various infectious diseases - hernia, meningitis, hepatitis, pneumonia, encephalitis, gastroenteritis, etc. If there are other symptoms indicating the presence of a disease, you should immediately contact a doctor. Timely treatment can save the life of a newborn and save him from serious consequences.

Appendicitis

In addition to vomiting with appendicitis, infants experience nausea, bloating, diarrhea, fever, lethargy, and weakness. Experiencing severe attacks of pain, the child draws in his legs and screams shrilly. Palpation of the abdomen causes a painful reaction. Parents must immediately call an ambulance.

Ingestion of a foreign object

If a baby swallows a large object, it can get stuck in the esophagus. By inducing vomiting, the muscles will begin to contract intensely, and blood may be found in the vomit. If the baby manages to push the object out, there is no need to worry. But when difficulty breathing occurs and drooling increases, you need to urgently call an ambulance.

Neurological disorders

They are found mainly in premature babies and underweight infants. The causes of the disease are fetal hypoxia, birth injuries, and asphyxia. Constant vomiting in infants is provoked by hyperactivity, chin tremor, convulsions, and strabismus. After diagnosis, such children require observation by a neurologist and inpatient treatment.

Intestinal obstruction

A dangerous disorder that occurs in the first postpartum days. The newborn has a bloated abdomen, and bile and original feces (meconium) are detected in the vomit. Such a child requires serious treatment, in which feeding is carried out intravenously.

What to do if your baby is vomiting

How to help your baby with vomiting, when stomach contents come out of the mouth like a fountain:

• after excessive regurgitation or vomiting, you should definitely call a doctor;
• the mother needs to reassure the child, not panic and remain calm. The baby will feel it and calm down himself;
• You need to wash the child’s face, remove the vomit and ventilate the room. The smell causes another gag;
• after vomiting, it is advisable to keep the child in an upright position, do not move him or pull him;
• You can’t give your baby something to drink right away. A large volume of liquid will provoke new vomiting;
• stop feeding and give clean boiled water in small sips. For newborns, you can drip liquid from a pipette, bottle, or give water from a teaspoon every five minutes. The child’s stomach will be able to hold this amount of liquid and he will not be at risk of dehydration.

Vomiting is a serious symptom and does not occur without a reason. You cannot prescribe medications to your child yourself. It is better to wait for the doctor and follow his recommendations.

Important! Before the doctor arrives, you should not give an enema, clean the stomach, or give the child antiemetics or painkillers. They can make diagnosis difficult. Even experienced doctors cannot immediately determine the cause of vomiting. Therefore, they offer inpatient treatment, where the baby will be monitored until other symptoms appear.

If vomiting occurred once, there is no bile, blood or mucus in it, the baby was not overfed or given spoiled food, he does not have diarrhea, parents need to carefully monitor his well-being. You don’t have to call an ambulance, but even in this case you shouldn’t put off visiting a doctor.

How to distinguish vomiting from regurgitation

An infant performs a normal physiological phenomenon - regurgitation. Unlike vomiting, the process is completely natural and allows the baby to get rid of excess air trapped during feeding. Usually, a baby vomits after feeding with breast milk or formula after 10-30 minutes. Provoking the ejection of food from the stomach into the esophagus can be associated with gulps of air, overeating, or as a result of strong excitement.

The physiological process of regurgitation is accompanied by the following symptoms:

1. Belching does not cause gagging.
2. The rejected mass is small.
3. The baby is feeling well.
4. Normal weight gain occurs.
5. The secreted liquid contains an admixture of milk and water.

Regurgitation is a temporary phenomenon, does not require treatment and goes away on its own as the child grows older.

1. The baby behaves restlessly and is capricious before starting to vomit. Crying and worrying indicate discomfort.
2. The baby experiences repeated urges.
3. The gastric contents take on a greenish or yellow tint.
4. There is an admixture of bile.
5. Accompanied by fever.

