Regurgitation in a child is a normal physiological process. This is an involuntary ejection of air into the esophagus along with a small portion of milk, formula or complementary foods. The phenomenon is caused primarily by the anatomical features of the baby’s body. Normal physiological regurgitation occurs within 20 minutes after feeding, provided that the baby is brought to a vertical or almost vertical position.

Often, newborns and infants burp on their own up to three times a day. And this process itself stops until the end of the baby’s first year of life. The volume of normal regurgitation does not exceed 3–5 ml of food taken. If your baby regurgitates excessively after feeding, you should show it to your pediatrician, as this may be an indicator of a disease of the gastrointestinal tract or congenital malformations of the gastrointestinal tract.

How does excessive regurgitation differ from vomiting?

Very often, parents are unable to distinguish pathology from the norm, mistaking repeated regurgitation in small portions for pathological manifestations. But it is much more difficult to distinguish one pathological condition from another. Thus, in children of the first year of life, vomiting food can be mistaken for regurgitation or vice versa, and these two symptoms indicate completely different diseases.

So, how do you understand that a process is anomalous?

1. The child burps frequently and profusely (“fountain”), more than 5 ml at a time.
2. Despite the normal portions eaten by the baby, he loses weight.
3. Screaming during and after regurgitation.
4. The child is older than 1 year, and regurgitation remains his personal “norm”.
5. Additional symptoms are noted: upset stomach, unusual color of stool, bad breath.

In order to distinguish regurgitation in infants from vomiting, it is enough to know their characteristic features:

• volume more than 5 ml;
• repeated repetition;
• when vomiting, food has already succumbed to acidic processing in the stomach (milk has curdled, food is partially digested and has a sour smell); when regurgitated, even milk comes out in its original form;
• The general well-being of the child does not change when regurgitating; vomiting usually has “predecessors” - refusal to eat, anxiety, sleep disturbances, bloating.
• regurgitation occurs within the next half hour after feeding and is never a “fountain”.

In general, if a newborn “regurgitates like a fountain,” this is not regurgitation at all, but vomiting. And this is a reason to contact a pediatrician and gastroenterologist.

Reasons for regurgitation in infants and reasons to consult a doctor?

Physiological regurgitation is due to anatomical features, as described above. Another reason may be aerophagia - swallowing air while eating.

This occurs due to improper attachment of the baby to the breast, when the baby does not completely wrap his mouth around the nipple halo. These are the causes of physiological regurgitation.

As for profuse regurgitation like a fountain, the reasons lie in the phenomenon of dysphagia - indigestion. Dysphagia can manifest itself in various ways, here are some of them that cause excessive regurgitation in infants:

1. Bloating and difficult passage of gases. Passing gas in itself is not a cause for concern. But if a baby regularly has problems associated with their accumulation in the intestines - pain, belching, anxiety - you should consult a pediatrician.
2. Neurological pathologies. If there are no external signs of disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, but the child continues to burp profusely after feeding, this is a reason to contact a neurologist.
3. Poor quality food. This is a very common cause of dysphagia. If a child is unable to digest nutritional components, the body will try to remove them.
4. Failure by the mother to follow the diet while breastfeeding is also a very common cause of regurgitation.
5. Gastrointestinal diseases: chalazia, stenosis, obstruction.
6. Viral and bacterial infections. Almost all children react to infections with digestive disorders.

Only a doctor can help you understand the reason for excessive regurgitation in a baby. It would be a good idea to visit a pediatrician, neonatologist, gastroenterologist, or neurologist.

How to help your baby?

A doctor can find the answer to the question about the causes of indigestion. But helping a newborn spit up directly during the process is not an easy task and it rests solely with the parents.

What should you do in such a situation?

1. Do not panic.
2. Hold the child vertically or almost vertically to facilitate the passage of air. Under no circumstances should the baby be left lying down - neither when vomiting nor when regurgitating. The child should remain in this position for 10–15 minutes.
3. If vomiting or regurgitation does not stop during this time, call emergency help.
4. At the first opportunity, consult a pediatrician to rule out infection, congenital pathology and prescribe the correct treatment.

How is the pathology treated?

