Almost every mother faces the problem of regurgitation in an infant. This often overshadows the most touching and happy period of the first months of the baby's life. In addition to commonplace inconvenience, spitting up is also often a cause of concern for the parents of the newborn. Why does the baby spit up? What am I doing wrong? How can I help my child? What is the danger of regurgitation? Many such disturbing questions come to the mind of concerned parents. To find the necessary answers, we will examine in more detail the concept of “regurgitation”, the causes and factors causing this process in newborns and infants. When it is really worth worrying, and when this process is permissible and should not become a cause for excessive concern.
What is such a thing - regurgitation?
From the first days of life, the child adapts and gets used to the environment, and many processes occur in his body that contribute to adaptation to new conditions. In this regard, the gastrointestinal tract can respond differently to a new environment and nutrition. Regurgitation is such a "reaction" of the body of a newborn. Milk or a mixture that gets into the baby’s stomach after feeding is thrown back into the oral cavity - this is what is commonly called “spitting up”.
In simple terms, regurgitation is simply the exit from the body of a small amount of food that is poorly absorbed by the stomach and enters the esophagus, and then into the pharynx and oral cavity. We will not delve into the anatomy and explain everything on the fingers. When the baby spits up, the milk or mixture in the stomach after feeding enters the oral cavity. To put it more simply, spitting up is a little vomiting, but it is worth noting that the products of vomiting in infants are milk already curdled, and after spitting up, the consistency, smell, color of the milk does not change. This process in the first months of life can be observed in almost all infants.
Why do children burp while feeding?
Regurgitation is a completely normal reaction of the young body to environmental factors. Statistics show that this factor occurs in most healthy six-month-old children. The main issue is intensity and volume. Therefore, let's understand.
There are several main reasons explaining why a baby spits up after feeding. The first of these is swallowing air during feeding. This is the main reason that regurgitation occurs. Air enters the digestive tract, which causes discomfort and pain in the baby’s stomach, then air bubbles come out with a little milk.
Overeating is another cause of regurgitation. The very process of sucking for an infant is not only a way to get enough, but also an opportunity to have fun, during which the baby, carried away, may well swallow an extra portion, after which the excess milk or mixture will regurgitate.
Problems with the gastrointestinal tract or structural features of the newborn can also be the cause of regurgitation after feeding, since the cardiac part of the stomach of the newborn is not yet fully formed.
Why does a child spew so much? Most likely, this is a spasm of the pylorus - a valve that blocks the exit from the stomach. In this case, the regurgitation is more intense, ejected far and with force. If such regurgitation occurs often enough, several times a day or more - it is worth contacting a pediatrician with this problem.
Other sources of harm to the child
Smoking in the room where the child is located can also cause regurgitation. Inhaling cigarette smoke, the baby experiences a spasm of the esophagus, which almost always leads to regurgitation. Smoking is not allowed in the house where the small child is!
Why does the baby spit up after feeding the mixture? There may be several reasons. Perhaps the child is intolerant to protein in cow's milk. If regurgitation occurs after each feeding, you should definitely consult a specialist. Probably, the baby has a violation of the intestinal microflora, dysbiosis or any intestinal infection. Properly appointed tests will reveal the cause of the child’s digestion.
If the newborn receives a poor-quality mixture, this can have a negative effect on digestion. Why does the child burp water? As a rule, a baby spits up water after a couple of hours after feeding. During this time, the milk or mixture has already been split into whey and cottage cheese, and whey that comes out is often mistaken for water. Also, increased salivation can cause vomiting of water, that is, again, this is not water, but swallowed saliva.
Why does a newborn baby spit up after breastfeeding? Most likely, the reason is that the baby hastily sucks, and in the process of sucking, swallows air, which later burps with milk. Another probable reason is that mom’s milk has high fat content. This leads to only partial absorption of the product in the digestive system of the child. At the same time, the regurgitation is curdled and has an unpleasant odor.
Why does the baby regurgitate with the mixture? There may be several probable reasons, again. Malnutrition - in addition to breast milk, the baby is fed with a mixture, and the mixture is not absorbed. Or intolerance to cow protein. Possibly poor mix quality.
