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Frequent vomiting in an infant. Causes of vomiting in a baby

The appearance of vomiting in the first year of a child's life occurs quite often, so young parents need to know what to do in such cases. At the same time, not only the frequency and intensity of vomiting is important, but also the accompanying symptoms.

How to recognize a dangerous illness in time, as well as the first actions of parents in case of vomiting in a baby - all the necessary information is discussed below.

How to distinguish vomiting from regurgitation in infants after feeding?

Babies often spit up because their digestive system is in the process of being improved. However, regurgitation should not be confused with vomiting.

If you find any alarming signs and conditions, you should definitely consult a pediatrician, and for "home diagnosis" you can use the following tips.

Main differences:

  1. Vomiting occurs at any time of the day, regardless of the meal. Regurgitation is observed immediately after eating, or within the next hour after.
  2. When spitting up, there is no high temperature, the child behaves as usual, there is no reason for concern. Vomiting, on the contrary, is often accompanied by other alarming symptoms.
  3. The contents of the stomach, which is a milk or curd mass, occurs during regurgitation. If it is a more liquid consistency, with impurities of mucus, undigested food debris, blood or other inclusions, we are talking about vomiting in children.
  4. The intensity of the ejection of the contents of the stomach also matters. If an undigested mass simply leaked out of the mouth, this should not cause any concern. In the case of a gushing ejection, when the contents scatter over a considerable distance, this is most likely just vomiting. To prevent tragic cases, you should not leave the child unattended, and after eating, be sure to keep it in a “column” so that excess air (the most common cause of regurgitation) can come out naturally.

Frequent regurgitation is observed in more than half of perfectly healthy children and is the norm. If the child is active, develops properly and gains weight, there is no cause for concern.

Usually, such phenomena normalize on their own when the child reaches six to seven months.

In any case, if you have questions or suspect any problem, it would be useful to show the child to a specialist, and monthly visits to the doctor in the first year of life are not just a whim, but the need for normal monitoring of the development and growth of the baby.

Safe reasons

It is not always an alarming symptom, although this sign greatly frightens parents. It should be noted that the digestive organs in newborns do not function as well as in an adult, so some “failures in the system” are acceptable and quite likely.

Why vomiting occurs:

  • The child moved. In this case, regurgitation or vomiting may occur. It is imperative to adjust the diet, dividing the daily portion into 6-7 doses. The smaller the baby, the more frequent feedings occur.
  • Power changes. Replacement of milk formula, nutritional errors of a nursing mother and the introduction of complementary foods - all this can provoke such a reaction. If you act carefully, given previous negative experiences and mistakes, you can deal with such problems on your own.
  • Overexcitation and active games. To avoid this, it is necessary to limit the activity of the baby about half an hour before meals and the same amount after. It is not recommended to bathe the baby immediately after eating, as well as to actively engage in gymnastics and outdoor games.

A characteristic feature of such cases is the possibility of self-elimination of the cause. Of course, it is difficult for young parents to determine the true cause of vomiting, so be sure to observe the child after an attack.

If the baby is still active, vomiting has not recurred, there is no temperature and other negative symptoms - everything is in order.

Dangerous reasons

It is impossible to consider vomiting as a separate disease. Most often, this is a symptom of various problems in the body associated with the digestive system, or nervous disorders.

If you exclude non-dangerous causes of vomiting, you can identify several more alarming conditions, accompanied by vomiting.

Dangerous diseases:

  1. Intracranial pressure and tumors.
  2. Congenital pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
  3. Gastroenteritis.
  4. Toxic poisoning.
  5. Concussion.
  6. diabetic conditions.
  7. Infections of the genitourinary system.
  8. Infectious or viral diseases.
  9. Side effect of drug treatment.
  10. Diseases of the endocrine or nervous system.

In this case, an accurate diagnosis and adequate treatment is carried out under the supervision of a doctor and in a hospital. Frequent and profuse vomiting can lead to, which develops very quickly in newborns. To prevent this, you should definitely consult a doctor.

Associated symptoms

In severe conditions, it cannot be the only symptom.

If vomiting is repeated, and against this background the child is too restless, or, conversely, apathetic, it is imperative to seek medical help.

To make a reliable diagnosis, it is necessary to provide complete information about the time of deterioration, the frequency and abundance of vomiting, and, if possible, provide material for laboratory examination.

What symptoms should alert:

  • Weakness and apathy of the child.
  • Restless crying that is difficult to appease.
  • Increase in body temperature.
  • Intestinal upset, and flatulence.
  • Blood and black impurities in the vomit.
  • Intestinal contents in vomit.
  • Blue lips or nasolabial triangle.
  • Refusal to drink, urinary retention for more than four hours.

