A Baby’s Digestive System

Since the baby’s digestive system is just being put to work, feeding will require some practice and a lot of babies burp and regurgitate their food. No matter if a baby is breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, they will normally vomit up to two times a day. The following are some things that can be done about it:

• Avoid having to change your clothes after the baby has eaten and has vomited all over your shoulder. Instead place a little clean towel or cloth over your shoulder when burping the baby, or when you are just holding the baby.

• If the baby seems to be regurgitating a lot of milk of if it is done in a forceful way, talk to the doctor about it.

• Place a bib on the baby when you feed him or her in order to avoid having to change him or her constantly and to not ruin the baby clothes.

• Don’t play with the baby too much after feeding as this can cause him or her to vomit.

• Always burp the baby after feeding time.

• If you are feeding the baby a bottle, interrupt the feeding session in the middle of it and burp the baby. Don’t allow the baby to drink a whole bottle in one session alone.

Sometimes when a baby vomits a lot throughout the day it can mean there is a problem that can be caused by the gastric acid that flows from the stomach to the esophagus. Although it is something common in babies, it can still happen at any age. Some of the symptoms are pain when regurgitating, irritability, crying, resistance to eating etc, if this does happen to make sure to talk to the doctor.

A doctor can see if a baby gastro esophagus reflux through the elaboration of the medical history, by doing a physical exam and by doing certain diagnosis. These tests include a series of the top part of the gastrointestinal system, an endoscopic check and pH tests y gastric emptying tests.

How necessary it will be to treat a reflux problem largely depends on the age of the baby, the general health, medical history, the seriousness of the problem and the tolerance the baby has to certain medications, procedures and treatments. Sometimes the reflux can get better through changes in the feeding. When this happens, try the following:

• Burp the baby frequently.

• After feeding the baby, place the baby face down with the superior part of the body lifted at least thirty degrees or hold the baby sitting up for around thirty minutes.

• Some people believe that adding a component that thickens the cereal or the food of the baby can be beneficial for older babies.

• If you are giving the baby the bottle, make sure the nipple is always full of milk so that the baby does not swallow a lot of air.