Question
My baby was born less than a month ago, and he always vomits, sometimes quite a lot. What methods can be used to make him more comfortable?
Answer
Vomiting after feeding is a common phenomenon in newborns, sometimes a normal physiological condition known as spitting up. Spitting up usually involves a small amount of milk, while vomiting involves a larger quantity and may be accompanied by milk clots. Spitting up generally does not affect the growth and development of newborns, but frequent or large amounts of vomiting may require timely diagnosis and treatment as it could be pathological. Newborn vomiting is related to their anatomical and physiological characteristics as well as feeding methods. Newborns typically have a horizontal stomach and are mainly in a lying position, which makes milk easy to reflux into the esophagus and mouth when the baby moves, leading to spitting up. Additionally, improper feeding, such as overfeeding, oversized bottle nipples, not filling the bottle with milk properly, or the baby inhaling too much air while breastfeeding, can all lead to vomiting. To reduce the occurrence of vomiting, it is important to improve feeding methods, such as controlling the amount of milk fed, ensuring the bottle nipple is full of milk, avoiding the baby inhaling too much air while breastfeeding, and not excessively moving the baby or allowing them to cry while feeding. For breastfed infants, mothers should pay attention to using the correct breastfeeding posture to ensure the nipple is fully in the baby’s mouth to reduce air intake. In summary, neonatal vomiting can be a normal phenomenon or a pathological condition. Appropriate measures should be taken based on the specific situation. If vomiting occurs frequently or severely, it is important to consult a doctor promptly to rule out any potential health issues.