When a baby experiences spit-up, parents do not need to be overly anxious. This is because an infant’s stomach is horizontal and small in capacity, making it easy to trap air and form gas bubbles, causing discomfort. To relieve this, it is recommended to hold the baby upright after feeding, with their head lightly resting on the adult’s shoulder, gently patting the back to help release gas from the stomach, known as burping, which can effectively reduce spit-up. Especially for breastfed infants, back patting should be done twice after each feeding. If the feeding amount is excessive, the baby may also spit up.
As the baby grows, around 6 months of age, spit-up occurrences will gradually decrease. If spit-up persists at this stage, try feeding slowly, pat the back more, and ensure a comfortable feeding environment. If these measures are not effective, consider whether there are health issues or sensitivity to formula ingredients.
When bottle-feeding, the nipple hole size should be appropriate to ensure proper milk flow rate, preventing the baby from swallowing too much air and worsening spit-up. A simple method to test nipple flow rate is by overturning the bottle, the ideal flow rate is milk drops falling in a string, at a rate of 2 to 3 drops per second, not in a straight line. Adjust the nipple hole size according to this standard.
It is important to differentiate between spit-up and vomiting: Spit-up refers to a small amount of milk flowing from the mouth corner, while vomiting is the forceful expulsion of milk, usually caused by overeating or illness.
For newborn babies, especially premature infants, spit-up is more common because their digestive system is not yet fully developed; this condition generally decreases with age.
As for vomiting, apart from immature digestive systems, it may also be related to congenital factors, disease infection, pressure on the stomach, or vigorous shaking after feeding.
Once vomiting occurs, proper care measures are crucial. Adjust the nipple size to ensure it is neither too small, causing the baby to suck hard, nor too large to prevent choking. If vomiting is frequent, consider adjusting feeding amounts and intervals, opting for small, frequent feedings, and burping the baby after each feeding.
If the baby appears hungry after vomiting, whether to continue feeding depends on the cause of the vomiting. For minor spit-up due to air intake, continue feeding and burp the baby. However, if recurrent vomiting is due to chilling or other illnesses, temporarily stop feeding for 4 hours to allow the gastrointestinal system to rest, then try offering small amounts of water or diluted milk.
