Projectile Vomiting

Have they done any imaging? Is the vomit green or yellow at all? If so, please take baby in to the doctor or hospital soon. Since this has gotten worse recently, you want to rule out some serious stuff, like Meckel's or Zanker's diverticulum, small bowle obstruction, intussuseption(sp?), etc. After these are ruled out, then go for the food intolerance route. Just make sure none of the serious things are present first.

Take her to a Pedatric GI physician.

Hi S.,

Please have your baby checked out by either a naturopathic doctor or an Integration Doctor. This is serious. Your baby's issues, I would bet with almost 100% accuracy, are related to food allergy/intolerance problems, and a conventional/allopathic doctor WILL NOT be able to help you with this issue because they ARE NOT trained in nutrition.

Your little one is suffering from acid reflux, and probably also has food allergies or intolerances. Some babies spit milk back up because of allergy or intolerance. If she can't tolerate cow milk formula, your breastmilk (if you've tried breastfeeding), or even soy formula, then you need to get in to see a doctor who can give her a nutritional and a nutrient panel test. One of the above type doctors can help with that.

I am allergic to casein (one of the dairy/cow milk proteins), which I've probably have had since I has a baby. Not finding and correcting the problem (I am now 41) led to severe gliadin/gluten and soy intolerances, along with another 20 food intolerances. I even suffered from GERD/acid reflux myself for two winters. Turns out my body was so messed up with all the food intolerances and the food allergy and the severe malabsorption from missing so many vital nutrients that it ended up affecting my stomach and even my gut.

After finding out my food intolerances and food allergy, as well as taking different supplements and nutrient supplements, my body is finally healing up.

I would like to recommend that you find your baby some raw goat milk to drink--but first, I think it's highly important that you get your baby checked for food allergy/intolerance. That test will let you know if your baby is/is not allergic to goat milk. My family drinks raw goat or rice milk, but rice milk isn't fortified for a baby to drink. A naturopathic or Integration doctor should be able to help you find someone who sells raw goat milk. And there is nothing wrong with drinking raw milk. If you have questions about this, please contact me.

The constipation problem--have had that issue as well since I was a baby. Still have it. That, again, is another sign that your child has food allergy/intolerance (which should have tipped off my own parents to get me tested--constipation is a BIG tip off for dairy allergy). And that she's not getting enough water/liquids, which she wouldn't be, if she keeps throwing everything up.

Please, for her sake, find out what's wrong. Eventually, she'll harm her esophagus if she continues vomiting as much as she does. And she'll put herself at risk for severe (nutrient) malabsorption or even malnutrition, if she's not already there from the lack of being able to keep anything down.

If you'd like to talk more or have more questions, please contact me. I live in Madison, WI and can recommend a naturopathic and an Integration doctor.

The "projectile" vomiting may be from mucus if she has a cough? look at the vomit, does it seem mucus-y? just a thought. other than that I don't know much about the reflux and all that.
Constipation - we used about a 1/2 teaspoon of prune juice in every bottle with my son and increased it only when we noticed he'd start to have trouble with it again.
Coughing - try Baby Vicks (a small amount! it says 6 month and up on the jar) ON THE SOLES OF HER FEET - then cover with thick cotton socks. I do this for my kids when they have colds and it works great - I even do it myself when I have a cold. We usually only do it at night, but I'd think you can use it during the day too, as long as you keep the socks on.

Good luck!

S., I swear by Chiropractic care. My own child has not had acid reflux but I have friends with children who did and after taking them to a chiropractor a couple of times they had "brand new" babies. I agree with going the natural route before introducing drugs, sometimes they can create more of a problem then actually fixing the one they are given for. Good luck!

has she been checked for acid reflux? my friend's daughter would finish a bottle and spew it across the room. turns out, she had acid reflux and got put on medication. i do not believe she had to change her diet at all. good luck!

My oldest did the same thing. We switched to lactose-free formula and he stopped. We had tried many kinds of formula but all of them had the same result until the lactose-free (breast milk did the same thing to him and I didn't want to cut all dairy out of my diet). As he got older, we had to give him Lactaid whenever he had dairy or he would throw up. I know people say babies aren't lactose intolerant, but it worked for us. He outgrew it by his 2nd birthday.

Have her checked immediately by a specialist. A friend of mine was projectile vomiting as an infant and there was something seriously wrong, a flap that was not allowing him to get his food. The regular doc pooh-poohed the mom, who persisted in finding out. Not saying it is the reason for your child but definitely rule it out. Could be serious. My friend would have died if it had not been discovered.

