Vomiting in infants
Last reviewed: 19.11.2021
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Vomiting in infants is a serious symptom that should alarm mother and encourage her to act immediately, that is, refer to pediatrician with this problem. Vomiting is different from standard regurgitation, so typical for newborns. Vomit often erupts so actively and in such an amount that it looks like a fountain.
Child tenses, strains, after vomiting ends baby skin becomes pale, baby becomes apathetic, lethargic, often loses appetite. Even if single case of vomiting was intense, do not self-medicate, it is imperative to call doctor home. If there are bile components in vomit (inclusions of yellow- green), ambulance first aid is called.
What causes vomiting in infants?
Vomiting in infants may be due to different reasons. Often fever causes nausea and then vomiting. Of course, such gag reflex is result of underlying disease, but is considered independent disease.
Also vomiting in infants can be single, though plentiful. If child, after vomiting was over, feels good, it is likely that it was reflex case, perhaps from overeating. That is, in fact, was profuse regurgitation. If baby is restless, whiny, or vice versa calms down, becomes sluggish, you need to seek medical help. It should be noted that frequent vomiting, which is repeated regularly during first month of life of newborn is an alarming signal of irregularities in digestive system. Child's condition should be constantly supervised by physician, sometimes this baby is placed in hospital.
Vomiting in infants may be associated with reflex removal of drug. If child, for whatever reasons, takes medication, particularly bitter taste, he has natural desire, of course, unconscious, to remove bitterness from body. Since kids reflexes work well and active, vomiting is the only way to get rid of unpleasant irritating factor.
In addition overfeeding both with mother's milk and mixtures is common cause of vomiting reflex of baby. This reason should be tracked through nutrition baby diary, and should be eliminated as soon as possible.
In addition to above-mentioned reasons, change of diet can cause vomiting. This can be mixture replacement; change of diet of mother, provided mother breast-feeds. You should note composition and shelf-life of milk mixtures when bottle-fed. When child starts receiving complementary foods, innovation can also be accompanied by gag reflex. Vomiting in infants in such situation is explained by inflammation of mucous membrane of digestive tract. In such a way gastrointestinal system reacts to unusual for her substance. Mother can eliminate this cause by herself, adjusting portion of foods - they must be very small and increase gradually.
Functional disorders of digestive system of body, regardless of meal, are more serious. It is gastritis and other inflammatory processes of gastrointestinal tract. In these cases, vomiting in infants is accompanied by disorder of stool, such symptoms need medical help.
Fortunately rare, but poisoning does occur, when kid gets stale products or insufficiently processed hygienic sense. General indigestion is protective function of small organism, which by means of vomiting and loose stool tends to be cleansed of toxins.
More serious diseases, causing vomiting in infants, are usually investigated by attentive, competent pediatrician who will do everything to prevent exacerbation of disease.
Vomiting in infants, of course, is an unpleasant phenomenon and sometimes disturbing. However, in case of keeping rules of nutrition and hygiene, regular visits or inspections by pediatrician, such manifestations of reflex system of body of child is only temporary.