Question
When I massaged my child’s belly half an hour after a meal, I heard a gurgling sound, and then the child started to cry and fuss, feeling something rising upwards and a sensation of wanting to vomit. I’m not sure if there’s a connection between these two. The child is fed every 2 hours with 30 milliliters of milk each time. I’m not sure if this method is appropriate. Is the feeding quantity too little? The child vomited two mouthfuls of milk two hours after eating today, does this mean that the food in his stomach has not been emptied yet, and can he be fed again? Additional question: We also heard from others that massaging the abdomen half an hour after a meal can prevent vomiting in children. What do you say? Should we not massage or wait longer before massaging? If vomiting occurs half an hour after each feeding, should a barium meal X-ray be done to rule out congenital pyloric stenosis?
Answer
Breastfeeding babies often experience vomiting due to their small stomach capacity and the shape of their stomach being like a waterwheel. It is recommended to control the interval between feedings. Generally, milk is emptied from the stomach in about 2 to 3 hours, so feeding every 3 hours is relatively reasonable. If feeding is too frequent, some of the milk from the previous meal may still be left in the stomach, which can affect the next feeding or cause stomach bloating, leading to vomiting. As for whether abdominal massage can prevent vomiting, there is currently no scientific evidence to support this claim. For situations where vomiting occurs half an hour after each feeding, it is recommended to undergo a barium meal X-ray examination to rule out issues such as congenital pyloric stenosis. It is also important to note that feeding should be moderate and not excessive; avoiding frequent eating can reduce the baby’s vomiting.