Babies often spit up after feeding. Regurgitation in newborns after feeding - types, causes and methods of prevention. Spitting up after feeding

According to statistics, 80% of children suffer from regurgitation, especially in the first six months after birth. Approximately 67% of newborns under 4 months spit up at least once a day.

Regurgitation in newborns is a standard reaction to new food and to new living conditions of a still fragile organism. She does not say at all that the baby is sick.

Regurgitation occurs in perfectly healthy children. In most cases, the phenomenon resolves on its own during the first year of a baby's life.

However, in 23% of babies, regurgitation is still associated with an illness or health problem. To understand if there are problems, it is necessary to determine the causes.

Causes


Causes of regurgitation and lack of weight gain:

  • Violation of the gastrointestinal tract and anomalies in the development of digestion;
  • lactose intolerance. The baby's stomach may not absorb lactose, which is part of breast milk;
  • Infection. With this disease, the work of digestion is disturbed.

Frequent regurgitation in large quantities or regurgitation in infants with a fountain also requires specialist advice. Frequency and volume are determined on a five-point scale.

When regurgitation in infants with an intensity of more than 3 points, you should consult a doctor! In addition, pay attention to the behavior of the baby. strong crying when feeding speaks of problems.

When to See a Doctor

  • With frequent regurgitation, the baby cries a lot, and when feeding, it arches. Most likely, the child has irritation of the esophagus;
  • Frequent regurgitation in the amount of 3-5 points on the scale of intensity;
  • Vomiting like a fountain after feeding. The reasons for this phenomenon lie in the disruption of the work of nerve cells;
  • Late regurgitation - an hour after feeding and later. Often accompanied by constipation;
  • The first regurgitation occurred only six months after the birth of the baby;
  • The newborn is not spitting up, but vomiting;
  • Profuse regurgitation accompanied by fever;
  • The newborn is not gaining or losing weight;
  • Regurgitation does not go away a year after the birth of the baby;
  • A green or brown mass is a sign of intestinal obstruction.

What to do

remember, that safe medicines to reduce regurgitation no! Be sure to consult your doctor before taking medication!

However, you yourself can help the baby solve the problem or prevent the disease:

  • It is necessary to establish proper feeding of the child so that a large amount of air does not enter the body with milk;
  • Reduce the amount of food - do not overfeed! Leave the number of feedings the same, but reduce the dose;
  • After feeding, wear the baby in vertical position;
  • Lead an active lifestyle with your baby. Walk, swim, go to the pool. So the body of the newborn adapts and gets stronger faster, and regurgitation, respectively, will pass faster;
  • Before going to bed, give the baby a pacifier, because sucking movements stimulate the intestines;
  • As a preventive measure, lay the baby on the stomach before feeding. You can do a massage - stroke the tummy clockwise;
  • Do not change clothes or disturb the baby after feeding.

If you follow these tips, you will prevent spitting up or reduce the intensity. If the causes are colic and increased gas formation, then the diet of a nursing mother should be properly drawn up.

Fennel-based preparations will help. Fennel will reduce the amount of gas and pressure on the walls of the stomach.

Most often, the cause of regurgitation is the air that enters the body of infants along with milk. IN this case It is important to feed your baby.

Six rules for breastfeeding

  1. The baby should properly grasp the nipple and areola. He takes both the nipple and the areola with a radius of 2.5 cm into his mouth.
  2. Tilt the bottle at an angle of 35-40 degrees. Don't let your baby completely wrap around the nipple. At proper feeding bubbles appear from the bottle inside the container;
  3. When feeding, keep the baby in a semi-upright position. The baby's head is above the body and lies on the bend of the mother's arm;
  4. Take breaks while feeding. During the break, hold the baby upright, then continue feeding;
  5. Do not feed a newborn when he is crying;
  6. Make sure that when feeding the child does not rest his nose on the chest.

Regurgitation in newborns goes away when they start to sit. This occurs 6-7 months after birth.

Every new mother is familiar with the problem of regurgitation. This is a natural process by which excess food eaten is expelled from the stomach. There are also those babies who do not have regurgitation at all, and someone does it after every feeding.

