The child often spits up after feeding: norm and pathology, reasons, what to do

Why do headaches, dizziness and nausea occur during and after eating? What diseases are accompanied by these symptoms? What is dumping syndrome and what does it have to do with discomfort?

Usually, after a person has eaten, he feels great, but more and more often people complain of discomfort - dizziness, weakness and other unpleasant phenomena.

Sometimes nausea and even vomiting suddenly appear, so the condition worsens significantly. Most likely, such symptoms indicate dumping syndrome.

How to determine: normal or pathological

Physiological regurgitation most often occurs due to the immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract:

In a newborn, the stomach has a very small volume;
The shape of a child's stomach is different from that of an adult;
The esophagus is thickened and short;
Weak sphincter (the muscle that prevents stomach contents from leaving the stomach).

Physiological regurgitation is typical for the age of 4-6 months, then it goes away on its own. They are also not a symptom of a serious pathology, and therefore do not require diagnosis or treatment.

So, signs that a child’s regurgitation is within normal limits are:

The baby can burp up to 2 times a day (no more);
A small amount of food is expelled;
No gagging is observed;
The baby's weight gradually increases.

On a note. In most cases, even frequent regurgitation (6-8 times a day) does not pose a threat to the life and health of the child, provided that it is not profuse. Over time, the newborn's digestive system will become stronger, and the baby's stomach will be able to digest food normally. The problem usually disappears when the baby reaches six months, but in some cases it can persist up to one year.

In most cases, regurgitation is a natural physiological process. The functions of the gastrointestinal tract have not yet fully developed in the baby, so it can be difficult for him to cope with the load on the stomach. You need to be able to distinguish between normal and abnormal, since frequent or profuse regurgitation may indicate the development of diseases or the presence of disorders.

Regurgitation is the release of small amounts of food. The volume of the liquid mass will be no more than a tablespoon, sometimes up to 30 ml. Activity and good mood remain. Both breast milk and complementary foods can come out. The child does not experience any unpleasant or uncomfortable sensations. In 90% of cases, it occurs at the final stage of feeding or during the next hour.

Vomiting is not the usual spitting up after eating in newborns. This process is characterized by suddenness and a large amount of liquid mass. In the process, the baby becomes nervous and cries. A negative process can occur both during feeding and after it. There is no exact time. Sometimes the release of excess food can be accompanied by spasms and pain.

Interesting. Regurgitation can occur if, immediately after eating, the child begins to play with him, amuse him, or perform various actions related to movement (play, change clothes).

In most cases, regurgitation in infants is normal:

there is frequent overeating;
no change in well-being;
no discomfort or pain;
good mood remains;
no weight loss occurs.

About a tablespoon of milk or mixture comes out at a time. You also need to monitor the condition of the stool. If vomiting or regurgitation is accompanied by diarrhea, it is better to consult a pediatrician. It will help determine the source of the problem and the body’s negative reaction.

Causes

With regurgitation, partially digested food or liquid returns to the oral cavity less quickly than during vomiting. Many people confuse belching and vomiting, considering these phenomena to be identical. But that's not true.

Vomiting can be caused by overdistension of the intestine, abnormal stimulation of its muscles, leading to reverse peristalsis. Vomiting spasms can be so strong that it can cause the contents of even the lower intestine to be thrown out.

Belching food is, rather, associated with a deterioration in the functioning of certain valves, weak peristalsis, or a violation of the swallowing reflex - all those mechanisms that prevent the expulsion of food into the mouth.

Nausea when belching food never precedes vomiting. Other signs completely depend on the cause of the belching and where the reflux comes from. For example, stomach contents treated with enzymes and acid will cause severe heartburn and a sour taste in the mouth. Throwing in food that has not undergone any significant fermentation may cause a feeling of suffocation or mild nausea. If normal peristalsis is disrupted, a person may experience a feeling of strong, sometimes painful pressure in the chest and fullness in the abdomen.

What are the reasons causing this phenomenon?

The causes of belching food are not much different from those that cause vomiting. This phenomenon can be observed when:

chronic gastritis;
esophageal strictures;
gastric stenosis;
stomach cancer;
esophageal sphincter disorder;
Zenker's diverticulum;
esophageal diverticulum.

Regurgitation after feeding - pathology or not?

Regurgitation in a baby after feeding is the throwing out of a small amount of food out through the oral cavity from the stomach. Usually the amount of food is small and does not bother the baby, which cannot be said about his parents. Let us note right away: most often this phenomenon is completely natural. This way, excess air comes out of the baby’s stomach, and the body makes it clear that the digestive organs are working well.

