In the first days after the birth of a baby, mothers have many questions. With the start of breastfeeding, anxiety arises: is there enough nutrition for the baby? The stomach volume of a newborn baby is very small. This explains the small amount of breast milk, which is sufficient for adequate nutrition in the first days after birth.
Size and capacity by month
The laying of the digestive organs occurs even in utero. During pregnancy, all nutrients enter the baby through the mother's blood vessels. By the time of birth, babies already have a certain size of the stomach, which begins to function after the first intake of food.
The structure of the oral apparatus in a newborn baby provides for a good development of the facial muscles. This is laid down by nature in order to carry out the correct act of sucking. The sucking reflex is present in all babies from birth. It allows food to pass from the mouth to the esophagus.
The stomach of a newborn baby is located in a horizontal plane. At the entrance to it and at the exit, two muscle sphincters function. Their well-coordinated work leads to a normal digestion process. The entrance muscle pulp in newborns is poorly developed. This can explain the frequent regurgitation in babies after eating.
The stomach can hold different amounts of contents.
This process changes from day to day. On the first day after birth, the volume of the stomach is only 20-25 ml. By the first month of life, it increases to 100 ml, and by the year - up to 240-260. On average, the volume of the stomach by 5-6 months of age of the baby is about 200 ml. These values are decisive in calculating the amount of food introduced during feedings.
It is important to note that the glands that are involved in the digestion process and are located in the gastric mucosa do not work actively enough at the time of birth and in the first year of life, as in adults. This must be taken into account when drawing up the correct diet for the child and during the introduction of new complementary foods.
Preference should be given to foods that are thinner and easier to digest and will not cause indigestion or inflammation in the stomach.
Newborn baby nutrition
In the first days after birth, the baby feeds on colostrum. It is released within 3 days of a lactating woman after childbirth. After a few days, breast milk begins to flow. Both products are different in composition. Babies with a small stomach volume in the first days after birth are well satisfied with even a small amount of food.
Colostrum differs from breast milk in several ways:
Has a higher calorie content and nutritional value. Colostrum contains less water. The proportion of nutrient content is increasing. This leads to fast satiety in the baby, even with a small amount of food.
Contains some ingredients that have a laxative effect. This property is especially necessary for the baby in the first day after birth. It helps to flush out the remnants of meconium or amniotic fluid from the digestive system that the baby may have swallowed during childbirth.
Includes biologically active ingredients, which have a beneficial effect on liver function and reduce the initially elevated level of bilirubin in newborn babies.
Contains all essential antibodies which form passive immunity. Such protection is vital in the first day after birth, since the baby can easily become infected with any bacterial flora from the external environment.
Stimulates appetite and promotes normal digestion. Colostrum tastes good to babies. A little sweetness creates a desire for food and an appetite in the child. This has a positive effect on the lactation process.
Nature has uniquely created the entire lactation period.
As the volume of the newborn's stomach increases, so does the amount of breast milk in the mother. This natural process leads to good nutrition for the baby and has a positive effect on his growth and development. Before the introduction of the first complementary foods, the capacity of the stomach allows the introduction of an additional amount of new products.
The most common pathologies
In newborn babies, various pathologies are often formed. Most often, they occur during intrauterine development under the influence of any provoking factors leading to a violation of the correct laying of the organs of the digestive system.
With congenital defects in the structure of the sphincters, obstruction may occur. In this case, after the birth of the baby, an urgent operation is required, since such a situation can be extremely dangerous for the child's life. With a narrowing of the stomach or the presence of various adhesions, digestive disorders can occur, which lead to the development of adverse complications.
With pylorospasm or a narrowing of the muscular sphincter, numerous dyspeptic symptoms are often observed. Babies vomit after each breastfeeding, the stomach swells up strongly, and the stool is disturbed. In this condition, consultation with a surgeon, as well as a pediatric gastroenterologist, is required. In most cases of pylorospasm, babies are prescribed medication. With congenital structural pathologies that led to this condition, they already resort to surgical treatment.
With pronounced developmental defects, various pathological conditions can be observed, which lead to necrosis of areas of the gastric wall.
This occurs when the laying of the blood vessels feeding the stomach is disturbed during the period of intrauterine development of the baby. In these cases, surgical treatment is performed.
The size of the stomach in a child of the first year of life changes every day. This biological feature ensures the gradual development of digestion, and also contributes to the correct growth and development of the baby.
You will learn more about the stomach of a newborn baby in the following video.
