Question

How to treat newborn vomiting?

Answer

  1. Etiological Treatment: First, rule out surgical vomiting to avoid delaying the surgery opportunity, and then treat the cause, such as rational feeding, controlling infection, and reducing intracranial pressure.
  2. Symptomatic Treatment: Mild cases usually do not require special treatment, but severe cases need to pay attention to correcting dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, maintaining acid-base balance, and avoiding aspiration.
  3. Fasting: Severe vomiting patients should fast before diagnosis and receive parenteral nutrition to ensure energy and intake.
  4. Body Position: For infants with gastroesophageal reflux (internal vomiting), a head elevation of 30°, prone position, or left lateral position can be adopted.
  5. Gastric Lavage: For swallowing syndrome, warm physiological saline or 1% sodium bicarbonate can be used for gastric lavage.
  6. Antispasmodic and Antiemetic Therapy: Infants with pyloric spasm can be administered atropine at a concentration of 1:1000 to 2000 before each feeding for 15 to 20 minutes, with dosage adjustment as needed. Additionally, rifampin and domperidone also have a promoting effect on gastrointestinal motility, but there is a lack of large-scale studies.
  7. Gastrointestinal Decompression: In cases of frequent vomiting accompanied by severe abdominal distension, continuous gastrointestinal decompression can be provided.