All this can be a signal of the development of serious pathologies. In some cases, the causes can be eliminated at home, but usually pediatricians choose the tactics of medical supervision, in which the child is hospitalized in a hospital.

You should not be afraid of this, because such measures can save lives with a sharp deterioration. That is why it is not recommended to endure such conditions at home, at least you need to consult a knowledgeable specialist.

When is a doctor needed?

It is often difficult for young parents to determine the pathology on their own. A characteristic feature of childhood diseases is the rapid development, so it would be useful to know in which situations medical assistance is urgently needed.

Urgently see a doctor if vomiting starts after:

  • The child fell. Height and cause of fall are irrelevant. In such situations, there may be a concussion, as well as internal bleeding, so calling an ambulance cannot be postponed.
  • The kid ate a poor-quality or dangerous product. In such cases, vomiting is a natural reaction of the body, which seeks to clear the stomach of toxins before they enter the circulatory system.
  • The vomit entered the respiratory tract. Be sure to clean your mouth of residues, rinse if possible, make artificial respiration. Even if everything worked out and nothing threatens the life of the child, such situations threaten infection of the lungs and the development of the inflammatory process.

Repeated and profuse vomiting is also a reason to see a doctor. Symptoms of dehydration in the first year of life develop very quickly, so if you notice a sunken fontanelle, weakness and drowsiness of the child, and also, be sure to call an ambulance.

First aid

Before the arrival of the doctor, it is better to help the child on their own. To do this, each parent should know the basic rules for such cases. at this time, you can not leave the child alone, because a second attack can block the airways.

Vomit often enters the lungs and bronchi, causing local inflammation. For any conditions and causes of vomiting, the following first aid algorithm can be described.

What to do before the arrival of the doctor:

  1. Lay the child on its side, or take it in your arms to prevent vomit from entering the respiratory tract. If vomiting occurs again, tilt the baby's torso slightly forward to eliminate the risk.
  2. Don't give any food. After an attack, you need to give a little boiled warm water so that vomit does not accumulate on the esophagus (which can lead to erosion).
  3. Change and wash the child, if possible, rinse his mouth. It is also necessary to clear the nasal passages from possible blockage with emetic contents.
  4. If diarrhea is observed, wash and change the baby.
  5. In case of food poisoning, you can give a little soluble enterosorbent (Smecta, activated carbon or its analogues).
  6. At high temperature (above 38 degrees), give an antipyretic. For these purposes, it is best to keep paracetamol suppositories or its analogues in the refrigerator.

Main tactic: keep calm. Children are very susceptible to the mood of their parents, so excessive nervousness and tantrums will only worsen the condition of the little one. If hospitalization cannot be avoided, it is worth preparing all the necessary things and documents in advance.

Treatment

The optimal treatment plan is determined by a specialist and only after finding out the real cause of vomiting. To do this, you must provide complete information about the child, the frequency of seizures and possible nutritional errors, or suspicion of injury.

Assessment of the child's condition, the need to replenish the water and electrolyte balance, as well as medical treatment carried out in a hospital, will help to quickly and effectively eliminate vomiting and related symptoms. In case of acute surgical pathologies or congenital problems of the gastrointestinal tract, an operative method is used.

Consequences

Usually a single attack of vomiting does not require specific treatment, and does not require serious treatment. If possible, you should contact your pediatrician to find out the possible cause and eliminate possible errors. This is necessary so that such a situation does not happen again, as well as to reassure parents.

If vomiting appears regularly, or is of an ongoing nature, it is worth learning about the serious consequences that can occur if you do not go to a medical facility.

What can vomiting lead to?

  1. Dehydration of the body. Children very quickly lose their entire supply of fluids and minerals, so alarming symptoms can appear within a few hours. This is dryness of the lips, their blueness, urinary retention and even loss of consciousness.
  2. The development of pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. Not only the absorption of nutrients is disturbed, but the esophagus is damaged by vomit.
  3. The development of infection and intoxication of the body. This is typical for food poisoning, in which toxins enter the bloodstream and cause damage to the central nervous system, as well as internal organs.
  4. Brain activity may be impaired. If vomiting is caused by meningitis or brain injury, it is necessary to act immediately, because we are talking about the life of the child.
  5. Frequent vomiting, even in the absence of other symptoms, there may be signs of tumors of various localization. That is why a complete examination of the baby may be necessary.

Vomiting in infants is very common and is not always harmless regurgitation. If the child is restless, normal development is disturbed and other symptoms are observed, it is urgent to show the baby to the doctor.

