Why the baby often spits up breast milk. Causes of regurgitation in newborns after feeding: how to distinguish between normal and disease.

Parents are worried if the child often regurgitates: the process is very unpleasant, it is uncomfortable, it soils clothes, and contributes to the development of various diseases. Involuntary discharge of the contents of the stomach into the mouth is characteristic of all babies from birth to 1.5 years.

But if this happens too often, intensely and abundantly, it may be due to the incorrect functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. You need to watch the crumbs and count how many times a day he spits food to determine whether it is the norm or pathology.

Norm and deviations

There are special indicators of how often a child should burp to determine if he has any health problems.

Norm

1. Normally, up to 1.5 years of regurgitation should independently pass. If the baby has already stepped over this age line, and the problem still exists, this is a deviation.
2. Up to 4 months, it is considered normal if a child spits no more than 2 teaspoons each time after a meal.
3. A regurgitation of 3 teaspoons per day is also considered normal.
4. Allowed, even if the child regurgitates after feeding with a mixture of the fountain, but this happens no more than 1 time per day.
5. The norm, if at the moment of regurgitation, he does not show much concern, the rest of the time he is cheerful, cheerful, active, has a wonderful appetite, and gains weight well for his age.

Pediatricians suggest using a regurgitation rate scale to determine the rate and variance.

Scale

• 1 point: a child regurgitates no more than 5 times a day, a volume not more than 3 ml (it is necessary to determine it by eye).
• 2 points: more than 5 times, volume - 3 ml (but not more).
• 3 points: more than 5 times, volume - half of what ate. This does not happen every time.
• 4 points: more than 5 times, volume - half of what ate. This happens every time after eating.
• 5 points: more than 5 times, most of the eaten milk.

Regurgitation with intensity of 3 points and more requires referring to a pediatrician.

Pathology

1. On a scale of intensity of regurgitation, the child “scored” 3 or more points.
2. Often and abundantly belch baby older than a year.
3. Regurgitation is accompanied by symptoms such as refusal to eat, lethargy, weakness, tearfulness, dehydration, drowsiness.
4. Bad gaining weight.
5. The erupted contents of the stomach smells foul or changes color.

Vigilant parents should regularly monitor the child, who spit up very often and abundantly. This may be a warning signal of his health problems, which require immediate treatment.

Medical encyclopedia.  The regurgitation in medicine is indicated by several concepts at once: gastroesophageal or gastroesophageal reflux, GER.

Classification

If the child often belches a lot, it is necessary to determine whether it is his individual feature or a malfunction of the internal organs. From this point of view, regurgitation is divided into 2 species.

• Physiological

The natural process, due to not yet complete the formation of the gastrointestinal tract and esophagus. They are the norm in healthy children.

• Pathological

Indicate a serious internal disease. Specialist examination is required to establish the correct diagnosis: pediatrician, neurologist, surgeon, gastroenterologist, allergist. Laboratory and instrumental examinations will be conducted.

Physiological and pathological regurgitation due to various reasons that parents need to be aware of. Eliminating the provoking factors, it is possible to reduce the frequency and intensity of this unpleasant phenomenon.

Through the pages of history.  For the first time, gastroesophageal reflux was described by Heinrich Quincke (German doctor) in 1879.

The reasons

The causes of the physiological and pathological process vary significantly.

Causes of physiological regurgitation

The child often belches a lot because of the following structural features of the gastrointestinal tract:

• short and straight esophagus;
• vertical position of the stomach;
• the sphincter (circular muscle) between the esophagus and the stomach is not sufficiently developed;
• when reduced, it prevents the backflow of food.

As the child gets older, the digestive system gradually matures and is finally formed. Then he stops belching so often.

Parents should understand that to avoid this state, due to physiology, is impossible. But it is in their power to make the infant belch less often. To do this, you need to know the reasons why this happens too often, and eliminate them in a timely manner.

• Artificial nutrition

Often parents are interested in why the child regurgitates after feeding with the mixture. Despite the fact that it is the most adapted for small children, it does not contain substances contained in breast milk. Therefore, it is very difficult for an unformed stomach to digest it.

• Preterm labor

Often the premature baby spits up because its esophagus and stomach are even less developed than that of a normal newborn.

