Parents learn to expect a small shower of milk after their baby finishes nursing or drinking a bottle. When your baby regurgitates milk, it can be difficult to determine whether he's spitting up because of infant reflux--a common infant condition that causes his stomach contents to spill out of his mouth when he burps--or vomiting due to an illness or medical condition. Spitting up or vomiting not accompanied by any other signs of illness can be especially baffling for parents.
Significance
If the spitting up doesn't bother your baby or cause any pain or distress, it's probably due to infant reflux. Infant vomiting usually appears forceful and painful, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Fever, lethargy, diarrhea and excessive crying or fussiness might also accompany infant vomiting. If you suspect your baby is vomiting instead of spitting up--or if your baby spits up excessively or forcefully--the American Academy of Pediatrics advises calling your doctor for advice.
Time Frame
Infants usually spit up small amounts of milk right after feedings for the first few months. Although the amount and frequency of the spitting up usually decreases once they start solid foods, it might persist until your baby turns 10 to 12 months old. Forceful vomiting, which occurs constantly, in an infant two weeks to two months of age might indicate pyloric stenosis, a condition that affects a baby's gastrointestinal tract. Pyloric stenosis usually appears in the third week of your baby's life and, if left untreated, can cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.
Identification
Your doctor usually requests specific details on your baby's feeding patterns and the frequency of the vomiting. He also needs to know when the vomiting began and whether any symptoms accompany the vomiting. Dr. Steven Dowshen, a medical editor at the Kids Health from Nemours website, cautions that weight loss and a pattern of inadequate growth often indicate your baby suffers from something more serious than infant reflux.
Your doctor will palpitate your baby's abdomen to see if he can find a pyloric mass--a small lump the size of a grape--that can indicate pyloric stenosis. If your doctor suspects pyloric stenosis, he will transfer your baby to a hospital for treatment.
Considerations
Infant reflux that causes excessive fussiness and crying in your baby--or causes frequent night waking and other sleep problems--can often be treated by prescription heartburn medications. Your doctor can also prescribe special infant formulas that can minimize spitting up due to reflux.
Prevention/Solution
Feeding your baby in an upright position and keeping him upright after he finishes eating can often minimize spitting up. Burp her frequently during feedings to lessen the amount of air swallowed. Avoid jostling her or playing with her energetically right after a feeding. The American Academy of Family Physicians suggests that adding 2 tbsp. to 3 tbsp. rice cereal to your baby's bottles might lessen the spitting up, but ask your baby's doctor first to make sure this treatment is appropriate for your baby.
