Baby Throws up Whenever He Cries

Updated on January 04, 2017
A.C. asks from Morehead, KY
14 answers

I am asking this on behalf of my good friend who has a one year old son. She is desperate for help!
Every time her son cries, he throws up. She believes it could be psychological as he does not have acid reflux and it happens only when he is really worked up. It happens several times a day. She has not taken him to the doctor because of the cost (she said it will cost $300.00, must not have insurance). Is anyone aware of what could be causing this and have any possible solutions?

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.L.

answers from Orlando on

My nephew will throw up when he cries and gets super super upset. The Dr said it has to do with his asthma. Because when he he loses his breath and gets upset (crying) then he'll cough or whatever trying to catch his breath and he will throw up. Maybe he has asthma?? Just a thought.

1 mom found this helpful

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.A.

answers from Little Rock on

If this has started just in the last month or so, it may be do to cold or sinus drainage. When he cries, the drainage could be sealing off his nose causing him to gag and throw up.

All of my kids have done this at one time or another when they have colds or allergy drainage.

I and my children have had constant sinus drainage for the last 2 months.

ADDED: Asthma can also cause this to happen. Mild Asthma in a child can go unnoticed to an adult sometimes if they are not wheezing or obviously struggling to breath. Small children do not know how to tell you if they are having trouble breathing. If he is, he will probably be less active than usual and sleeping more.

2 moms found this helpful

M.P.

answers from Lafayette on

my daughter used to do this as a control thing. she would throw up everytime she was told no, or got in trouble, or just didn't want to do something like go to bed. it was causing serious issues because she'd throw up several times a day, and it caused fighting between me and my fiance. because we could both tell it was control issues.

so what we did, was we decided to do cry it out for bedtime. she threw up several times the first night, and only once or twice the second. but because she was throwing up to get her way, we didn't clean it up right when it happened. i know many will say this is cruel, but she had to learn throwing up wouldn't get her her way. so she got no extra attention when she threw up. and i didn't clean it up until the next day. it only took two to three nights of doing this and she stopped throwing up.

i hope she can figure it out, and doesn't have to go to the extreme i did to stop it. good luck to her.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

N.S.

answers from Austin on

My son has done this periodically, never that many times in a day, but he has made himself sick on more than one occasion. If she's avoiding the doctor, tell her to keep a journal of when this is happening and also journal other things, like his sleep patterns, diaper patterns, what he eat and when and how much.

Also tell her to start really evaluating his food intake and see if there's a correlation between the behavior and what he eats and if she doesn't already to really start working on cutting out additives, dyes, packaged foods, sugar, and possibly dairy-he's a year and it's very possible that if she's recently made a switch to cow's milk it could be adding to the trouble, might not be the cause, but could make it worse.

Happening this often, it seems potentially more serious, could be on the spectrum, could be psychological, or could be an actual physical issue. But, I'm a big believer in studying these things at home and with homeopathic or alternative therapies first as long as they aren't life threatening issues. The best thing to do is evaluate every part of his life and look for patterns and triggers and if you cannot get results making changes that way-then consider seeing a doctor.

Best wishes!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.M.

answers from Denver on

My daughter used to throw up almost every time she cried when she was a baby. I would say it was because of lack of oxygen, but she would also throw up when she wasn't crying very hard. Maybe a sensitive gag reflex? We never took her to the doctor since there were no other signs of any physical issues - no change in her waste, no change in her eating, no change in her playing, no noticeable physical issues such as difficulty breathing. It was messy for a couple of years, but she eventually grew out of it. Her gag reflex is still a bit sensitive, for example when I give her liquid cough medicine she used to throw it up when she was younger and now she is able to swallow it down (with some difficulty) now that she is older.

If there are any changes to her son's health or behavior, she will probably have to bite the bullett and get him to a doctor. If she doesn't have health coverage, there are possible ways to at least get her son covered (Medicaid, or the child health insurance program (CHIP) that is in Utah).

I wish your friend the best and hope that things get better for her and her son.

C.A.

answers from New York on

My daughter did the same thing at that age. It does get annoying but he will grow out of it. It's just that they get so worked up that they vomit. It was just a stage that my daughter went through. Just try to get him to calm down before that happens. I know easier said then done but it does help. And it will stop. Just try to be patient. Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.S.

answers from Wausau on

When he or she starts to cough blow in to his or her mouth they don't like it and it shocks them out of making them selfs puke it sounds cruel but it works for my 21mo he use to puke every time he'd get upset since he was tiny and had learned to puke on his own when he cried but only when he coughed have water on stand by through tantrums and when the coughing starts blow in his mouth.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.N.

answers from Denver on

When my son was 16 months old he was doing the same thing--it went on for 8 weeks. We took him to so many specialists, etc. and the bottom line is that (he's now 4 so I can "read" him a bit better) I believe it was anxiety. (He had just started day care) As soon as we pulled him from day care, the vomiting stopped. He is still a bit of an anxious child and I have to come up with strategies, etc. to make things work for him. So sorry for your pal and her kiddo, but it's possible she's got an anxious babe. Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.H.

answers from Denver on

Well when you say "baby" how old? And how much throw up? Could it be asthma related? But that aside, maybe she can try babywearing - in a sling to prevent the crying??

Good luck!!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.C.

answers from Denver on

My daughter was doing this about once/week. We just started giving her less milk, tried to give more snacks and not just milk. That has helped a lot. Wish I could be more help!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.N.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I remember I was having behavior issues with my son (he'd do things to get attention/get his way) and the doctor said "at least he's not making himself throw up or holding his breath till he passes out". Apparently there are kids who those. So I wouldn't worry too much.