I'm surprised the doc didn't diagnose GERD-gastroesophageal reflux disease. The upper sphincter of the stomach is letting formula and stomach acids come back up too easily. This is not uncommon in newborns. She needs a PPI-proton pump inhibitor or even children's Zantac to quell the esophageal irritation from the reflux. Reflux also causes coughing with no apparent infectious cause. There must be something over the counter that you can get for infant constipation. I would get a different pediatrician.-B.

I use a product called More. It is from a company called Nussentials, which I am a rep. I have new mom's that used this product during pregnancy and after. They also give it to their children. About 1/4 teaspoon in their formula and shake well. It dissolves quickly and will help keep your baby regular and help build her immune system. My customers that have given the More to their babies say they have had none or fewer of the colds babies get when they are young. The More runs $59.95 plus shipping and one container at 1/4 teaspoon once in the morning and once at night will last you for at least 3 months. As she grows, you can increase the amount to 1/2 teaspoon and then to 1 teaspoon. Let me know if you are interested and we I can send you a sample packet. If you are not sure, I encourage you to take it to your doctor. This product is all natural and there are no side effects. The web site is www.nussentials.com
You can reach me at ____@____.com Also, if your doctor says there is nothing you can give her...get another opinion.

If you are not tied to your pediatrician, try another. Your daughter may have reflux which is causing the vomiting and the coughing and if that is the case she can be perscribed baby zantac. Also try breaking her bottles/feedings in 1/2 and feeding more frequently. I know this can be a pain but if it helps, isn't it worth it? As for the constipation I have a few thoughts, don't do the karo syrup anymore. She can tolerate a 1/4 or a 1/2 of a childs suppository (you can buy them at any drug store or even walmart) and make sure to put vaseline or petroleum jelly of some sort on the top so that when inserting it is less uncomfortable. You will need to hold her bottom together for up to 30 seconds to make sure she doesn't send it right out. Then there is also prune or pear juice. Try to use baby juice, if you cannot find it use regular juice and water it down 1/2 and 1/2. This should help with the bottom end. I would also have her checked to make sure she doesn't have some kind of blockage or maybe a twist in her intestines, it is rare but anything is possible (I doubt this is it). Also, we changed formula to good start, it is less bubbly which means less gas and spitting. If this doesn't work you may need to go to special formula that is specific for colicy babies. Good luck, she sounds like she has a great mom.

That was so my baby. You may want to try Nutramigen. I see you have some good detailed answers here so I will stop there. Good luck!!

I totally agree with other posters - sounds like reflux or maybe a food intolerance. My little guy was on Zantac (prescribed by the dr) for several months & it helped quite a bit. We also use probiotics (Dr. Udon's Infant formula) mixed in to his baby cereal; it helps all kinds of digestive issues, including reflux & especially constipation. I haven't personally taken my baby to a chiro, but I know a lot of people who do & who swear by it. A great resource to find a chiropractor who is trained to treat children is http://www.icpa4kids.org/locator/index.php.

good luck!!

I agree with the others, take her to a peditrician and get a second opinion on her. Graham crackers are a good way to solve constipation gently.

You may not be aware of this, but formulas can cause constipation in some children, and especially soy. Some children are even allergic to it.

See: http://www.drgreene.com/21_1513.html

http://www.babycenter.com/404_what-are-some-signs-that-a-...

Has your doctor diagnosed your baby with GERD? Or checked to see if the baby has something called pyloric stenosis? Coughing and projectile vomitting is often a symptom of these two problems. GERD or gastroesophogeal reflux disease is common with a lot of babies. For symptoms or more info see;

http://gerd.emedtv.com/infant-gerd/infant-gerd-symptoms.html

http://infantrefluxdisease.com

However, if she has pyloric stenosis, she should get immediate medical attention. While this is not too common, this is a very serious condition that often requires surgery. In the meantime, be on dehydration watch, which is probably the more pressing concern you should have. Even if she can't keep things down, be sure she keeps getting liquids.

For more on this see:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_pyloric-stenosis-forceful-vom...

http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/digestive/pyloric_st...

Some doctors will prescribe liquid zantac if your baby is suffering from severe GERD. There are other things you can do to help you baby with digestion.

Some things include, avoiding laying the baby down right after a feeding. (Do not use a car seat!) She should be put in a bouncy seat, a high-chair with an adjustable seat - any safe baby seat that is inclined so her food won't have a tendancy to come back up.

For more on this see:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/18448/tips_for_h...

Hope this helps a little. I guess if your pediatrician hasn't addressed any of these possibilities, run them by him/her and see what she has to say. If you don't get anywhere, try another doc. Especially since things sound pretty bad and there really is a risk of dehydration (no wet diapers, sunken fontenelle, dry mouth, cranky, lethargic). If she's exhibiting symptoms, definitely get a second opinion and soon.

