What to do if the child wants milk

What we often say about children letting go of milk is actually spitting up milk, because the main source of nutrition for children is breast milk. Once the phenomenon of letting go of milk occurs, it will definitely have a relatively large impact. The reasons why children refuse to drink milk can be divided into physiological and pathological factors. In order to solve the problem effectively, we need to figure out the child's problem and treat it accordingly. So, what should we do if the child refuses to drink milk? Let’s take a look below.

Why does a newborn spit up milk?

There are both physiological and pathological reasons for severe spitting up in newborns. The baby's stomach capacity is small and the esophageal muscle tension is low, so food is easy to spit out. It may also be caused by colds, constipation, etc. Incorrect feeding posture, feeding too quickly, adding complementary foods too early, etc. are also the causes of severe spitting up in newborns.

1. Physiological reasons

Your baby's stomach doesn't hang down like it does in older children and adults, but is in a horizontal position. This will reduce the stomach's capacity and allow it to store less food. In addition, because the baby's esophageal muscle tension is relatively low, the cardia is relatively loose and not tightly closed, so it is easy for food to break out of the cardia and cause vomiting.

These physiological vomiting will stop as the baby grows older as the neural regulation of gastric ptosis, intestinal motility, and endocrine secretion of gastric acid and proteolytic enzymes gradually strengthen.

2. Pathological causes

Colds, bacterial infections, constipation, pyloric stenosis, esophageal atresia, intestinal atresia, intestinal malrotation, congenital megacolon, etc. can all cause abnormal spitting up in babies.

3. Improper feeding and care

Improper feeding posture, feeding too quickly, too much milk or too short an interval between meals; turning the baby too much during feeding; adding complementary foods too early; when feeding with a bottle, the hole of the nipple is too large, causing the milk to flow out too quickly and not have time to swallow, etc. These improper feeding methods will cause the baby to spit up milk.

When the baby is 6 months old, he or she will not only master the sucking skills well, but also have a more mature gastrointestinal function, and the number of spitting up will be significantly reduced. If a newborn baby often spits up milk, mothers must distinguish whether it is due to physiological reasons, pathological reasons or improper feeding, so as to decide how to solve the problem of baby spitting up milk. Parents don’t need to worry about spitting up under normal circumstances, as long as the baby’s weight gain is normal and his mental state is good.

What to do if your newborn spits up severely

When a newborn spits up, the mother should pay attention to distinguish whether it is physiological or pathological spitting up. Physiological spitting up is normal. When feeding, the mother should pay attention to not feeding too much milk each time. After feeding, stand the baby upright and gently hit the back. If the baby keeps spitting up milk within 24 hours after birth and the amount is large, it is mostly pathological spitting up and the mother should seek medical treatment in time.

1. Physiological spitting up

(1) During pregnancy, mothers should pay attention to breast protection. Mothers with inverted nipples should gradually pull out the nipples to facilitate breastfeeding after the baby is born. When feeding with a bottle, be careful not to make the nipple hole too large to prevent the baby from sucking too quickly or too hard.

(2) The frequency of breastfeeding should not be too many, and the amount of milk fed each time should not be too large.

(3) Do not let your baby cry too much before feeding.

(4) When feeding, make sure the nipple is fully filled with milk from the bottle. This will prevent the baby from taking in too much air into the stomach and causing vomiting.

(5) Do not turn the baby over too soon after feeding. It is best to stand the baby upright, pat the back gently, let the baby burp a few times, and then put the baby back to bed. This will make it less likely for the baby to spit up milk.

(6) For babies who easily spit up milk, it is best to raise the head of their bed a little and let them sleep on their side to prevent suffocation or aspiration pneumonia when spitting up milk.

The above is physiological spitting up of newborns. No special treatment is required. Parents only need to feed the baby reasonably and strengthen care. As the baby's age increases and gastrointestinal function gradually improves, the condition will gradually improve.

2. Pathological vomiting

If the baby starts spitting up milk within 24 hours after birth, and the amount is large, or even in the form of jets, or if there are other abnormal symptoms and signs in addition to spitting up milk, this indicates that the baby's spitting up is caused by illness, which is pathological spitting up. Parents should take the baby to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible.

Common causes of pathological vomiting are congenital digestive tract malformations such as esophageal atresia, gastroesophageal reflux, hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, and intestinal malrotation, which should be treated surgically after diagnosis.