Spitting up is normal physiological phenomenon.

Doctors believe that this is a normal physiological phenomenon that is easy to explain. But it also happens that after feeding the mixture, the child does not just spit up, but spit up with a fountain. Why is this happening?

Why does a newborn spit up a fountain?

When a baby spit up after formula feeding, the volume of the outgoing masses is about three tablespoons, and the food is more like vomiting. In this case, the mother should pay attention to the following facts:

  1. The mixture was of poor quality, and the child was poisoned by it.
  2. There are viral diseases.
  3. Protein intolerance cow's milk so the body reacts to it.
  4. The microflora in the intestines is disturbed.
  5. If the color of the regurgitation is green or brown, then we can talk about intestinal obstruction, in which case doctors should intervene as soon as possible.

These are rather physiological reasons, but there are others that can also lead to spitting up a fountain, among them we can conclude the following:

  1. It is possible that the mother is overfeeding the baby . In order to prevent this, it is necessary to strictly calculate the rate of the dry mixture.
  2. Together with the mixture, the child swallows air . This is extremely rare when breastfeeding. In medicine, the phenomenon has its name - aerophysia. Air bubbles enter the stomach, after which they are released out along with the mixture eaten.
  3. For some reason, the mixture is not suitable for the child , perhaps mom often changes it, and the body simply does not have time to get used to it.
  4. Many mothers from ignorance bother the child after feeding , after which they spread it on the stomach - regurgitation with a fountain in this case is a response.

It is important not to overfeed the newborn.

Problems with the gastrointestinal tract

Problems in a child with a gastrointestinal tract can only be solved by a doctor.

Organic causes can also lead to regurgitation, that is, problems with the gastrointestinal tract:

  1. The area where the esophagus meets the stomach is very narrow.
  2. The lower sphincter in the esophagus is not fully developed.
  3. The presence of a diaphragmatic hernia.

These problems can only be solved by a doctor.

How to distinguish vomiting from regurgitation?

Regurgitation is not as profuse as vomiting.

How can mom understand that the fountain is regurgitation, and not vomiting? In fact, there are quite specific facts, symptoms and statements in this regard:

  1. Regurgitation and feeding are directly linked , as for vomiting, it can begin at any moment, even if you did not feed the child.
  2. With vomiting and regurgitation, a fountain may be observed, if you have just fed and observe such symptoms, you can consult a doctor. If you did not feed the child, but the mixture is still emitted by the fountain, then vomiting is most likely.
  3. The regurgitation is not so abundant , which can not be said about the vomit.
  4. In a child, spitting up does not cause any anxiety or discomfort. , with vomiting, the body tenses up, the baby may cry.
  5. After vomiting, the child most often .

Reasons and rules

If the baby is crying, then you should not feed him.

In order for the child not to burp in this way after feeding, some reasons must be excluded, and parents should follow simple rules:

  1. On artificial feeding parents often overfeed their children under no circumstances should this be done. Between meals should be certain time, for each baby it is calculated individually.
  2. If the child is crying, is in an excited state, then he should not be fed. . Wait until he calms down and only after that you can give a bottle.
  3. bottle teat should be chosen in such a way that the mixture did not come out very quickly .
  4. Swaddling your baby tightly is not recommended. , and even more so do not wrap it immediately before feeding.
  5. After a meal, in no case should you disturb the child , it is better to hold a few minutes in an upright position.
  6. For feeding it is worth choosing half-sitting pose .
  7. remember, that several times a day the baby should be placed on the tummy .

How to choose a mixture so that there is no regurgitation

The choice of formula for feeding the baby should be approached very carefully.. Products have a difference not only in cost, but also in composition. What is contained in baby food Mom needs to know.

The choice of mixture should be approached carefully.

First of all, pay attention to the mixture that is closest to breast milk. Calorie content should not be less than 64, there should not be any casein proteins, the composition of fats should be in the range of 3-3.8.

Pay attention to the presence of amino acids, minerals and beneficial vitamins. There should not be any sugar, it does not affect the child's body in the best way. the same goes for glucose and fructose, they lead to gas formation.

What to do if a newborn spits up a fountain after the mixture?