Incorrect attachment to the chest or improper bottle nipple can also provoke regurgitation. An attentive mother who monitors the feeding of her baby will be able to establish the cause herself.
Why does the baby spew at 3 months? At the age of three to four months in infants, teething usually begins. This rather painful process leads to profuse salivation. A large amount of saliva enters the stomach, and later burps. In this case, the child spits up like a clear "little water." Also, it is at this age that babies more often have digestive problems. Violation of microflora leads to gas formation, which, in turn, becomes the cause of regurgitation.
How to act in a similar situation?
Determining why a child is spitting up and whether to worry about it is not easy. But it is necessary to identify whether this is a natural process or a symptom of a dangerous disease. You do not need to worry if, despite frequent and even plentiful regurgitation, your baby is gaining weight well and the monthly increase meets standard development standards. Check the volume of regurgitation. The acceptable volume is considered to be 2-4 tablespoons. If the stool and urination of the child are also not disturbing, then most likely you should not worry about regurgitation.
In any case, regurgitation brings a little discomfort, and it is in your power to reduce the volume and reduce its frequency. To do this, be patient, adjust the regime of the day and feeding, lead an active lifestyle, regularly walk. It is better to wear the baby in an upright position more often, also give him the opportunity to lie on his tummy, do daily gymnastics and tummy massage with him. In any case, this will improve its digestion and relieve gas formation. Be optimistic and enjoy every new day with your baby! Remember that the child is very emotionally connected with you and responds to the mood of the mother. Your smile and calm will only make his life better.
Types of regurgitation
It is equally important to determine the type of regurgitation in time, and for this, in turn, you should have some knowledge. Let's figure it out together!
There are several types of burping children:
- Pathological.
- Physiological.
Physiological
A fairly common look that does not bode well for your baby. In most cases, the baby’s gastrointestinal tract simply does not have time to form, thereby making it difficult for your baby’s digestion. Physiological regurgitation is quite normal and does not indicate the presence of any pathologies.
Pathological
The pathological form of regurgitation is a cause for concern for young parents. This kind of problem suggests that the baby has at least an internal disease, and he needs a professional examination. Doctors can prescribe the necessary laboratory tests, which can later help determine the root of the problem.
According to statistics, in most cases, and this is about 80 percent, spitting up in infants is a natural process, and only in the remaining 20 percent is the disease.
How to determine the pathology?
The main signal for mom in determining abnormal regurgitation in a child is their frequency and volume. Sometimes the intensity of regurgitation is so great that the food comes out of the baby’s mouth with a fountain. Another equally important symptom is weight loss, capricious behavior and poor appetite against the background of this problem.
Nasal regurgitation: bad or good?
Often young parents ask similar questions when their child manifests regurgitation through the nasal cavity. It is not worth starting to sound the alarm, especially if the frequency of the phenomenon is not intense. Nevertheless, nasal regurgitation is not a very good phenomenon. A similar process can clog the baby's nasal cavity, thereby causing difficulty in breathing. In this case, it is still advisable to seek help from a pediatric pediatrician.
Hiccups with regurgitation
Often, the baby hiccups when spitting up, in which case you must also be careful about the situation. Usually hiccups appear an hour after feeding. Why a child spits up, every mother should know. Therefore, it is important to monitor the behavior of your baby. If a child has hiccups with a large interval, then perhaps he simply swallowed the air, but if your baby hiccups became frequent, this is an occasion to see a doctor. Such symptoms indicate a violation of the digestive system or any disease.
Rashes are considered an equally bad sign. In some children, against the background of rapid hiccups, skin irritations appear, causing concern not only in babies, but also in their parents.
Alarm signs
If, against the background of such regurgitation, a rash appears on the skin, then this may mean that he has lactose intolerance.
Why does a baby often spit up after milk? If you see that after eating the baby spits up with thick milk, then this often means that he just over-eaten.
If a child spits up a lot, sleeps little, has a loud burp, and also weighs little, this may mean that he has any diseases. You should not expect that everything will go away by itself, you need to contact a pediatrician as soon as possible.
If the baby has green or yellow regurgitation, this is definitely not the norm. You don’t have to joke with such a thing; a doctor’s consultation is obligatory in this case.
Be sure to pay attention to such moments, and then your baby will grow up strong and healthy.