Vomiting is a reflex regulated by the cerebral cortex. The abdominal muscles and diaphragm are involved in the process. The baby tenses up and begins to salivate profusely. An attack of nausea is accompanied by the child's pallor and rapid breathing. Vomit exceeds the amount of food consumed - in addition to what was eaten, gastric juice is released.

Carrying out prevention

Prevention of vomiting is associated with preventing the occurrence of all possible diseases that can provoke it. It is important to adhere to the correct feeding technique, the age-specific amount of food consumed, and the interval between meals. It is necessary to carefully monitor the hygiene of the baby and mother.

After vomiting, be sure to rinse the child’s mouth with water from a syringe without a needle. You should not massage, rock or bathe your baby less than an hour after feeding. In infants, the vestibular apparatus is quite poorly developed, which can cause vomiting.

It is impossible to independently determine the cause of the problem, so after a vomiting attack occurs, you need to visit a pediatrician.

Causes of vomiting in infants

The appearance of symptoms in a baby can be triggered by many factors, from teething to dangerous diseases.

It happens that a few episodes pass without suspicion: vomit without blood, the baby is active and does not look sick. Such rare phenomena are caused by primary causes, the prerequisite for which are the infant’s reflexes. It could be:

1. Binge eating.
2. An underdeveloped vestibular apparatus, when the baby vomits at the slightest rise.
3. Large particles of complementary food.
4. Overexcitement.
5. Entry of large amounts of air.

If attacks of vomiting cause discomfort and pain to the child, we are talking about secondary causes related not only to the digestive organs. Symptomatic causes include:

1. Infectious diseases.
2. Viruses.
3. Head injuries, including concussions.
4. Appendicitis.
5. Hernia.

After breastfeeding

When a baby vomits after breastfeeding, and the amount of mass exceeds what was eaten, this is a reason to seek help from a doctor. The cause may be overfeeding. In the first months of life, the baby does not know any sense of proportion, and overeating is common. An overfilled stomach does not have the ability to stretch; the contents press on the upper valve, which causes a gag reflex. In such a case, doctors advise following several feeding rules:

• do not place the baby in a horizontal position, but carry him in your arms for a while in a vertical position;
• feed the baby while sitting;
• limit active play immediately after feeding;
• Expressing milk into a bottle will help avoid overeating.

A small percentage of newborns are unable to absorb the components of mother's milk. Some enzymes cause rejection. Lactation is completed, and the baby is transferred to a suitable formula that does not contain an allergen.

After the mixture

Vomiting in a newborn that occurs after formula feeding may be caused by intolerance to artificial food. It is necessary to reconsider the principles of nutrition. Most likely, you will need to switch to a different type of mixture. It is important to rule out neurology.

Neurological pathologies have their origins in the period of intrauterine development. If there is a neurological disorder, the urge appears regularly. Premature and low birth weight babies and infants with asphyxia are at risk.

Babies vomit like a fountain onto milk and non-dairy formulas. Sometimes the cause may be medications that were administered orally to the baby. The reaction to medications is accompanied by a cough and weakness.

If it is necessary to change the mixture, the process should be done gradually. The baby's gastrointestinal tract is imperfect, with microflora that has not yet formed. Unlike artificial babies, babies fed on mother's milk receive, along with breastfeeding, the necessary lactobacilli that facilitate the absorption of food. Mixtures do not have such a privilege; you should be careful about your choice of nutrition. If possible, it is necessary to maintain mixed feeding.

Pathologies in the development of the gastrointestinal tract

If an infant vomits like a fountain, it is most likely caused by problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
In this case, they begin to appear closer to the second month of the baby’s life. These problems consist of regular vomiting about a couple of hours after feeding the baby. The amount of liquid released is usually greater than the amount eaten. Some of the milk is curdled and digested, this is explained by the retention of food in the stomach and its untimely entry into the baby’s intestines. The consequences of congenital pathologies may be a lack of weight gain or weight loss, which requires careful monitoring by specialists and hospitalization if necessary.

