Why a newborn spits up after feeding breast milk: features of the digestive tract in infants, causes and methods of solving the problem

After the baby is born, young parents will have to face a considerable number of phenomena for which they may not have been ready. One of them is regurgitation. Do not prematurely sound the alarm and look for ways to solve the problem. First of all, you need to calm down and figure out why the newborn spits up after breastfeeding.

What is regurgitation?

Many people confuse this physiological phenomenon with vomiting, but these are completely different things. Spitting is an uncontrolled throwing of the contents of the stomach into the upper esophagus and into the mouth. Depending on the force with which the milk is pushed out, it can be a light stream or a fountain.

It is important to be able to distinguish spitting up from vomiting. In the first case:

• the child will remain cheerful and will not show signs of anxiety;
• the milk mass does not have an unusual color or smell, although it can sometimes resemble cottage cheese;
• the contents of the stomach come out freely, the muscles do not take any part during this process;
• the amount of milk that a child can burp at a time does not exceed 3 tablespoons; You can determine the amount by the size of the speck remaining on the sheet or clothes.

In the case of vomiting, everything will be completely different:

• the child’s heart begins to beat faster;
• the baby breathes more often;
• salivation increases;
• the baby is anxious.

In addition, the baby may refuse the nipple and breast. All of these are clear signs of nausea.

Back to the topic, it's time to answer the question: why does a newborn spit up after breastfeeding? Let's get it right.

Features of the structure of the digestive system

The first reason a newborn baby spits up after feeding is the immaturity of the digestive system. Young children have a short esophagus, a very small stomach, and the sphincter between them did not have time to fully develop. It is the last point that has the greatest effect on regurgitation. The undeveloped sphincter is sometimes not able to fully retain the contents of the stomach, and it flows out.

Overfeeding

This is one of the most common reasons why a newborn spits up after feeding. To a greater extent, it concerns artificial babies, although breast-fed babies can also overeat. In this case, regurgitation is an attempt by the body to get rid of excess food.

Colic, gas, constipation

Bubbles of air that enter the stomach or intestines press on their walls and provoke an involuntary exit of food to the outside. Therefore, if parents wonder why a newborn spits up after breastfeeding, it is important to remember if he is suffering from severe colic or other symptoms mentioned above? It is possible that the reason lies precisely in this.

Aerophagia

This phenomenon is more characteristic of sensitive babies. This is the scientific name for swallowing large amounts of air along with milk. Why is this happening? The main causes are improper attachment to the chest and improper grip of the nipple by the baby.

Too fat milk

Yes, that could also be. Why does the newborn spew after each feeding in this case? Everything is very simple. His body is unable to fully absorb all the substances received with milk, and regurgitation is an easy way to get rid of "excess". To find out that it is really a matter of high fat milk is very simple. The contents that the baby burped will have an unpleasant vomiting odor and a curdled consistency.

A sharp change in the position of the baby

It is important for parents to remember: the baby should not be turned over, squeezed, bathed, swaddled or rocked in the stroller immediately after feeding. Food needs some time so that it starts to be absorbed and does not spill back.

Other reasons

Several of the most common reasons why a newborn spits up after breastfeeding have been discussed above. But there are others that are much less common, but often more dangerous. Among them:

• prematurity;
• intestinal obstruction;
• diaphragmatic hernia;
• lactase deficiency;
• muscle spasm of the gastric pylorus;
• narrowed place of transition of the esophagus into the gastric tube;
• neurological disorders (infant encephalopathy, hydrocephalus, neck damage while passing through the birth canal). In this case, the baby will spit milk immediately after feeding.

When searching for an answer to the question why a newborn spits up after feeding with a fountain, it is worth immediately recalling these reasons and, without wasting time, make an appointment with a specialist. It will help determine exactly if there is a problem in each particular case, and if the answer is yes, it will select a way to get rid of it.

When not to worry?

Having dealt with the question of why a newborn often spits up after breastfeeding, it is time to find out in which cases parents need to sound the alarm and in which to remain completely calm.

The first and main thing that you need to pay attention to is the dynamics of the baby’s weight. The number of regurgitation per day, their frequency, consistency and so on play a secondary role and are not so important.

