Baby vomiting

What is normal?

Possetting is the name given to the most normal kind of baby vomit. In reality, it is not actually vomit, just a few teaspoons of milk, generally after feeding. Other than this, there are many things which can cause a newborn to vomit, from car-sickness to a prolonged bout of crying. Vomiting involves much larger quantities than possetting, and is likely to frighten and upset your baby. In normal cases, a vomiting session should end between six and 24 hours after it starts. If your baby seems healthy after this, and continues to gain weight, everything should be fine.

How to cope with vomiting

The most important thing to do is keep the child hydrated. Along with your baby’s usual water and breast milk or formula, you should give sips of an oral rehydration solution such as Dioralyte. Do not give your baby fruit juices or carbonated drinks, as they are too rough on the stomach. Look out for signs of dehydration in your baby, such as doughy eyes, dry skin or lips, urinating infrequently or very strong yellow urine, crying without tears and a sunken fontanelle. If you notice any of these signs, make sure you rehydrate the baby. Breast milk is the best thing to help your baby fight off illness, and contains all the right vitamins and antibodies. It is also the easiest thing for the baby to keep down.

Once the vomiting attack has been over for 12 to 24 hours, you can try to move the baby back into routine, resuming their normal diet but continuing to give them plenty of fluids. You should start with easy to digest foods such as cereal, or if your baby is over a year old, things like ice lollies. Keep avoiding fruit juices and carbonated drinks. Sleep is the best cure for mild illnesses, so giving your baby plenty of opportunities to rest is essential.

When should I be concerned?

While vomiting is often normal and nothing to worry about, on some occasions it can be a sign of something more serious. In newborns, very forceful vomiting within half an hour of eating can be a sign of pyloric stenosis, a rare condition where the muscle controlling the valve into the intestines is too thick, causing vomiting. The problem is fixed with minor surgery and requires immediate attention. After the first few months, a vomiting session is much more likely to be caused by a stomach virus, and possibly accompanied by diarrhoea. Vomiting can also accompany cold, urine infections and ear infections. More serious symptoms to look out for include:

  • Dehydration
  • Fever
  • Vomiting for over 12 hours or projectile vomiting (where the vomit covers a distance of several feet).
  • Refusing breast milk or formula
  • A bulging fontanelle
  • A rash which does not fade under pressure.
  • A engorged abdomen
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sleepiness or irritability
  • Blood or bile in the vomit.

If you notice one or more of these symptoms, you should contact your GP. While blood in your baby’s vomit can be very distressing for the parent, it is often nothing to be concerned about. It is usually caused by small splits in the blood vessels that line the oesophagus, which happen because of the force of vomiting. Sometimes it is due to a small cut in the child’s mouth. However, if the quantity is increasing each time the baby vomits, you should call your GP. Bile is a green substance, which, if present in the baby’s vomit, can indicate that the intestines are blocked. This needs urgent attention. The doctor may require a sample of the vomit, so try to save some.

Caring for your newborn:

Mother, Baby and Beyond

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