Pediatricians try to avoid drug treatment in children under one year of age, but this is not always possible. In general, the scheme for helping with excessive regurgitation in newborns usually includes:

• normalization of the daily routine;
• compliance by the mother with the diet (during breastfeeding) and the diet of the child. It is important to give the baby’s body only those components that it is able to digest and assimilate;
• in case of congenital pathologies, surgical intervention is indicated. This just sounds scary, but in reality these are simple operations that not only prevent a baby from regurgitating a fountain, but also allow you to avoid unpleasant and sometimes irreversible consequences;
• normalization of digestion - enzymes that help absorb food;
• prevention of dysbacteriosis;
• constant monitoring of the treatment process (FEGS, ultrasound).

As you can see, regurgitation in infants can be either an extreme variant of the age norm or an indicator of serious health problems. Therefore, you should not ignore this symptom.

What causes fountain regurgitation and vomiting in babies?

I like!

A wonderful event happened in your family - a baby was born. He is not yet ready for the new world. He has a lot to learn, and so does his digestive system. In an adult, the valve muscles do not allow the contents of the stomach to return to the esophagus, but in a newborn they are still very weak. In addition, the baby does not know how to eat properly. As a result, it happens that the baby spits up like a fountain after feeding.

Whether you breastfeed or formula feed your baby is not so important. The baby sucks and, due to inexperience, swallows air, which then looks for a way out. Moreover, nothing bothers the newborn, he is cheerful and cheerful. But if the mother suddenly panicked, the baby felt it, and now both of them were scared. The worries do not go away, because the mother sees how her child is “torn” from terrible pain, as she thinks. In fact, this is not so.

Don't be afraid of your child, study him the same way he studies you. The baby himself will tell you when something is wrong. If all is well, the newborn is calm, sleeps normally and makes contact easily. And when he is bothered by discomfort after feeding, there is no limit to his whims.

How to distinguish: regurgitation or vomiting in a baby

Regurgitation is a natural process. This happens quite often in the first six months. The newborn spits up a lot. Some babies even gush after feeding. The reasons may be different: the baby swallowed air, overate, the parents did not put the child upright in time after feeding, high mobility. But there are also more complex cases.

There is no reason to worry if:

• the newborn spits up, perhaps even a fountain, but with curdled mother’s milk or a mixture, a curdled mass;
• discharge without a sharp and unpleasant odor;
• mass volume 3-30 ml;
• no weight loss.
• The baby spits up during feeding or immediately after.

You should contact a specialist when the curdled masses have a sharp and unpleasant odor, contain impurities of blood, bile or something else that is not related to food. The discharge is too large, weight loss occurs, or the baby vomits during meals and between feedings.

Vomiting is a complete eruption of the entire contents of the stomach. If this happened once, there is no need to worry. But if a newborn vomits like a fountain during the day, he feels sick, and the body temperature is increased or decreased, the baby is pale or restless, lethargic or capricious - these are symptoms of the disease.

The range of causes is quite wide: poisoning, metabolic disorders, intestinal obstruction, central nervous system diseases, respiratory tract infections and many other pathologies.

After eating, hold the baby upright to burp.

Why does a baby spit up?

When breastfeeding

• When free feeding baby, that is, it feeds on demand. Mom often latches her baby, each time exposing her freshly filled breast. He overeats and as a result burps. Or, conversely, the gap between feedings is too long.
• The glands contain more foremilk, watery.
• When a hungry baby is irritated, grabs breasts incorrectly, swallows air and burps again.
• Another reason - rapid milk flow. If at this moment the baby is eating, then he simply does not have time to do it correctly.

When feeding with formula

• The first reason is the same as with breastfeeding - overeating. Although with the mixture the quantity and meals are easy to control.
• The hole in the nipple is not age appropriate your baby. Or it was chosen incorrectly.
• One month old baby feeding swallows air along with the contents of the bottle. In addition, the mixture may not be suitable.

Consult your pediatrician. Perhaps he will give good recommendations on catering.

When breastfeeding or formula feeding, check your newborn's tummy. If it's soft, good. If it is hard, help the child get rid of gas. This can be done using a gas tube or light massage.

Alarming symptoms during regurgitation

The baby burped like a fountain, and the mother panicked. There is something to worry about here. If the baby spits up frequently and a lot, this leads to dehydration. As a result, weight loss, poor activity, restlessness and restless sleep.

All this cannot be attributed to a physiological manifestation and the norm.

