Spitting up is a common phenomenon in infants and can be caused by two factors: first, it is a symptom in case of systemic or gastrointestinal diseases; second, the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the infant’s gastrointestinal tract predispose to spitting up. In general, spitting up due to the second cause is more common. The newborn’s stomach, when viewed from the front, is lying horizontally and in an unstable state, while the cardia area (the entrance to the stomach) is still relatively loose. That is to say, when adults eat, when food enters the stomach, the cardia will prevent the food from flowing back into the esophagus by contracting; however, because the cardia area of the baby’s stomach is not yet able to contract well, this results in milk and other milk entering the stomach being able to flow back into the esophagus relatively easily. In addition, compared to adults, the throat of newborns is higher, and they are clumsy in the way they hold their nipples, which makes it easier for air to be sucked into the stomach with the milk when they eat, so when the child burps or shakes his body, the milk that he eats is more likely to be spit out. What should I do if my baby spits up milk? 1. Keep the upper body in an elevated position Once vomit enters the trachea it can lead to suffocation. Therefore, it is best to put a towel under the child’s body and keep the upper body elevated when the child is lying down. If vomiting occurs while the child is lying down, we can turn the child’s face to the side. After spitting up, pay more attention to the child’s condition. Put the child’s head up when the child is lying down, or simply hold the child upright. The child’s face may look bad after spitting up, but as long as he or she recovers later, there is no problem. In addition, depending on the situation, you can give the child some water. 3. Hydrate your child 30 minutes after vomiting If you hydrate your child immediately after vomiting, it may cause vomiting again. Therefore, it is best to try to feed your child some plain water with a spoon a little bit after vomiting for about 30 minutes. 4. After vomiting, reduce the amount of milk to half of the usual amount each time When the baby’s spirit recovers and he/she wants to eat milk again, we can feed the baby some more milk. However, each feeding should be reduced to about half of the usual amount, but the number of feedings can be increased. During the period of continuous vomiting, we can only feed the baby milk and no other food, including complementary food. The difference between breastfeeding, milk spillage and vomiting Baby’s milk spillage: This is when 1 or 2 mouthfuls of milk flow back into the baby’s mouth and spill out from the side of the mouth immediately after feeding. There are a few cases where the mother changes the baby’s diaper shortly after feeding and the milk sloshes. Generally, this does not affect the baby’s growth and development, so it can be considered normal. As the baby grows older, it will disappear naturally within 6 months. Infant milk spillage: If the baby lies flat on the bed immediately after feeding, milk will flow out from the corners of the mouth and even spit out all the milk just eaten. However, if the baby is held upright for a while after feeding and then put into bed, the spitting up will be significantly reduced. Medically, this kind of spitting up is called milk spillage. Infant vomiting: It is a common phenomenon in the newborn period. Spitting up can also be called squirting, unlike rippling milk, which is a neuroreflex action caused by some abnormal stimulation of the digestive tract and other related organs, and when vomiting, milk mostly gushes out of the mouth or even the nose in jets. The amount of vomiting is relatively large and can occur shortly after feeding, or half an hour later, before vomiting the child has an open mouth and stretched neck, painful and uncomfortable expression. Ways to reduce infant vomiting 1. Feed in moderation, do not overdo it; 2. Eat small amounts and many meals to reduce the pressure on the stomach; 3. During and after each feeding, let the baby lie upright on the adult’s shoulder and pat the baby’s back, this action can expel the air swallowed into the stomach to reduce the pressure on the stomach; 4. Don’t be too hasty or too fast when feeding, and pause for a moment in between to allow the baby to breathe more smoothly; 5. The opening of the bottle should be moderate. If the opening is too small, the baby will need to suck vigorously and the air will easily be sucked into the mouth from the corner of the mouth and then into the stomach; if the opening is too large, the milk will easily flood the throat and obstruct the airway of the breathing tube; 6. When lying down, you should also put your baby’s upper body up higher, preferably on the right side, so that the food in the stomach does not flow out easily; 7. After feeding, do not let your baby get excited, and do not shake or shake your baby at will. How can I avoid my baby from spitting up? 1. Choose the right size pacifier. If the pacifier hole is too small, the child will have to suck hard, thus causing the air to be sucked in with the milk, which will also easily cause spitting up; but if the pacifier hole is too large, the child will easily be choked and cause a violent cough when sucking. Therefore, when choosing a pacifier, we have to consider whether the size of the pacifier hole is suitable for our child. 2.Be careful not to let your baby eat too quickly, if the milk swells and jets out, it will make your child feel uncomfortable. 3. Pay attention to burping during breastfeeding and after eating. After the child is 3-4 months old, not only can he or she master the sucking skills well, but also the contraction function of the cardia has developed, so the number of spitting up will be significantly reduced. Before that, it is best to help your child burp after each feeding. 4. It is best to let your baby stand upright for 20 to 30 minutes after feeding, and don’t be in a hurry to snub your baby for fun. The right way to help your child burp 1. Hold your child vertically and gently pat his or her back Holding your child vertically and gently patting his or her back for more than 5 minutes is the basic way to help your child burp. If your child still can’t burp, you can also try massaging your child’s back with your palm. 2. Sit your child up with his or her chin propped up and have him or her sit on his or her lap and then pat his or her back. Because the entrance to the stomach is facing upward when the child is sitting, it is easier to burp. 3. When you can’t burp, the air that you breathe into your stomach is sometimes caught in the milk that you breathe in before and after, so if you hold your child upright, it will help to expel the air from your stomach. Therefore, the mother can hold the child upright, or she can give the child a padded back to keep the upper body tilted for about 30 minutes. When should I see a doctor if my baby spits up? If a baby spits up once in a while and is in good spirits, it does not necessarily mean that he or she is sick. If the baby spits up several times in a row and at every feeding, you should pay attention to whether the baby has a fever, how the stool is doing, whether there are any changes in the baby’s spirit, etc. There may be problems in the gastrointestinal tract itself, or there may be lesions in other systems, and the child should be taken to the hospital for examination.