How to help your child

It is difficult to observe the serious condition of the baby, but it is important to behave correctly before the ambulance arrives. It is necessary to constantly monitor the dynamics of the baby's condition. If parents are waiting for qualified help, the main actions will be:

• hold the child in a “column”, in an upright position;
• avoid sharp turns and shaking, the baby should be as comfortable as possible;
• if the cause of vomiting has not been established, frequent breastfeeding, despite the child’s refusal, is not recommended;
• independent gastric lavage is prohibited; it can lead to mechanical damage to the intestines;
• You cannot select medications without a doctor’s recommendation.

Dr. Komarovsky advises taking the following actions while waiting for the doctor to arrive:

• provide the child with peace, if possible put him to bed;
• When vomiting, sit the child down and tilt the torso forward. This action will help protect the respiratory tract. If the child’s condition does not allow him to sit independently, place him on his side after removing the pillow;
• Rinse your baby's mouth afterwards. You can use a syringe with cooled boiled water;
• Give your child drinks that replenish the water-salt balance.

When to see a doctor

If a fountain vomits with low frequency, about 2 times per hour, such a reaction of the body indicates possible pathological processes.

Vomiting in a newborn after feeding indicates a dangerous condition when the following symptoms are present:

• refusal of the mother's breast;
• the body shows signs of dehydration;
• the child’s vomit contains suspicious impurities;
• the appearance of diarrhea or streaks of blood in the stool;
• increase in local body temperature;
• tense abdominal muscles;
• weakness and pallor of the skin.

The above pathological symptoms should be a good reason to seek help from a doctor. Failure to provide it in a timely manner is fraught with dire consequences. Especially if there are signs of dehydration, which at one month of age is dangerous and can even lead to death. Young parents should not panic or self-medicate. The best option would be to call an ambulance or pediatrician to your home. Qualified actions of a specialist reduce the risk of complications and increase the chance of a speedy recovery.

Poisoning in a baby and vomiting in response to complementary foods

Often parents strive to introduce new foods into their baby’s diet as quickly as possible.
The age at which a baby is ready to eat new food is different for everyone, the inscriptions on jars of puree and grandmother’s advice are not the main criterion for the need to introduce adult foods. When introducing new foods to your baby, you should carefully monitor his reaction. If vomiting occurs immediately after eating or after some time, you should postpone the time of complementary feeding and continue to feed the baby with breast milk or formula. A child who is already actively consuming pureed foods from various foods may also be susceptible to vomiting. It can be caused by poor quality nutrition or violation of storage conditions. It should be noted that small deviations from the ideal quality of products are enough for a child to cause poisoning. It is determined by the following symptoms:

• Vomit
• Diarrhea
• Sharp pain in the abdomen
• Temperature increase
• Weakness and increased sweating

If you experience frequent vomiting, diarrhea and fever, you should call a doctor to decide on hospitalization; there is a risk of dehydration, which is very dangerous for the baby.

Why does vomiting occur in newborns?

Vomiting in newborns is always a concern for parents. However, it is not always worth sounding the alarm: if the child’s behavior does not change, he does not become capricious, whiny, or the temperature does not rise, most likely the reasons are quite harmless.

The causes of vomiting in newborns are as follows:

• Intestinal obstruction;
• Congenital kidney pathology;
• Consequences of birth trauma or difficult childbirth. Sometimes after birth, the baby needs some time to recover from internal hemorrhages or swelling of the brain;
• Intolerance to cow protein or baby food components. While in the womb, the child received nutrition through the umbilical cord. Now he receives a completely different composition in a new way, and the immune system may perceive the incoming substance as a foreign object, or it may still be too heavy for the newborn's stomach. Then a compacted lump of incoming food forms in the child’s body and comes out in the form of vomiting. Essentially, this is a defensive reaction.
• Allergies (always accompanied by a rash or redness of the skin);
• Infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• Concomitant symptom of ARVI;
• Neuralgic disorders and pathologies;
• Heat or sunstroke;
• Crying too much and for a long time;
• Diabetes mellitus or changes in intracranial pressure;
• Whooping cough.