Only a doctor can find out the causes of regurgitation.

Many mothers do not help any advice and whatever they do, the child still continues to spit up a fountain after eating the mixture. In this case, it is simply impossible to do without the help of the attending physician.

Only he can find out the causes of what is happening, prescribe treatment. Sometimes a dietary correction is enough and everything returns to normal.

Antiemetic mixtures

Cerucal is an antiemetic drug for a child.

To date, antiemetic mixtures are often used, as well as drugs:

  1. Cerucal.
  2. Motilium.
  3. Medicinal mixtures - Nutrilak AR, Samper Lemolak and more.

If there are suspicions of the presence of pathological causes of regurgitation, the child in without fail are being examined. Identified violations can be treated by surgeons, neuropathologists and other doctors.

Moms with experience can give some pretty good advice on how to avoid such regurgitation:

  1. Before you start feeding the baby, you need to put it on your stomach for a few minutes.
  2. Go to artificial nutrition it will be much easier and easier if antiemetic mixtures are used.

Before feeding the baby, you need to put it on your stomach.

It is recommended to add a spoonful of dry porridge to the mixture, without adding milk, then everything must be cooked according to the instructions. Thus, the mixture will be thicker, and therefore more nutritious. A full child will gradually wean from spitting up and will not do it.

conclusions

Pediatricians do not believe that regurgitation, and even a fountain, is a pathology, especially if the child is fully developed. But if the baby spits up every hour, his body temperature rises, he behaves capriciously and cries, then of course cause for concern There is.

It is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of the newborn.

You need to carefully monitor the condition of your child, whether he spits up or not, whether he develops according to age. If something worries you, then of course you need to visit a pediatrician, and not self-medicate.

Video about regurgitation in newborns

The problem of regurgitation is familiar to almost every young mother.

This concept refers to the natural release of food from the stomach. Some babies almost never spit up, for some it happens almost after every feeding.

Doctors believe that the absence of this phenomenon is quite normal and the mother feeds the baby correctly, he does not overeat and does not swallow air. If mommy is less fortunate, you should look for the reasons and try to eliminate them.

It is not difficult to explain physiologically the process of regurgitation. Esophagus infants has a small length, the lower and upper valves have not yet formed, the stomach has a non-standard shape and small volume. The pancreas does not produce enough enzymes.

In addition, the causes of regurgitation may be the following:

  1. Aerofargia. This is what is called the swallowing of air by the baby along with the mixture or milk. Air bubbles enter the stomach and then return to the outside with milk. Children swallow air either because of the large hole in the nipple of the bottle, or when they eat quickly and appetizingly. To avoid air ingress, it is recommended to keep the child half-sitting during feeding, and also to use bottles with an anti-colic system. When breastfeeding, it is worth taking small pauses so that the baby is not in a hurry.
  2. Binge eating. It often affects children on mixed or artificial feeding. In such a situation, it is worth reducing the volume of the mixture, as well as increasing the breaks between feedings. The same applies to children who are breastfed, if their regurgitation is not bypassed.
  3. Wrong mix. Perhaps artificial formula is simply not suitable for a baby. It is worth considering options for specialized mixtures to reduce colic.
  4. Gaziki, violation of the chair. To improve digestion, it is recommended that the baby massage the tummy, you can apply a warm diaper to the stomach, and special drops help.
  5. Smoking in the house. If the family smokes and the child inhales cigarette smoke, he may experience spasm of the esophagus, which leads to regurgitation. Smoking environment for baby unacceptable!

Organic causes, problems with the baby's gastrointestinal tract, can also lead to regurgitation:

  • the section of the esophagus that passes into the stomach is too narrow,
  • the lower esophageal sphincter is underdeveloped,
  • diaphragmatic hernia,
  • the section of the stomach that passes into the duodenum is too narrow.

The solution to these problems is possible only with the participation of the surgeon and other medical specialists.

