What is the difference between baby spitting up and vomiting? How to tell whether the baby is spitting up or vomiting?

What is the difference between baby spitting up and vomiting? New mothers often cannot tell the difference between baby spitting up and vomiting. Here we will introduce the differences between baby spitting up, spitting up, and vomiting. Please see the detailed introduction below.

The difference between spitting up and vomiting in babies

Vomiting is a common phenomenon in the neonatal period. Vomiting and milk spitting up are not the same thing. Vomiting is a nerve reflex caused by abnormal factors in the digestive tract and other related organs. During vomiting, milk mostly gushes out of the mouth in a jet-like manner.

Newborn vomiting is generally determined by the physiological characteristics of newborns. The stomach capacity of newborns is extremely small, the stomach muscles are very weak, the regulatory function of the gastric nerves is not mature enough, the muscles of the gastric cardia (the entrance of the stomach) are loose, and the pylorus (the exit of the stomach) is tight. In addition, the stomach is horizontal and the stomach bottom is straight, so milk is easy to reflux and cause vomiting. If the feeding posture is wrong, the feeding is improper, the baby is fed too much, cries during feeding, sucks the empty bottle, the nipple is too large or sunken, etc., causing a large amount of gas to be swallowed and vomit, or the hole of the rubber nipple is too large when feeding with a bottle, sucking milk too quickly or too much, or lying flat after feeding, or turning the baby too much or too early, it is easy to cause vomiting.

This type of vomiting is physiological vomiting and there is no need to worry about it. Just pay attention to the feeding posture, do not overfeed, do not rush to feed when the baby is crying, and do not suck from an empty bottle. Also, after feeding, hold the newborn on the mother's shoulder, pat the back gently to allow the newborn to burp out the air swallowed into the stomach, and then put the newborn in the right side lying position. Vomiting can be reduced and avoided.

How to tell if a baby is spitting up milk or vomiting

Parents are often troubled and panicked by their children's spitting up milk. In fact, infant spitting up milk can be divided into galactorrhea and vomiting. Galactorrhea is the phenomenon that children do not feel nausea, have no increased abdominal pressure, and effortlessly overflow from the mouth. It often occurs immediately after feeding. The amount of spitting out is similar to the amount fed, and the color is similar to the amount of milk taken in. There are no other symptoms, and no abnormalities are found during the doctor's examination. This type of galactorrhea is more common in infants under 3 months old. Pathological spitting up milk (vomiting) is caused by nausea and increased abdominal pressure before vomiting, which forces the contents of the stomach to gush out of the mouth in a jet-like manner. The amount of spitted out milk is greater than the amount fed, and the color is abnormal, such as mixed yellow-green, coffee-colored, and sour and smelly. Vomiting may be accompanied by fever or positive abdominal signs. The child may be listless, or irritable and crying, or not cry or eat, and some may even be accompanied by screaming, etc. The cause should be identified and treated in time.

The difference between spitting up and spitting up

Spitting up milk refers to the pressureless and non-jet-like overflow or spitting out of the baby's mouth after feeding, with no change in facial color and no crying after spitting up. It is mainly related to the physiological characteristics of the infant's stomach. The infant's stomach is horizontal, with a small stomach capacity, and the sphincter at the end of the esophagus is not yet fully developed. If the feeding is improper, such as excessive feeding, improper feeding posture, turning over too early after feeding, or being amused, spilling up milk will occur.

Spitting up refers to a more intense vomiting that occurs after feeding. The baby may stretch his neck or open his mouth with painful expressions. The food in the stomach is forcefully discharged, sometimes in a jet-like manner, with a large amount. It is mostly caused by obstruction of the newborn's esophagus, stomach, pylorus and other digestive tracts, or functional disorders (such as achalasia, pyloric spasm, etc.), but it is not entirely due to pathological reasons.

Babies may feel a little uncomfortable during feeding, and parents should face these problems correctly without panicking. As long as parents can distinguish between spitting up milk and vomiting, they can take better care of their babies. I believe that after reading the above introduction, parents will be able to give their babies a better care experience.