As baby doctors like to say, spitting up is usually a laundry problem, not a health problem. It's baby business as usual.
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Transcript:
So here's the thing: spit happens. And for many newborns, it happens a lot, and with surprising reach. But not to worry. As baby doctors like to say, spitting up is usually a laundry problem, not a health problem. It's messy, it's stinky, it can turn those sweet little white outfits a yucky shade of yellow, but even big-time spitting isn't typically a cause for concern. It's baby business as usual, a business that some babies just seem to excel at.
Spitting up, otherwise known as GER, G-E-R, or gastrointestinal reflux, is also different from vomiting, and from GI conditions that require treatment, like gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. It's a reflection of a newborn's normally immature digestive system, which includes a not-yet-fully developed esophageal sphincter, the muscle that keeps food down once it's swallowed. This underdeveloped sphincter allows a baby's all-liquid diet to back up easily, especially when he's lying on his back, which babies often are. His super tiny tummy, which is quickly overfilled, is also quick to overflow.
Spit up can also look like a whole lot, leading parents to wonder whether a baby's whole meal has left the building, but it's usually just milk overflow that his tummy can't hold, mixed with lots of saliva.
How do you tell if your baby's spitting is normal and nothing to worry about? First, look to her. Is she unphased by the spitting, AKA, a happy spitter, which most babies are? Or does she seem like she's in pain, bothered, or uncomfortable in any way? Is she showing any other symptoms of GERD, like coughing or gagging while spitting? Look, too, to the scale, if she's gaining weight at the right rate, she's likely keeping down what she needs to grow on. Look also to her diapers, if she's peeing and pooping enough, she's getting enough to eat. And, of course, look to the pediatrician. If your baby's doctor is satisfied with her growth and development, you can be reassured, too.
Spitting usually eases up once baby starts sitting well and begins eating solids, two milestones usually reached at about the six-month mark, but it can linger longer in some little ones. In the meantime, try feeding your baby in an upright position. If you're breastfeeding, you may find that the laid back, position, which allows a baby to feed completely upright, reduces spitting significantly. Keep your baby as upright as possible after feeds, too.
Some pediatricians recommend frequent burping to help baby bring up bubbles before they can bring up the works. Others suggest skipping active burping, since some research says it may increase spitting up, and letting babies self-burp instead, which they're surprisingly capable of doing. A too fast let-down can lead to gulping milk too fast, leading to more spitting. Upright feeding can help with that, too.
Gulping can also happen with bottle feeds if the nipple is too fast-flowing. If your baby is formula-fed or if you're combining breast and bottle, check with the doctor about whether a change to a more easily digested formula might be a smart move, but don't switch without checking first. Here's to less spitting and, eventually, less laundry!