In the case of frequent and profuse vomiting, dehydration can develop, so you need to know how to help the child in such cases.

Self-medication or refusal of hospitalization can lead to a tragic ending, therefore, for an accurate examination and adequate treatment, be sure to contact the appropriate specialist.

In order to generally begin to worry about vomiting in a baby, let's figure out what “regurgitation” is and what “vomiting” is in newborn children. Regurgitation is familiar to all mothers when only a small amount of food rises in the baby and pours out. This process is connected with the fact that the esophagus in newborns differs from the esophagus of an adult. Moreover, spitting up is an absolutely normal phenomenon in young children, so you should not worry, the only recommendation is to hold the baby upright so that the child has the opportunity to get rid of excess air, which pushes some of the food back. Vomiting in a newborn after feeding is quite normal, if it is not plentiful.

But, if your baby is vomiting and food literally comes out in a stream, this is a completely different matter. To begin with, calm down, because if your child does not have changes in behavior, he does not become more capricious, there are no signs and symptoms of the disease, then nothing terrible happens. It happens that in the first months the child often has “eruptions” and there is no cause for concern. If the baby has an increased tone, then vomiting can occur for several weeks almost every day. Worse if , but this is also solvable. Don't panic, but check with your pediatrician. Vomiting in a newborn can occur for many reasons, let's look at which ones.

Vomiting in a newborn baby: causes

So why do newborns vomit at all? And what are the causes of vomiting in babies? The main causes of vomiting are as follows:

  • Intestinal obstruction in a child
  • Impaired kidney function. Most often this is a congenital cause.
  • Difficult birth or birth trauma. If during childbirth the baby's head was damaged, then vomiting in the newborn may be associated with the recovery process after cerebral edema or internal hemorrhages.
  • At the level of the organism, intolerance to cow protein or specific elements in the diet. In this case, vomiting is a consequence of the inability to digest the protein. A small and still underdeveloped ventricle can compact the protein, creating a lump, which is then thrown out as a protective reaction. , so carefully study the composition and choose high-quality nutrition.
  • Also, vomiting in newborns can be caused by allergic reactions. In this case, there may be rashes or redness on the baby's body. Talk to your doctor about specific items in baby food.
  • A stomach infection can also cause vomiting, again, consult your doctor.
  • Vomiting in newborns may be the result of an adverse reaction to SARS or a response to fever.
  • The problem may also be hidden in neurology. If the child's central nervous system develops incorrectly, then a neurologist's consultation is needed. Meningitis or a concussion can also cause vomiting. In addition to vomiting, infants with such problems may have convulsions and rashes.
  • Vomiting can be the result of sunstroke or overheating, so when going for a walk, be sure to put on a baby hat.
  • Surprisingly, vomiting can be the result of long tantrums or the crying of a child.
  • Diabetes mellitus or changes in intracranial pressure can also cause vomiting.
  • One more reason - . Prolonged paroxysmal coughing can cause vomiting.
  • In most cases, vomiting in children should not cause much concern on the part of parents, however, if vomiting has a greenish tint, which appears due to the appearance of bile, then you should immediately consult a doctor. Be that as it may, if vomiting is repeated frequently or is caused due to some special reasons, you need to consult a doctor and hand over the baby.

What to do with vomiting in a newborn baby?

  • Of course, you yourself are unlikely to understand the causes of vomiting in a child, at the same time, vomiting in newborns can be dangerous and lead, for example, to dehydration. Be that as it may, do not leave the child alone with the problem, as the baby may choke on vomit. If you put the baby in the crib, then be sure to turn your head to the side. Warm water can also alleviate the baby's condition, but pour in small portions, because large ones will again cause vomiting. Later, you can bathe the baby in warm water to alleviate the condition. About,

Vomiting refers to the situation in which the contents of the stomach and, sometimes, the intestines leave the body through the mouth. It occurs in people regardless of gender and age, often vomiting occurs in a child, which makes parents seriously worried.

There are many reasons why a baby may vomit. It can be caused by the following factors:

  • Binge eating
  • Baby disease or teething syndrome
  • Problems in the gastrointestinal tract
  • Air entering the stomach while eating
  • Large pieces of food

In some cases, vomiting in a baby does not cause concern - the regular rejection of a small part of food back into the oral cavity is called regurgitation. It is considered a variant of the norm up to a certain age and in the absence of other alarming symptoms.

