Spitting up in infants is a very common event. However, when a newborn spits up through the nose, it becomes a cause for excitement for moms. Almost always, parents want to know if this is dangerous and how to reduce the amount of regurgitation.
The baby burped
Spitting up is normal in babies
Spitting up, or regurgitation, is one of the typical phenomena accompanying the process of feeding an infant. This is the release of food (milk) along with saliva from the baby's mouth, which occurs during feeding or immediately after it, for about half an hour. Sometimes in a newborn, milk comes out through the mouth and nose.
Regurgitation appears after the first portions of milk and can last up to almost 12 months, maximum up to one and a half years.
Important! Most babies spit up a couple of times a day, the frequency of belching may be more or less in different children.
Main characteristics of normal regurgitation:
- The baby is gaining weight well;
- Belching does not cause discomfort. The kid does not cough, does not lose appetite, does not cry.
Eructations should be distinguished from vomiting. The latter is caused by the retrograde movement of the digestive tract, displacing its contents back, it is an active mechanism. When a baby is vomiting, it is noticeable that he makes efforts, expressed in spasms. When regurgitating, the contents of the stomach return without effort on the part of the baby. This is a passive mechanism.
The reasons for regurgitation
In fact, there are only three reasons for physiological regurgitation:
- Immaturity of the cardia. The cardia is the outlet from the esophagus to the stomach, a kind of valve that is designed to prevent stomach contents from entering the esophagus. It takes some time for the cardia to start functioning fully, and the digestive system has reached maturity, which ensures the balanced work of all its elements;
- Food type. Babies have liquid food, which contributes to the problem. As soon as complementary feeding begins, and the child gradually eats more and more solid food, he will belch less and less;
- The position of the crumb. The baby spends most of his day in a horizontal position, which is not ideal for preventing burping.
If a baby suckles very quickly, especially when using a bottle of formula, the likelihood of regurgitation increases, including the possibility of regurgitation through the nose in infants.
Baby sucking a bottle
The reason for frequent regurgitation is an allergy to the ingredients of the formula during artificial feeding or the components contained in breast milk (if they were eaten by the mother). Especially often, food intolerance is caused in infants by the protein of cow's milk. When babies start to cut their teeth, they may also regurgitate more often.
Is there a danger in regurgitation through the nose
If the child spat up through the nose, parents should not worry, because anatomically, the mouth and nose are connected. In principle, this is harmless and does not happen very often.
Important! Physiological regurgitation through the nose in newborns can become dangerous only if the discharge is not cleaned in time. Then the baby will begin to squelch with his nose, at a certain moment he is able to inhale sharply, and the belching will fall into the respiratory passages.
If bile or stomach acid is present in the contents of the stomach, this will irritate the nasal passages. Damage to the nasal mucosa can subsequently affect the formation of polyps or adenoids. However, with physiological regurgitation, the presence of bile is not normal, but may be a symptom of pathology.
If the reasons why milk comes from a newborn's nose are natural, and this phenomenon cannot be completely eliminated, then the amount and frequency of belching can be reduced.
How to reduce regurgitation
Methods that can lead to decreased regurgitation:
- You don't have to wait until your baby is very hungry to feed him. If the baby begins to cry from hunger, he will eat greedily and swallow more air, which can lead to much more frequent and profuse belching;
- During feeding, you can take breaks from time to time so that the baby can burp air as needed;
Important! If the mother, while feeding, sees that the newborn has vomited through the nose and mouth, it is necessary to take a break before continuing to feed the baby.
- Raise the baby vertically after feeding and hold it for about half an hour. If regurgitation is unavoidable, then let it happen in an upright position. Then you should put the baby on the side. This position is not dangerous, the baby will not choke even when he spits up;
Raising the baby vertically
- Children should not be overfeeded. If the stomach is full, the likelihood of belching increases dramatically. Moreover, it will most likely be abundant;
- For formula-fed or mixed-fed babies, the opening in the nipple should be neither too large nor too small. In both cases, the baby will swallow more air;
- When breastfeeding, special attention should be paid to the correct capture of the nipple by the baby. The child should tightly wrap his lips around the nipple and the area around it;
- Avoid giving a bottle to a baby lying on her back. It is best to feed him by holding and raising his head. The bottle must be held at an angle and ensure that the entire nipple is filled with milk;
Correct position of the baby when feeding
- It is necessary to create a peaceful, calm atmosphere during feeding so that the baby is not overly agitated. The likelihood of heavy belching will decrease;
- Immediately after eating, you can not engage in physical exercises, massage with the baby, force him to make sudden movements.
For children with physiological reflux, do not use grains to thicken milk (for example, oatmeal), and use special antireflux mixtures containing thickeners.
Important! For a child in the first months of life, cereals can put an unnecessary burden on the digestive system, and antireflux mixtures are not shown to all babies. They can be given after prior consultation with a specialist.
Anti-reflux mixtures
There are three types of reflux in children:
- Physiological, in this case there is no concern for the health of the baby;
- Chronic, when the child's growth slows down, and he does not gain weight well. In this case, the doctor should advise how to solve the problem;
- Symptomatic if regurgitation occurs very often, even when the baby is gaining weight and growing normally.
In 95% of cases, regurgitation is physiological and disappears within the first year of life. It stops gradually, as the cardia gets used to regular work, and the digestive system reaches a certain degree of maturity.
After 6 months, the introduction of solid food into the baby's diet will help to stop regurgitation, which increases when a large amount of liquid is consumed. The regurgitated masses that come out at long intervals after feeding may contain not only milk and saliva, but also gastric juice. The latter irritates the esophagus. An additional benefit of solid food is that it can absorb these corrosive liquids while in the stomach.
When regurgitation is a problem
The normal amount of masses released during belching is no more than 30-60 ml (2 tablespoons). The frequency of regurgitation is 1-2 times a day. Significantly exceeding these norms should make parents worry.
Important! If, after 12 months of spitting up, the child still persists, and the baby has stopped gaining weight or has begun to refuse food, it is necessary to contact the pediatrician.
Other warning signs seen with regurgitation:
- In the regurgitated masses, there is blood or bile (green);
- The regurgitation becomes vomiting;
- When spitting up, the baby is anxious or crying;
The baby cries when spitting up
- Regurgitation is accompanied by coughing and choking;
- If he wants to take a child in his arms, he refuses to do so, arch his back, stretches his legs;
- There is blood in the stool;
- The baby has signs of dehydration: dry mucous membranes, reduced urination (less than 5 times a day), crying without tears, sunken eyes and fontanelle;
- Irritability and poor sleep.
Only a specialist can determine why a child often regurgitates through the nose by analyzing other alarming symptoms.
Pathologies in which frequent and profuse belching is possible:
- Pyloric stenosis. The valve between the stomach and the small intestine is undersized, which prevents the evacuation of stomach contents into the small intestine;
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This is damage to the mucous membrane of the esophagus caused by the acid content of the regurgitated masses;
- Congenital short esophagus, additional symptoms of which are lethargy, weakness, poor appetite, restless sleep.
Physiological regurgitation is harmless, even if it sometimes occurs through the nose. This is the spontaneous emission of a small amount of milk by the baby, associated with the immaturity of the digestive system. However, if it is repeated very often, then irritation of the esophagus can occur, which will lead to discomfort for the baby and even the development of diseases such as GERD. Therefore, parents should take steps to reduce regurgitation.
