Most women after childbirth have experienced regurgitation, because almost every newborn regurgitates a little breast milk or formula after feeding. This process is physiological and normal if the volume of the regurgitation is small, and the general condition of the toddler is not disturbed. So the baby "gets rid" of the air swallowed during feeding, as well as the excess food that got into its tiny stomach during active sucking along with the air.
Nevertheless, sometimes regurgitation is a symptom of the disease, and if mom sees blood in milk, it is always scary. Is spitting up with blood dangerous and why does it happen in babies, and what should a mother do if the baby has spit up milk, which contains an admixture of blood?
Why does spitting up with blood happen
The most common reason for spitting up milk that contains blood is when the baby swallows blood during sucking when the mother's nipples are cracked. If a woman has very sensitive nipples, the skin of which easily bursts when feeding a baby, blood from such cracks will enter the baby's stomach with food, and during spitting up, the mother will notice its admixture in milk, which the baby will "return".
The second, less common cause of regurgitation with blood is damage to the vessels of the baby's digestive tract. This is a very serious problem, which can be diagnosed by additional examinations of the child.
A newborn baby can also spit up blood on the first day of life if he swallowed amniotic fluid during childbirth. This is a fairly common situation that does not indicate any pathology.
What to do
Noticing streaks of blood in the milk that the baby spit up after feeding, you should carefully observe the baby's behavior.
The main thing is to make sure that the child does not vomit:
- Unlike regurgitation, when the milk is released without much tension, vomiting will be accompanied by a strong tension in the abdomen.
- When regurgitating, undigested milk is released, which the baby has just swallowed, and the vomit can represent partially digested food, and also include mucus, bile and other impurities.
- Regurgitation occurs almost immediately after feeding, and bouts of vomiting are possible at any time.
- The general condition of the baby during spitting up is not disturbed, and if the baby has vomiting, which is a symptom of the disease, he will be restless, capricious, drowsy, lethargic. In addition, often with vomiting, the body temperature of the crumbs rises.
You should also examine the nipples - if cracks appear on them, then they are the cause of blood when regurgitating. If the mother's nipples are intact, and blood appears during spitting up repeatedly, the baby should be taken to see a doctor. There are also other warning signs that require immediate medical attention.
When to see a doctor
Mom should immediately show the baby to the pediatrician if:
- After spitting up with an admixture of blood, the child became agitated or began to cry violently.
- The kid spits up blood from time to time and does not gain weight well.
- The volume of blood-streaked milk secreted during regurgitation is very large (more than two teaspoons), which suggests vomiting.
Such symptoms may indicate an illness in an infant, so you should not hesitate in seeking medical help.