Vomiting in response to overeating

Feeding a child is a responsible task that requires care, especially when it comes to the baby in the first months of life. The rate of food intake is individual for each child; with artificial feeding, the volume of the mixture prescribed by age may be too large for a particular baby. If the baby is fed with mother's milk, it is almost impossible to control the amount eaten. In response to exceeding the required volume of milk or mixture, vomiting occurs in the baby.

It is enough to simply determine that the contents of the stomach left it due to overeating:

  • Vomiting appears immediately after eating
  • Before this, the child bends, screams non-stop, sticks out his tongue
  • No symptoms of the disease
  • Vomiting occurs once, with a maximum of one repetition

If part of the food is rejected, you should reduce the portions of food for the baby and monitor the further condition. If, with a decrease in portions, the child continues to vomit after eating, there are good reasons to inform the doctor about this.

Pathologies in the development of the gastrointestinal tract

If an infant has vomited in a fountain, it is most likely caused by problems with the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, they begin to appear closer to the second month of the baby's life. These problems consist in regular vomiting about a couple of hours after feeding the baby. The amount of liquid released is usually greater than the amount eaten. Part of the milk in a folded form is overcooked, this is due to food retention in the stomach and its untimely entry into the intestines of the crumbs.

The consequences of congenital pathologies may be the lack of weight gain or its loss, which requires careful observation of specialists and hospitalization if necessary.

Diseases of the central nervous system

With damage to the central nervous system, vomiting in infants can be regular. Usually it manifests itself in the form of small, but frequent regurgitation, less often - the rejection of a large amount of food. Diseases that can cause this problem are as follows:

  • Circulatory disorders in the brain
  • Various injuries, including concussion
  • High intracranial pressure
  • brain tumors

An appeal to a neurologist in case of frequent rejection of what has been eaten is necessary, because the neurological causes of this phenomenon must be treated as early as possible in order to achieve the desired result. As a rule, vomiting in infants with neurological diseases is accompanied by other signs of the disease:

  • Muscle hypertonicity or, conversely, decreased tone
  • Tremor - trembling of the hands of the baby, the chin may also tremble
  • Restless and interrupted sleep in crumbs
  • Increased excitability of the baby or lethargy and lack of interest in what is happening around

It is important to detect a disease in the field of neurology at an early stage for the further full life of the child.

Vomiting in infectious diseases

Unlike other causes, with infectious diseases, vomiting and fever in the baby are observed. All diseases caused by infection are divided into 2 groups:

  • Intestinal infections
  • Acute infectious diseases

Depending on the cause, additional problems may be found in the child.

Acute intestinal infections

A disease occurs due to pathogens entering the gastrointestinal tract of the child - bacteria and viruses that penetrate the oral cavity when the child tries to eat something dirty or suck on unwashed hands. In addition to vomiting in intestinal infections, the following signs of the disease are present:

  • Diarrhea
  • Sharp pain in the abdomen, due to which the baby bends the legs to the stomach and screams
  • Increased body temperature

If these symptoms occur, you should immediately call an ambulance. Frequent vomiting and loose stools in infants can cause dehydration, which requires immediate fluid replenishment using droppers.

Acute infectious diseases

Often the appearance of vomiting in diseases of the child caused by various infections. It occurs with angina, SARS, pneumonia and otitis media. As a rule, with these diseases, vomiting appears in response to eating. In addition to her, the baby has a fever, general weakness, drowsiness, moody mood and lack of appetite. On examination, the doctor pays attention to inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose and throat. There is a cough.

More serious diseases, the first signs of which may be vomiting, are meningitis and encephalitis. With these diseases, vomiting is regular, the amount of rejected food is large. The baby screams loudly and for a long time, hides from bright light, seizures may occur.

With these symptoms, you should immediately call an ambulance, as the disease can be fatal.

Poisoning in a baby and vomiting in response to complementary foods

Often, parents seek to introduce new foods into the baby's diet as soon as possible. The age at which the baby is ready to receive new food is different for everyone, the inscriptions on jars of mashed potatoes and grandmother's advice are not the main criterion for the introduction of adult products. When introducing new foods to the crumbs, you should carefully monitor his reaction. If vomiting occurs immediately after eating or after a while, you should postpone the moment of complementary feeding and continue to feed the baby with breast milk or formula.

A child who is already actively eating mashed foods may also be prone to vomiting. It can be caused by poor-quality food or violation of storage conditions. It should be noted that small deviations from the ideal quality of products are enough for a child to cause poisoning. It is defined by the following symptoms:

  • Vomit
  • Diarrhea
  • Sharp pain in the abdomen
  • Temperature rise
  • Weakness and increased sweating

With frequent vomiting, diarrhea and fever, you should call a doctor to decide on hospitalization, there is a risk of dehydration, which is very dangerous for the baby.

