Son Throws up Everytime He Eats

When I went through a similar situation my Pediatrician recommended starting my daughter on rice cereal mixed with breastmilk (or formula). Because the cereal is a thicker consistency it stays in their stomach longer and reduces throwing up. Also, you may want to try a soy-based formula because he may be lactose intolerant. Either way, ask your doctor before changing his diet.

he might have reflux. take him to the doc if you want, but theres really not much you can do if it is reflux.

My son,now 3yrs., had the same problem when he was a baby.For him, it ended up being a reflux problem; something about the stomach "flap" not closing completely when food or milk went in. In turn, the substances would come back up. He was put on some pink liquid medicine and it worked quite well for him. I can't for the life of me remember the name of the medication, but if this turns out to be what your son has, your doctor will more than likely know what it is. I was told my son would outgrow the reflux by at least one year of age; and he did by the time he was about 8 months. Anyway, not sure if this is what is going on with your son or not, but keep your pediatrician informed and perhaps even ask him/her if it could be a reflux problem. Good luck and hope he feels better!

R.:-)

Is your son having projectile vomiting---a sign of pyloric stenosis? Since you've been to the pediatrician, have they considered this or any other disorder of digestion ? With this the pyloric sphincter--the muscle around the exit of the stomach--isn't openingor closing properly. Projectile vomiting vs. regular spit-up looks like the milk shoots out quite a distance. http://pediatrics.about.com/od/diarrhea/? As mentioned previously possible causes--reflux and allergies. Is he getting dehydrated? Infants can get dehydrated quickly if he's not holding fluids down and not gaining. You might need to take your baby to an ER for intravenous fluids if he's had a history (more than a day or two)of of feeding poorly, not tolerating (vomiting all his feeds), weight loss, that soft area on his front scalp sunken in, possibly fever, dry mouth, and generally very irritable or lethargic or just not his usual self. I'm a mom who's a pediatric nurse --- hope this is enough info. to make a good judgement in your baby's care, just be vigilant and yes, consult with a pediatric gastroenterologist, to find out the problem.

My 4 month old son does the same thing. The doctor just put him on Zantac for acid reflux. He also is having me give him rice cereal in his formula because it is supposed to stay in his stomach longer. You might ask your ped. if he has acid reflux. Hope that helps!

K.,
My son had the same problem. We tried everything for a year before we went to a pediatric gastoenterologist. Turns out he has acid reflux. He is almost 2 and is doing much better now. Doesn't hurt to have a second opinion!! Hope that this might help a bit!
R.

As noted by Misty, if the throwing up is projectile in nature, I would definitely have him checked for pyloric stenosis. If this is what he has, no matter what you feed him, he will throw up. The only way to fix this is with minor surgery. My son had surgery for this at 2 weeks old, one of the youngest cases known. My niece also had this surgery done when she was about 4 months old.

K.,

My son had that samething for along time and my Ped. didn't know what was wrong with him. Finally I took him to a different Ped. Right away she told me it was acid reflux. She that might be something to look in to. If you have more ?'s let me know.

H.

The same thing happened to my son when he was an infant. It truely could be a number of things, so consulting a physician is the BEST way to go. If you feel your pediatrician is NOT resolving the issue, then find one who can-your child IS worth it. It took going to 4 different hospitals and months to ID what the issue was. My son had the same symptoms as your child and ended up having reflux and major digestive issues that required a couple of medications, weekly visits to the Dr's office to monitor his feeding and weight. Ultimately, our WONDERFUL pediatrician in Tucson advised that we try nutramigen-formula. It is a type of predigested formula and saved my babie's life. Best of luck to you!!

Hello,

My daughter did the same thing with regular and soy formula. Finally instead of soy, the pediatrician recommend the Enfamil lactofree formula (I think it was in a purple can, if I remember right)and that did the trick for us.

Though some may argue this, I think it is worth a shot. Look at your own diet and eliminate things that may be passing through. Cow's milk, wheat, corn, soy, yeast, fish...are common allergens.(also caffiene might be problem)
Eating mainly salads and meat for awhile simplifies this concept. There are rice pastas if you feel the need for carbs.Also one can try goats milk for baby if this does not work. Saved my uncle when he was an infant
Best of luck.

This happened with my daughter as well. I thought that it could be reflux so the doctor put her on some medication "Zantac", which helped her keep food down. She became a much happier baby! -A.

