It is typical for a
baby to begin
“spitting up” at
two to four
weeks of age.
Effortless
regurgitation of
small amounts of
milk is normal.
Babies seldom “spit up” in the first few days of life because the milk intake at each feeding is small.
Forceful vomiting (“projectile vomiting”) and
vomit containing bile (yellow-green) are abnormal
and require a call to the pediatrician and possibly
further evaluation.
Some babies raise milk from the stomach to the esophagus or the throat and then reswallow the milk. This is referred to as “gastroesophageal reflux”. Mild reflux is normal and of no concern. Reflux which appears to pain the baby or causes frequent gagging requires a medical evaluation and possibly
medical treatment. Some simple measures that can be used to help reduce reflux include:
- feeding your baby on an incline
- burping your baby frequently
- keeping your baby’s head elevated for 15-20 minutes after each feed
- elevating the head of your baby’s bassinet about 10-15% so that the baby sleeps on a small incline
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