Treatment of vomiting in a child

As a rule, when people talk about the treatment of vomiting, they mean ways to stop it. It makes no sense to treat vomiting, because it is not a disease, but just a sign of a disease. To alleviate the condition of the baby and protect him from serious consequences in the following ways:

  • Replenishment of fluid in the body. In no case should you give the child a lot to drink immediately after vomiting, there is a risk of repeated and even greater rejection of the fluid by the body. It should be often, every 5-10 minutes to give the child a spoonful of water. The mixture and the breast must also be given to the child very carefully, little by little, and only in cases where the baby categorically refuses water.
  • Keeping baby upright even while sleeping. In the absence of such an opportunity (the child refuses to sleep in this position), it is necessary to put the baby on its side and constantly monitor it. This is necessary to prevent the entry of vomit into the respiratory tract of the crumbs, which can cause respiratory arrest.
  • Do not give the baby a pacifier during active vomiting. When feeling unwell, the baby tries to calm down by sucking it and is not always able to throw it away at the right time. The consequence is the ingestion of vomit, which aggravates the situation, or their entry into the respiratory tract, threatening a tragic outcome.

Ways to prevent vomiting associated with feeding habits

Vomiting is often referred to as periodic regurgitation caused by air entering the stomach. If this happens infrequently, and the volume of vomit is very small, this is not a pathology and is considered normal, which is inherent in most babies. You can reduce the amount of spitting up as follows:

  • Laying the baby on the tummy before feeding for 15-20 minutes
  • Monitor proper breastfeeding while breastfeeding
  • Choosing the right teat for the bottle when feeding infant formula
  • After eating, hold the child upright for a while, so the air from the stomach will come out faster and easier, leaving everything eaten inside

Sometimes vomiting occurs when switching from breastfeeding to formula-feeding abruptly, or when changing from one infant formula to another. In this case, you should cancel the replacement of power and make it gradually and carefully.

Regardless of the causes of vomiting in infants, it should be reported to the pediatrician to exclude pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and infectious diseases. If necessary, the doctor will advise you to visit a neurologist in order to exclude problems of the central nervous system of the child.

Regurgitation and vomiting often occur in children under the age of one year. These two phenomena are similar to each other, but denote different states. . Often, mothers are frightened and wonder why a newborn spit up a lot after feeding with breast milk or formula. They begin to suspect under this the presence of a hidden disease, they worry.

In particular, young mothers are shocked by the vomiting of a fountain in a baby after breastfeeding. In order not to torment yourself with negative thoughts, it is important to learn to recognize where is spitting up and where is vomiting.

Regurgitation is considered a natural process of physiology. Excess air swallowed by the baby during meals leaves the stomach. This happens immediately after feeding or within an hour after it, it is repeated no more than 2-3 times a day. An average of 30 ml of fluid is released. Usually it is water, milk, saliva. The color is white, there are no inclusions of bile. The child himself is cheerful and happy, does not cry. As the regurgitation grows, it disappears without a trace. Pediatricians consider their presence to be the norm for all babies.

Sometimes the baby spit up heavily after feeding breast milk or formula (more than 3-4 times a day and more than 30 ml) and looks healthy in all aspects. If this happens once, it's normal. If this is repeated constantly and the little one is in perfect order, then you should still go to the pediatrician. Mom needs to tell the doctor that the baby is spitting up a lot after feeding with breast milk or formula. The doctor will examine the newborn, prescribe the necessary tests.

The well-being of the child does not suffer from regurgitation. A completely different picture with vomiting: the baby feels bad, he cries, as if complaining. It is not water and milk that are excreted from the body, but masses of yellow, mustard flowers, a lot of bile.

Vomiting is not a disease, it is not dangerous if it happens once. But if it happens often, then this is a signal to conduct an examination of the child.

After all, its repetition can indicate the presence of an ailment in the body:

  • SARS;
  • lack of lactose;
  • flu;
  • poisoning;
  • trauma;
  • otitis;
  • pneumonia;
  • metabolic disorders and others.

For the crumbs, these diseases are especially dangerous, because they can cause irreparable damage to his health.

Main reasons

There are several main reasons:

  1. binge eating;
  2. active games and sudden movements after eating;
  3. the mixture is not suitable;
  4. allergy to the first complementary foods, incorrect introduction of new foods into the diet.

All of the above factors can become prerequisites for vomiting, single. If the newborn has vomited and is feeling well, all is well.