VIDEO RELATED TO THE TOPIC OF THE ARTICLE

What to do if the baby spit up after feeding the formula with a fountain

If the baby spit up the mixture, the volume of regurgitation is more than three tablespoons, and the exit of food from the stomach is more like vomiting, the mother should pay attention to the following possible reasons:

  • the child was poisoned by poor-quality food,
  • viral disease,
  • reaction to cow's milk protein (intolerance),
  • violation of the intestinal microflora,
  • an allergic reaction, including to foods eaten by a nursing mother,
  • green or Brown color regurgitation signals intestinal obstruction, it requires the immediate intervention of doctors.

Should also be alert bloody issues, lack of weight gain - it is possible that the child simply does not absorb food.

What to do - the baby constantly spits up after feeding the mixture

Some mothers do not help any advice, and the newborn constantly spits up the mixture, despite the measures taken. In such a situation, you can not do without the help of a doctor. He must find out the reasons, prescribe medical treatment, in some cases it is enough to get by with a dietary correction.

On this moment widely used milk antiemetic (antireflux) mixtures and drugs such as:

  • "Cerukal",
  • "Motilium".
  • Pediatricians also prescribe breast milk thickeners that delay food in the stomach. It can be corn or rice starch, carob bean gluten. At artificial feeding use such therapeutic mixtures as Nutrilon Antireflux, Nutrilak AR, Samper Lemolak and others.

If there are suspicions about pathological causes, an additional examination of the child is mandatory. Timely identified disorders can be successfully treated with the participation of neurologists, surgeons and other doctors.

In general, pediatricians do not consider regurgitation a pathology at the age of a child under one year old, if their volume does not exceed 1-2 tablespoons at a time, the baby gains weight well, develops according to age, and is calm. If they are observed fever, nervousness, and other symptoms, you should not postpone a visit to the doctor.

Regurgitation is a process when, after feeding, the baby has a reverse ejection of not a large number(5-30 ml) of milk or formula if the baby is on mixed or artificial feeding. Usually this does not affect the behavior and general well-being of the child.

What causes spitting up?

To answer this question, you need to know some anatomical and physiological features gastrointestinal tract at breasts.

First of all, regurgitation in newborn babies is associated with the immaturity of the sphincter between the esophagus and stomach (the sphincter is called a circular muscle, which, by contracting, closes one or another hole in the body). Normally, after the passage of food from the esophagus to the stomach, it closes. This is what prevents stomach contents from returning back into the esophagus. By the time the baby is born, this sphincter is still very weak, and therefore there is a reflux of milk or milk mixture into the baby's esophagus and mouth. Very young children have one more important feature- the angle of entry of the esophagus into the stomach is often obtuse or approaching 90°, while in older children and adults it decreases to acute. This also creates conditions for the reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus, which leads to regurgitation in newborns.

Causes of regurgitation

But not only these features contribute to regurgitation. They can also occur in a number of other cases:

  • with general immaturity of the body, which is most often found in premature babies;
  • when overfeeding a baby - if the amount of food eaten exceeds the volume of the stomach. This happens in newborns when feeding on demand, if the mother has a lot of milk, or in artisans with an incorrectly calculated volume of the milk mixture;
  • when eating a large amount of food (milk or milk formula), the stomach is overdistended, the sphincter cannot withstand high blood pressure inside it and part of the eaten is thrown into the esophagus. If the baby has overeaten, he spits up fresh milk in the first half hour after feeding;
  • when swallowing air during feeding (aerophagia), which in infants most often occurs with fast and voracious sucking, not proper attachment the baby to the breast or the incorrect position of the bottle with the mixture. In these cases, an air bubble forms in the stomach, which pushes out a small amount of food eaten. With aerophagia, a child may begin to show anxiety during feeding, throw the breast, turn his head and scream. The same symptoms may occur after feeding;
  • with a rapid change in body position after feeding. Regurgitation can occur in a baby if, immediately after feeding, the mother begins to disturb him, swaddle, bathe, massage, etc .;
  • with increasing pressure in abdominal cavity. For example, tight swaddling or a diaper that is too tight creates excessive external pressure on the baby's tummy, which can lead to spitting up. Also, factors contributing to an increase in intra-abdominal pressure include flatulence ( increased gas formation in the intestines) intestinal colic and constipation.