Statistics show that about 70% of children under the age of three to six months spit up during or after feeding.
After nine months, this feature is observed extremely rarely.
This is often observed in children with intrauterine growth retardation and in those born prematurely. After all, the process of “ripening” of all functions continues for them for another five to eight weeks after birth.
Usually, by the end of this period, the child’s body gradually adapts and all unpleasant symptoms disappear.

If this does not bother the baby, he is cheerful and sociable, and develops according to age indicators - there is no need to worry. But if the child is restless, if there is profuse regurgitation like a fountain, an in-person consultation with the supervising pediatrician is necessary. This condition may be caused by any disease that may be dangerous for the baby.

Reviews

Dear readers, you can leave your opinion about the causes and treatment of belching with food in the comments (form below)

Veniamin, Moscow

“I’ve never suffered from stomach pain from everything – fried and steamed, marinades, foreign sauces. And when I was promoted, this misfortune appeared out of the blue - belching food. Not often, but terribly unpleasant. My throat burned as if it were pure acid. There was no time to go to the gastroenterologist: work was so busy, I didn’t always get home by midnight, and left at seven in the morning. I started looking for information on the Internet on how to get rid of this problem. On one forum they advised to switch to fractional meals and not drink soda. I laughed at this advice, but decided to try it. Oddly enough, the belching has since disappeared. I can’t even believe that everything turned out to be so simple.”

Eduard, Zheleznogorsk

“Burching food began to bother me after breaking up with the woman I loved. I literally could not digest this situation; my thoughts returned to it again and again. As soon as I got nervous, the food I had just eaten would be thrown into the oral cavity. It was just terrible! I also began to get nervous about this, avoided acquaintances, avoided communicating with people... More and more often I began to think about whether to take my own life, but at some point it was as if a veil had fallen from my eyes. I made an appointment with a psychologist, started taking sedatives, took up auto-training and, in the end, overcame both food belching and depression.”

Why does a baby spit up?

The most common cause is overfeeding. With a large amount of milk, the baby eats very intensively: he swallows food and does not feel full. As a result, the child's stomach quickly becomes full and expels excess food. The same thing happens when feeding with formula if the bottle has a hole that is too large.

The second common reason why a newborn baby spits up after breastfeeding is air entering the baby's esophagus during lactation. This situation can arise when the baby is incorrectly attached to the breast (in such cases, the baby usually smacks his lips while sucking), which means that the nipple is not grasped correctly. As a result, the stomach pushes air out along with the food.

Important! A child may burp if he is shaken, turned over, or squeezed immediately after eating.

There are 2 groups of factors that cause regurgitation:

Characteristic for heated water;
Occurs when bottle feeding.

When breastfeeding this may include:

Overfeeding;
Incorrect way to attach a newborn;
Features of the gastrointestinal tract in infancy - in babies under one year old, the muscles of the esophagus are not yet sufficiently developed;
Mechanical pressure on the child, a sharp change in his position immediately after eating:
Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (colic, bloating);
Sometimes serious gastrointestinal pathologies.

On a note. The problem most often occurs in infants around 4 months of age.

Reasons for regurgitation if the baby is fed formula:

A sharp transition from one type of feeding to another (from breastfeeding to a substitute);
The hole in the bottle is too large;
Binge eating;
Unsuitable baby food.

Worth knowing! With breastfeeding, the baby may burp more often than with artificial breastfeeding. In most cases, this process is normal if it occurs infrequently and in a small volume within half an hour after lactation.

This type of regurgitation can be caused by:

Prematurity of the child;
A sharp transition from breastfeeding to artificial feeding;
Colic;
Changed shape of internal organs.

If the baby spits up like a fountain after lactation, but this happens only once a day, then there is nothing to worry about. However, it is important to remember that if the stomach empties too much, the baby may become dehydrated. It is better to consult your pediatrician on this issue.

Regurgitation in a fountain can signal internal pathologies

In addition to natural causes, there are also pathological factors:

Disturbances in the digestive system;
Increased intracranial pressure;
Disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system;
Congenital and hereditary diseases.

Signs of pathological regurgitation are:

Intensity;
Regularity;
Large volume of vomit;
Weight loss;
Tearfulness, restless behavior.

