Why is babies spit up chunky

Some babies are greedy feeders and take in more than their stomachs can handle. Even a breastfed baby spits up when she's had more to eat than she can hold in her stomach. Burping or drooling can also trigger spitting up, as can jostling the baby or putting her down quickly. The immaturity of an infant's digestive tract makes spitting up more common in the early months, but some illnesses can cause spitting up or vomiting. Approximately half of all babies experience spitting up due to infant reflux, a type of gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, according to the Mayo Clinic website.

Reflux occurs during the early months until the valve between the stomach and the esophagus develops fully, but it usually resolves as the baby matures. Although the amount of spit-up is often small, overfeeding can increase it.

Infant reflux usually doesn't cause the baby to feel distress or cry. Vomiting is different from reflux or simple spitting up because it typically produces a large volume and can be a sign of illness.

For example, a baby may lose most or all of the feeding by vomiting. If your baby vomits several times in a day or every day, or if he vomits bright green matter, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends consulting a pediatrician.

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Should you have any concerns about your health, or of that of your baby or child, please consult with your doctor. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Healthy Lifestyle Infant and toddler health. Products and services. Spitting up in babies: What's normal, what's not Spitting up is a rite of passage for many babies. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Open pop-up dialog box Close.

How infant reflux occurs If the muscle between the esophagus and the stomach lower esophageal sphincter relaxes when the stomach is full, food might flow up the baby's esophagus. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Winter HS. Gastroesophageal reflux in infants. Accessed Dec. Rosen R, et al. Pediatric gastroesophageal reflux clinical practice guidelines: Joint recommendations of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.

Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. McInerny TK, et al. Gastroesophageal reflux disease. Elk Grove Village, Ill. Jana LA, et al. Spitting up and vomiting.