New parents tend to get worried about sick children. Young babies are very delicate and can get sick pretty quickly. The worst thing is that parents have no idea what to do when their baby does get sick and starts throwing up. For young babies, throwing up is nothing unusual. They are most likely to throw up if the milk or food they have taken flows up into their mouth from their stomach. Mostly the parents feel that their child’s vomit is higher than it is in actuality. Throwing up is generally not much of a concern for parents if the baby is behaving normally. However, it is also true that throwing up is an indication of illness in a child.

My Baby Throwing Up—Is It Normal?

Babies are prone to throw up in the early weeks of their life. Their bodies are developing and they have not gotten used to feeding. Thus, there is a chance that they might spill some of the milk. The common reasons for baby throwing up are indigestion, continuous coughing or crying and car sickness. Thus, you can expect your baby to throw up throughout his/her initial few years of life, but the good thing is that it is not uncommon.

Why Is My Baby Throwing Up?

Knowing why your baby is throwing up can help you in finding a solution for it. There are many reasons.

What Should I Do If My Baby Is Throwing Up?

1. Prevent Your Baby from Choking

Prevention from choking must be the prime concern of a parent if the baby is throwing up. To do this, you will have to quickly change the position of your child so that he/she does not start to choke on his/her vomit. Monitor your child closely until the illness responsible for your baby throwing up is treated.

2. Keep Your Baby Hydrated

Throwing up causes loss of fluid in the baby’s body. Try to hydrate your child by giving him/her plenty of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) and increase the administration of feeds. However, you must avoid giving your child any juice or other drink.

3. Ease Your Baby Back Into His/Her Routine

If the baby’s throwing up subsides, than slowly bring him/her back on the normal diet. Do not start giving him/her the food he/she was eating prior to the vomiting right away. If he/she is taking solid foods, then try giving him/her some easily digestible ones first before returning to his usual diet.

4. Help Your Baby Rest

Let your baby rest for a while as it is essential for him/her. During sleep his/her stomach will get emptied and the chance of baby throwing up will decrease considerably.

Important Notes:

• Don’t give any kind of medicines to your baby without consulting your General Physician.
• Don’t send your child to school or childcare for at least 2 days even after his/her vomiting has subsided.

Want to learn more about how to handle baby throwing up? Check out the video below:

When Should I Be Concerned?

Usually throwing up is not a cause of concern for parents. Unless the baby starts showing signs of weight loss or throwing up does not subside even after 24 hours, you don’t need to call the doctor. However, stay on your toes and ring the doctor up immediately if the vomiting continues on beyond 24 hours.

You must call 911 if your child starts having trouble in breathing or is starting to show signs of dehydration. A visit to the emergency room becomes imminent if the child is having severe pain, has a swollen abdomen area or his vomit contains a colored substance that you cannot recognize. In the case of vomiting after a head injury, the baby should be taken to an emergency room, as it may be a sign of concussion.

How to Prevent My Baby Throwing Up?

• You can prevent your baby from throwing up by giving him/her some activity time after a feed. Let the food get digested quickly which would avoid any chances of vomiting.
• You can also keep him/her standing for a while after a feed, which will help in getting the milk digested.
• You can make use of a bulb syringe to clear the nose of the child from the mucus buildup as well. This will remove his/her congestion and he/she will be less likely to vomit.
• If your baby gets sick while driving then you can always take breaks during a trip so that his/her tummy can adjust to the constant movement.
• Give him/her lots of fluids as it helps in calming the tummy down.