My 19 year child vomits frequently while feeding. what could be the cause?

When the child is still young, vomiting can be as frequent as daily or sometimes even more often. However, by the age of 19 months, frequent vomiting would probably signal a problem. It could be something like a problem with the brand of formula or milk or it could be trouble with milk in general. Overfeeding is often the problem behind such vomiting and one should consult a doctor to look at the best option for feeding the child and compensating by offering electrolytes and other options. There are different cases where such vomiting could occur and some of these are alarming but rare conditions. A more general condition would be the case where the toddler has Gastric reflux. Here the typical symptoms are deep hunger accompanied by refusal to eat more after just a short duration and crying. There is also the symptom of frequent vomiting after feeding and even frequently spitting up.  There is also the likelihood that the child could gag or start to cough while feeding. It would be important to consult the pediatrician soon to relieve your baby’s discomfort and ensure that the child gets the correct nutrition and fluids.

The frequent vomiting in toddlers could mean that your child’s growth is in jeopardy because he or she simply is not getting enough food. There is the added complication of chanced that the little one could face dehydration on account of the fact that fluid loss becomes a problem. One has to understand that while such vomiting is not really a problem and is more common in the first months of infancy, it is important to check the child’s progress. Stomach infections are all too common but the toddler should be able to be free of the vomiting within about 24 hours or so. In this case it is usually a matter of rest, keeping the toddler hydrated and then gradually allowing him or her back into the routine of sleep and feeding. Do discuss the case with the doctor and make a note of the toddler’s behavior and any other symptoms that you might notice which can help the pediatrician with the diagnosis. It would be best to stay away from offering the child anti-nausea medications or any kind of over the counter prescriptions without first getting the pediatrician’s approval. Routine vomiting would be very different from a case of the occasional vomiting in a toddler and the root cause must be identified.

Submitted by P T on February 12, 2010 at 12:34

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