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After eating, a baby may spit up yellow. However, this is not necessarily a cause for concern.
Reasons why a baby spits up yellow
When a baby is born, its bodily functions are not yet fully developed. For example, it still has to learn how to digest food:
- In the first three months, a baby’s stomach valve still needs to mature. Later, this prevents milk from flowing back into the esophagus. Spitting up milk is therefore a natural process and no cause for concern. Furthermore, this process cannot be completely prevented.
- In many cases, it is regurgitated breast milk or formula that has been mixed with gastric juice. However, yellowish spitting up can also indicate bile flowing back from the duodenum.
- If this occurs frequently, there may be a reflux problem that should be monitored and, if necessary, clarified by a doctor.
- In rare cases, frequent, yellowish spitting up can also indicate pyloric stenosis—a narrowing of the stomach outlet that prevents food from passing properly into the intestines. This condition is typically characterized by projectile vomiting, often with yellowish or greenish contents. Medical advice should also be sought in this case.
Tips for preventing spitting up
Even though spitting up is natural, you can help your baby and prevent unnecessary burping:
- Make sure your baby is not lying down while drinking. It is better to hold them in an upright position.
- Pick up your baby after feeding and pat them gently on the back. Only when they have burped should you lay them back down on their back.
- Avoid letting your baby move around too much after feeding. Give yourself and your child some rest! In addition, your baby should not be laid on their stomach.
- If you are bottle-feeding your child, you should also make sure you are using the right size teat. You can test this yourself: when you hold the bottle upright, the milk should only drip out slowly and not flow out.
- Excessive spitting up can also lead to dehydration, which is why parents should watch for signs such as dry lips or reduced urine output. The amount and composition of food also play a role. Especially with bottle feeding, adjusting the amount of milk or switching to a different formula can help reduce spitting up.