If a child systematically regurgitates and loses weight, then the baby may have:

Abnormal development of the organs of the digestive system. Due to the complex organization of the gastrointestinal tract, not every newborn has organs involved in metabolic processes that have the correct shape, the correct size, or the correct location. There are many variants of anomalies. Only a qualified specialist can determine the exact “breakdown” of the digestive system.
Infection. When infected with pathogenic microorganisms, the first reaction to infection comes from the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, the color of the vomit takes on a yellow or greenish tint. This color is obtained as a result of mixing bile with milky burps.
Lactose intolerance. Human breast milk (as well as any mammal) contains the protein lactose. In order for the product to be digested, the stomach secretes a special enzyme - lactase, which breaks down the protein. If this enzyme is produced in insufficient quantities or is absent altogether, then hypolactasia (lactose intolerance) occurs. Obviously, with this pathology, the child is unable to digest breast milk, so he is forced to expel it by regurgitation. In such cases, the pediatrician selects a special formula for the baby that does not contain lactose.

Lactose intolerance is one of the reasons for regurgitation in a baby

The most common occurrence of spitting up occurs when the newborn is one or two months old. A similar reaction in children under one year of age is considered normal. The problem is due to the fact that the digestive system is imperfect. The muscle valve at this age is quite weak. As a result, the direct access of food to the stomach is blocked. Also, the appearance of regurgitation is influenced by the imperfection of the nervous system in the early period of the baby’s life.

Normally, a similar reaction from the body can be experienced for up to a year.

There are several factors:

Overeating – you need to monitor nutritional standards (age and recommendations are prescribed by the doctor);
Air is trapped during sucking (aerophargia). In 90% of cases, the phenomenon can be observed if the child is held incorrectly;
Increased gas formation (flatulence) - the reason is that intra-abdominal pressure increases;
Constipation - in this case, regurgitation may not occur immediately, but an hour or two after feeding is completed. There is increased pressure on the abdominal cavity, as a result, breast milk moves into the stomach slowly.

Excess food may be released when feeding is done too frequently.

Important! If a child is about to burp, his mood does not change, his abdominal muscles do not tense.

How to distinguish normality from pathology

Signs of regurgitation include:

When burping, the baby's abdominal muscles do not contract. Spasms characteristic of vomiting are absent in this case;
Breast milk or formula flows out of the mouth in a small stream. Most often this happens immediately after lactation with a sudden change in the child’s position;
Often, after regurgitation, the baby begins to hiccup. This sign indicates that the baby has swallowed air.

Vomiting has the following characteristic signs:

The volume of vomit exceeds the volume of undigested food ejected by the stomach during regurgitation;
The child feels discomfort and is tormented by stomach cramps. The baby cries and worries;
In many cases, the baby may burp several times in a row. In addition to food debris, bile and mucus come out. This is why vomit has a yellowish tint;
Before the process begins, the baby’s breathing quickens and heavy sweating occurs.

Regurgitation, unlike vomiting, occurs with less discomfort for the child

So, regurgitation after feeding in most cases is normal for a baby. The frequency of such an unpleasant process can be reduced through several preventive measures and establishing a proper diet. Gradually, the baby’s stomach will get stronger, and the problem will go away on its own. At the same time, it is important to remember that sometimes regurgitation is a sign of a serious illness. In such cases, consultation with a pediatrician and other doctors is required.

It is important for parents to determine what is bothering the child:

completely acceptable and natural regurgitation
or vomiting, indicating pathology.

Regurgitation - In this case, food flows out without effort, contraction of the abdominal muscles does not occur. It can appear with a sudden change in the baby's position and often occurs immediately after feeding.

Vomiting - And when vomiting, the child is restless and whiny. The release of food is often accompanied by spasms; the amount of vomit usually exceeds the amount of fluid released during regurgitation. Vomiting is a complex reflex act. In this case, there is an active contraction of the muscles of the abdominal cavity, diaphragm, and abs.

How do you know if this is a physiological or pathological process?

With physiological – no vomiting
The volume of rejected food is small
Occurs no more than 2 times a day
The child is gaining weight normally
Regurgitation gradually goes away without therapy

Why does regurgitation occur in an infant?

The body of an infant, even when full, under certain conditions can continue to eat food. At the same time, he calms down, enjoying the sucking and closeness of his loved one. Well, regurgitation of food in this case is an elementary way to get rid of excess food, so as not to overload the gastrointestinal tract. That is, in this case, regurgitation serves as protection and prevention of various diseases of the digestive system.

The cause may also be aerophagia - swallowing air while eating. This can happen in a number of cases: the baby’s uncomfortable position while eating, excess milk (for example, a hole in the bottle’s nipple is too large), the baby does not latch onto the breast correctly, the baby is too excited;

Increased gas formation can also provoke regurgitation, especially if the baby is breastfed (see causes of flatulence in adults), as it leads to a periodic increase in intra-abdominal pressure. To avoid this, mom should pay attention to her diet. Foods that cause flatulence should be excluded from her menu - brown bread, legumes, fresh apples, cabbage. You can eat stewed cauliflower and baked apples.