I never heard the KARO syrup remedy, but it seems like a bad idea. Corn syrup is a big culprit of allergy problems in people, especially kids. Tylenol does not treat coughing. And if you're giving her the cold formulas she is too young. New guidelines are that those medicines should not be given to any children under 4 without the guidance of a doctor. See for guidlines: http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/kids-cold-me...

Try pedialyte if she's showing signs of dehydration. Follow one of the GERD plans from a link above in the interim of getting some medical assistance from your doctor.

Hi S.,

I know others have already suggested that she has reflux. I would absolutely agree with that. I would suggest you stay as natural as possible with the remedy that you choose. I am a personal wellness coach - many of the people I have worked with as well as myself have used aloe as a natural remedy for this with great success. I suffered with acid relux from the time I was a baby as well - I am 40 so they didn't know all that much about reflux back then. When I was 19 I ended up in the emergency room because I was having chest pains. I ended up on prescription medicine until they came out with the over the counter reflux medications. I would encourage you to help your baby with this now so that she doesn't have problems all her life. If you want more information about this you can contact me at ____@____.com luck - D.

Has the doctor ruled out reflux? All three of my guys had that to what extent or another. Is the vomiting soon after a feeding?

We were prescribed meds for the reflux (Reglan and something else) and changed our routine a bit. Pulverized rice cereal in the formula, stomach sleeping, raised crib mattress, etc. It all helped. Check with your doctor. If you have constipation issues the rice cereal might not be the best call for you.

Good luck.

S.-
My 5yo was extremely gassy during his first year. The only thing that even helped a little bit was goat milk. I have since learned that a friend of mine's father-in-law drinks goat milk due to stomach ulcers and severe acid reflux. Have you had her checked for allergies? A little boy at my 18-mos old's caregiver was just diagnosed and he can't have wheat or glutens or dairy or anything. I know it's hard but hang in there! And i hope my suggestions help -
J.

You may want to ask your Dr about acid reflux. Both my children had it, but my son had it really bad and till he was 3 1/3 yrs old and still has symptoms now at almost six. He was put on previcid and/or Zantac and at one time both. We saw remarkable improvement!!! Good luck.

I would say to absolutely check out a new doctor. Your poor kiddo should not have to go through this. Check out food sensitivities and also acid reflux, as others have said. I am so sorry! How hard!

S.,
We had a similar situation with our son when he was that age...he ended up having reflux...we started using dr. browns bottles and axid (prescribed by his pediatrician). Within 48 hours he was like a new baby...so much happier and very little spit up. I agree with the other posts...check out a new doctor...it never hurts to get a second opinion. Good luck and happy holidays ~ K.

I know someone said this, too, but could be pyloric stenosis. I would take her to a peds. Gastroenterologist. Even if it does just end up being reflux, the GI can help you with that too. Good luck and God bless!

My son was a projectile vomiting baby (he is 10.5 years old now) his problem was that he has reflux and is lactose intolerant. My one daughter (she is a twin) couldn't tolerate the lactose when she was a baby and my other daughter had severe colic. What I found out with all three of my kids was that they can't tolerate milk fat so they were on formula for 18 months then we switched to skim milk. The doctor's thought that my twins had reflux and we tried the different reflux medications and nothing helped, but what did help was that we thickened the formula with rice cereal (I know that the pharmacies carry a product called Thick It) and that worked wonders for an 8 ounce bottle we added 2 tablespoons enough to thicken it up and still able to come through the nipple. I wish that I would have done that with my son it would have helped out so much. All three of my kids suffer from constipation (we have tried the Miralax but that causes diarrhea) so I stick with juices to help them out, pear, apple and prune juice work great with my kids. When they were babies I would water down the juice one ounce juice to one ounce of water. Once you start baby foods stay away from bananas since they can make constipation worse. I used to work in a pediatrics clinic before I decided to stay at home with the kids.

Good Luck!!

M.
mom to Ryan (10.5 many, multiple disabilities)
Abbey and Alexa (4.5 identical twins)

my littie one was the same way... turns out he's allergic to wheat, eggs, milk and soy!! i was (still am) breastfeeding, so i gave those up in my diet and it stopped!! talk to your ped about a soy-free, milk-free formula... we ended upfinding 'ultracare for kids' - which was a medical food (not intended for infants) but our peds let me use it to supplement... good luck!!

Try taking her to the chiropractor.... It helped my kids some (they still spit up a lot but not quite as often as before adjustments....)

has your doctor talked to you at all about reflux? i dont really know anything about it but it sounds like this could be a reflux issue?

when you feel like your doctor hasnt given you an answer, or you think that something more could and should be done, ALWAYS see another doctor.