Why Your Baby Regurgitates?
Regurgitation is where the stomach content dribbles effortlessly out of the mouth. As common as it is, it still concern parents. I do not blame you if you feel worry, especially if this baby is your first one and you know very little about taking care of a baby. I have been through all that before myself. Well, do not worry more than you have to now. Vomiting or regurgitation during or in between feeds is very common happening during babyhood.
If the baby vomit, it doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong. Most of the time, the incidence of regurgitation will decrease in age related manner. You will feel much better if you know the reason why your baby regurgitates. These are some explanations why this thing could happen.
- The physiology length of the esophagus
- Small stomach size
- Peristaltic dysfunction
- Lower esophagus sphincter immaturity
Physiology length of esophagus
Esophagus is the passage that connects the mouth and stomach. In a very young infant, they have a very short esophagus. The short distance between mouth and stomach may facilitate regurgitation. Once your baby drinks milk, the short distance of esophagus will reduce the time that available for the reflex peristalsis to effectively counter any bolus of refluxate. Hence the regurgitation happens. Don’t worry, while your baby grows, the esophagus length will increase and solve the problem for you. All you need is to be patient enough to wait.
Small stomach size
This is common sense isn’t it, small baby has small stomach. Small stomach will has low capacity. When your baby feeding, the high volume of milk will rapidly fills his/her stomach. This will increase the stomach or gastric pressure and contribute to regurgitation. This usually happen especially with the association of lower esophageal sphincter relaxation. Again, don’t worry too much; your child will grow out of this.
Peristaltic dysfunction
Normally, more than 90% of refluxed volume can be cleared by the esophagus by one or two normal peristaltic waves. Motor abnormalities associated with immaturity may result to the failure of peristaltic contraction to occur, thereby permitting to the regurgitation to occur.
Lower esophageal sphincter immaturity
This condition is a result from hypotonia (low or insufficient muscle tone) or undeveloped control mechanism (nervous system development) which allows transient relaxation. This will permits the easy flow of stomach content back to the esophageal and to the mouth. This condition is what we call as gastro esophageal reflux. This will cause the typical symptom of regurgitation.
CONCLUSION
As your baby grow up, their body functions will mature. All of these symptoms will no longer contribute to gastro esophageal reflux and regurgitation. However, if the symptom occurs too frequently or you feel too anxious about your baby, it is wise for you to pay your physician a visit. (There is almost always something behind a mother’s instinct!) Your physician will ask some history, the nature of vomitus, either it projectile or not, what content of the vomit, where and when she/he vomits, etc. Your physician will run some examinations and investigations. Once they have definite diagnosis, further actions can be taken for your baby best interest. Some underlying causes of regurgitations are gastroenteritis, pyloric stenosis, hiatus hernia, pharyngeal pouch or duodenal obstruction.
Reference:
- Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties. 5th edition. 2001.
- Health fact sheet by Mead Johnson Nutritionals.
Tags: esophagus, esophagus sphincter immaturity, gastroenteritis, health, hiatus hernia, peristaltic dysfuction, pyloric stenosis, regurgitation, vomiting
Technorati Tags: esophagus, esophagus sphincter immaturity, gastroenteritis, health, hiatus hernia, peristaltic dysfuction, pyloric stenosis, regurgitation, vomiting
Thanks for that. I think its quite detailed. Im a MD from the UK and think that people neeed this kind of detail in press releases.
Thanks for that. I think its quite detailed. Im a MD from the UK and think that people neeed this kind of detail in press releases.
Hi I have a quick question. If there was a tshirt for child abuse awareness saying shake your booty not your baby would you buy it?
edward… my answer is “no, i don’t think so..”
hmm…maybe you can shake something else for a change?