If the child is cheerful and cheerful, sleeps well, gains weight, and regurgitation does not cause him discomfort, then there is no reason for concern. But as soon as you notice that something is bothering the baby, he is irritated, and the discharge has become intense with the addition of other phenomena, you should think about it.

Start small. Count how many times a day the newborn burps, how often in a fountain. This will help distinguish a pathological from a physiological condition. Spitting up 4 or 5 times a day can cause quite serious problems. In this case, you need to urgently contact a specialist.

Perinatal encephalopathy

These are certain lesions of the central nervous system that could appear in the baby in utero, during childbirth or in the neonatal period. It is detected by a neonatologist in the first minutes of a baby’s life.

There are many symptoms:

• late newborn cry;
• impairment of motor activity;
• complete absence of the sucking reflex or it is very weak;
• chin trembles;
• shallow sleep;
• muscle dystonia or hypertonicity;
• frequent severe crying;
• profuse regurgitation and much more.

Sometimes a baby can spit up like a fountain.

Hydrocephalus (water of the head)

Accumulation of fluid in the head. It manifests itself as increased intracranial pressure, pain, nausea and even vomiting, blurred vision, mental disorders and abnormal muscle tone.

The baby is restless, often cries a lot, sleeps poorly, and starts walking late.

Other CNS diseases

Severe pregnancy and birth injuries lead to diseases of the central nervous system, which cause frequent and profuse regurgitation. Impaired blood flow to the brain, underdevelopment of the central nervous system and intracranial birth injury.

Damage to the phrenic nerve, convulsions and hyperexcitability can also provoke specific belching in the baby.

The baby often spits up a fountain, usually with undigested food.

Anomalies of the gastrointestinal tract

Pathologies occur in the fetus quite often, both independently and in combination with other anomalies of internal organs.

As a result, regurgitation or vomiting occurs in newborns with the following diseases:

• stenosis, pyloric stenosis;
• pylorospasm;
• diaphragmatic hernia;
• chalazia cardia;
• congenital short esophagus;
• liver diseases.

During the first feedings after birth, the baby regurgitates and loses weight because the food does not have time to be absorbed. In this case, there is no chair.

Infectious diseases

When the body temperature rises, you don’t want to eat, but even if the child eats, the process often ends with vomiting syndrome.

The symptom is observed not only with a common cold, but also with meningitis, encephalitis, sepsis, hepatitis or food poisoning.

If mucus is present in the masses, this indicates that the newborn has intestinal dysbiosis or other gastrointestinal infections.

Hereditary diseases

Phenylketonuria, adrenogenital syndrome, galactosemia also lead to frequent and profuse regurgitation.

The child spits up like a fountain or vomits more often with perinatal encephalopathy (PEP) or birth injuries (SIB). They occur during difficult labor, when the newborn develops short-term or long-term hypoxia.

Baby spits up breast milk, but no formula

The mother's breast, relatively speaking, is designed for feeding the child. Milk contains essential vitamins and substances. However, some babies are diagnosed with lactose intolerance, so each feeding is accompanied by regurgitation and even vomiting. In this case, a special mixture is selected that does not contain lactose.

In addition, it is important to monitor the amount of food eaten so that the situation does not repeat itself.

Incorrect organization of blood supply

Mistakes when breastfeeding usually lead to bad consequences. The newborn has problems with the gastrointestinal tract, and the woman’s milk burns out. However, there are special recommendations that help cope with this problem:

• Don't jump from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding. Even if you don't seem to have milk, a hungry baby will find it.
• Place the breast into your mouth correctly. The papilla should be completely in the mouth. Insert the areola deeper, but not too much. Do not tilt the baby's head back. Watch your shoulders so that they are not hunched.
• Do not remove your newborn from the breast. Wait until he is satisfied and moves away on his own.
• Do not express milk after feeding, this leads to hyperlactation, and subsequently to mastitis and mastopathy.
• Don't give your baby water. When you think your baby is thirsty, put him to your breast. The milk has everything you need.
• Do not rinse your breasts after each feeding. Favorable microflora is disrupted. And the skin dries out, which leads to cracks.
• Don't set a time, feed your baby on demand.
• There is no need to constantly weigh the child after each meal and then feed him/her. This leads to the habit that the breast is not only food, but also a pacifier for comfort. In addition, the likelihood that you will lose lactation increases.
• If your milk is not bright yellow, this does not mean that it is unhealthy and low-fat. It just contains water, and that's normal.
• Do not overindulge in sweets, condensed milk, nuts and tea with milk; the calorie content of your milk does not depend on this. But you can quickly harm a child’s tummy.
• If your breasts hurt when feeding, don’t tolerate it, just change to another one.

