Contemplating causes of stomach complaints
Gastric problems in babies can be caused by a number of things, including viral infections, bacteria in food, and reactions to food. Breastfeeding your baby is the best way to avoid infection: Gastroenteritis is rare in breastfed babies because breast milk gives them extra immunity against infection.
Viral infections
A tummy bug, or gastroenteritis, is often caused by a virus passed from person to person via droplets in the air or unwashed hands touching food and toys. One of the most common viruses responsible is the rotavirus – fortunately a vaccine should soon be available to protect your child. Gastroenteritis generally causes sickness and diarrhoea for a few days, but your baby is likely to be completely better within a week. If you know someone who is suffering from a tummy bug, try to keep your baby away from them until the illness has passed – and if your baby has vomiting and diarrhoea, keep her away from other babies and children until she’s better.
Green vomit is a common sign of gastroenteritis in older babies and toddlers, but in very young babies it can be a sign of a twisted bowel, which needs urgent medical attention.
Bacterial infections
Bacteria in food that hasn’t been prepared or stored safely, or on bottles that haven’t been cleaned properly, can make your baby extremely unwell. Your baby’s immune system is still developing and she’s particularly vulnerable to tummy upsets. You can help to avoid tummy upsets by taking care with hygiene. Wash your hands after using the loo and changing nappies and before preparing food. Clean your baby’s bottles and feeding utensils thoroughly – and that means sterilising bottles until she’s a year old.
Although maintaining basic hygiene is important, especially when preparing, storing, and clearing away food, if your baby never comes into contact with germs she won’t build up any resistance to them. So take care with the essentials, but try not to worry about dusty surfaces and grubby toys, especially once your little one’s crawling and cruising around.
Food intolerances and allergies
Some babies and toddlers have adverse reactions to certain foods, which may cause tummy upsets. When you’re weaning your baby, try to introduce one new food at a time, so that you can see whether it disagrees with her. Occasionally, breastfeeding mums find that eating certain foods causes tummy upsets in their babies: If your baby has diarrhoea and seems otherwise well, take a close look at your own diet. If you’re eating too many spicy foods, for example, it may be having an impact on your baby’s bowels.
Other causes of vomiting
Vomiting can indicate the start of a range of illnesses, including ear infections, colds, and more serious problems, such as urine infection or meningitis. Keep an eye out for other symptoms, such as pain, rashes, and fever, and contact your doctor if necessary. Here are two more reasons why your baby may be vomiting:
- Reflux. Lots of young babies have reflux, whereby milk comes back up due to a leaky valve at the top of the stomach. The main symptom is bringing up significant amounts of milk, almost effortlessly, at the end of a feed. There are no other symptoms and your baby is otherwise well. The condition will resolve as your baby grows, although your doctor may prescribe a special feed thickener.
Never try to thicken your baby’s food yourself, as doing so can lead quickly to dehydration. - Pyloric stenosis. If your baby suffers from severe projectile vomiting – which can shoot up to several feet! – and seems very hungry, she may have pyloric stenosis, a condition where food cannot pass out of the stomach and is ejected forcefully the other way. Your baby may fail to put on weight, and seem hungry as soon as he’s eaten and vomited. See your doctor if your baby regularly vomits like this. If your doctor suspects pyloric stenosis, your baby may need to have an ultrasound scan. The condition is treated with a simple operation carried out under local anaesthetic.
Pyloric stenosis is more common in first-born male babies and the symptoms usually start in the first four to six weeks of life. But babies don’t always obey the rules, so if your baby gets symptoms that you think may be due to pyloric stenosis, see your GP.
