Spitting: Why And Why Does Baby Spit Up?

After childbirth, a new stage in the life of a young family begins - caring for a newborn. One of the most common questions that parents have is regurgitation in babies. What is it and why does it happen? Let's figure it out.

Belching or regurgitation - what is it?

Belching is the involuntary expulsion of air or a mixture of air and gastric contents from the esophagus or stomach. Regurgitation is closely related to belching, which is more often observed in infants. Regurgitation is characterized by the release of eaten food without effort; the child seems to drain the milk immediately or after a short period of time after feeding. It should be noted that the baby does not experience any unpleasant sensations, which is confirmed by the child’s good mood.

Why does a baby spit up?

Regurgitation as a norm of life in children in the first months of life is due to physiological characteristics in the functioning of the digestive system, the horizontal position of the stomach and its shape in the form of a bag, the predominantly horizontal position of the child himself and the sufficiently large volume of food received by the baby by the age of two weeks. It should be noted that this situation does not require any correction, much less treatment.

However, in addition to congenital causes, there are two direct causes of regurgitation: overfeeding and swallowing air during meals (aerophagia).

Overfeeding is possible when there is a large amount of milk from the mother and high sucking activity of the baby. In this situation, regurgitation occurs immediately or shortly after feeding uncurdled or partially curdled milk in small quantities. The baby's mood and behavior do not suffer. Overfeeding, at first glance, is harmless, but in the future it can cause serious health problems.

The second and most common cause of air swallowing is a violation of feeding technique. Incorrect position of the bottle during artificial feeding, when the nipple is not completely filled with milk and air gets in, as well as a large hole in the nipple, contributes to the swallowing of air. In the case of breastfeeding, the situation is incorrect when the baby does not grasp the areola.

How to deal with swallowing air and overfeeding?

To prevent air from being swallowed, it is necessary to choose the right nipple when bottle-feeding and to correctly attach the baby to the breast when breastfeeding. When bottle-feeding, it is necessary to ensure that the nipple is completely filled with milk and control the speed of milk flow.

To prevent overfeeding, it is necessary to monitor the amount of milk the baby receives and take into account his individual needs. If your baby spits up after every feeding, you may want to reduce the amount of milk you give him at one time.

Some recommendations to reduce the risk of overfeeding and swallowing air during feeding:

1. Feed your baby in an upright position, supporting his head and neck. This will help prevent air from being swallowed during feeding.

2. Give your baby the opportunity to control the amount of milk he consumes. This can be done by offering him breaks during feedings and giving him a chance to digest what he eats.

3. After feeding, keep the baby upright for a few more minutes so that the digestive process begins and the milk does not come back.

But if your baby is in pain, doesn't want to eat, or spits up too often, you should contact your pediatrician. In some cases, the cause may be a medical condition that requires treatment.