Spitting up in an infant often causes excitement in young mums and dads. But what is the cause of this condition? And under what circumstances should you use the services of a doctor and start treatment?
What causes babies to regurgitate
Regurgitation occurs when milk or solid food returns to the newborn's esophagus. Babies do this if they have eaten a large amount of food or swallowed a lot of air at the moment.
Babies, as a rule, do not pay any attention to this process. More often than not, babies stop spitting up only when they start to eat solid foods all the time. This occurs between 6 months and 1 year.
How to help a child
Feed your baby in a vertical position. If you are feeding from a bottle, make sure that the opening in the nipple is not very large and the baby requires little effort to extract milk.
Try not to change diapers, twirl or play with your baby immediately after eating. It is recommended that after eating, take the baby in your arms and hold it upright, in order to facilitate the release of air that the baby could swallow during the feeding period.
A child can spit up much less if you add 2-3 tsp to his daily menu. rice flakes. In the presence of too frequent regurgitation, doctors advise feeding the baby more often, but in smaller portions.
When to see a doctor
You should go to the doctor under the following circumstances:
- the weight gain of the baby has stopped;
- the baby spits up a lot of milk;
- regurgitation looks like vomiting;
- there are much fewer wet diapers than before;
- the baby seems tired and apathetic;
- the child spits up liquid of an atypical color.
