Newborn Spit-up / Newborn Reflux
By Michael Schoenwetter, MD

Most newborns spit-up. I answer questions about newborn spit-up daily. Recurrent spit-up is called reflux and is very common in the newborn period. Some newborns spit up a little and some spit up a lot. I get a lot of concerned parents asking me if the spit up that comes out of their newborn's nose is okay. The answer is yes. In the DVD I will speak more about newborn spit up.

Newborn vomiting is different. Some parents are nervous that they won't be able to recognize the difference between vomiting and reflux. Even the inexperienced first time parents will be able to recognize the differences. Vomiting is the forceful evacuation of stomach contents. Any recurrent vomiting needs to be evaluated by your doctor as it could be a sign of serious illness in the newborn.

Reflux, in most cases, does not need intervention. There are a few scenarios where reflux is not considered normal. For these situations, multiple interventions are available. The newborn DVD will discuss when newborn spit-up and newborn Reflux are normal and the specific situations that might concern a pediatrician. The newborn DVD will also review the interventions for this very common concern.

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