Digestion Problems in Infants

No parent wants a sick baby, and when your child seems to have problems digesting her food, it's natural to worry. Fortunately, serious digestive problems are rare in babies, and common digestive complaints are fairly easy to treat in infants.

Spit Up

• For some newborns, it takes many weeks for the digestion process to fully mature, which results in milk sitting in the stomach for longer than it should, then coming back up the esophagus. This is why spitting up is so common in newborns. The medical name for what causes spit up is acid reflux.

  Reflux isn't a problem unless it interferes with eating and weight gain, causes breathing problems or congestion, becomes painful for the baby, or causes symptoms of colic, which includes long bouts of crying. According to Dr. William Sears, author of over 40 pediatric books, babies who are called "colicky" usually have a bad case of reflux and should be treated accordingly.

  Symptoms of reflux include urgent crying (for longer periods that is typical for newborns), spitting up or vomiting after or during meals, fussiness after eating, an arching back, being more comfortable when upright, wheezing or poor-smelling breath.

  Treatment usually includes more frequent and smaller feedings, keeping the baby upright as much as possible, elevating the baby's bed, and--in persistent cases--reflux medication in liquid form.

Vomiting

• Aside from the spitting up or vomiting caused by reflux, babies usually vomit because they have an intestinal tract infection. Typically, this sort of vomiting is accompanied by fever or diarrhea and lasts about three days.

  If your baby has fewer wet diapers or seems short on saliva, he may be dehydrated and a pediatrician should be consulted.

Diarrhea

• Typically, babies get diarrhea because of a viral infection. Diarrhea that doesn't go away, or isn't accompanied by a fever, could also indicate a milk protein allergy. Like babies suffering from vomiting, parents should watch for a decrease in wet diapers, which could indicate the baby is dehydrated. If this occurs, consult your pediatrician. If the diarrhea lasts more than a few days, it's also a good idea to call the pediatrician, noting if there is any blood (red or black) in the baby's stool, or if your baby seems fussy or colicky, which could indicate a milk allergy. If the latter is the case, switching to a different formula or restricting a breastfeeding mother's diet usually solves the problem.

Constipation

• It isn't uncommon for babies to grunt or take a while to pass a stool. But if your baby's stools are hard or pellet-like, she probably has constipation. Typically, a change in diet can correct this problem. If your baby is eating solids, focus on high- fiber foods like pears, prunes and apples, and cut back on cereals. For babies starting on whole milk, try reducing the amount of milk they drink. You can also add a little bit of water or watered-down apple juice to your baby's diet until she's regular again.

Conclusion

• In rare instances, symptoms of digestion difficulties--especially vomiting--can be a sign of an internal birth defect. Therefore, if your baby has a persistent problem, always consult a pediatrician.