Remember, feeding is a pleasant process that should be enjoyable for both. Try to improve this very important matter.

High fat content of breast milk

Proper nutrition is the key to the health of both the newborn and the mother herself. The composition of breast milk depends on this, and the nurse’s diet should be healthy and very varied. If you don't change your diet immediately after your baby is born, it will be much easier for him to start. Because in his tummy he is already accustomed to your preferences.

As stated in the world organization of associations, the fat content of breast milk directly depends on seasonality and daily periods, and not on the calorie content of the food a woman eats. The baby drinks fatty or “hind” milk when the mother feeds only one breast for more than half an hour. This leads to a fountain of regurgitation or even vomiting of the newborn.

Don’t go too far, there must be moderation in everything. To make milk tasty and, most importantly, nutritious, change your diet. Include foods with plenty of vitamins and minerals, fermented milk, lean meat and fish, legumes and prunes, and coarse rye bread. Also add butter and vegetable fats to the list. But take glucose from jam, compotes and confectionery. Don't forget about vegetables, berries and fruits.

Reducing regurgitation during breastfeeding

To alleviate the baby’s condition, first of all you need to establish feeding:

1. Attach your newborn to the breast correctly.
2. Make sure he doesn't overeat. Don't offer the breast every time you feel anxious. Maybe your baby just needs your attention.
3. Switch breasts after feeding, not during. The child will receive everything he needs and in the right quantity.
4. After each feeding, place the baby upright for 10-15 minutes to allow the air to escape.
5. Change the formula if necessary if your baby is not breastfed.

Antireflux baby food

Buy a healthy baby formula that contains a special thickener. Thick consistency reduces the likelihood of regurgitation. You need to feed your baby this product until 6 months - during this period the gastrointestinal tract is better formed.

Despite the natural composition, it is not advisable to transfer a newborn to such mixtures on your own. Don't forget, this is medicine.

How to choose a mixture

First of all, consult a pediatrician or gastroenterologist. Next, rely on quality. The composition of the mixture should be like mother's milk.

Pay attention to age. The manufacturer indicates it on their jars.

• Up to six months - “first formula”. During this period, it is necessary to fill the baby’s body with a large amount of nutrients, but without overloading it.
• Up to a year - “second formula”. Now the baby’s diet is enriched with proteins and carbohydrates. Energy is replenished.
• After a year - the “third formula”. The composition of the mixtures contains vitamins, microelements and other substances necessary for the formation of intestinal microflora and the child’s immunity.

Make sure that the composition contains Omega-3 and 6, prebiotics, probiotics and 5 basic nucleotides. But what should not be there is starch, sucrose, soy.

Choose a mixture that is easy and affordable to buy. Doesn't have to be expensive. You should not take a goat milk product when it is not necessary.

If your baby has a tendency to allergies, consider medicinal mixtures. But strictly after consulting a doctor.

Prevention of regurgitation

• The child's head should lie above the body;
• Before feeding, place the baby on his tummy;
• give a light massage, stroking the baby’s back and stomach;
• Walk with the baby after feeding, hold him upright.

When you need specialist help

If a mother cannot independently determine the nature of regurgitation, something worries her, then it is worth contacting a specialist.

When the cause is increased gas formation, colic, constipation and dysbiosis, the doctor, after examination, will prescribe additional examinations to identify an accurate diagnosis or prescribe medication to stop the regurgitation process.

Treatment of the phenomenon

If preventive measures do not help, heavy artillery is used:

• changing the position of the child’s body;
• dietary correction using thickeners;
• drug therapy;
• surgical methods of treatment.

You cannot prescribe diets and medications on your own. The consequences may be irreversible.

As you can see, regurgitation syndrome in the first year of a child’s life is a natural process. If you follow the necessary recommendations, this phenomenon and other problems can be avoided or prevented altogether. Listen to your baby and help him explore this world!

The problem of regurgitation is familiar to almost every young mother.

This concept refers to the natural release of food from the stomach. Some babies hardly spit up, while for others it happens after almost every feeding.

Doctors believe that the absence of this phenomenon is quite normal and the mother feeds the baby correctly, he does not overeat and does not swallow air. If mommy is less fortunate, it’s worth looking for the reasons and trying to eliminate them.

It is not difficult to explain the process of regurgitation physiologically. The esophagus of infants is short, the lower and upper valves have not yet formed, the stomach has a non-standard shape and small volume. The pancreas does not produce enough enzymes.

In addition, the following may be the causes of regurgitation:

1. Aerophargia. This is what is called the baby swallowing air along with formula or milk. Air bubbles enter the stomach and then return with milk. Children swallow air either because of the large hole in the nipple of the bottle, or when they eat quickly and appetizingly. To avoid air entry, it is recommended to keep the baby half-sitting during feeding, and to use bottles with an anti-colic system. When breastfeeding, you should take short breaks so that the baby does not rush.
2. Binge eating. Children on mixed or artificial feeding often suffer from it. In such a situation, it is worth reducing the volume of the mixture, as well as increasing the breaks between feedings. The same applies to breastfed children, if they are not spared from regurgitation.
3. Incorrect mixture. Perhaps artificial formula is simply not suitable for a baby. It is worth considering options for specialized mixtures to reduce colic.
4. Gas, bowel dysfunction. To improve digestion, it is recommended to give the baby a tummy massage, you can apply a warm diaper to the stomach, and special drops also help.
5. Smoking in the house. If the family smokes and the child inhales cigarette smoke, he may experience a spasm of the esophagus, which leads to regurgitation. A smoking environment for an infant is unacceptable!

Organic causes and problems with the baby’s gastrointestinal tract can also lead to regurgitation:

• the section of the esophagus that passes into the stomach is too narrowed,
• the lower esophageal sphincter is underdeveloped,
• hiatal hernia,
• the area of ​​the stomach that passes into the duodenum is too narrowed.

Solving these problems is only possible with the participation of a surgeon and other medical specialists.

VIDEO ON THE TOPIC OF THE ARTICLE

What to do if your baby spits up after fountain feeding

If a baby regurgitates formula, the volume of regurgitation is more than three tablespoons, and the release of food from the stomach looks more like vomiting, the mother should pay attention to the following possible reasons:

• the child was poisoned by poor quality food,
• viral disease
• reaction to cow's milk protein (intolerance),
• disturbance of intestinal microflora,
• allergic reaction, including to foods eaten by a nursing mother,
• Green or brown regurgitation indicates intestinal obstruction and requires immediate medical attention.

Bloody discharge and lack of weight gain should also alert you - it is possible that the child simply does not digest food.

What to do - the baby constantly spits up after feeding with formula

For some mothers, no advice helps, and the newborn constantly spits up the formula, despite the measures taken. In such a situation, you cannot do without the help of a doctor. He must find out the reasons, prescribe medical treatment, in some cases it is enough to make do with dietary correction.

At the moment, milk antiemetic (antireflux) formulas and drugs such as:

• "Cerucal"
• "Motilium".
• Pediatricians also prescribe thickeners for breast milk, which retain food in the stomach. This can be corn or rice starch, carob gluten. For artificial feeding, medicinal mixtures such as “Nutrilon antireflux”, “Nutrilak AR”, “Samper Lemolak” and others are used.

If pathological causes are suspected, an additional examination of the child is required. Timely identified disorders can be successfully treated with the participation of neurologists, surgeons and other doctors.

In general, pediatricians do not consider regurgitation a pathology in a child under one year of age, if the volume does not exceed 1-2 spoons at a time, the baby is gaining weight well, develops according to age, and is calm. If you experience elevated temperature, nervousness, or other symptoms, do not postpone your visit to the doctor.

A newborn’s digestion is designed in such a way that after feeding he often burps. This frightens parents, but in most cases the worries are in vain. in infants up to one year old. If the baby eats, quickly gains weight, and is active, then there is no need to worry and run to the doctor. Things are different when a child spits up like a fountain. This is a sign of serious pathologies associated with the gastrointestinal tract, problems with the central nervous system, and neurology. If such phenomena recur regularly, this is a reason to consult a doctor.

According to statistics, 80% of babies spit up after feeding. The reason for this is the structural features of the internal organs of newborns.

The process of digesting food in infants is structured somewhat differently than in adults. The small size of the stomach does not allow the child to eat much. If the baby has eaten too much, the excess food comes out during regurgitation.