• Overfeeding

If the child actively sucks the breast with a large amount of milk from the mother, he can regurgitate often and abundantly. The same situation is when moving from breast feeding  mixed or fully artificial if the quantity of the mixture is incorrectly calculated.

• Aerophagia

So called air ingestion during the feeding process. This is due to:

- insufficient amount of breast milk from the mother;

- retracted flat nipple, which the baby can not capture the whole mouth;

- a large hole in the nipple of the bottle when bottle feeding;

- insufficient filling of the nipples with milk on the bottle.

Aerophagia usually affects children with little or more weight.

• Intestinal colic, constipation

When constipation and pressure in the peritoneum increases, which violates the movement of food. Therefore, the child often belches.

• Improper care

If, after feeding, the child is bathed, dressed, braked, he will often burp abundantly, because physical activity will not allow the stomach to calmly digest food.

• Hyperactivity Syndrome

They can not sit quietly in one place. After feeding, they twist their arms and legs, turn over, are in an active, restless state. This interferes with the normal functioning of the stomach, and abundant regurgitation occurs.

Causes of pathological regurgitation

1. Diseases of the digestive system: chalasia, pyloric stenosis, gastritis.
2. Hernia diaphragm.
3. CNS pathology.
4. Increased intracranial pressure.
5. Food intolerance (most often - lactose).
6. Hereditary disorders: phenylketonuria, galactosemia.
7. Infectious diseases.

Parents can eliminate the causes of physiological regurgitation on their own by taking a series of appropriate measures. But the diseases that cause pathological regurgitation, require consultation with a specialist and qualified treatment.

According to statistics.  Physiological regurgitation is noted in 80% of children, pathological - only in 20%.

Symptomatology

If the baby often regurgitates, it is necessary to determine not only the intensity of this phenomenon and the volume of the food mass ejected. It is necessary to trace which symptoms accompany this process in order to correctly and timely determine the pathology. And for starters, it is advisable to learn to distinguish regurgitation from vomiting, which has the following clinical picture:

• tension of the abdominal muscles;
• food is ejected under such intense pressure that it even passes through the nose;
• vomiting is preceded by blanching of the face, anxiety, cooling of the extremities;
• elevated temperature;
• loose stools;
• in vomit impurities of bile, blood or mucus are present.

If the child just belches, it happens involuntarily, that is, without any effort, the abdominal muscles do not tense up.

1. Hiccups If a newborn baby often belches and hiccups at the same time, you need to make sure that it constantly repeats. If once - do not worry, he just swallowed air. If this happens regularly, it may be a matter of gastrointestinal tract pathology.
2. If the baby spits a lot after feeding breast milk  and while there are skin rashes, it is possible that he is lactose intolerant.
3. If the baby spits up immediately after eating or after a short time in a volume of about a teaspoon (5-10 ml), and the weight is unchanged or partially curdled milk, this is a sign of overfeeding.
4. If the baby becomes restless after feeding, his belly is inflated, and 10 minutes after feeding, the milk in an unchanged form is poured back, accompanied by a loud belch - these are symptoms of aerophagy.
5. If a child regurgitates frequently and abundantly, becomes whiny, does not gain and even loses weight, does not eat the amount of food necessary for his age, this is a pathology, and a visit to a doctor is required.
6. At the time of regurgitation, the baby can tilt the head back, and very much at the risk of drowning - this is an alarming signal of hydrocephalus or problems with the central nervous system.
7. Coloring of the burped mass in an intense yellow or greenish color is a symptom of an infection brought into a small organism.

The more attentive the parents are to the symptoms, the safer their baby will be. The sooner they suspect the pathology, the faster the necessary treatment will be carried out. If there is no cause for concern, you can independently reduce the frequency of regurgitation.

Note.  It is recommended that children who frequently regurgitate be watered with a mixture of Dr. Brown’s special bottle. In its upper part, where the nipple is located, there is a valve that prevents the ingestion of air. The occurrence of air bubbles and vacuum are eliminated. In such a bottle, vitamins are not destroyed. The sloping top allows the child to take the most convenient position for feeding, which prevents aerophagy.

Parenting

If a child often regurgitates after feeding with a mixture or breast milk, but this is due to purely physiology, parents should know what to do in such cases. Eliminating this phenomenon is completely impossible, but to reduce the frequency and volume of food rejected in their power.