If the baby is gaining excellent weight, calm, smiling, has no problems with sleep - then everything is fine. In this case, regurgitation is a physiological process that does not cause any inconvenience to the child, which means that the mother can also be calm.

If a child begins to lose weight

The problem should be treated in a completely different way if the newborn not only does not gain, but also loses weight. In this case, regurgitation (no matter how often they occur and how much milk comes out) is no longer a natural physiological process, but a possible symptom of a dangerous disease. Which one? The doctor will be able to answer this question after the examination. The most common causes of regurgitation that occur at the same time as weight loss are:

1. Abnormal development of the digestive system. There are a large number of options for anomalies: too large or small sizes of organs, their twisting, constriction or displacement. The main task of the doctor is to identify and fix the problem.
2. Lactose intolerance. Lactose, which is contained in milk, is broken down by the enzyme lactase. If it is insufficient or not at all, the baby’s stomach will not be able to digest the incoming food and will constantly reject it. In this case, unfortunately, breastfeeding cannot be maintained.
3. Infection. Regardless of its type, the gastrointestinal tract of the child will necessarily respond to the pathogen. With infectious diseases, the baby begins to regurgitate more often than usual, and the milk mass that goes outside will acquire a green (sometimes yellow) tint. The appearance of this symptom is a reason for immediately contacting a specialist!

When to contact a specialist?

In addition to the cases that have already been mentioned above, a visit to a specialist should not be postponed if:

1. The masses that the child burps, changed color, smell, volume, texture.
2. The baby after regurgitation becomes very restless, cries, screams, bends in an arc, cannot fall asleep.
3. The newborn has a fever.
4. The baby is already more than 1 year old, but he continues to spit up. By this age, the organs of the digestive system should already have "matured", so the persistence of such a problem often indicates the presence of pathologies.

It is also necessary for parents to go to the doctor who cannot understand why, after feeding, the newborn spits up a lot. Consultation with an experienced professional will never be superfluous.

What can be done to improve the situation?

Many parents not only ask the pediatrician why a newborn often regurgitates breast milk, but are also interested in what to do in such a situation. The most common response of experts in this case is simply to wait. As a rule, gradually the problem goes away on its own by 6-7 months. Just in time for the baby to begin to sit confidently.

Moms and dads who can’t sit back and just wait, the pediatrician will advise you to buy in the pharmacy funds for increased gas formation. When finding out the reasons why the newborn often spits up after feeding, a symptom such as colic was mentioned. It is from them that such drugs help. For children, the means of increased gas formation are made on the basis of simethicone or fennel fruits.

You can reduce the number of regurgitation without the use of medications. To do this, follow some simple rules:

1. To wear the baby in a column after eating. This will help excess air to go outside, and the baby will not spit milk.
2. Reduce the amount of food. You can reduce the time that the child "hangs on his chest." In order to satisfy hunger, a newborn needs no more than 30 minutes. If the baby likes to eat for an hour or more, you need to rid him of this habit. In this case, you can not reduce the number of feedings!
3. Give the baby a dummy or do not prohibit sucking a finger. Some parents are negative about such actions and very vain. In newborns, the sucking reflex is very developed, which must be satisfied. Therefore, it is worth considering which is better: if the baby will overeat on his chest and spit excess milk, or still suck the dummy and feel great?
4. To live an active lifestyle. Do not forget to walk with the baby, bathe him, take him to massage, gymnastics, to the pool and so on. During such physical exertion, all his muscles are strengthened, including those that are included in the work of the digestive tract.

If the baby nevertheless burps, do not try to immediately give him the chest again. Let the ventricle rest a bit and only then it will be possible to continue feeding (if the child himself wants this).

But what really is not recommended to do is to use various rollers, pillows or lay the newborn face down (on the tummy). It will not be possible to get rid of the problem this way, but the risk of sudden death syndrome in a dream will increase significantly.

Note! All of the above methods can be used only with physiological regurgitation. If the baby has any health problems, you must definitely consult a doctor who will prescribe the necessary treatment. For example, in the case of lactose intolerance, it will help to choose a special mixture or enzymes, and abnormalities in the development of the digestive system may require surgical intervention.