This phenomenon can also be observed if the baby swallows air while eating.

The process of regurgitation does not depend at all on whether the baby eats breast milk or formula. Experts say that a child under 5 months should regurgitate no more than 2 teaspoons of food. The older the baby gets, the less the amount should be.

1. Vomiting happens suddenly. This process is not directly related to eating. Regurgitation occurs only after the baby has eaten.
2. The baby's mood does not change after regurgitation. He still remains cheerful and cheerful.
3. In most cases, after vomiting, babies develop a fever.
4. Vomit has a characteristic unpleasant odor and color.
5. When regurgitating, there is no gagging.
6. After vomiting, the child’s diaphragm becomes confused and he begins to actively hiccup.

Vomiting is a reflex act. When it appears, nausea occurs, the abdominal muscles and diaphragm contract, the color of the skin changes, and sweating appears. If your baby has these signs, you should immediately consult a doctor.

There are situations when you cannot do without the help of specialists. That is why young parents need to know what symptoms they need to see a doctor:

1. The child burps profusely (more than 3 teaspoons) after the first six months of life.
2. A one-year-old child experiences frequent belching with an unpleasant, foul odor.
3. The little one spits up like a fountain more than 2 times a day.
4. The child begins to become dehydrated and urinates less than 10 times a day.
5. The baby is gaining weight poorly and is lagging behind in physical and mental development.
6. The general condition worsens: body temperature rises, weakness, drowsiness, diarrhea or constipation are noted.
7. If . This means that the milk has already been digested, but has not been absorbed by the stomach.

The pediatrician cannot cope with the problem. Parents definitely need to consult a gastroenterologist, get tested, and have an ultrasound.

Prevention: how to reduce the number of regurgitations

If your baby spits up a lot, you can apply the following preventive measures:

1. To help food digest, after feeding the baby, you should carry it in a column (vertically), and not lay it on your stomach.
2. If a mother is breastfeeding, you need to make sure that the baby grasps not only the nipple, but also the areola. The baby should breathe through his nose, not his mouth.
3. For babies who are bottle-fed, you need to purchase special anti-colic bottles. They will help the baby not to catch air when feeding.
4. After feeding, you should not swaddle your baby tightly, thereby squeezing his stomach.
5. It is not advisable to feed a newborn just before bedtime.

If regurgitation suddenly begins, the baby must be secured in an upright position so that he does not choke or choke.

Parents are interested in the question: “What to do if the baby spits up like a fountain?” In most cases, the problem is physiological in nature and should not bother parents.

But if other symptoms are added to the regurgitation: the temperature rises, the baby becomes nervous, diarrhea or constipation occurs, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Every mother worries about the health of her newborn child and tries to protect him from all troubles. Parents have to deal with many problems, one of which is spitting up like a fountain after feeding formula. Many mothers face this problem even in the maternity hospital. And then they wonder why the baby spits up and how to prevent it.

Why does the baby spit up?

Regurgitation is the involuntary release of the baby's stomach contents through the mouth. It is a normal physiological process. According to statistics, about 80% of infants under 4 months of age regurgitate regularly. After 4 months, regurgitation becomes less frequent and completely stops by 9 months. The frequency and intensity are individual and depend on the conditions of the child’s birth (weight, degree of prematurity), weight gain, and the presence of congenital or acquired diseases.

In most cases, spitting up like a fountain after feeding should not cause concern, but in some cases it may indicate the presence of a disease, and the baby should be shown to a doctor.

So why does a baby spit up? The main reasons may be:

1. 1. Binge eating. Excess food is removed from the stomach naturally. This is the reason that most often occurs in children who are bottle-fed. To eliminate this reason, you should increase the time intervals between feedings or reduce the dose of the formula.
   2. Aerophagia. When a baby feeds from a bottle, he swallows air along with the formula. If you hold your baby upright after eating, air will come out of the stomach in the form of a belch. If the baby is in a lying position after feeding, then the air will come out along with a small amount of the eaten formula.
   3. Weak alimentary sphincter muscles. There is a special valve between the esophagus and the stomach that prevents food from returning from the stomach back into the esophagus. In infants, this valve is poorly developed, so part of the food flows from the stomach into the esophagus and exits through the mouth.