Why is the baby spitting up? Watch the video

Regurgitation in newborns: when is it a signal of illness

Unfortunately, regurgitation in newborns can also be one of the manifestations of certain diseases. Quite often they are found in diseases such as birth injury, hypoxia ( oxygen starvation) during pregnancy or childbirth, increased intracranial pressure, impaired cerebral circulation, increased neuro-reflex excitability, etc. In these cases, along with regurgitation, the child will experience symptoms characteristic of CNS damage: hyperexcitability or lethargy, sleep disturbances, trembling of the chin or arms, increased or decreased muscle tone.

Also, regurgitation is observed with some birth defects development of the gastrointestinal tract

  • hiatal hernia. This is a congenital underdevelopment of connective tissue structures that strengthen the opening in the diaphragm through which the esophagus passes. With this disease, regurgitation occurs 2-3 weeks after birth, is persistent and prolonged, appears immediately after feeding, the child quickly loses weight. To confirm the diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct an x-ray examination;
  • pyloric stenosis and pylorospasm. In the place where the stomach passes into the duodenum, there is a sphincter - the pylorus of the stomach. It blocks the lumen of the stomach while food is digested in it. Then it opens, and the contents of the stomach move into the duodenum. At infants there are two types of disruption of the work of this closing opening - pylorospasm and pyloric stenosis. In the first case, the sphincter muscle convulsively contracts, and in the second it is greatly thickened and narrows the exit from the stomach. Under these conditions, the contents of the stomach cannot fully pass into the duodenum. In the first days, the baby does not experience any inconvenience, since the volume of milk he sucks is small. Regurgitation appears as the amount of food eaten increases and, as a rule, begins towards the end of the first month of life. In the future, instead of regurgitation, vomiting of a fountain of curdled milk with a sour smell may appear. To confirm the diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct an endoscopic examination of the stomach;
  • chalazia cardia. The cardia is the same sphincter that separates the esophagus from the stomach. So, with congenital chalazia (that is, relaxation), it cannot close completely, which leads to the reflux of the contents of the stomach into the esophagus. In this case, the milk comes out unchanged, since it has not yet had time to be digested. Such regurgitation begins from the first days of life, occurs immediately after feeding the baby and is stronger if the baby is left to lie down. Often violated and general state child: he suckles sluggishly, gets tired quickly, gains little weight and sleeps poorly. The diagnosis is confirmed by X-ray.
  • congenital short esophagus. With this pathology, there is a discrepancy between the length of the esophagus and chest, as a result of which part of the stomach is higher than the diaphragm.

Norm or pathology?

How can a mother understand if regurgitation is physiological, that is, due normal features gastrointestinal tract, or is it a manifestation of any disease?

If regurgitation occurs infrequently (1-2 times a day), in a small volume (1-3 tablespoons), while the child has a good appetite and good regular stools, he develops normally, gains weight well (in the first 3-4 months, the baby should add at least 125 g per week (600-800 g per month)) and he has a sufficient number of urination per day (at least 8-10), then regurgitation can not be given much importance. IN similar cases they are most likely associated with age characteristics gastrointestinal tract no. With a high degree of probability, in the second half of life, after the introduction of complementary foods, they will pass on their own without any treatment.

In the fight against spitting up

What should a mother do to avoid regurgitation at hailstones? The following tips will help:

  • do not overfeed your baby. It is necessary to carry out periodically control weighings baby (weighing before and after one feeding) in order to determine the amount of sucked milk. Babies with regurgitation are recommended more than frequent feedings smaller than usual portions. At the same time, the daily amount of food should not decrease. With artificial feeding, the pediatrician should calculate the volume of daily and single feeding for the baby, taking into account his age and body weight;
  • correct attachment of the baby to the breast. When breastfeeding, it is important to ensure that the baby captures not only the nipple, but also the areola. At the same time, the nipple and areola fill almost the entire mouth of the child, a complete vacuum is created, which practically eliminates the swallowing of air;
  • with artificial feeding great importance It has right choice holes in the nipple. It should not be large, the mixture should flow out in frequent drops from an overturned bottle. During feeding, the bottle should be tilted at such an angle that the nipple is completely filled with formula. Otherwise, the baby will swallow air.