Retention of stool can also provoke frequent regurgitation in an infant. In this case, an increase in pressure in the abdominal cavity is also observed. This reduces the rate at which food moves through the gastrointestinal tract and significantly increases the likelihood of food regurgitation.

Disorderly feeding can contribute to excessive regurgitation.
If the baby is in an upright position, an air bubble that forms in the stomach may push some food out of it.

This may indicate a serious pathology of the brain or problems in the gastrointestinal tract. This may be a symptom of serious poisoning. In such a process, you must contact your pediatrician immediately. Since this threatens the child with dehydration and weight loss, which can lead to very serious consequences.

It is important to note that if a child experiences excessive belching or burping, there is a high risk that the baby may choke while sleeping or lying on his back. Therefore, even with occasional regurgitation, you only need to put him to sleep on his side and secure the position with bolsters.

If a child suffering from pathological regurgitation is bottle-fed, then a special formula (anti-reflux mixture) must be selected for him. Formula should not be given to breastfed children.

Types of belching

The appearance of belching provokes contraction of the gastric muscles against the background of an open cardiac sphincter, excess gas is released through the mouth. This unpleasant phenomenon does not always indicate the presence of any pathologies; both absolutely healthy children and adults encounter it.

Main types of belching:

physiological;
sour belching after eating;
bitter;
acetone;
with the smell of rotten eggs;
airy, odorless.

Belching occurs in almost all newborns, since during the sucking process they swallow excess air; as they grow, with the introduction of complementary foods, this problem appears less and less often.

Prevention of physiological regurgitation

To prevent a reoccurrence, it is necessary to carefully examine the vomit. If it is milk or a mixture similar to cottage cheese, and its quantity does not exceed the volume of a teaspoon, then there is no need to worry. You can solve the problem yourself.

The following steps will help prevent re-regurgitation:

Compliance with feeding techniques. It is important to ensure that during lactation the baby does not swallow air along with food. If the baby cries, he must be calmed, otherwise air will definitely get into the stomach.
You should not overfeed your baby. It is necessary to follow an established feeding schedule that takes into account the nutritional norm suitable for the baby.
During lactation, the baby's head is slightly raised. After the “meal”, it is recommended to hold the newborn upright for half an hour. Thanks to this, the absorption process will go better, and air will come out of the stomach without any negative consequences.
Before lactation begins, the baby should be placed belly down.
After feeding, the baby should be in a calm state, he should not be squeezed or turned over.
It is not recommended to feed the baby if he is in a curled up position - in this position the food will not reach the stomach.
Before you start feeding, you need to create a calm environment. Bright lights, loud sounds and other distractions will attract the child's attention. As a result, the baby will become restless and will likely swallow a significant amount of air along with the food.
It is important not to let the baby be very hungry, otherwise during lactation he will take in air along with the milk.
You need to make sure that nothing puts pressure on the baby’s stomach, including clothes and diapers.
It is better to avoid traveling by car immediately after eating.
During lactation, the baby must latch onto the breast correctly.
If feeding with a bottle, you need to make sure that the hole in the nipple is not too small (will lead to swallowing air) and not too large (promotes overeating, and the baby may choke).
It is important not to overfeed the baby. To do this, portions should be very small, but the frequency of feedings may increase.
If the problem is persistent and often recurs, despite all the above measures, you should seek help from a pediatrician.

Correct attachment looks like this.
There are many effective ways to prevent this. An attentive mother, after observing her baby, can easily determine why they appear and, first of all, eliminate the negative phenomena. To help her, we provide a list of the most common prevention methods:

It is great for the baby and mother to be in a calm state before feeding begins. You can lay the baby on the tummy, or stroke the baby’s tummy with your palm, and do a light massage in the navel area. Make sure that the baby's head is not thrown back and his nose is breathing freely. It is important. Since when the nose is stuffy, the baby is forced to gasp for air, and this will be accompanied by subsequent regurgitation;
If the baby is fed mother's milk, then it is necessary to monitor that he takes the breast correctly. The baby should grab the nipple along with the areola, and his lower lip should be slightly turned out;
If the child is artificial, it can be useful to use anti-colic nipples and bottles for feeding, which prevent the swallowing of excess air. It is useful to learn how to hold a bottle correctly when feeding: the milk should cover the base of the nipple, the angle of the bottle should be 40 degrees (for a baby in a lying position) and 70 degrees (for a baby sitting in his arms);
Do not touch the baby immediately after feeding, do not swaddle him tightly. To facilitate burping, gentle patting on the baby's back helps. The baby needs to be placed on your lap. Hold it with one hand and lightly slap it on the back with the other;
If your baby is prone to frequent burping, place him in his crib on his side. This will help prevent vomit from entering the respiratory tract. If the baby burps while lying on his back, lift him up and turn him face down;
If regurgitation is caused by overfeeding, then you should try to reduce the feeding time. And to determine whether the baby has eaten enough, you can weigh him before and after meals;
To correct regurgitation in babies, the use of an antireflux mixture is effective. This is a non-digestible carob supplement. It consists of natural fibers, which, when entering the baby’s ventricle, form a clot that prevents regurgitation.

In most cases, functional regurgitation can be easily corrected and then goes away on its own. Moms and dads shouldn’t worry too much if the child feels normal and is confidently gaining weight. If regurgitation occurs due to pathology, then the baby’s unusual behavior and poor health will indicate that a medical consultation is urgently needed.

When to seek medical help

Regurgitation of milk does not stop after six months of life;
If there is profuse regurgitation in a “fountain” more than twice a day;
Signs of dehydration appear - refusal to eat, low body temperature, rare urination or, conversely, more than 10 times a day, weakness, drowsiness
Accompanied by a feverish state;
The baby does not gain weight appropriate for his age;
Vomit has the appearance of sour milk, an unpleasant odor, and a changed color.

Pathological processes

When an infant burps frequently (every hour), you should consult a doctor for advice. He will be able to accurately determine whether pathology occurs. Negative processes are caused by disorders of the digestive process or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (congenital). The occurrence of the problem is also influenced by:

birth injuries;
kidney diseases;
poisoning;
disorders of the nervous system;
metabolic disorders.

Pathological processes also include the release of excess food against the background of perinatal encephalopathy.

Crying and behavior changes indicate pathological processes

Most children are susceptible to regurgitation syndrome, the causes of which are varied. This is not always normal and acceptable. Sometimes profuse and frequent regurgitation appears due to disturbances in the intrauterine development of the child during the mother’s pathological pregnancy (intrauterine infection).

Perinatal encephalopathy

This collective diagnosis is often made to newborns; it can be caused by severe pregnancy and childbirth in the mother. It includes a disruption of the central nervous system, which can be manifested by excessive regurgitation, including a fountain, sleep disturbance, the child may be restless, there may be tremors of the chin or limbs.

With this disease, very copious regurgitation of food is also observed, almost all the milk eaten comes out in a fountain, the child cries, is restless, and can throw his head back during sleep. Such children may have delayed mental and physical development, increased muscle tone in the limbs, and a delayed appearance of the step reflex. Read more about the symptoms of hydrocephalus in children.

Other pathologies of the central nervous system

In case of birth injuries, circulatory disorders of the brain or underdevelopment of the central nervous system due to prematurity, regurgitation of undigested milk or formula occurs, usually after each feeding, accompanied by belching.

Pathologies and developmental anomalies of the gastrointestinal tract

Diaphragmatic hernia or pyloric stenosis can cause frequent, persistent regurgitation. With pyloric stenosis, symptoms appear on the second day after birth. Regurgitation of cottage cheese may indicate this pathology. The child loses weight because food does not pass beyond the stomach and is not absorbed. The child also has no stool, even after an enema.

Infections - food poisoning, sepsis, hepatitis, meningitis of various etiologies

They are accompanied by a rise in temperature, lethargy, pallor or yellowness of the child’s skin. Regurgitation with mucus may indicate the presence of a gastrointestinal tract infection or intestinal dysbiosis (see symptoms of intestinal dysbiosis, list of probiotic preparations).

Hereditary pathologies - adrenogenital syndrome, phenylketonuria.

Kidney failure is often accompanied by occasional regurgitation after eating.

Diagnostics

Any symptom requires examination to make an accurate diagnosis. Since belching is not an independent disease, it is necessary to treat the source that led to the occurrence of the unpleasant symptom. Making a diagnosis and prescribing adequate treatment occurs only after the necessary examination and testing:

You need to take a blood test. It is mandatory to take blood for biochemical analysis and for detailed analysis.
An ultrasound scan of all organs responsible for digesting food is performed, and the intestinal tract is examined.
Gastroscopy.

Having received the answers and diagnostic results, the doctor prescribes a course of treatment and diet.