1. Intestinal dysfunction. In case of stool disturbance (constipation), increased gas formation (including colic), the process of moving food towards the intestines slows down. To prevent this problem, you need to lay the baby on his tummy more often (especially before feeding), give him massages, and apply a warm diaper. To solve the problem of colic, you can give your baby dill water, fennel seed tea, or special baby drops based on simethicone (Espumizan, Infacol, Sab Simplex, Bobotik, etc.), sold in pharmacies.
2. Wrong choice of mixture. In children's stores you can purchase a special mixture that will reduce colic and prevent regurgitation.
3. Ecology. The modern environmental situation can also cause frequent regurgitation of a baby. The baby may develop allergies. If a child is surrounded by a smoking person and smoke from cigarettes enters the baby’s lungs, then he may experience a lack of oxygen, a spasm of the esophagus, which will result in a gag reflex.
4. Congenital threshold is the most dangerous reason. This may be a narrow passage between the stomach and intestines or between the esophagus and stomach. For these problems, consultation with a surgeon and subsequent surgery may be necessary.

Many parents are concerned about the question, why does the child spit up like a fountain? Burping up like a fountain can be scary for any parent. But if this happens periodically and in small quantities, then there is nothing to be afraid of, especially if the baby is gaining weight well and has normal bowel movements and urination. If this happens often, a lot, then the reason may be an unsuccessful transition of nutrition from breast milk to formula. If the baby was born prematurely, he will spit up like a fountain due to the slow functioning of the digestive system.

When to see a doctor?

If a small child often spits up in small portions, and is calm, not capricious, and feels well, then there is no reason to worry. If the baby bends, cries during regurgitation and even feeding, this may indicate irritation of the walls of the esophagus.

Mandatory consultation with a doctor is required when, in addition to regurgitation, the child experiences dehydration and elevated body temperature.

If the baby has difficulty breathing, his skin begins to turn blue, and he loses consciousness, then you need to urgently call an ambulance.

A mandatory visit to the doctor is required in cases where the child burps a lot, forcefully (in a fountain) after each meal, experiences hunger after this, and eats greedily.

If the baby starts regurgitating after 6 months, whereas previously there was none, or if the child is already a year old and continues to regurgitate after feeding, these cases are also not the norm and require diagnosis and treatment.

Before making a diagnosis, the pediatrician will issue directions for tests (urine, feces, blood), ultrasound, x-rays and fibrogastroduodenoscopy.

Regurgitation or vomiting?

When regurgitation is caused by natural and non-hazardous causes, the volume of returned food is small. If it exceeds 3 tablespoons, then, most likely, we are talking about vomiting, the causes of which may be:

1. Poisoning of the body by viruses. It is accompanied by dehydration, so parents should give their baby water as often as possible.
2. Intolerance to cow's milk or other products. At the same time, the baby will lose weight.
3. Food poisoning.
4. Intestinal dysbiosis.
5. Allergy

Mostly these problems can be encountered during the period of introducing complementary foods.

Prevention of regurgitation

To ensure that as little air as possible gets into the baby’s stomach, you need to feed him so that his head is higher than his tummy. It is better for it to be in an almost horizontal position while eating. After feeding the baby, you need to carry it in a column for about 15 minutes, waiting until the collected air comes out in the form of a normal burp.

The nipple opening on the bottle should not be too large or too small. During feeding, the bottle must be tilted so that the nipple is constantly filled with the mixture so that the baby does not swallow air. You should try not to overfeed your baby. After eating, you should not play active games for the next 30 minutes.

If a baby burps while lying on its back, it must be immediately turned onto its stomach or placed in a column so that it does not choke.

To strengthen the muscles of the baby’s entire body, including the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract, you need to walk with the child every day, bathe him often, visit the pool, gymnastics and massage courses.

Although it is useful to periodically place the baby on his tummy, it is better that he does not fall asleep in this position. Sleeping on your stomach, or with a pillow or bolster, significantly increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. If a baby often burps, then you need to put a flat pillow under his mattress so that the baby does not lie flat, but at an angle of 30 degrees, and his head, accordingly, is higher than his stomach. It is advisable that your head should not lie flat while sleeping, but should be slightly turned to the left or right. In this position, even if the child burps at night, he will not be able to choke.

The baby's health is priceless. If parents think that something is bothering their child, it is better to go to a specialist once again, even if in vain, than to later regret their inaction.