Regurgitation in infants: treatment by position

In order to avoid spitting up when feeding the baby, it is important that he is in the correct position:

  • it is desirable that the baby, when feeding, is located in the mother's arms at an angle of 45–60 ° from the horizontal plane. To make it comfortable for mom, you can put rollers, pillows, etc. under the crumbs;
  • after feeding, the baby should be held in an upright position - “column” - for 10-20 minutes so that he releases air, which leaves with a characteristic loud sound for one or several times, you should not swaddle the baby tightly and dress him in clothes with tight elastic bands that tighten the tummy. It is important that the baby's head is slightly elevated (at an angle of 30–60° to the horizontal plane). To do this, it is recommended to put the baby to sleep on a small pillow or on 1-2 folded diapers, you can also raise the legs of the head of the crib by 5-10 cm;
  • babies suffering from regurgitation are recommended to be put to sleep not on their back, but on their stomach or right side. The fact is that in the supine position, the transition from the esophagus to the stomach is located below the stomach itself, which facilitates the return of food into the esophagus and leads to regurgitation. The stomach is located on the left, and if the child is placed on the left side, pressure will be exerted on this organ, which in turn can provoke regurgitation. On the left side of the baby can be turned no earlier than 30 minutes after feeding. But in the position on the stomach, the inlet of the gastric opening, on the contrary, is located above the stomach, which helps to retain the milk eaten in it. In addition, the position of the child on the stomach or on the right side during regurgitation is considered the safest, since in these positions the possibility of inhalation of vomit is reduced to a minimum. Before feeding, it is recommended to change the diaper of the child, so as not to disturb him after eating. It is also better to bathe the baby before feeding and not earlier than 40 minutes after eating.

Therapeutic nutrition for regurgitation in infants

In order to reduce regurgitation in children who are formula-fed, you can use special therapeutic milk mixtures that have an increased viscosity. This is achieved due to the fact that thickeners are included in their composition: corn or rice starch, carob gluten. Due to the thicker consistency of the mixture, the food lump is better retained in the stomach. Also as medical nutrition casein-based milk substitutes are used. In these mixtures, the content of casein protein is increased, which, when curdled in the stomach, forms a dense clot and thereby prevents regurgitation. These medicated formulas are labeled AR, but should only be used with a doctor's prescription and should not be given to healthy children who do not spit up.

At breastfeeding and persistent regurgitation in a child along with breast milk mixtures with thickeners are also sometimes used. At the same time, before feeding with mother's milk, the child is given 10–40 ml from a spoon or from a syringe (without a needle). medicinal mixture and then breastfeed the baby.

The doctor determines the duration of the use of such mixtures individually. It can be quite long: 2-3 months.

When medicines are needed

If the cause of regurgitation is increased gas formation, constipation, dysbacteriosis or intestinal colic, the doctor may prescribe tests for the baby to identify the cause of these disorders, and then prescribe treatment to reduce the manifestation of these symptoms, as well as special drugs that help reduce or stop regurgitation. Therapeutic action of these drugs is that they normalize motor activity gastrointestinal tract, increase the tone of the cardiac sphincter of the esophagus, accelerate the evacuation of food from the stomach into the intestines and thereby lead to the absence of regurgitation.

Despite the fact that regurgitation in infants is common and in most cases is not dangerous for the child, it is important to remember that they can be a symptom of a disease and cause a deterioration in the health of the baby. Therefore, if something in the behavior or condition of the child causes concern to the mother, it is best to seek help from a doctor.

Need advice

If the mother cannot assess the nature of the regurgitation herself or something worries her, the child must be shown to the pediatrician. The reasons for concern of parents and the obligatory visit to the doctor are:

  1. profuse and frequent regurgitation;
  2. regurgitation with an admixture of bile or blood;
  3. regurgitation appeared after 6 months or does not go away after six months;
  4. against the background of regurgitation, the child gains weight poorly, is inactive, has rare and small volume of urination.

Newborn weight

Newborn weight - important indicator, according to the dynamics of the change of which one can judge how the baby grows and develops. Even small weight loss can be alarm signal for parents. But with regular regurgitation, a child may not receive valuable nutrients for your growth. That is why it is so necessary to constantly monitor the weight of the baby, even at home. The presence of electronic baby scales at home will provide peace of mind to the mother and the ability to adjust the baby's diet.