Hello K.;

My daughter had the same problem. However, she gained weight. I took her to a Gastroenterologist. He checked her out and stated that she did not have the Gastroenterologist Disease but she was very hyper and jumpy. That is why she spits up so much. He also, stated that we should sit her up for 45 minutes after eating and maybe put rice cerel in her milk to make it thick. I still breastfeed as well as formula. so I just put the rice cerel in her breastmilk out of the bottle. He also changed her formula and had me give her a little mylanta 3 times a day to help coat her tummy. My situation is a little different from yours because my daughter does gain weight and she is just to hyper so, I noticed that if I sit her upright for a while the spit up slows down. The Gastroenterologist also stated that many babies go through this phase and that it may get better in 5 to 6 months of age. Ahubrey is now 5 months and it really has gotten better. So, maybe you should take him to a Gastroenterologist and receive that second opinion. I hope he gets better.

T.

I'm sorry to hear about your son. What kinds of formula have your tried? My son had an issue with regular milk based formula and so I had to change to regular soy furmula, not the one with all of the extras that are supposed to be easier to digest. It was to strong for my son. I hope it gets better for you and him both.

M.

I would encourage you to go back to your ped or find a new one if your current one doesn't seem to be helping you. I also encourage you to do research on the pros and cons of soy formula as recent studies indicate many cons, especially for boys. It is also a common allergen.

ALso, when it comes to breastmilk, have you looked at your own diet? Could something be affecting your milk? Spicy foods? Dairy? Soy?

I had the same problem with my now three yr old. From birth he would throw up everything after every feeding.....I never used anything other than Breastmilk, I didn't change my diet though....which does help alot, there might be an offending food your child can not tolerate. Other than that, if you're not opposed to this, I gave my son a pacifier after I knew he nursed long enough.....an hour to two is long enough....lol...he stopped throwing up and was a happy baby because of that choice. I know it's very racy and you have to be the judge. But I would definitly stick with your breast as long as you can....(I'm still nursing my 3 yr old)...keep nursing and change your diet for awhile...bland is good in this situation....God bless, I hope it helps.

Could be lactose. Any thing with milk or milk byproducts in them can have that effect. My daughter has the same thing. They have things you can buy over the counter for this. Hope this helps and hope all is well with the baby. Good Luck.

K.,
I would suggest you check him for food allergies. We found out my daughter is allergic to Milk, Soy, Wheat, Nuts and Eggs. If breast feeding, keep in mind you can not eat these foods either (It is tough, but doable). We have her on a special formula called Neocate, you may want to ask you Pediatrician about it and also for a possle sample. It is expensive and we order directly from the company, but worth it.

Also, try having him sit up while he eats, burp often and offer a bit of water in between meals (1 or 2 ounces)

All the best,
D.

Hey K.,
I never had this problem with my children, but my husband did when he was a baby. You might want to check with your doctor, there is a muscle either inside your esphagus or it could be the stomach, that is not strong enough. I was concerned about it when I was pregnant, my OB/GYN, new right away what I was talking about, anyway, my husband when he was a baby had this and would throw up everytime he was moved. They had to keep him sitting up, after he ate. Are you making sure your baby is well burped, they can burp more than once. I would ask the Dr about that muscle, I'm sorry that I can't recall what the name of it was. Good Luck.

Hi he could have acid reflux disease. My friends baby did the same thing and they put him on medicine and he is doing much better. I would talk to your ped if you haven't already.
Good luck,
B.

Hi K.,

Your son may not be able to have milk products. I used the soy with my son and it worked. You might want to find a formula that does not have a milk base and see if that works. Also if he has a hard time going to the bathroom there is an old formula that my grandmother had used with carol syrup. My nephew was on that and it worked.
Good luck
Jennie

Have you tried soy? My son (almost one now) went thru that power puking, spit-up all that after eating. At about 3 months we decided that we should try soy... come to find out our son is allergic to milk protein. Now he eats great weight is going up and there are alot of options with soy products now (that taste good!) Good luck!

My daughter did this up until she was 5 months old. She cried all the time and threw up the entire bottle when she ate. I tried breast milk and formula as well. The doctors told me she had was colic. But when I insisted that this was not normal, even for colic, they finally diagnosed her with acid reflux. Actually, 60% of babies who are diganosed colic actually have acid reflux. They gave her Zantac in liquid form. She didn't grow out of it until she was two but her digestion changed over night. She kept everything down, slept through the night and was a happy baby!

Both my grandsons had trouble like that. The pediatrician did have a hard time diagnosing the trouble and what would help. Esophageal reflux needing an antacid was one diagnosis. But what helped both was a formula we called "liguid gold" because it is so expensive - NUTRAMIGIN. I think that is the correct spelling. Because your baby sounds like he is having a "failure to thrive", your doctor may be able to prescribe this formula to help you out.
Good luck!
M.