1. After each feeding to keep the child "column" (vertically). In this position, the air from the stomach will come out without food. If this does not happen, put it for 1-2 minutes, and then repeat.
2. If the baby often spits up during bottle-feeding, check if the opening in the bottle is large.
3. During feeding, make sure that the nipple is completely filled with milk.
4. If the baby often spits up breast milk, you need to watch for correct pose  at the time of feeding. He should suck the breast, being in a semi-vertical position. It is necessary that he captures the nipple completely, along with the isola.
5. Spread the child on the stomach before eating on a hard surface.
6. After feeding, limit the activity of the baby: do not play with him, do not change clothes, do not bathe.
7. Ensure that diapers and clothing are not pressed on the stomach.
8. Feed often, but little by little.
9. The head of the crib should be raised by 10 cm.
10. Do not feed a crying, screaming child.
11. Ensure an active lifestyle: regular swimming, walks, massage and daily gymnastics strengthen the muscles responsible for the digestive tract.
12. Mom needs to diet breastfeeding: eliminate from the diet foods that cause flatulence. These include cabbage, black bread, beans, apples, pastry (you can read about the menu for a nursing mother).
13. Drink baby with dill or fennel tea.

All these steps should fix the problem. But if the situation remains the same, if the child still belches all the same, despite all the measures taken, a pediatrician’s consultation is necessary. After examination, he may issue a referral to a gastroenterologist, who will diagnose and prescribe treatment.

Helpful advice.  If the child is fed with mixtures, they should be free of palm oil or based on whey protein, partially hydrolyzed.

Treatment

Treatment of regurgitation takes place in several stages.

• Conversation with parents

The doctor explains to parents that regurgitation is a physiological event that runs spontaneously in most children by the age of 12 months.

• Use thickeners

If the examinations did not show pathologies, and the actions of the parents did not lead to the desired result, the doctor may prescribe special milk thickeners (mixtures). They contribute to the long delay of food in the stomach and prevent it from returning to the oral cavity.

If the child often spits up after feeding with breast milk, rice, corn starch, flour, gluten-free beans of the ceratonia, and locust tree are suitable as thickeners. 1 teaspoon diluted in 30 ml (3 teaspoons) of milk. Pediatricians recommend in such cases to use the well-known “Bio-rice decoction” from the German company Hipp.

For the artificiality apply antireflux mixture of therapeutic action. They are divided into groups depending on the type of thickener:

- having gum ceramic (carob) gum: “Humana AR”, “Frisovy 1 and 2”, “Nutrilon anti-reflux”, “Nutrilak AR” are highly efficient, the duration of treatment is about a month;

- developed on the basis of rice starch: “Enfamil AR”, “Semper Lemolak” - act gently, the duration of treatment is up to 2 months.

• Prescription drugs

Appointment of prokinetics of cisapride (to stimulate the motility of the digestive tube), domperidone (to increase the rate of gastrointestinal peristalsis), metoclopramide (to eliminate the vomiting reflex).

• Auxiliary measures

In the absence of the effect of treatment at the previous stages, the reverse position of Trendelenburg is applied as an auxiliary measure, when the child lies on his back with his head elevated by 30 °.

• H2 blockers

For the treatment of digestive disorders, the doctor may prescribe H2-blockers (Ranitidine, Cimetidine, Omeprazole).

• Surgery

If the examinations show serious pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, surgery will be required.

The last word of medicine.  In 2013, the head of the Committee of Gastroenterology and his co-authors presented for discussion a new algorithm for treating infants, who often regurgitate. At the moment it is undergoing approval.

With frequent regurgitation of the baby, parents should not panic. They need to determine whether this process fits into the framework of the norm, or is it a pathology that requires appropriate treatment. If there are suspicions of abnormalities, immediate consultation is necessary not only with a pediatrician, but also with a gastroenterologist.

Burping after every meal is perfectly normal in babies. But often parents notice that the character of the secreted changes - the baby begins to burp like a curd or even mucus - and, of course, they begin to worry. Why does the baby spit up breast milk? What volumes of reflux are considered normal, and should the alarm be sounded if the infant's consistency changes? Till how many months will the child burp?

What is regurgitation?

Regurgitation (reflux) in babies is the release of a small amount of food or drool up the esophagus from the stomach. This phenomenon is normal and occurs in 85% of newborns. At 3-4 months of crumb, the stomach becomes stronger, the muscles of the esophagus valve are tightly closed and do not allow food to be thrown up, therefore by this age the percentage of such “accidental emissions” decreases, and at 12-14 months should stop completely.

Breast milk and the mixture begin to be processed in the stomach of the crumbs almost immediately, so it is normal if after eating the baby spits up with curds - this means that the gastric juice has already started its work and has oxidized the resulting nutrition, changing its consistency.

Why does pussy belch often?

Despite the normality of this phenomenon, there are still times when an infant may burp too often. Experts have identified several stages of reflux subsiding, determining the age at which valve strengthening and thickening of the nutrition begins.

• Regurgitation in newborns after each feeding is normal and physiological;
• from 3–4 months, the infant should burp no more than once a day, 5–10 ml, and in other periods he should have an empty burp;
• after 12-14 months regurgitation should stop.

If your baby continues to regurgitate after each sucking breast or bottle drinking, you should think about whether you have properly organized his food and whether the baby is healthy.

Air

Most often, babies continue to regurgitate frequently after eating, if a lot of air enters their stomachs together with food due to an abnormal sucking process:

1. A baby may not fully capture the mother’s nipple with his lips and because of this, a lot of air enters his esophagus along with the milk. After the baby finishes eating, the gas that has been swallowed tends upward, and a small amount of food is sent along with it. Normally, food should remain in the stomach, and only belching should go out. In order for the infant not to burp after feeding, it is important to ensure that the entire areola is in his mouth and the nipple rests against his palate.
2. Artificial babies may become airborne due to improperly chosen nipples, incorrect position of the bottle when feeding. Another reason for which the crumb does not belch, but reflux - if the retaining ring is not fully tightened, then when sucking the nipple sticks due to the pressure difference, and the crumb releases it from the mouth, so that it again puffs up. So that the baby doesn’t regurgitate after feeding, check whether the bottle is well screwed and make sure that the nipple is filled only with the mixture.

Weak valve muscles

The adult's stomach is separated from the esophagus by a special valve that opens and closes when eating. In newborn babies, the muscles responsible for reducing this valve are not yet developed. They get stronger by about 3-4 months. But there are kids who do not have time to develop this muscle properly, and therefore even by half a year they continue to regurgitate after eating.

Overfeeding

The baby can burp after eating, when it is corpulently eaten, and its stomach seeks to get rid of excess, throwing them into the esophagus.

Not such food

Often children burp abundantly because food is not suitable for them. There are such cases if the nursing mother ate something that the food allergy had to the baby. Artificialists are also subject to frequent refluxes, whose parents too often change mixtures or introduce a new powder into the infant’s diet in accordance with the rules.

Diseases

If the pussy grows, but still continues to regurgitate profusely, tell the pediatrician about it. Strong and frequent discharge of the contents of the stomach can be a symptom of a number of diseases and pathological conditions:

• developmental delay;
• malformations of the gastrointestinal tract;
• flatulence;
• intestinal colic;
• constipation on the background of dysbiosis;
• abnormal development of the stomach and diaphragm;
• neurological pathology.

When should I guard?

If your baby often regurgitates and in large volumes, be sure to contact your pediatrician, since, as mentioned, this phenomenon can be a symptom of a number of diseases.

1. The regurgitation of the fountain after feeding is considered a consequence of violations of a neurological nature (encephalopathy, hypertension), as well as stomach cramps.
2. Reflux, separated from the episode of feeding for a long period - more than an hour - requires consultation with a gastroenterologist. This phenomenon is called "lazy stomach", it consists in the long assimilation and advancement of food through the system, as well as in the unstable operation of the closing valve. At the same time, the baby, in addition to delayed refluxes with curdled milk, may suffer from constipation.
3. Burping in newborns, accompanied by crying, says that the child suffers from intestinal colic and needs your help.
4. If, after reflux, the baby has a long belching, then it is a matter of high acidity, and you should contact your gastroenterologist.

Regurgitation or vomiting?

Sometimes regurgitation in newborns can be so intense that they can be confused with vomiting. Both of these phenomena are indeed similar. Food ejected from the stomach is already undergoing oxidation by the gastric nipple, food is coming out of the stomach to whelped food, and many parents begin to think that the baby has not burped and has vomited.

