Baby spitting up curdled milk should I be concerned? This is a common scenario that moms face, and if it’s your first time getting pregnant, this situation will make you panic.
But wait, don’t rush to call the doctor. You need to see the actual severity of the problem and find suitable solutions.
This article is exactly what you need! Carefully read all the need-to-know information below to discover more about this.
About Baby Spitting Up
What Is It?
Spitting up is the term used to describe what occurs to your infant during the first few months of life when they vomit some of their stomach contents.
Because breast milk or formula makes up most of an infant’s diet, spit-up is usually white or yellowish. But the exact color depends on how soon after feeding that your child throws up.
However, likely, your child won’t even be aware that they are throwing up when they are doing it. Babies can spit up 3 hours or so after eating or even right when they are consuming food.
After spitting up, your infant will be comparatively at ease and content; they might even appear to be proud of themselves.
They won’t have trouble accepting more food if they haven’t finished their meal.
What Does Normal Spit-up Look Like?
The breastfed babies vomiting curdled milk and formula-feed can have yellowish, clear, or white spit-up, which is normal.
That color is due to the milk or formula content in the spit-up that flows up from their stomach.
Most of the time, I see my newborn’s spit-up coming out naturally without any force from her mouth and even nose.
Baby Spitting Up Curdled Milk Should I Be Concerned?
Though common, spitting up in children is sometimes urgent and dangerous. Some warning signs are the strange spit-up color (red, brown, green, or too yellow), the baby not gaining weight, and fewer wet diapers in a day.
When Should I Be Concerned About Baby Spit Up?
Strange Spit-up Color
As mentioned, the infant is on formula feeding or breastmilk, infant spit-up is likely to be yellowish.
But after solid foods are introduced to their diet, what they eat will determine the spit-up’s color.
Here are some cases to take immediate action:
- The coffee-ground or red hue typically denotes blood. A doctor may be required to deal with this right now.
- Spitting up that is green or yellow may indicate that your infant is sick and is vomiting either bile or phlegm.
- Its transparent liquid that babies occasionally spit up causes less of a problem. The spitting up could be stomach contents or saliva, which could be signs of pyloric stenosis (more on this condition is provided below).
Stop Gaining Weight
Normally, your child spitting up is nothing to be concerned about. But, if your infant has symptoms such as irritability, loss of appetite, and weight loss, this is a cause for concern. And it’s advised to talk with the doctor about this situation.
Wet Diapers Have Decreased Suddenly
You should know that your baby starts to retain their pee for long periods and soaks the diaper more fully as they age, and their bladder can contain more.
When that occurs, you’ll probably use about 6–8 diapers, but the decrease rate is slow.
If you notice the numbers of wet diapers drop suddenly and the baby spits up frequently, the child is not getting enough food for the day due to the loss of stomach content. Contact the doctor for more information.
When To Call The Doctor
Spitting up gradually ends as your newborn baby’s digestive system develops; this could happen anytime between six and twelve months of age.
Nevertheless, ask your doctor if your infant experience any of the following symptoms:
- Your infant has respiratory problems.
- Your child isn’t getting enough to eat.
- Your infant’s stool has any signs of blood.
- There is no weight gain in your infant.
- The liquid in your infant’s spittle is green or yellow.
- Your child has less wet diapers than you had anticipated in a day.
- Spit-ups resemble vomiting more than typical spit-ups.
- There are any blood traces in your baby’s or newborn’s curdled spit-up.
- You observe that your child is crying or fussing more often than normal.
- Your baby is 6 months or even older but still spitting up curdled formula or breastmilk very often.
What Are Possible Causes Of Spitting Up Curdled Milk?
Acid Reflux
Why does my baby spit up watery stuff with white chunks? The culprit can be acid reflux.
Babies, particularly those who are neonates, may experience acid reflux. When stomach acid rises to the neck from the stomach, it is called acid reflux and might cause pain.
Difficulty With Digestion
Particularly in neonates, infants have an immature digestive system. Depending on your child, you might see more spit-ups in your kids than others.
Also, the baby spitting out milk while bottle feeding might be a response to the recipes containing cow’s milk.
On the really rare side of things, it might be lactose intolerance or a milk protein allergy that leads to the baby spitting up curdled milk from nose.
When my little one was suffering from this, I also noticed other symptoms, such as diarrhea.
In this case, you might talk to your pediatrician about several formula options. And most infants will overcome these issues, as your doctor will likely inform you.
Pyloric Stenosis
In the United States, just 3 out of every 1,000 newborns have pyloric stenosis. Food and other substances travel via the pylorus, located in the lowest region of the stomach, before moving on to the small intestine.
Infants may develop larger pylorus muscles, which narrow the pyloric channel and prevent food from exiting the stomach.
Most newborns with pyloric stenosis require surgery and treatment between three and five weeks old.
The projectile spitting of milk, constipation, and weight loss are some symptoms of pyloric stenosis.
Food Allergies
Some babies may experience an allergic reaction to a formula component or even the mother’s diet, which is why the baby spit up thick white mucus.
However, under these circumstances, spitting up frequently comes with additional symptoms, such as diarrhea.
How To Reduce Baby Spitting Up Curdled Milk?
How do I get my baby to stop spitting up curdled milk? Even though babies frequently spit up curdled milk, the following advice can help you control your child from doing so:
- Be careful to feed your infant in an upright position, as eating while curled up or sprawled can cause your child to vomit.
- Avoid overfeeding your infant; do not force them if they refuse to eat. Instead of focusing on one large meal, think about numerous light meals.
- Ensure to express some milk if your breasts are overstuffed to control the regular milk flow. Check the nipple hole in case the infant is bottle-fed to make sure the milk flow is appropriate and not too much for your child to handle.
- To prevent spitting-up incidents, check for any additional pressure on your baby’s stomach, which can occur from tight diapers, tight clothing, babies laying on their tummies for an extended period, etc.
- Ensure that your infant is calm and peaceful during feedings since babies may swallow more air and throw up when they become distracted.
- If your child is currently on a formula, try switching to a different formula to see if that has any noticeable effects.
FAQs
Is It Dangerous When My Baby Spits Up Curdled Milk?
It depends. When you face the situation of a baby spitting up curdled milk and crying, you will often panic and seek a doctor for help. However, it’s not always an emergency, so thinking before acting is necessary.
As mentioned above, you should pay more attention and consult your doctor if you see one of the dangerous signs I noted in the sections above.
What Are The Warning Signs Of Excessive Spitting Up?
Should I feed my baby again after spitting up? Yes, if your infant has only nursed for 1-2 minutes and is starting to vomit.
However, once the child is more than spitting up, do not force him to eat or drink more, but contact the doctor for advice on timely handling measures.
Some warning signs you can easily notice such as:
- The child is scowling, upset, fussy or has any signs of illness
- Your child keeps spitting up and won’t stop
- After you let them rest and feed again, the baby continues to vomit
How To Know The Baby Spit-Up Is Normal?
You can observe your child’s expression and the condition of the saliva to see if it’s a safe sign. If your child is busy and still happy after vomiting, there are no signs of fussiness, which means his or her body is fine.
Conclusion
My baby spitting up curdled milk should I be concerned? You should carefully observe first!
Remember to check the kid’s actions and expression to ensure they are still happy without abnormal ones like hard-to-breaths or convulsions.
The spitting-up in transparent or white color is safe, but with green, red, brown or yellow fluid, consult the doctor immediately to get help.
