Burping can ease baby spit-up problems

It only takes one time for your beloved baby to spit up on your new silk shirt, and suddenly, a cotton cloth draped across the shoulder is your favorite accessory. Burping and spit-up are facts of daily life for parents of babies.

The first time your baby spits up you may be alarmed, but don't be. Spit-up looks like more than it really is. It just means that your baby has swallowed air during feeding or has eaten too much.

Cutting down on spit-up

The trick is to burp your baby every three to five minutes during feedings. You must be tactful and not interrupt baby mid-swallow, but wait for natural pauses. Keep your baby upright for about a half-hour after eating.

Other tactics include:

Making feedings calm, quiet and leisurely.

Feeding your baby before he or she is extremely hungry. This way he or she won't gulp so much and swallow air.

If you are bottle-feeding, be sure the nipple is the right size. If it's too big, the formula will flow out of the bottle too fast. If the nipple is too small, the baby will be frustrated and suck air.

Burping a baby: Pick your technique

The time-honored method of baby burping is to hold the baby gently but firmly against your shoulder (after first draping a clean cloth). Support your baby by placing an arm or hand under his bottom. Gently pat the baby on the back. If it doesn't work, be gentle but apply a bit more pressure.

You can also turn your baby over on your lap and placing them face down. Be sure that the head is supported by your lap. The tummy should be on one thigh and the head should be resting on the other. Gently pat your baby on the back.

When to call your baby's healthcare provider:

If baby is losing weight or not gaining properly

If he or she begins projectile vomiting

If there is green bile in the vomit

If he or she coughs or gags during every feeding

What's the difference between spitting up and acid reflux disease?

About 3 percent of infants get gastroesophageal reflux disease but grow out of it within a year. With reflux, there can be vomiting every few minutes or more than twice a day. It can be miserable for parents and cause pain and appetite loss for the baby.

There is a small muscle between the esophagus and the tummy that keeps food in the stomach. But in babies with reflux problems, the muscle doesn't work right, so a small amount of liquid can go back up the esophagus and out the mouth.

Don't try to self-treat the problem, but see your baby's provider, who may prescribe medication.

Date last reviewed: October 2002.

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