Since vomiting is a symptom of disease and requires a lot of attention from parents, you need to be able to distinguish

1. Baby will be burping only after eating or 10-15 minutes later after feeding. Vomiting can begin at any time.
2. Normal reflux occurs once, vomiting episodes, on the contrary, often follow each other.
3. The color and consistency of reflux are almost indistinguishable from food, sometimes it comes out curdled, vomiting, as a rule, has an admixture of bile and a yellowish tint or comes out with mucus.
4. After regurgitation, the baby will behave as usual, and after an episode of vomiting, it will change a lot, become sluggish and painful. Since the cause of vomiting, as a rule, is an infectious disease of the gastrointestinal tract, after a while, the baby’s stool will become greenish with mucus.

The consequences of regurgitation

If a baby spits up often, it will negatively affect his health:

• together with the food eaten in the esophagus, gastric juice, which has a certain acidity and irritates the mucous membranes, enters the mouth cavity. Often, burping babies cannot lie on their backs because of this.
• frequent regurgitation in newborns - causes of irritation of the respiratory tract, as well as the occurrence of inflammatory processes of the upper respiratory tract, especially if a reflux occurs with a fountain.
• abundant regurgitation of the fountain leads to the fact that the crumb does not eat up, it is not gaining weight and develops slowly.

Therefore, you should make every effort so that the baby does not regurgitate too often, and in the case of abundant reflux episodes, consult a doctor to find the causes and eliminate them.

How to help baby?

To prevent reflux episodes, you need to follow certain rules:

1. Do not overfeed the crumb, if he eagerly falls to the breast, take it away, when, according to your calculations, the baby must be satisfied.
2. Watch the infant hold the nipple on the HS, and the nipple filling during IV.
3. Change poses during feeding and make sure the crumbs head is above his body.
4. Before feeding, constantly lay out the child on the tummy - this will reduce the pain of colic.
5. At the end of the feeding, take the baby in your arms and, holding it upright, walk like this with it for 10 minutes until burping occurs.
6. It is recommended to raise the head of the baby’s bed by 20 degrees so that the belching can get out of the esophagus. This can be done by placing two diapers under his head and hanger, or by placing a board under the legs of the bed.
7. The baby must sleep in a position on its side or half-side.
8. After feeding, babies are not recommended to actively move and change their body position; it is better to choose quiet exercises for the first half-hour after eating.

If preventive measures do not help avoid reflux episodes, you can find a solution to the problem by consulting with a pediatrician.

• It helps to reduce the percentage of regurgitation; adding rice powder to milk or to a mixture that effectively thickens the liquid;
• in some cases, the pediatrician may recommend that you feed the child with special anti-reflux mixtures until the age of the valve that separates the stomach from the esophagus;
• if the doctor deems it necessary, he will prescribe a drug therapy that reduces gastric acidity, improves bowel function or eliminates spasms.

One of the problems that often causes reasonable concern to the parents of newborn children is regurgitation. Let's try to figure out why this phenomenon occurs, and whether you need to contact a doctor about this.

Regurgitation is the involuntary throwing of some amount of food from the stomach back into the esophagus and the oral cavity. This phenomenon is often observed in infants immediately or shortly after feeding. According to statistics, almost seventy percent of babies under the age of sixteen weeks regurgitate food at least once a day.

In most cases, regurgitation is not a sign of ill health, this phenomenon, as a rule, goes away on its own by the age of one. However, parents should be concerned if the child has frequent regurgitation.

The anatomical features of the infant are such that their structure predisposes to the development of such a phenomenon as regurgitation. Especially often premature babies or those with a delay are affected. intrauterine development. As a rule, as the child grows, he becomes more fit, and the regurgitation stops.

What reasons can lead to the fact that the child often belches? One of the reasons may be overfeeding, that is, an increase in the volume of food being fed or a reduction in the intervals between feedings. This phenomenon is often observed in babies who actively suck with an excess of milk from the mother. In babies who are deprived of breastfeeding, overfeeding may be caused by a change in the nature of the diet. This is possible due to the fact that mothers often and unmotivatedly change the types of adapted mixtures. When overfeeding regurgitation occurs, as a rule, immediately after feeding, with the amount of milk produced is insignificant (5-10 ml). This regurgitation has no effect on the general condition of the infant, there is a normal weight gain, there are no problems with the stool and appetite.

