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First you need to figure out what can be considered regurgitation? According to experts, if a small trickle of milk flows out of the baby’s mouth after feeding, this is not regurgitation.
“The sphincter between the esophagus and stomach in infants is still not working very well, so such leaks are quite possible,” explains neonatologist of the highest category, pediatrician Anna Volik. – But constant or periodic, insignificant or rather abundant discharge of food, even in an upright position, immediately after eating or after 1-2 hours, this is regurgitation.
Why does the baby spit up after feeding
If the baby has eaten, and then there is a reverse outflow of food, this phenomenon can scare an inexperienced mother. But in most cases, such regurgitation is quite acceptable. “More than 50% of spitting up is considered physiological (functional) and does not require treatment,” says Dr. Volik. – It often seems to mothers that the child spits up everything that he eats. But at the same time, the baby feels good and is gaining weight well. In this case, it can be assumed that the mother is exaggerating.
There are certain reasons, due to the physiology of the baby, that provoke regurgitation.
– Regurgitation is often combined with colic, which goes from about 3 weeks to 3-4 months. The child cries, tightens his legs, there is pressure on the diaphragm and food is ejected, sometimes in a fountain, – says our expert. – Also, if the baby burped after active movements: for example, he tries to crawl or rolls over on his stomach immediately after feeding, you should not be scared. This is also normal in the case when, after eating, the child went off in a big way, the mother began to change his clothes, wash him, and he burped.
But it is still important to observe: if regurgitation occurs at each feeding, this may already be a pathological process, and the child must be examined.
Symptoms of pathological regurgitation
- Poor weight gain
- poor tissue turgor (insufficient skin elasticity) – indicates dehydration;
- pallor of the skin;
- blue under the eyes;
- marked restlessness or apathy.
Even more formidable symptoms, according to the pediatrician, are respiratory arrest during regurgitation, loss of voice and broncho-obstructive syndrome.
– Pathological (including organic) regurgitation occurs several times a day, they are plentiful, may be accompanied by problems with digestion and skin, the child does not gain weight well, – explains Anna Volik. “Things like this need to be dealt with. Causes may be neurological or gastrointestinal.
Neurological symptoms
- The child does not sleep well. There may be a negative trend;
- regurgitation becomes more frequent;
- frequent regurgitation through the nose;
- shuddering, fear of sharp sounds.
Important: when such symptoms appear, with frequent and profuse regurgitation at the age of 2-3 months, it is necessary to see a neurologist.
Pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease, in which food is thrown from the stomach into the esophagus. By the way, one of the causes of this disease can be a prolonged cough.
“Often mothers ask when this disease passes,” says Dr. Volik. – The process decreases by 7 months, and completely disappears in about 85% of infants by the year, in 95% of cases – by 1,5 years, and in 5% of children this reflux persists after reaching the age of 1,5 years.
- Regurgitation in combination with liquid foamy stools and increased gas formation can be a sign of lactase deficiency.
What to do if the baby spit up after feeding
First you need to exclude the possibility of pathology. If the mother does not observe alarming symptoms, such as weight loss, poor sleep, pallor and poor elasticity of the skin, bruises under the eyes, tremors, then in general, we repeat, there is no need for treatment.
However, when a child burps after feeding, it is not pleasant enough. What can be done to minimize spitting up? First of all, pay attention to the feeding process itself, and it is also worth eliminating excessive activity immediately after eating.
Correct attachment to the chest
“The presence or absence of regurgitation largely depends on how you feed the baby,” says Anna Volik. – The baby needs to be applied to the breast in a calm state, he must correctly capture the nipple. If he cries or does not grasp the nipple tightly, air enters the stomach and the baby may spit up.
Hold the bottle at an angle
What should I do if my baby spit up after bottle feeding?
– If you are bottle-fed, it is important to hold the bottle correctly – an angle of at least 45 degrees. Pay attention to the nipple itself – it should be with a small hole, – notes the pediatrician.
Do not overfeed
Yes, yes, it turns out that a child can burp simply because he ate too much.
– In the first 1,5 months, while lactation is developing, it is permissible to feed the baby on demand. But then you need to take breaks for 2-3 hours and develop a regimen, – emphasizes Dr. Volik. – Free feeding should last no more than three months! The child may not worry at all because of hunger, but the mother gives the breast to any anxiety of the baby. Of course, in such cases, he overeats and burps.
Do not panic
Immediately after feeding, you should not make any active manipulations with the child, change clothes, bathe, disturb him, do massage. It is not recommended that the baby himself begin active actions: crawl, roll over. Many experts recommend immediately after feeding for some time to hold the baby in an upright position, “column”, so that excess air comes out and in order to exclude the possibility of spitting up.