K. ~

When my son was little he threw up what seemed to be every time he ate. I tried breast feeding but it wouldn't stay down so we put him on milk based formula and that wouldn't stay down. We ended up on Soy formula (Advanced Isomil from Similac) and it worked. You might try it. It also works really well for colicy babies.

Hope it helps ~ K.

K.,
The only thing I can think of is that he may have acid reflux. I know of other babies who had this and was always throwing up or barely eating. They go on medications prescribed by doc. and is usually okay. Ask your doctor about it. Good luck.

Please discuss w/ your Pediatrician the possiblity that your son may have acid reflux!! My son's first dr missed it and he suffered terribly until I went to a different Dr. and they put him on Previcid and he was a totally different child. He ate like crazy and no more vomiting. Gained weight and he is now off the medicine and still doing great!

Good Luck!

K.,

If your son is growing, then he may just be a spitty baby. I would continue to breast feed. If he is throwing up what he is drinking vs. digested milk, then he may be getting too much volume at one time and needs to slow down his eating and allowing his stomach to empty. He also may have a condition known as "reflux" which in this case I would have your pediatrician refer you to a pediatric gastroenterologist. If you have more questions, please feel free to call me.

L. Kandell, MS, RD, IBCLC
Registered Dietitian/Pediatric Specialist
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
AFFILIATED NUTRITION CONSULTANTS, LLC
Scottsdale, Arizona
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Hi K., My son had projectile vomiting at this age...Pediatrition told me to sit him up more when he eats...sometimes it is just the angle that causes this in some children...also, you might try burping him after a few minutes of eating...My son responded well to this. Sometimes babies are slow to develope thier digestion. There is a flap at the bottom of the esophgus that sometimes does not close right away, and allows the food to comeback up...Don't worry, I am sure he will be fine.
C. (Mom of 3, grandma to 2)

Sounds like it might be acid reflux. My 6 month old son has this too. I discussed formula, but my dr. said that breast milk was still BEST. Discuss maybe taking something out of YOUR diet. My son is still gaining weight. It can last as long as 12 months, but my dr. said it usually goes away somewhere between 6-9 months, but you need to discuss this with his dr. if he's having issues with his weight because of it. I have my son on Zantac & it helps. He still spits up, but not like he used to. Oh, & inclining him to sleep helps. My son took his early naps in a swing. Don't you love having a zillion spit up clothes everywhere?! I feel your pain! Good Luck!

If the problem is not gastrointestinal, it could be allergies/asthma. My daughter had this problem also. I took her to a pediatric allergist. She was allergic to both milk based protein formulas and soy based. She had to be on Nutramigen and have asthma treatments, but she stopped throwing up and starting gaining just fine . She is now 22 years old! If you want more info just send me a message. I hope this helps. Don't waste time with Pedialite- he won't throw up while he is on it if it is allergies/asthma, but he won't grow either. At his age he needs the protein for proper development. Also, my 2 year old threw up after eating, but it was reflux. The difference is he would cry and squirm because the acid coming up hurt. He was put on Zantac and we had to keep him on a wedge or in his carseat after eating for several months. He eventually outgrew this (he was premature). Good luck!

We went through this when both of our sons were infants and it wasn't fun! My oldest (now 8) also had trouble gaining weight. I am surprised your pediatrician isn't being more proactive. Some possibilities could be reflux, food allergies (yes, even to breast milk), or some kind of obstruction. We ended up going to a Pediatric Gastroenterologist. Our pediatrician thought "reflux" and prescribed Zantac & Reglan. That helped some, but not enough. So we went to the specialist. After lots of experimentation with changing my diet to see if the breast milk was easier to tolerate, and trying several different regular formulas and hypoallergenic formulas, and having some medical tests done, the diagnosis was reflux and allergies (same basic story for both of my kids). I was told to stop breast feeding because he wasn't tolerating my milk. Also, the ONLY formula that worked was a hypoallergenic formula that also didn't contain any corn products and was in a liquid form (he couldn't tolerate the powder form). We were also prescribed Prevacid instead of Zantac. For us, this combination worked. Your son may have something completely different going on, but I recommend finding a Pediatric GI specialist if possible. At least then you might get some answers or at the very least rule out anything serious. Good luck!

I work in a Pharmacy and there was one of our customers little girl and she couldn't gain any weight and she kept throwing up and it turns out she had a yeast infection in her throat it took a little over a year to figure it out.