Another reason that the child often regurgitates is aerophagy or ingestion when feeding a large amount of air. This phenomenon is often noted in excitable children, especially if the mother has little milk. In addition, excessive air ingestion is observed when the nipple of the breast is improperly gripped or if an excessively large opening is made in the rubber nipple worn on the bottle. Aerophagia is often observed in children who at birth had an insufficient or, on the contrary, too large body weight. The regurgitation caused by this cause, as a rule, occurs several minutes after feeding, in which case undiluted milk is separated and the characteristic sound of outgoing air is heard.

The child often spits up and in case of problems with the intestines and stomach, that is, if he has constipation, flatulence. In this case, the intensity of regurgitation may be different.

Permanent regurgitation can be a signal that the child has a malformation of some part of the gastrointestinal tract. This may be an abnormality of the esophagus, weakness of the food sphincter, narrowing of the place of entry of the esophagus into the stomach and many other reasons.

Therefore, if the child constantly regurgitates, and this phenomenon leads to a violation of his general condition (weight loss, anxiety), then it is necessary to show the baby to the doctor so that the specialist can rule out the presence of pathology.

However, to inform the pediatrician that the child often regurgitates, it is necessary in any case, even if all the other indicators of health are normal. The doctor will help determine the cause of regurgitation and, if necessary, will recommend treatment.

For example, sometimes it is necessary to just pick up correct position  for feeding, that is, to keep the baby at the breast so that the upper part of his body is raised at an angle of 45-60 degrees to the horizontal. And after the feeding is completed, you need to hold the baby for about twenty minutes with a “column” so that the air swallowed with milk can escape unhindered.

If such simple measures do not help, then the doctor may recommend the use of therapeutic mixtures or drugs. And in case of detection of congenital abnormalities, surgical treatment is indicated.

Every mother of a baby, no matter what kind of feeding a baby is, is faced with such a phenomenon as regurgitation of a baby. In fact, this phenomenon is not considered a pathology, but only if it is not about frequent and abundant regurgitation. Why does the child regurgitate and how to understand that this phenomenon has a pathological nature?

Regurgitating spraying of small amounts of food eaten by a child from the stomach back into the esophagus, and then into the pharynx and oral cavity is called spitting. According to statistics, 67% of all children in the first year of life at least once regurgitate. The reason for this phenomenon is the relative weakness of the lower esophageal sphincter, the main function of which is to prevent the stomach contents from being thrown back into the esophagus.

Regurgitation in newborns can cause:

1. Overfeeding. If a crumb has eaten too much milk or an adapted mixture, then his stomach naturally gets rid of excess food.
2. Intestinal problems. Infant colic and constipation interfere with the normal process of passing food through the gastrointestinal tract, because of which the baby erupts abundantly.
3. Failure to apply breast attachment. If during feeding the child swallows air, then it gets stuck in the esophagus, like a cork, which then pushes the eaten milk back. Baby breast  often spits up due to the fact that, due to hunger, it sucks greedily on the breast or on the nipple of the bottle, while also swallowing air.
4. Lack of rest after feeding. If, immediately after feeding, the mother turns the baby on its belly, actively shakes in the stroller, then all this can lead to regurgitation.

All these factors, due to which the newborn regurgitates, are easily eliminated. But there are times when regurgitation becomes frequent, and independent of feedings. Pathological phenomenon, requiring immediate treatment to the doctor, is characterized by the following symptoms:

1. Baby spits up after each feeding.
2. The child is not gaining weight.
3. The baby spits up mucus, or the contents of the stomach have an admixture of blood.
4. Immediately after regurgitation, the baby starts screaming.
5. The kid often spits up the fountain.

1. The baby is premature, so his digestive tract is underdeveloped.
2. The child does not tolerate the adapted mixture, which he is fed.
3. Due to the deformation of the internal organs: pyloric stenosis, weakness of the esophageal sphincters, hernia of the diaphragm, etc.
4. The child suffers from colic, because of what his tummy is in constant tension.
5. The child has neurological problemsin particular, increased intracranial pressure, hypoxia during childbirth, congenital anomalies of the brain, etc.
6. In case of such infectious diseases as sepsis, meningitis, hepatitis and others.

When a child often regurgitates for the reasons described above, he should be shown to a doctor as soon as possible. The same applies to children who have a similar phenomenon after a year.

Regurgitation or vomiting?

