Spitting up - self-care


Description

Spitting up is common with babies. Babies may spit up when they burp or with their drool. Spitting up should not cause your baby any distress. Most often babies stop spitting up when they are about 7 to 12 months old.

Why Babies Spit up

Your baby is spitting up because:

Spitting up is not often due to a formula intolerance or an allergy to something in the nursing mother's diet.

Spitting up is Often Normal

If your baby is healthy, happy, and growing well, you don't need to worry. Babies that are growing well often gain at least 6 ounces (170 grams) a week and have wet diapers at least every 6 hours.

How to Reduce Spitting up

To reduce spitting up you can:

When to Call the Doctor

If your baby's spit up is forceful, call your baby's provider. You want to make sure your baby does not have pyloric stenosis, a problem where the valve at the bottom of the stomach is too tight and needs to be fixed.

Also, call your provider if your baby often cries during or after feedings or often cannot be soothed after feedings.

References

Bora G, Kovacic K. Vomiting and regurgitation. In: Kliegman RM, Toth H, Bordini BJ, Basel D, eds. Nelson Pediatric Symptom-Based Diagnosis. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 15.

Hibbs AM. Gastrointestinal reflux and motility in the neonate. In: Martin RJ, Fanaroff AA, Walsh MC, eds. Fanaroff and Martin's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 82.

Maqbool A, Liacouras CA. Normal digestive tract phenomena. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 331.


Review Date: 7/3/2022
Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
© 1997- adam.comAll rights reserved.
 
A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.