The reasons may be hidden in other conditions and diseases of the baby, for example, excessive activity after eating. If vomiting is not accompanied by additional symptoms, does not have a greenish tint, and does not recur at intervals of several hours or days, i.e. happened once, there is no reason to worry. Consultation with a doctor is required.

Ways to prevent feeding-related vomiting

Vomiting is often referred to as periodic regurgitation caused by air entering the stomach. If this happens infrequently, and the volume of vomit is very small, this is not a pathology and is considered a normal phenomenon, which is typical for most babies. You can reduce the amount of regurgitation by doing the following:

• Laying the baby on his tummy for 15-20 minutes before feeding
• Ensure proper latching on the breast when feeding your mother's milk
• Select a suitable nipple for the bottle when feeding infant formula
• After eating, hold the child upright for a while, so the air from the stomach will come out faster and easier, leaving everything eaten inside

Sometimes vomiting occurs during a sudden transition from breastfeeding to artificial feeding or when replacing one infant formula with another.
In this case, you should cancel the power replacement and make it gradually and carefully. https://youtu.be/1RMyW77cu5s

Regardless of the causes of vomiting in an infant, you should report it to your pediatrician to rule out pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and infectious diseases. If necessary, the doctor will advise you to visit a neurologist to rule out problems with the child’s central nervous system.

Vomiting and regurgitation - how to distinguish?

Spitting up is common in babies—almost 70% of babies under 4 months of age spit up at least once a day. In this case, a small amount of stomach contents comes out, but the child’s well-being does not change.

Regurgitation, in fact, is a type of vomiting - the safest, but still requiring attention. Sometimes regurgitation is a clinical manifestation of abnormal functioning of the upper digestive tract, but more often it is caused by the restoration of the baby’s body after birth. Regurgitation does not bother the baby in any way, and by a certain age it disappears.

Vomiting is a complex reflex process in which the contents of the stomach are ejected in a continuous stream. Vomiting is less common in children than regurgitation, but more often requires observation. Usually this process is accompanied by headache, sweating, previous nausea, fever, weakness, and dizziness.

After regurgitation, the child’s mood does not change, he behaves as usual, but after vomiting, a deterioration in the baby’s condition is noticed, he looks lethargic.

Danger of vomiting

The danger of vomiting as a symptom, first of all, is that the child may have some disease (infection) that urgently needs to be treated.

Vomiting itself is dangerous due to possible dehydration. This condition is especially dangerous for babies, since the cells contain a large amount of intercellular fluid, and therefore water deficiency is very acutely felt by the baby.

The presence of other symptoms (loose stools, fever) increases the removal of fluid from the body, and in addition, contributes to the leaching of mineral salts. With repeated vomiting, the symptoms intensify, severe weakness and lethargy are noticed, the elasticity of the skin decreases, and dry mucous membranes are detected. Salts continue to be washed out, while the lack of salts increases vomiting.

This condition can lead to serious disturbances in water-salt metabolism, as a result of which all the functioning of internal organs suffers.

If a child is unattended during an attack of vomiting, there is a huge risk that he will choke or aspiration will occur - penetration of vomit into the respiratory tract. Therefore, vomiting is an extremely dangerous condition and requires an immediate visit to the doctor.

What are the dangers of repeated vomiting?

Vomiting is dangerous because it can cause critical conditions for the baby:

Dehydration occurs and develops extremely quickly in infants. This process is difficult to see. His parents notice him late. This is where the big difficulty lies.

Signs of dehydration in a child include:

• the eyes and fontanel are sunken;
• the baby pees little and loses weight;
• the skin becomes dry, inflamed, rough and very hot to the touch;
• the newborn is lethargic, cries a lot and loudly, his movements are inhibited.

