Can cow's milk cause frequent vomiting in newborns?
Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
My baby vomited for ten days after birth. Now he is 11 months old. He does not take any solid food, not even paste-like solid food. And he still vomits sometimes after or during feeding milk. Any solid food also makes him vomit. What to do?
Hi,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
First of all, your baby weight is relatively fine for 11 months. So I feel there is not a severe problem. There are three reasons for your complaints.
1. Overfeeding - usually starts of a baby on bottle feed before six months. And this can continue even after six months. So try to give frequent small feeds if this is the issue.
2. It can be because you have not started solidifying the complementary feeds gradually after six months, and the baby is not used to chewing which can be managed by increasing the consistency of food progressively and give frequent small volume feeds.
3. On rare occasions, there can be GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease) where the baby brings out most of the food taken and will be very irritable. If this is the problem, we need to keep the child in a semi-reclined position during sleep.
Please let me know in which category your baby fits.
1. Also, whether vomit is in green color?
2. Is the motion pattern regular?
3. Is the development of baby normal?
4. Did you start formula or cow milk before six months?
I need to know all these to comment further. Take care.
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
Thanks for your support. My baby does not overfeed. He rarely takes 6.67 fl oz of milk at this age at an interval of 2.5 or 3 hours. His weight also keeps fluctuating around 2.20 lbs. After the doctor's suggestions, I gave him baby formula milk for four months, but it also not helped him. Then I started giving him cow's milk. After six months of age, I tried to give him baby food, fruit puree, and rice water, but he gags and vomited all he has in his stomach. Till now, I am just trying to give him solid food. I think it must be GERD. The vomit is standard white, sometimes whole milk and occasionally curd type. The baby's development is normal, and motion is normal, but two to three times a day, mostly after taking milk. After birth, I gave him formula milk for ten days then started cow milk, but again after one week doctor advised me to give formula, so I switched on to formula milk for the next four months, but it did not help; now, I m giving cow milk. He vomits almost every day and sometimes two to three times a day. Please help.
Hi,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
I firmly believe that cow milk is the culprit. The easiest option is to stop cow milk. But I know it is not easy to follow for you. But I have seen lots of babies who improve after they stop cow's milk. Do not start any formula feed. Just give other complementary feeds with breastfeeding (if you are still feeding). You can provide any food at this time (including a bit spicy too). Just make it a bit solid. Give one or two spoons, then wait. Gradually increase this, do not mix cow's milk into the diet. Just follow this for one week, then we will decide what to do. In the time being, also try this prokinetic drug, which will help to empty stomach fast. Domstal (Domperidone) drops (1 ml=10 mg) 0.2 ml three times a day before the feed. I hope this will help you. Let me know if you need any help. Take care.
Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!
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