Vomiting in infants

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Dang Thi Ngoc Chuong - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital. The doctor has extensive experience in the diagnosis and examination of neonatal pathology - neonatal resuscitation.

1. Why do babies vomit?

There are many explanations. We all have the vomiting reflex, which is a lifelong automatic response that helps prevent choking. With babies around 4 to 6 months old, they have a reflex to push their tongue forward whenever their throat is stimulated. This tongue thrust reflex can make early feeding a little difficult. And it's not uncommon for babies to vomit or push the first foods out of their mouths.
Sometimes, giving the baby more food than desired, can also cause the baby to vomit, or the food that the baby does not like is still in the baby's mouth, even after the tongue thrust reflex has stopped.
Some children will even cover their own mouths with their fingers until they find a distance where they can put something in their mouths. And until they catch up, some babies will spit up breast milk or formula, especially if the flow is too fast for them.
Vomiting in babies is a normal reflex as they learn to eat solid foods, whether they are spoon-fed or you are eating solids ordered by your baby. Your baby will spit up less often as she grows and learns to regulate the amount of food she swallows.

2. Distinguishing between regurgitation and choking in infants

Vomiting is different from choking, in which the baby's airway is partially or completely blocked, preventing breathing. Here's how to tell the difference between regurgitation and choking:
Children with regurgitation may push their tongue forward or out of their mouth and pull their neck back to try to push food forward. Your baby's eyes may water. Your baby may cough or even vomit. Let your baby continue to spit up and cough because that is the most effective way to solve the problem. Children choking can not cry, cough, gasp. Your baby may make strange noises or make no sounds at all when she opens her mouth. You may need to do back blows or chest thrusts to clear the blockage.

3. Some ways to help reduce dry vomiting

Try to let the baby relax during feeding and do not force the baby to eat more than desired. If your baby is bottle-fed, make sure the hole in the nipple is the right size. In cases where the nipples are too large, too much breast milk or formula can come out at once. At that time, it will easily lead to the child vomiting after eating.
Also, make sure your baby is ready for solid foods before you introduce them to toddler foods. The best time to do this is when your baby is at least 4 to 6 months old and can sit upright with support.
When you think your baby is ready, start feeding him by putting a small amount of food on the spoon. Take a spoon and place a little bit of food in front of your child's tongue, instead of putting the whole spoon in his mouth. When using this method, the baby can take the rest of the food on the spoon without feeling it stuck in the throat.
If your baby pushes the food out with his tongue, it doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't like it. Sometimes, your baby may just be trying to figure out how to eat this new food. You should be patient and feed your baby slowly until he perceives the new food and responds to it more.

After a few tries, your baby will begin to use his tongue to move food to the back of his mouth. If your baby is still having trouble swallowing food after a week, he may not be ready for solid foods.
When the baby is ready to put the food on the table, keep an eye on the child so that he does not choke on food when he feeds himself. Cut your baby's food into bite-sized pieces and avoid foods that pose a choking hazard, such as whole grapes, nuts, and popcorn.
It is more likely that your baby will spit up less with more meals. If your baby continues to crave pureed foods, discuss the situation with your pediatrician. The doctor can check your baby's physical problems so that he can improve his condition.

4. Some ways to cure vomiting in babies

4.1. The mother feeds the baby properly. The mother makes the baby suckle from the left first, then switch to the right. This can be explained because this way of sucking will help milk easily flow down and store in the baby's stomach without reflux. Similar to a bottle-fed baby, the mother does the same thing.
If the baby is crying during the feeding process, the baby should be stopped. Because if you continue to breastfeed, your baby can swallow a lot of air into the stomach, causing the baby's stomach to swell and possibly causing reflux. Similarly, when the baby is eating, do not tease him to make him laugh. Moreover, mothers should not breastfeed their babies too much, because when the skin is thick and tight, it will make the baby easily vomit.
Mothers should also not feed or breastfeed in a lying position. Instead, let your baby eat or nurse in an elevated position.
4.2. Loosen baby's clothes before he eats Diapers or clothes that are too tight will make it easier for the baby to spit up. Because at this time, the baby's abdominal wall and stomach are compressed and compressed.

4.3. Keeping the baby's posture correct after eating When the baby has finished eating or sucking, the baby needs to be held by an adult with his head high for 15-20 minutes. At the same time, pat the baby on the back to burp, then hold the baby on his side or let him lie on his left side on a high pillow. The mother's action of patting the baby's back is to help push the air in the stomach out, avoiding vomiting when the baby has just eaten.
Newborns in general are prone to respiratory diseases, respiratory infections and gastrointestinal infections if they are introduced to solid foods early or the storage and preparation of milk is not guaranteed. To protect children's health, parents should do well to exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first 6 months (if possible) and vaccinate on schedule. As soon as a child shows symptoms such as anorexia, fatigue, and crying, the child needs to go to the hospital to be consulted by a specialist for monitoring and treatment.
In Vietnam today, 7 out of 10 children under 5 years old have zinc deficiency and 8 pregnant women have zinc deficiency. The prevalence of zinc deficiency in pregnant women is 80.3%, women of childbearing age 63.6% and children under 5 years old is 69.4%. The most common manifestations of zinc deficiency in children are growth retardation, mild and moderate malnutrition, delayed growth in height, and some observable symptoms such as anorexia or decreased appetite, decreased suckling, and no meat. fish, slow digestion, mild constipation, persistent nausea and vomiting in children. In addition to reasonable zinc supplementation, parents also need to provide their children with other important vitamins and minerals such as lysine, chromium, B vitamins,... resistance to less minor illnesses and less digestive problems.
Please regularly visit the website vimec.com and update useful information to take care of your baby and family.

Reference source: babycenter.com