My 5mth old throws up all day. Is this normal?

Question

My 5mth old has always been a 'chucker'. She throws up virtually all day and yesterday I counted 23 times. She doesnt cry about it but occassionally she will have an irregular breathing pattern and it sounds like air being forced through a tunnell. like a whistle sound. Im convinced this is linked with the spewing as she will chuck not long after. Does anyone else have these probs. Ive booked in with a peadiatrician but would like to know if anyone else out there has a similar situation.

Sorry I should have mentioned that she is spitting up huge amounts rather than throwing up. Her breathing irregularity is also only say once a week, which is strage as its not all the time. Thanks everyone for you help as I will also follow up with my dr. As for the Male who swore at me, I dont waste my time with those people as they have no idea about mothering children and probably couldnt even string a sentence together. I reported him anyway.

Answer 1

Why is my baby throwing up?
Babies vomit for a number of reasons. And while it's always disconcerting for you and scary for your baby — it may even make him cry — vomiting usually isn't serious.

Vomiting is different from spitting up, which your baby will also do, typically after a feeding. When a baby spits up — whether it's a few teaspoons trickling down his chin or a sizeable amount on your shoulder — it comes out effortlessly, without seeming to upset any other part of his body, like his tummy.

If your baby's throwing up, you'll want to figure out what's causing it, both to confirm that he's okay and to make him more comfortable.

Possible causes include:

Feeding problems
During your baby's first few months, vomiting is probably linked to feeding problems, such as overfeeding or indigestion. A less common cause is an allergy to proteins in your breast milk or formula.

Viral or bacterial infection
Once your baby's a few months old, a stomach flu or other intestinal illness is the most likely culprit. If a virus or bacteria have infected your baby's stomach lining or intestine, other symptoms may include diarrhea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, and fever. The vomiting usually stops within 12 to 24 hours.

Other infections
Congestion or a respiratory infection can lead to vomiting, especially during a coughing fit. A urinary tract infection and even an ear infection can sometimes cause nausea and vomiting. Throwing up can also be a symptom of pneumonia, meningitis, appendicitis, and, in rare cases, Reye's syndrome.

Reflux
If your otherwise healthy baby throws up right after eating or out of the blue, chances are gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is to blame. Reflux happens when the muscle between your baby's esophagus and stomach isn't working properly, allowing food and gastric acid to gurgle up from the stomach into the throat.

Although your baby can't tell you about his discomfort, he may also have an upset tummy and a burning sensation or irritation in his throat and chest. The problem will probably disappear by his first birthday, when the muscle gets stronger.

More severe, ongoing reflux can lead to poor weight gain and other medical problems that medication can often help treat. Babies rarely need surgery for reflux.

Pyloric stenosis
This rare condition is most likely to occur in the first two months of life, but it can show up any time before your baby reaches 4 or 5 months. Babies with pyloric stenosis vomit when the muscle controlling the valve leading from the stomach into the intestines thickens so much that food can't pass through.

This usually causes forceful projectile vomiting. The problem requires immediate medical attention and can be fixed with surgery. If you think your baby may have this condition, contact his doctor as soon as possible.

Motion sickness
Some babies and children tend to get motion sickness, which can be a problem if your daily routine includes a car trip. Experts believe that motion sickness happens when there's a disconnect between what your baby sees and what he senses with the motion-sensitive parts of his body, such as his inner ears and some nerves.

*When your baby vomits, he loses precious fluids and risks becoming dehydrated. Dehydration can be a serious problem for babies, so if your baby's vomiting a lot, talk to his doctor. She'll probably want to examine him and recommend ways to keep him hydrated, such as supplementing breastfeeding or formula-feeding with a children's electrolyte solution as soon as he's able to keep down liquids.

Once your baby's vomiting diminishes or stops and his appetite returns, you can slowly reintroduce other fluids as well as healthful foods if he's on a solid diet. The AAP recommends that a child recovering from stomach troubles resume a normal diet as soon as possible: Offer him complex carbohydrates (like breads, cereals, and rice), lean meats, yogurt, fruits, and vegetables — whatever solid foods your baby normally eats — but steer clear of fatty foods.

This differs from the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) doctors used to prescribe. Studies show that reintroducing a standard diet can actually shorten recovery time by half a day because it restores essential nutrients that the body needs to fight infection.

*Can I do anything to prevent vomiting?
Yes, several strategies are worth trying:
• If your baby vomits after feedings, give him smaller amounts and burp him more often. Don't bounce him on your knee, put him in a bouncy chair, or let him get too active right after he eats — the food needs time to settle in his tummy. Keeping him upright for about half an hour after he's finished eating also helps.

• To reduce vomiting from reflux, put your baby to sleep on his stomach or left side with the bed elevated about 30 degrees. Some babies with reflux vomit less when placed in this position. But talk to your baby's doctor before trying this, because sleeping facedown is associated with a higher risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

• If your baby has a lot of phlegm and mucus from a respiratory infection, try using a bulb syringe to clear his nose. He probably won't enjoy it, but it isn't painful and may provide some relief.

• To help minimize motion sickness, schedule plenty of stops during your trips to give your baby a chance to get some fresh air and calm his tummy. If he's eating solids, give him a small snack before the trip — having something in his stomach will help. And offer plenty of fluids to keep him hydrated, otherwise he may get headachy or even dizzy or weak, which will only make him more miserable.