Many parents anxiously react to the abundant regurgitation of a child, taking this phenomenon as vomiting. However, these two physiological processes have a number of differences:

1. Regurgitation, unlike vomiting, happens in the first 30 minutes after a meal.
2. When vomiting, the volume of the contents of the stomach exceeds 5 milliliters.
3. Vomit have a sour smell, and the contents of the stomach (milk in this case) curdled.
4. Vomiting is accompanied by cramping and abdominal pain.
5. In the mass which has left a stomach bile impurity can be observed.
6. Emetic urges are repeated more than once every few hours.
7. The child has the following symptoms: pallor of the skin, anxiety, cramps and drying of the skin, etc.

With repeated vomiting, an ambulance should be called in to the baby during the first months, especially if, in addition to this alarming symptom, an increase in body temperature is also observed.

Prevention

Most children regurgitate are not pathological in nature, so the task of parents is to prevent the frequent occurrence of this phenomenon. If a healthy child often regurgitates, then he can be helped:

1. If possible, feed the baby should be in a calm state. It is also recommended that before each feeding lay out the crumbs on the tummy so that the intestinal gases move away.
2. If the mother is breastfeeding the baby, then she should ensure that he is capturing not only the nipple, but also the area around him.
3. If the baby is fed with an adapted milk formula, then you should purchase a special anti-colic nipple and bottle for feeding.
4. After feeding, you should not rock the baby in your arms, shake in a wheelchair, and even more so proceed to the gymnastics and massage.
5. When the baby has just eaten, it is recommended for the mother to hold it for at least a few minutes with a “column” and lightly stroke the back so that the air swallowed by the child comes out of the digestive tract.
6. If the baby eats an adapted mixture, then between feedings one should maintain a three-hour interval. It is also worth remembering that the dosage of the mixture should correspond to the age of the child.

Normal weight gain, well-being of the baby and the absence of symptoms of any diseases - all these signs indicate that regurgitation of the baby does not require treatment. It is enough to follow the rules listed above, and the crumb will not often experience this phenomenon. If the baby often regurgitates and this requires medical correction, then parents should remember that any drugs should be administered exclusively by a pediatrician. As a rule, properly selected therapy allows you to quickly cope with the problem. In any case, parents should not panic and be sure to follow all the recommendations of the doctor.

Most families in which a newborn baby appears face the problem of regurgitation. This phenomenon scares parents because it is very similar to vomiting. However, often regurgitation is not associated with pathological processes and is quite acceptable in infancy. Why does the newborn spit up? Can I help him in any way? Let's discuss.

Is it normal for a baby to regurgitate?

Yes, there is nothing criminal in this, and, with the exception of special cases, regurgitation is considered a physiological process. More than 70% of babies are faced with a similar phenomenon before the age of six months.

Burping is the release of small portions of undigested or semi-digested food (most often it is mother's milk) from the stomach. If the baby is not capricious, smiles and gains weight well, you can not worry too much. But when the baby behaves restlessly at the same time, loses weight over time, spits up constantly, fountains, see the doctor immediately and as soon as possible. We'll discuss why this happens a little later.

Whether vomiting, or regurgitation

Every mother needs to be able to distinguish these two states, because our further actions will depend on what we are faced with.

As you can see, vomiting is a phenomenon that brings with it spasms and pain; a child will never be in such a state of fun, while he may not particularly react to spitting.

Unlike vomiting, regurgitation does not cause inconvenience to the crumbs.

Causes of regurgitation

The digestive system of a newborn baby is in the formative stage, and this is the main factor in which the baby often regurgitates. Here are some reasons why this phenomenon occurs:

1. Binge eating . As a friend of Winnie the Pooh, Smart Rabbit said: “All because someone eats too much.” It's no secret that sucking my mother's breast gives a crumb a sense of security and love. This state is so comfortable that even after eating, the baby does not want to break away from the breast. Because of this "attachment" the child may drink too much. But the stomach knows its norms, and regurgitation becomes a defensive reaction. For formula-fed babies, a similar pattern can be observed for the reason that the standard dose from the bottle is high.
2. Air and food. Often during feeding with food air bubbles enter. This is due to improper attachment to the chest, uncomfortable position of the child during the meal. If feeding comes from a bottle, it is possible that the hole in the nipple is too large and the milk (mixture) flows under great pressure.
3. Flatulence. A child who receives breast milk consumes substances from those products that mother ate the day before. And if among the products were legumes, cabbage, fresh apples, black bread, it is quite possible increased gas formation, which causes, in addition to spasms, an increase in intra-abdominal pressure. As a result, the baby can burp.
4. Sphincter weak muscles. They will be formed during the first 6 months of life. In the meantime, a non-trained muscle “skips” the contents that have entered the stomach, back.
5. Overexcitation. This reason, though rarely leads to regurgitation, but has the right to exist.
6. Teething. Thus, the body gets rid of excess saliva.

