Managing Baby Spit-Up
Spit-up is a part of every baby’s and parent’s experience in raising a child. Some may worry that the baby is losing nutrition after spitting up every meal, but the truth is it’s not that bad. If you take a teaspoon of water and pour it on a towel, you’ll see how a little liquid can look like a lot. There are certain tips to reduce spit-up and ways to determine if it’s spit-up or vomit.
To limit the amount of spit-up baby produces, follow these tips. Feed small, frequent meals and burp your baby regularly. Make sure you don’t overfeed – observe if your child is turning away from the breast or bottle. If bottle feeding, angle the bottle so baby won’t swallow excess air, and after each feeding support little one in an upright position for about 20 minutes.
Spit-up and vomit are similar, but there are distinct differences. Vomiting also signifies illness whereas spit-up is normal. Vomiting is forceful while spit-up is passive, and vomiting also causes baby’s eyes to dilate and water and his stomach to contract. If vomiting does occur, you need to get your baby to a doctor right away. It could be a rotavirus which is common in children under 3, or it could be an intestinal blockage. Don’t worry, though, these can be easily treated and will be just another chapter in your baby’s life.
The definition for Shaken Baby Syndrome or SDS (as defined by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome) is: A term used to describe the constellation of signs and symptoms resulting from violent shaking or shaking and impacting of the head of an infant or small child. The degree of brain damage depends on the amount and duration of the shaking and the forces involved in impact of the head.
Consider the things a baby is feeling as they stare at a parent or caregiver whom they love while they are being forcefully shaken. Can you conceive of the fear and confusion the baby would feel. Do not let your baby become a victim of shaken baby syndrome.