How can I tell if it's something serious?
Throwing up is usually par for the parenting course, but it can signal a serious health problem. Here are some trouble signs and what to do if you spot them:

Call 911 immediately if:
• Your baby's having trouble breathing.

• He shows signs of severe dehydration, like extreme sleepiness or fussiness or cold, splotchy hands and feet.

Take your baby to the emergency room if:

• He seems in severe pain. Your baby obviously can't explain what's going on, but severe pain's a sign that he needs attention. He could have appendicitis, for example.

• The vomit contains bile, a green substance, or blood that resembles dark coffee grounds. Save a sample of the vomit, as the doctor will probably want to see it. Green bile can indicate that the intestines are blocked, a condition that needs immediate attention.

• He has a swollen, tender abdomen. This could indicate a buildup of fluid or gas, a blocked intestine, a hernia, or some other digestive tract problem. Blockages are uncommon but serious.

• He vomits more than once after suffering a head injury, which may indicate a concussion.

Call your baby's doctor if:

• Your baby's been vomiting for more than 24 hours. For some illnesses, this is perfectly normal, but check with the doctor to be sure.

• He shows signs of dehydration, including decreased urination (wetting fewer than five or six diapers a day), dry lips and mouth, crying without tears (it takes two to three weeks for a baby to shed his first tears), sunken eyes, excessive sleepiness, and depression of the "soft spot" on his head.

• The vomit contains blood. A little blood in the vomit is usually nothing to worry about, as the force of vomiting can cause tiny tears in the blood vessels lining the esophagus. Your baby's vomit may also be tinged with red if he's swallowed blood from a cut in his mouth or a nosebleed within the last six hours. But call the doctor if your baby continues to have blood in his vomit or the amount increases. As mentioned above, if the blood resembles dark coffee grounds, go to the emergency room right away.

• He has violent, persistent vomiting within half an hour of eating. This may be a sign of pyloric stenosis (see above). Contact the doctor as soon as possible.

• You notice a yellowing of your baby's skin or the whites of his eyes, which is a sign of jaundice. Jaundice accompanied by pain in the upper right side of the abdomen may signal hepatitis.

Should I give my baby any medications to help him feel better?
Don't give your baby any prescription or over-the-counter anti-nausea medication unless his doctor recommends it.

And never give medications containing aspirin to a baby. Aspirin can make children susceptible to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal illness.

Answer 2

Whistling sound could indicate a blocked air passage, if she is doing this right before spitting up.. I would have her pediatrician check her throat. She may have an extreme case of acid reflux inflamming her esophagus. Does she cough a lot? My daughter is also 5 months and has reflux. I have it also, plus asthma. When I have not taken my medication for the day, I pay for it later because my throat burns and I cough until I vomit or have an asthma attack.

Answer 3

my son done this for yrs. He was admitted to a hospital and the dr ran numerous test on him and so on....Long story short after yrs 2-3 of him dehydrating and constant dr visits I finally found a dr that x rayed his sinuses. All 4 were completely blocked. This had caused yrs of dr visits and hospital admissions. He would even ask if he could throw up! His little sinuses were draining into his stomach and causing the problem, by all means make sure that they x ray and find out if this is the problem before you put your child through what mine had to go through. Good Luck and I hope you find the problem soon

Answer 4

It is probably acid reflux. My daughter was diagnosed at 3 1/2 months.

*Try feeding her small amounts more often. (Like 3oz every 3 hours instead of 4 oz every 4 hours)
*Give her a little cereal if you dont already.
*No vigorous playing for 30 min after she eats.
*Sit her upright for 30 min after she eats.
*No tight clothing or diapers....the pressure on her tummy could make her sick.

Trying these will help if she has acid reflux. If these dont help it could be something else. Or they may need to put her on an antacid.

Answer 5

Yes! my three month old was doing the same thing. After trying soy formula and finding that he was still throwing up. They said it is reflux. He threw up all day long. They had me start feeding him rice cereal and put him on zantac. Must be working because he hasn't thrown up in 8 days! good luck. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

this is not normal I have seen kids with asthma barf...don't know why but you are right to look to a doctor for advise


the person who swore at you was probably a man! he doesn't know what it is like to birth a child and feed it day and night you will be ok once you see a dr....dont listen to jerks who do not undrstand anyway!!

Answer 8

Change the formular, call pediatrician tell them u have apointment and taht in the mean time maybe need to change formular, tell them what you use and ask what they recomend.
Some babies are lactose intolerant and have to use soy formular. Some formulars dont settle right in babies stomache and changing brands can help.

Answer 9

is it spit up or throw up? if shes on formula then they are more likely tho spit up more. Also that think that is in our throughts that keeps food down might have not developed yet, it took our 9 months before she stopped. And if its not phasing her then she should be ok, if shes breathing funny then you should go see a doctor.

Answer 10

Does not sound normal to me. Maybe she has reflux. Good thing you're taking her to the pediatrician.

Answer 11

i really dont think so u want to get the baby to the DR.s asap to check for dehydration thats a killer and if the baby isn't retaining anything it may be very possible to dehydrate