  Because of the large hole in the nipple, the baby may swallow air while eating

Pathological regurgitation

If a month child  regurgitates often, abundantly, at the same time losing weight, be sure to show the crumbs to the doctor. Such symptoms may indicate the development of a serious illness.

1. Pathology of the digestive organs. For example, such an anomaly as pyloric stenosis is manifested already in the first weeks of life. With her, the child spits up with cottage cheese, the body weight decreases, and there are no fecal formations even after the enema. If the surgery is not done in time, the baby may die.
2. Pathology central nervous system . Occurs in difficult childbirth, hypoxia, hypoplasia of the central nervous system in premature babies. In such cases, the child strongly belches, literally a fountain, asleep restlessly, the head can fall backwards. The content is undigested milk or a mixture.
3. Lactose intolerance. A child may regurgitate a lot due to intolerance to lactose milk protein. Some people do not have a lactase enzyme from birth that is involved in the digestion of milk. In this case, the crumb is transferred to a lactose-free mixture and, unfortunately, breast milk becomes contraindicated.
4. Infection. This can be attributed food poisoning, meningitis, etc. A frequent concomitant symptom is heat, pale or yellow skin. Regurgitation with mucus indicates that the infection is localized in the gastrointestinal tract, or dysbacteriosis is to blame.
5. Renal failure. Sometimes regurgitation after eating can be not only due to overeating, but also due to kidney problems.

  When lactose intolerance milk should be excluded from the diet of the child.

In all these cases, the child needs emergency medical care, since all these diseases are quite serious. Summarize. Medical care is sought in such situations:

• regurgitation "fountain" frequent, more than twice a day;
• the baby refuses to eat, little or too much pees, sluggish, body temperature is low (signs of dehydration);
• very high temperature, weight is typed poorly or not at all;
• evacuated content looks like sour milk is far from white in color, with an unpleasant pungent smell.

So, the regurgitation of the yellow color, the fountain, will tell you that the condition is similar to vomiting with admixtures of bile. Cottage cheese indicates that the digestion process has begun, but there are certain malfunctions in the digestive system. If such symptoms occur periodically, and the baby is cheerful and cheerful, they are not terrible. But if the contents are brown or green - this is a very alarming signal, intestinal obstruction is possible and an urgent need to see a doctor!

And why does the child sometimes belch through the nose? The force of the push and a large amount of content lead to the fact that the vomit is looking for all possible exits (not only through the mouth, but also through the nose).

  It is best to have the baby sleep in the "on the side" position.

Learning to reduce the frequency of physiological regurgitation

How can you help a child, without waiting for 6 months, when the condition itself normalizes? There are several simple tricks:

1. After feeding, always take the time to wear the baby vertically until you hear a burp. It takes up to 10 minutes.
2. During the meal, make sure that the crumb correctly captures the breast (the nipple with the surrounding halo). With artificial feeding, the hole in the nipple should be the same age as the toddler, that is, a nipple with a small hole will be suitable for newborns. In addition, there are special anti-colic bottles that prevent air from entering the stomach.
3. How much to keep the baby in the chest? Let it be more often in time, but experiment to take the breast a little earlier than usual. When children are full, they no longer suck so intensely, often begin to fall asleep at the breast.
4. Keep your nose clean. Obstructed nasal breathing leads to the fact that during feeding the baby swallows air.
5. Do not feed during strong crying.
6. Security measures: putting the child to bed, put him on the flank and fix the position with rollers.
7. Refrain from active games after feeding. No need to throw the baby and, moreover, to do exercises.

Important! A just-fed baby is not left unattended to lie on its back. There is a risk that the baby may choke on vomit.

Care for small children is always accompanied by anxiety for their life and health. And this fear is completely acceptable, because it encourages us, the parents, to respond in time to alarming signals and help their children. Just do not let excessive anxiety, because almost every child in the newborn period regurgitates, but this does not affect his development and health.