After feeding your baby, milk flowing out of your baby's mouth is called a milk leak, which is a common phenomenon in infancy, especially in the first few months of life. Milk spills usually occur immediately after feeding or after hiccups. The liquid that is spat out looks like freshly eaten breast milk or formula and is mixed with a small amount of clots.
Cause of milk spillage
Because the esophageal sphincter is immature when the baby is born, the gastric contents occasionally regurgitate into the esophagus or mouth, causing the baby to leak milk. Sometimes, during the feeding process, the baby eats too fast and too much, which can easily cause milk leakage. In general, when the baby is 6 to 12 months old, as the strength of the esophageal muscles increases, the problem of milk leakage will disappear on its own.
Manifestations of milk spillage
Your baby may have a hunched back, cry excessively, get angry, cough, lose appetite or eat less during feeding. Normal milk leakage does not affect your baby's growth and health.
How to prevent milk leakage
Feeding on demand, breastfeeding is promoted, and appropriate feeding posture can reduce the occurrence of milk leakage in your baby. For example, choose the appropriate size of the nipple hole when artificial feeding.
Avoid feeding when crying, so that your baby does not swallow a lot of air and cause milk leakage.
After the milk, hold the baby upright, hold the hand into a hollow palm, and gently pat the baby's back from the bottom up, so that the baby burps, so that the swallowed air can be discharged.
Raise your baby's upper body during feeding and let your baby take the right side of the position after milking, which can prevent the regurgitation of gastric contents through gravity. 【Popular Science】
# Author Profile #
The author of this article is Huang Xianghong, a NURSE AT NICU of Weinan Maternal and Child Health Hospital, who has been engaged in neonatal nursing for 9 years, has rich clinical work experience, and is good at the care of newborn critically ill and premature babies.
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