Patient's question:
Is it normal for babies to frequently spit up?Doctor's answer:
Infantile vomiting is a common occurrence, which is due to the fact that an infant's stomach is like a water wheel, with a small capacity. The cardiac sphincter (located near the esophagus, where it is soft and poorly closed) and the pylorus (located near the small intestine, where it is narrow and tight) are both problematic. Additionally, infants often swallow air while feeding, making it easy for milk to flow back from the cardiac sphincter into the mouth after feeding, causing vomiting.How can infant vomiting be prevented?
1. Control the feeding interval
Generally, the time it takes for milk to empty from the stomach is about 2–3 hours, so feeding every 3 hours is reasonable. If feeding is too frequent, some milk from the previous meal may still remain in the stomach, which will inevitably affect the amount of milk consumed in the next meal or cause stomach bloating, leading to vomiting.
2. Adopt a suitable feeding posture
Some mothers prefer to feed their babies while lying down. This face-to-face side-lying feeding position increases the likelihood of vomiting. If the mother holds the baby while feeding, the chances of vomiting will be reduced. This is because when the baby is held, the body is tilted, and the lower end of the stomach also tilts accordingly. Due to gravity, some of the swallowed milk can flow into the small intestine, leaving some space in the stomach. Therefore, when feeding the same amount of milk, holding the baby while feeding reduces the chances of vomiting compared to feeding while lying down.
3. Do not rush to put the child down after feeding
After the baby finishes feeding, the mother should not immediately put them back to bed. Instead, the baby should be held upright, with the baby lying on the mother's shoulder. The mother should gently pat the baby's back.