This type of vomiting can be a sign of a condition called pyloric stenosis. This condition usually appears in the first several weeks of life and is caused by an abnormal narrowing of the valve leading from the stomach to the intestine. This causes gradually worsening projectile vomiting after every feeding that usually develops over several days. Affected children will seem hungry between feedings and may lose weight or become dehydrated. Pyloric stenosis is diagnosed by an ultrasound or x-ray that shows the narrowing of the valve to the intestines.
Pyloric stenosis is treated by a minor surgical procedure.
The following situations may signal a different, more serious cause for the vomiting, and the child should be taken to the hospital's Emergency Department. With normal spitting up, the child may choke or gag briefly but should not stop breathing or turn blue. Gentle patting on the infant s back should be all that is required during a spitting up episode. Usually the physician can diagnose normal spitting up by detailed history and physical exam. X-rays or blood tests would be required only in rare cases to exclude other more serious causes of the spitting up.