Best way to deal with it is to distract him with something else before it gets to that point. Also, it's more likely to happen (tantrums in general) when a kid is hungry or tired, so watching for these times and preventing is a good thing too

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.P.

answers from Portland on

I've vomited when I was "really worked up" and crying. So has my daughter and her two children. I think it's related to breathing. We reach a point where it's hard to catch our breath, we cough, and the esophagus opens up instead of the tube that goes to the lungs. The ends of both tubes are in our throat and close together.

A one year old shouldn't be "really worked up" several times a day. I'd advise her to take a look at what is going on that causes him to be this upset. A one year old is still a baby. Is she perhaps harsh with him? What is her parenting style? A one year old is too young for time outs. I'm floundering here because I don't know anything about her life with her baby. But perhaps you get the idea.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.B.

answers from Boise on

Stress and anxiety and breathing issues are ALL related to his vomiting.

Our stress hormone is called cortisol. It comes from the adrenal glands.
When someone is under stress, the gland is 'suppose' to put out more hormones - when it doesnt, a person can feel nausious, Stomach pain, fatigue, low blood sugar, Anger outbursts, inability to control emotions, get angry at things that seem trivial, vomit, get lethargic, have an inability to respond when people are talking to them (their brain is in a low oxygen state and CANNOT think), vision may get blury, they may be unable to stand up, get pain in legs or back. This is in essence, like a mini-form of shock. In severe cases the person can slip into a coma. That is how important cortisol hormones are. They are life and death. When a person is in a severe form of low adrenal function, it is medically called an 'Addison's crisis'. Some people have died from going into this crisis and not getting medical help. I am not saying this child is at that stage or that is his problem, but I am saying that he should have a medical workup to check for adrenal hormone output.

People like us, who's glands are functioning normally, do not have these problems. We can get into a stressful situation, and the brain sends a message to the gland to put out more cortisol... and it does so. Done deal.

Sometimes the lack of hormone is a direct result of damage (any urinary tract infection that was not treated promptly (and a fever was present with it), Kidney infections, meningitis, Strep/staph or other bacterial infections that were not treated promptly, TB, a blow to the back, the head, or other accident) and sometimes it is a result of somewhere else in the HPA axis function.(hippocampus /pituitary/adrenal.) Some forms of pesticides can block the cortisol receptors and cause it, and sometimes it is passed on from the parent who has low cortisol hormones herself.

ASMTHA is not a disease. The word 'asthma' is simply describing narrowed breathing passages- the word asthma is describing a SYMPTOM, just as a limp is a symptom of cancer, but not the disease itself. Anytime asthma is present, typically adrenal malfunction is at hand. . Lung issues are tied into adrenal hormones. So are the muscles that go from the ankles, into the knee, and into the hip. What many doctors call 'growing pains' are not pain from growth at all, but from hormone and electrolyte imbalance.

Breathing issues can be caused by low cortisol..its like a form of hyperventalation, (or air hunger) caused by the body being in a state of acidosis. BUT.... ALSO if the adrenal puts out too much cortisol, and the body cells are locking in sodium, you see alkalosis, and again, breathing issues which would be diagnosed asthma.

Dehydration plays a large part in Adrenal malfunction because it affects the bodys electrolytes, and the electyrolytes are what helps the body stay in hydration mode.

Asthmatics are in major dehydration. When the brain detects low water levels, it takes water from the lungs, colon, skin, and central nervous system and re-routes it to the life saving organ, the brain. The brain MUST keep a constant water level. The result is constipation, dry skin and membranes, nerves that are 'on edge', headaches, and breathing problems.

High cortisol distrupts other minerals. It causes low magnesium. These people may have elevated calcium release into urine. That is why reducing milk helps those with high cortisol. Milk is 8 times more calcium than magnesium. Excessive milk intake can lead to alkilosis. Taking magnesium and reducing high calcium ingestion helps.

Serotonin is affected by adrenal hormones. High and low adrenal hormones affect it. Serotonin is the chemical messenger that causes vomiting.

In short, I would make sure more water was ingested. Stop all forms of juice and milk as drinks, which displace water intake. Babycalm or Kidcalm is a magnesium product you can find online that is dosed for children. If you cannot locate those, epsom salt baths increase magnesium, and also using magnesium oil on the skin, or ingesting magnesium citrate.
B complex drops under the tounge also help adrenals. One drop of Lugols iodine in water every day helps. A saliva cortisol test is the ultimate test for cortisol testing, but blood testing can also be done. Blood testing can detect HIGH cortisol, but it cannot necessarily detect low cortisol. Usually the adrenal will do a high morning output of cortisol and then fizzle out the rest of the day. A one time morning blood draw would show that everthing is fine when in fact it is not . The saliva test measures across the entire day. MUCH more accurate for low cortisol. The problem is trying to get a kid to spit a half vial of spit 4 times in one day. Pretty impossible with young babies and toddlers. If nothing else, I would at least do the blood test to measure out high cortisol.

Gail

C.T.

answers from Santa Fe on

Our daughter does this (since birth - now she is 17 months). She does not have reflux or anything wrong. The dr says she will grow out of it -that some kids have a sensitive gag reflex and the little tubes in there are just small. She does it much much less now at 17 months...actually the last time she did it was about 2 months ago when she was sick. Hopefully this means she's growing out of it! We call her our little "puker". It really sucks and I feel for your friend.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions