You should get in touch with your doctor if the baby vomits forcefully and shows one of these symptoms: There is no waiting with pyloric stenosis as it is a condition that needs immediate checkup by the doctor. Dehydration (the signs of dehydration include laziness, no urination for over 6 hours, a dry mouth etc.).It’s not just the milk that gets out in the vomit, important minerals like sodium and potassium accompany the vomit too and this doesn’t bode well for the baby’s health.Īnother reason for concern about pyloric stenosis is that babies having the condition may also suffering from another condition like: Adults are normally able to stay hydrated even after vomiting a few times but since the babies have far smaller bodies, they can’t tolerate losing too much fluid. This leaves the baby at risk of being dehydrated and the baby’s nutritional needs just won’t be met. The basic concern with pyloric stenosis is that the baby vomits too frequently and becomes incapable of keeping the fluids down. The vomited milk may appear curdled and this happens because the acid in the stomach curdles the milk. In a projectile vomit, most of the fed milk comes out and would travel a significant distance. When Is Projectile Vomiting in Baby a Problem?īaby projectile vomiting is vastly different from the wet burps that babies normally have after a feeding. If one of the baby’s parents suffered from the condition, there is a greater chance of the baby suffering from it too.Īs already mentioned above, the condition is more common in babies who are given antibiotics after birth or whose mothers take antibiotics while they breastfeed their baby. The condition also affects a greater number of white babies as compared to Hispanics, blacks and Asians. Pyloric stenosis affects males more than females with firstborns usually more prone to it. There is hardly a case of pyloric stenosis in babies who are aged six months or older. The condition usually manifests itself in the first few weeks. How Common Is Pyloric Stenosis?Įvery one in five hundred young babies go on to develop pyloric stenosis. In other cases, baby projectile vomiting is associated with the use of antibiotics by the mother either during the latter part of pregnancy or while breastfeeding the baby. In some cases, pyloric stenosis is associated with using erythromycin during the first two weeks after the baby is born. It is normally believed that pyloric stenosis is a result of multiple factors. There is no exact known cause of pyloric stenosis. The thickening of pylorus is a gradual process and the baby would start showing symptoms once the muscle thickens to the point that the stomach can’t empty properly any longer. Pyloric stenosis is not a birth defect and develops in babies after they are born. There is a noticeable contraction around the baby’s upper abdomen just after feeding if the baby suffers from pyloric stenosis, as the stomach is trying to pressurize the fluid to pass the pylorus. This happens because the milk can’t pass through to the intestine and the baby gets ready for a forceful vomit.

Pyloric stenosis symptoms: It usually causes the baby to feed in a very eager manner but makes the baby very anxious or fretful once the feeding ends. The problem comes up if projectile vomit becomes a habit for the baby. An occasional projectile vomit is usually fine. However, it is not like all cases of baby projectile vomiting turn out to be pyloric stenosis. However, with the pylorus too thick (thus the opening being too narrow) to let anything pass, the milk finds an easy path upwards, moves upwards rather than moving downwards and therefore, the milk travels quickly from the esophagus and the baby endures a projectile vomit. The stomach therefore contracts to apply extra pressure on the milk to move into the small intestine. As a result, it stops the stomach from pushing the milk into the small intestine. The condition affects the pylorus (muscle at the stomach’s outlet) and makes it thicker than normal. Projectile vomiting in babies sometimes points to pyloric stenosis which is a condition that normally affects babies aged between two and eight weeks. However, if the baby can’t keep most of the feeds in and throws them out via large and forceful vomits, you would have to take your baby to a doctor.īaby Projectile Vomiting Can Be a Problem If your baby vomits forcefully after a feed but keeps other feeds down without any issues, then you shouldn’t worry. The phenomenon is more common in babies with baby projectile vomiting sometimes being indicative of pyloric stenosis. Projectile vomit is the name given to the vomit which arrives with a great amount of force and usually travels a small distance horizontally before dropping down.

Newborn projectile vomiting