If the baby vomited a fountain after breastfeeding once, this is also not dangerous. And if this began to be systematically repeated, this is already a signal for a visit to a specialist and the start of an examination.


What to do to make spitting up go away

Before feeding

  1. The kid should be calm. No need to disturb him, shake him. It is better to do a relaxing massage with warm hands.
  2. You need to massage the tummy clockwise, in a circular motion, in no case do not press. Mom's touches have a calming effect on the children's nervous system.
  3. The mother herself also needs to be balanced and calm, because her psychological state is transmitted to the newborn. Babies are very sensitive, good for mom - good for the child. Mom is tense, nervous - the baby will behave the same way.

During feeding

  1. The newborn should eat his norm, do not overfeed, otherwise the excess will come out in the form of regurgitation.
  2. Plays a significant role. It should lie comfortably and correctly: the head is not thrown back, the spine is straight, the arms are free, not pressed down, the nose is clean and breathes well.
  3. It is important that the child, otherwise he will swallow excess air and then, after eating, he will spit it up, and with it the milk eaten. The baby should capture not only one nipple, but the entire areola. The mouth should be wide open, the lower lip turned outward. If the baby has not taken the entire areola, put your finger in his mouth, carefully pull out the nipple and try again. Take the nipple with 2-3 fingers, squeeze it a little and put it in the baby's mouth. If the lip is not everted again, try sticking it out with your finger.
  4. Keep trying until the baby is latching on properly. This is significant, because then the peristalsis of the stomach begins to work as it should, the child sucks out all the milk, it is easy and tasty for him, and the mother does not hurt.
  5. If the newborn is formula-fed, use special slow-flow bottles. The nipples in these bottles are designed in such a way as to prevent the swallowing of excess air and the formation of colic. You can buy bottles in a pharmacy or in any specialized children's store.


After feeding

  1. It is necessary that the baby continues to lie down for 1-2 minutes.
  2. Then, very carefully and without sudden movements, lift vertically, lift slowly, not at once, otherwise regurgitation is guaranteed. Hold the child in this position for at least 2-5 minutes. Some people need more time, some less.
  3. After a specified period of time, the baby will burp out excess air that he swallowed while eating.
  4. After burping, it is better to put the little one in the crib.

If the mixture is not quite suitable for the baby, it can be replaced with another one. But perhaps this is only with the permission of the pediatrician. He will evaluate the condition of the baby and decide if it would be useful to switch to a new formula.

There is nothing pathological in the fact that the baby is sick of the introduced complementary foods. Again, you need to consult your doctor. He will tell you which products to introduce first, which ones to postpone for a while.

What threatens repetitive vomiting

Vomiting is dangerous because it can cause critical conditions for the baby:

  1. dehydration;
  2. weight loss;
  3. suffocation.

Dehydration occurs and develops in infants extremely quickly. This process is hard to see. Parents notice him late. Therein lies the great difficulty.

The signs of dehydration in a child are:

  • sunken eyes and fontanel;
  • the baby pees little, loses weight;
  • the skin becomes dry, inflamed, rough and very hot to the touch;
  • the newborn is lethargic, cries a lot and loudly, his movements are inhibited.

Attention! If the child has any of these signs, parents should immediately begin to give the infant the necessary amount of water and call the emergency team. This situation cannot be ignored. Severe dehydration is often fatal. The lower the weight of the baby, the sooner you need to call a doctor.

Weight loss is especially critical for premature babies and for those who are only a month old and a little more. Body weight is an indicator of health. It is by him that they judge whether the baby develops and grows normally. Not without reason, at each visit to the pediatrician, children are weighed. Severe weight loss is fatal.


Asphyxiation is the result of vomit entering the respiratory tract. That is why, since ancient times, grandmothers have been taught to put the baby to sleep only on the side, because the little baby still does not know how to roll over.

If vomiting recurs

Vomiting in a newborn after feeding with breast milk, formula or complementary foods is repeated systematically, you should consult a doctor.

Attention! It is forbidden to treat children up to a year old with folk methods or on their own! It is necessary to call either a pediatrician or an ambulance team. Only the attending physician has the right to make decisions regarding the use of drugs after the tests.

When should you call the doctor immediately?

It is urgent to call an ambulance if the child:

  • Inhibited, as if unable to sleep, does not eat or drink;
  • She cries a lot, it is clear that something hurts a lot;
  • Does not go to the toilet, he is sick;
  • Fell, hit, lost consciousness, vomited;
  • Fell into a state of dehydration, very weak and lethargic;
  • After nausea, the temperature rose;
  • Diarrhea followed the vomiting;
  • Vomiting repeated more than 2 times;
  • There was a profuse vomiting fountain;
  • In the rejected masses, drops of blood are noticeable, the color of the mass is brown, black;

What should be done before the arrival of a doctor or an ambulance?

