Why do babies spit up?

Babies spit up when they've eaten too much or when they've swallowed too much air while feeding. Spitting up usually happens when babies burp. It can also happen when your baby is drooling. Spitting up is not vomiting. Babies usually don't notice when they spit up. Vomiting is forceful and painful. Spitting up is common for most babies until about the time they can eat solid foods (usually around 6 months to 1 year of age).

The medical term for "spitting up" is gastroesophageal reflux, or reflux. It happens when milk or solid food in the stomach comes back up into your baby's esophagus (the esophagus is the tube that joins the mouth and the stomach).

What can I do to help my baby?

Feed your baby by placing him or her in an upright position. If you bottle-feed you baby, burp him or her every 3 to 5 minutes. Make sure the hole in the nipple on the bottle is not too large, or milk will come out too fast. Avoid laying your baby down following a feeding or moving him or her around too much before the food settles in the stomach.

Some babies spit up less if their formula is thickened with rice cereal. Ask your doctor if you can add 2 to 3 teaspoons of rice cereal to each ounce of formula. You might have to use a nipple with a larger hole so the thicker formula will come out easily.

Some babies also spit up less if they are given less milk at each feeding, but are fed more often.

Will reflux cause problems for my baby?

Spitting up is messy, but it is normal during your baby's early months. It rarely involves choking, coughing or pain.

However, you should contact your doctor if you notice your baby has the following symptoms:

Is not gaining weight.
Spits up a large amount of milk (more than 1 or 2 tablespoons)
Spits up or vomits forcefully
Has fewer wet diapers than normal
Seems very tired or lethargic
Spits up green or brown liquid
 

Select Language English Russian French German Italian Japanese Korean Portuguese Spanish Greek Dutch Hindi