My son did this as well but from day one. He was tested for pyloric stenosis, a simple U/S can tell you if thats the problem. My son ended up having Acid Reflux, a very bad case too, I would go through 2 loads of laundry a day in just burby cloths. My Dr. had him on Zantac but that really didnt help. I stopped breastfeeding at around 3 months because if I didnt thicking it with cereal he would just throw it up and pumping was getting really hard. We finally put him on Lactose free formula, It helped, not alot but I was willing to take what I could get. He is now 9 months old and still vomits but nothing like before and it doesnt really bother him, my carpet on the other hand will need to be replaced :) Please check with your Dr. again. My son did vomit more than I ever imagined a baby being able to but he did gain weight like crazy, if you baby isnt thriving I would keep asking for something to be looked into!

My daughter when she was that young she did the same. I used this and it helped Similac Isomil or my friend had to use this formula with her son at that age Similac Lactose Free. When my daughter was 6months old the doc told me she had acid reflux and gave me some liquid zantac that I had to give her. My daughter is now 4 1/2 yrs old and doing very well.

D.

Hi,
Has he been tested for acid relflux? I had a friend who her baby was doing the same thing, they tried everything and finally he was tested for acid relux, sure enough, so she had to give him medicine but it cleared up the throwing up and he was able to start gaining weight.

My first son did this all the time and was finally diagnosed with acid reflux. He had to go on soy formula and on some medication for the reflux. After about a week on the medication and new formula he didn't throw up nearly as often as he had. Maybe have your dr look into that for you.

Have you tried Soy milk? My son did the same thing around 2 1/2 months and I read on the interent to switch to soy. Something about not being able to digest the casine in the milk. I dont really know, but it worked and he eats all the time. I use generic soy from Target, my Ped says generic is exactly the same chemically. Give it a try you never know! good luck

Hi K.,

I have seven children and what has always worked for me in this situation is feeding small amounts of baby cereal during 1 or 2 feedings of the day. I know that the doctors do not recommend this and at first I was skeptical, but it really does work. My first son was on rice cereal (1 tbs extremely runny) at 2 months. My mom told me that when I was a baby her doctor told her that the formula wasn't heavy enough so I didn't feel full so I would basically keep taking the bottle till I couldn't hold anymore!

None of my kids have food allergies and none are overweight. Half were breastfed and the other half were strictly bottle (those were adopted).

Hope this helps!
M.

Could it be acid reflux? My cousins son had it and I think Emfamil has a formula special for that, the other brands may have it too now. I would check with a different dr. a baby that young need nutrition and sound like your dr is not that concerned. Just my opinion from what you wrote.

So the first thing I wanna say is what size is the nipple on the bottle? Because when my son kept vomiting after he ate, it was because he was eating too fast because the nipple was too big , (the Opening). thats a start i guess. good luck.

Is your Pediatrician concerned with a failure to thrive? There are blood tests that can be done to rule out issues or is there any reflux problems? You might try getting a second opinion.

K.,
You may have already found a resolution to your problem of your son throwing up, but to offer another suggestion just in case, my son had the same problem and it turned out that he has acid reflux. He has been on Zantac since he was 6 weeks old and it has helped out amazingly. We had to do some tests to find out that is what it was. They did tests to make sure his intestines weren't bound up and see what exactly his stomach was doing when he was eating. I am not sure what hospital your pediatrician is with, but it might be a good idea to ask them about baby acid reflux and if he is willing to do some research about tests that are available. My son visits Advaced Pediatric Associates which is an off site clinic for Children's and I must say, I am very pleased. If you have any further questions feel free to email me at ____@____.com.

I hope this helps and that you receive a bit of solice =0)

M.
Mother of a soon to be 6 month old baby boy!

I would get him checked for reflux and allergies. that is exactly how my nephews milk allergies started. And I'm not talking about being lactose intolerant I am talking about severe milk allergies. He is four now and still has them, but if he touches something that contains even cheese or whey protein in it he breaks out into hives and starts wheezing. The last episode he had he was two and my sister gave him a piece of soy cheese and he started vomitting and then stopped breathing. I am not trying to freak you out or anything, but get him checked for everything. You can never be too safe!

MY daughter sprit up a lot and was always fussy. She had acid reflux. She was given zantax and it was like she was a new baby after that.

My daughter did the same thing. We had her on Infamil because we only wanted the best formula for her but she would more than spit up everytime. Our doctor said the formula may beto rich for her system. All the nurses at the hospital suggested Parents Choice which is the Walmart brand. She loved it and stopped throwing up!! Maybe that will help...

Does it look like he is having any pain, especially when he eats? My daughter was like that as a baby, it was because she had acid reflux.

K. I'm so Sorry to hear about your son. My son had acid ref too and he was on zantac for 8 months, it didn't help until he was 6 months and he is doing alot better. You are doing the best you can do, I will say a little prayer for you that his problem gets better. Keep up the great job.