Adults should be close to the baby, monitor the slightest changes in his condition. Since dehydration sets in very quickly, it is important to give your child something to drink immediately after vomiting. Even if the baby vomited after eating.

  • Babies who are breastfed should be breastfed. Give water from time to time.
  • Offer formula to formula-fed babies. You can not change the mixture to another. Additionally, give the baby a drink with a solution (60-120 ml). This is the only drug allowed in this case. It is designed to avoid dehydration after vomiting.
  • Children who have been introduced to complementary foods can be offered applesauce, banana, rice from products. Give a solution of Regidron.

You can drink from a spoon or from a bottle. It is allowed to use a syringe without a needle. Draw a little solution into the syringe and slowly squeeze it into the baby's mouth. If the child wants to drink more, give more.

You can give rehydron. Instructions: take 1 liter of chilled boiled water and dilute 1 sachet in it. Give the baby in small portions. Store in refrigerator (2° to 8°C) for no more than 24 hours. Breastfeeding or formula feeding does not need to be interrupted. Regidron can be given before meals and after.

Note! It is forbidden to feed a newborn with honey, drink juice, tea, broth, cow's and goat's milk, various folk decoctions. They are not able to replenish the supply of lost electrolytes and will significantly harm an already weak baby.

You can’t give the baby pills for vomiting, remedies for diarrhea, bring down the temperature - you will only harm him.

Prevention after treatment

Depending on how well the prevention will go, the well-being of the baby subsequently depends.

She suggests:

  • Observance of hygiene of mother and baby;
  • Sterilization of bottles, nipples, spoons;
  • Using the above recommendations to reduce the number of regurgitations;
  • Fulfillment of doctor's prescriptions regarding the daily routine of the baby, nutrition and other factors.

Regurgitation is a phenomenon of the physiology of a growing organism. They happen periodically, are considered the norm for babies, and eventually disappear without a trace. If the baby spit up a lot of milk after feeding with breast milk or formula, this is not a pathology.

Vigilance and attentiveness of adults help to recognize alarming signals in time and take urgent measures.

Vomiting in a baby after feeding with breast milk or formula is safe only in the situation when it happened once. If the baby experiences vomiting all the time, he vomits, you need to call an ambulance or invite a specialist from the clinic.

When vomiting occurs in a baby after feeding, inexperienced parents begin to panic and immediately call a doctor. Is such a precaution necessary or was it just regurgitation, how to tell? Today on the agenda - what are the causes of pathological vomiting in newborns and what should be the first emergency care for vomiting in a baby?

Feeding a newborn is a real happiness, but it is fraught with many difficulties.

Why does vomiting occur in newborns?

The first month of a baby's life is an amazing and difficult period for him, when he gets used to a new environment for him, when his internal organs undergo final adjustment. This period is even more difficult for his parents, who perceive any minor troubles as serious problems. If the baby vomits, the parents believe that he is seriously ill.

Vomiting in itself is not an independent disease, but it is a symptom (and often the most important) in various diseases. It is possible to identify its cause only after a detailed study.

Attention! Pediatricians consider single vomiting without other symptoms to be the norm for all newborns. It is taken as the reaction of the child's body to new food or other external stimuli, and often it is unpredictable.

Causes of vomiting in infants

If vomiting in a newborn after feeding or at other times occurs frequently, in combination with other alarming symptoms, his health worsens, then this condition can no longer be considered harmless. Especially dangerous are repeated vomiting dehydration.

Important! There are a lot of diseases that cause frequent vomiting in babies, they are all very dangerous. At the first suspicion that something is wrong, you need to contact a medical institution for help in order to start treatment as soon as possible.

The most common reasons:

  • lactose deficiency;
  • SARS, influenza;
  • pneumonia;
  • otitis media;
  • various injuries;
  • metabolic disease;
  • food poisoning;
  • intestinal obstruction;
  • intracranial pressure;
  • neoplasms;
  • diabetic ketoacidosis;
  • hydrocephalus;
  • encephalitis;
  • uremia;
  • SDS (Shaken Baby Syndrome);
  • severe gastroenteritis;
  • strangulated hernia;
  • meningitis;
  • sepsis;
  • respiratory infections;
  • urinary tract infections;
  • concussion;
  • appendicitis;
  • necric enterocolitis;
  • intussusception;
  • pyloric stenosis.

Vomiting or regurgitation - how to distinguish?