Less air!

For bottle-fed babies who suffer from regurgitation due to swallowing air, special bottles have been developed: physiological bottles with a narrow part tilted at an angle of 30 °. This prevents the possibility of air entering the nipple. Bottles in which there is a special "tunnel" in the form of a tube with a top expanding towards the neck: such a system eliminates the occurrence of a vacuum and the creation of negative pressure. Bottles with a built-in anti-regurgitation valve that prevents air from entering the container and swallowing it.

One of the most frequent anxiety mothers of babies are regurgitation, which is normally present in almost any baby in the first six months of his life. However, the nature of regurgitation can be different, and in order to identify pathological situations, it is important to note in time the behavior of the baby after eating.

By itself, the fact of regurgitation is not dangerous - it is a physiological process associated with the anatomical structure of the child's gastrointestinal tract. His stomach is still very small and is not able to accommodate a large amount of food, and the sphincter does not function quite perfectly, at times spewing the contents of the esophagus out. More close attention requires the nature of regurgitation. So, if a child burps a lot and strongly after each feeding, this is an occasion to conduct an additional examination of his health.

Causes of regurgitation in infancy

One of the main causes of baby spitting up is improper attachment baby to the chest. If you are concerned about why the baby spit up a lot, pay attention to his position at the chest and its capture. With errors in these two points, the child can suck in air, which then comes out of it along with the remnants of milk. With proper attachment, the baby should be turned with his whole body to the mother, his chin is firmly pressed to the mother’s chest, the lower lip is turned outward, the mouth is wide open and captures the entire nipple and areola (dark circle around the nipple). At the same time, most of the areola is located above upper lip baby. The baby's head should not be tilted to the side, sideways or down - this interferes with swallowing food. If you do everything right, soon after applying the crumbs to the chest, you will see uniform movements of the jaws and hear swallowing. If you have problems with the establishment of this process, you can always ask for help from a lactation consultant and call him at home.

If profuse regurgitation persist even after correcting problems with attachment, and you are sure that your actions are correct, it is advisable to consult a doctor to rule out any pathologies and health problems. Spitting up can be caused by disorders in the functioning of the child's gastrointestinal tract, headaches, or increased intracranial pressure. Any delay threatens to worsen the well-being of the crumbs and reduce weight gain.

For formula-fed babies, the issue of regurgitation is more acute: each time, spewing out part of the mixture back, the child does not receive his daily food intake, allotted for him in the appropriate volume and calorie content. This can lead to poor weight gain. Since formula feeding occurs strictly by the clock, the baby does not have free access to food, as is the case breastfeeding. Babies who consume mother's milk are breastfed more often and receive smaller and smaller meals. frequent portions, so episodes of regurgitation do not play such a critical role. Related to this difference is the recommendation not to disturb the baby after eating and not to change the position of his body abruptly, which is true for children on artificial nutrition.

For those who are concerned about why the child is spitting up after formula feeding, it makes sense to additionally consult with a doctor. After all, a long-term loss of part of the daily diet can cause serious harm to the health of the baby.

For other reasons frequent regurgitation the child has reflux - a specific reaction of the stomach to any irritant, expressed in the form of a spasm. In this case, the child does not have time to digest at least part of the food received and can rapidly lose weight. In such cases, the doctor may prescribe a small amount of a special anti-reflux mixture.

The nature of regurgitation

In the case when a child spit up after feeding a fountain, it is important to clearly assess the frequency of such episodes. If this is accompanied by poor weight gain or even weight loss, this is a clear indication for an urgent visit to the doctor. Normally, babies up to 6 months old can spit up several times a day in the amount of one tablespoon. When this indicator is exceeded, it is not worth postponing with the advice of a specialist.

When a mother notices that a child is spitting up a curdled mass, this indicates an imperfect work of the sphincter, which is not yet able to retain food in the baby's stomach as well as it does in an adult. With rare repetitions, this is most likely a variant of the norm. However, if you lose weight, you should immediately visit a doctor.