Attention! If a child exhibits at least one of these signs, parents should immediately start giving the baby the required amount of water and call an emergency team. This situation cannot be ignored. Severe dehydration is often fatal. The lower the baby's weight, the sooner you need to call a doctor.

Weight loss is especially critical for premature babies and for those who are only a month old or a little more. Body weight is an indicator of health. It is by this that one judges whether the baby is developing and growing normally. It’s not for nothing that children are weighed at every visit to the pediatrician. Severe weight loss can be fatal.

First aid for a baby

If a newborn baby suddenly starts vomiting, you need to take care of his correct position. You should not allow him to lie on his back, so you need to carefully turn his head to the side. If the child was in your arms during the attack, you do not need to lay him down: it is better to simply turn his head a little to the side.

After this, you need to replenish the lost fluid. The baby is given water at room temperature (no more than 100 ml in small portions).

You definitely need to measure the temperature and pay attention to the stool - if the rest of the child feels well, you don’t need to see a doctor. No earlier than after 2 hours, you can try to feed the baby. If vomiting recurs, medical intervention is necessary.

You also need to see a pediatrician if an attack of vomiting occurs the next day or within the next week.

When should you call a doctor immediately?

You need to urgently call an ambulance if your child:

• Sluggish, as if he cannot sleep, does not eat, does not drink;
• She cries a lot, it is clear that something is in great pain;
• Doesn't go to the toilet, he's vomiting;
• Fell, hit himself, lost consciousness, vomited;
• Fell into a state of dehydration, very weak and lethargic;
• After nausea, the temperature rose;
• Following vomiting, diarrhea began;
• Vomiting repeated more than 2 times;
• There was profuse vomiting in a fountain;
• Drops of blood are noticeable in the rejected masses; the color of the mass is brown or black;

What should you do before the doctor or ambulance arrives?

Adults should stay close to the baby and monitor the slightest changes in his condition. Because dehydration occurs very quickly, it is important to give your child something to drink immediately after vomiting. Even if the baby vomited after eating.

• Babies who are fed breast milk need to be put to the breast. Give water from time to time.
• For bottle-fed babies, offer formula. You cannot change the mixture to another. Additionally, give the baby a solution of Regidron (60-120 ml). This is the only drug allowed in this case. It is intended to avoid dehydration after vomiting.
• Children who have been introduced to complementary foods can be offered applesauce, banana, and rice. Give Regidron solution.

You can drink from a spoon or bottle. It is allowed to use a syringe without a needle. Draw a little solution into the syringe and slowly squeeze it into the baby’s mouth. If the child wants more to drink, give more.

You can give rehydron. Instructions: take 1 liter of chilled boiled water and dilute 1 sachet in it. Give to baby in small portions. Store in the refrigerator (2° to 8°C) for no more than 24 hours. There is no need to interrupt breastfeeding or formula feeding. Rehydron can be given before and after meals.

Note! It is forbidden to feed a newborn with honey, juice, tea, broth, cow's and goat's milk, and various folk decoctions. They are not able to replenish the supply of lost electrolytes and will significantly harm the already weak baby.

You cannot give your baby anti-vomiting pills, anti-diarrhea pills, or lower the temperature - you will only harm him.

When to call a doctor?

You need to call a doctor if:

• The child has a fever and changes in stool (diarrhea);
• Vomiting is repeated at least twice with a short break;
• The child refuses water after vomiting;
• There is no stool for a long time, the tummy is tense, the gas does not go away;
• The child remains weak, lethargic for a long time, and constantly sleeps.

In this case, parents will have to describe the symptoms in detail: the approximate time when the attack occurred, concomitant and previous symptoms. The doctor may ask what the nursing mother ate, how the child behaved while eating, whether there were changes in the frequency, consistency, smell of stool, and ask other questions.