Patient's question:
My little baby was just born and hasn't been here for a month yet. He always spits up milk, sometimes quite a lot. Is there any way to make him more comfortable?Doctor's answer:
Nursing-induced vomiting is a relatively common phenomenon in the neonatal period. Some cases are normal physiological conditions known as "spitting up," while others differ in quantity and frequency from typical spitting up, which may indicate illness and require early diagnosis and treatment. One type of vomiting in newborns is a physiological phenomenon, which is related to the anatomical and physiological characteristics of newborns as well as feeding methods.Newborns primarily lie down, so their stomachs are in a horizontal position. After feeding, if the infant moves, milk can easily reflux from the stomach back into the esophagus and mouth, causing spitting up. The amount of spitted-up milk is usually small, typically a few mouthfuls. Once the milk enters the stomach, it mixes with stomach acid, so sometimes the vomited milk may contain curds. However, the infant shows no other symptoms, and it does not affect their growth and development. Most newborn vomiting is not spitting up but also not a pathological condition, mainly related to improper feeding.
For example, excessive feeding volume, a milk bottle nipple with large holes, overfeeding, or insufficient milk in the bottle during feeding can cause the infant to swallow a lot of air while suckling. Additionally, if the mother's nipple is too small and short, the infant may not fully cover it in the mouth during breastfeeding, leading to air intake. Other factors, such as excessive movement of the infant during feeding or crying while suckling, can also cause vomiting. These issues can be corrected by improving feeding methods.
During formal feeding, the mother should sit upright and place the infant on one side of a flexed arm, with the infant's body slightly tilted. Then, the mother's nipple or the bottle nipple is inserted into the infant's mouth. The feeding volume should be adjusted according to the infant's age. On the first day, the amount is approximately 30 to 40 milliliters per feeding, gradually increasing by the end of the first week.