Problems, as you can see, are different, but according to statistics, all these diseases in the first months of life are not so common. Much more often there is a slight vomiting in the crumbs after feeding due to the fact that he has not yet fully formed the peristalsis of the stomach. This condition is called regurgitation and occurs in almost all newborns.

How to distinguish vomiting from regurgitation in infants? The physiological process differs from the pathological one in the following ways:

  • when spitting up, there is no gagging;
  • the amount of rejected food is very small;
  • regurgitation happens no more than 3 times a day;
  • the baby normally increases in weight;
  • regurgitation disappears gradually without any treatment.

Attention! It is not difficult even for parents with minimal experience to determine vomiting or regurgitation. Spitting up occurs immediately after eating or within an hour. It is a single dose, with it milk or water is released. Vomiting is repeated, in the vomit, yellowish discharge due to bile.

Regurgitation is a natural process: air comes out of the stomach, the body says that the digestive system is working normally. Nothing bothers the baby, he is developing, cheerful, sociable - there is no reason for concern. With vomiting, everything is different: the child is whiny, restless, it is noticeable that he is ill.

Pathological vomiting in infants

Mothers should be careful to detect in time that something is wrong with their babies. Due to the fact that vomiting in infants after feeding is a fairly common occurrence, sometimes parents do not attach importance to many other disturbing facts, namely:

  • the baby is not gaining weight well or the weight has stopped altogether;
  • vomiting continues for too long, sometimes up to three hours;
  • nausea in a child is constant, for no apparent reason;
  • when vomiting, the newborn begins to choke, cough.

Attention! If vomiting goes away with blanching of the skin and the temperature rises, the child is lethargic, refuses to eat - these are very dangerous symptoms. An ambulance should be called immediately!

Consider the main types of pathological vomiting in infants:

  • Nausea is accompanied by extremely high fever. Existing symptoms indicate the development of a viral infection, colds, poisoning. The baby is covered with sudden vomiting, he loses his appetite, weakness occurs. After evaluating the condition of the crumbs, the doctor directs therapy to treat the underlying disease, bring down the temperature, replenish fluid in a small body and light nutrition.
  • Sometimes they may have different origins. If before that the baby was, for example, prescribed an antibiotic, then vomiting is an allergic reaction to this drug. The attending physician should be notified of this in order to prescribe another remedy, and the medication should be stopped before a visit to the doctor.
  • Vomiting may be associated with diarrhea. The occurrence of these symptoms indicates poisoning, intestinal or viral infection, early introduction of complementary foods. If they are intense, you need to call an ambulance. A baby loses fluid much faster than an adult, so you should protect him from developing dehydration. Treatment focuses on rehydration. Antibiotics are prescribed in serious cases, with a less severe course of the disease - antimicrobials.
  • The baby may vomit in a fountain. The reason for this is aerophagia. This is the phenomenon of swallowing air and it refers to neuroses. Regurgitation is considered a normal process, but sometimes it is a sign of some ailments associated with anomalies in the structure of the digestive system. Parents should be alerted to vomiting with a fountain with a much larger amount of vomit than the child ate. If the baby is naughty at the same time, this should serve as a signal to call the doctor.

What to do if the baby vomits?

Let the physiological regurgitation and the normal state, but can it be prevented? Experienced mothers recommend:

  • Make sure that before feeding the crumb was in a calm state. Mom also should not be nervous, as the child feels everything. It is good to put the baby on the tummy or stroke him on the stomach. You can massage the navel area.
  • It is necessary to ensure that when feeding the baby's head is not thrown back, so that his nose is clean and breathes freely.
  • We make sure that the baby takes the mother's breast correctly. He must grab it along with the areola, so that his lower lip is slightly everted.
  • With artificial feeding, it is advisable to use special bottles that have the function of preventing the swallowing of excess air.
  • After feeding, you do not need to carry out any active actions with the baby. It is important to attach it at this time vertically to the heart and gently pat on the back.
  • Make sure that the baby does not overeat, because regurgitation also happens from elementary overfeeding.

When vomiting, it is important to calm the baby so that he does not scream

Regurgitation is easily corrected, but pathological vomiting is different. Vomiting can last up to 1-2 days. At this time, the baby is threatened with dehydration, so it is important to ensure that he receives enough fluids.

Attention! If the baby in a painful condition does not refuse the breast, then you need to continue to feed him as usual. Water should be given in very small portions (one spoon each) so that the attacks do not repeat again.

All home treatments for vomiting are only suitable for those cases when it occurs once, is not systemic. If the poor condition of the crumbs persists for a long time, there is no improvement, then you need to seek medical help.