It’s understandable to feel worried and concerned when you see milk coming out of baby nose, especially if it’s your first baby or your first experience. However, this is a common occurrence that can happen due to your baby’s delicate nature.
At a few weeks or months old, your baby’s digestive system is still developing and may not be able to handle larger quantities of food. In this article, we will discuss the reasons why this may happen and provide tips on how you can help your baby when it occurs.
Understanding Spit-Up
When milk that your baby has sucked or drank comes out of their nose instead of going to their stomach, it is called nasal regurgitation. This is also commonly known as spit-up. The substance that comes out can be the food your baby ate or the milk they drank. It is considered a spit-up if it comes out of their mouth, but if it comes out of their nose, it is nasal regurgitation.
Nasal regurgitation can happen when you breastfeed your baby or bottle feed them. Giving your baby more than their system can handle can cause milk to come out of their mouth and nose. It is important to note that milk coming out of your baby’s nose is not as forceful as when they vomit, and they may not show any signs of discomfort or struggle.
Causes Of Milk Coming Out Through Baby’s Nose
Are you wondering why milk sometimes comes out of your baby’s nose? It’s because the mouth, nose, throat, lungs, and esophagus are all connected, and sometimes when your baby is fed too much milk or is not positioned properly during feeding, the milk can escape through the nose.
Many other things can cause milk to come out of your baby’s nose, such as a cold, allergies, or an anatomical issue, like a cleft palate. It’s important to talk to your baby’s doctor if you notice this happening often, as they can help determine the cause and provide treatment.
In the meantime, there are things you can do to manage the situation. Try feeding your baby in an upright position and burping them frequently during and after feedings. Also, make sure to use the correct nipple size for your baby’s age and feeding habits, as this can help prevent milk from coming out too fast.
1. A distracted baby
Babies stare a lot at new faces, images, or any moving item. If you are feeding your baby in an environment with different faces and people moving back and forth, you are likely to have a baby whose nose is dripping with milk because your baby might not be sucking and swallowing your breast milk properly resulting in milk going through the wrong track.
If your baby also refuses to swallow his food and allows his mouth to get full, he will likely choke on the milk, and then it may lead to milk coming out of the nose.
2. If your baby is taking in excess air
While your baby bottle feeds or sucks on your breast, if he or she takes in too much air, the air is likely to block the milk from going down your baby’s stomach. As a result, your baby will have the milk coming out through his nose.
3. If your baby coughs or sneezes when spitting up
Spitting up is a normal thing for newborns, spitting up is when your baby releases the excess milk through his mouth, it is not the same as vomiting.
Now, if in the process of this spit-up or feeding, he coughs or sneezes, instead of the spit up to go through his mouth, it will go through his nose, this is because while he coughs or sneezes, he will force air to enter his nose and mouth.
4. A delicate digestive system
Your baby doesn’t fully develop in the womb, after delivery, certain body parts and organs of his body keep developing and this includes his digestive system.
Because of this delicate nature of your baby’s digestive system, when you Feed him with excess milk, he will not be able to stand it and this may cause your baby to bring out this excess milk through his nose and if you are lucky enough his mouth.
How To Reduce The Chances Of Nasal Regurgitation In Babies
\Until your baby’s digestive system starts functioning fully, there are certain things you have to do to prevent your baby from having either breastmilk or formula milk go through his or her nose.
Looking at the causes of milk coming out of your baby’s nose, here are some of the things you can do to cut down nasal regurgitation in your baby.
1. Use proper posture while feeding
While feeding your baby, don’t lie down to feed him. Place your baby in a semi uprising ghg position in your arms supporting his head with your arm. Proper positioning of your baby is important.
2. Feed your baby slowly
Don’t rush your baby while feeding. If you are bottle feeding, use a slow-feeding bottle. This will reduce the chances of milk going the wrong way.
If you observe that your baby is always having recurrent nasal regurgitation while feeding or after heavy feeding, you can opt to feed him several times in bits. If you are bottle-feeding him, press out the milk gently if you intend to help him bring it out.
Let the flow of the milk be the same with your baby’s swallowing and ensure to watch his reaction.
Until his digestive system can get used to large quantities of food.
3. Say not to overfeeding
I know you want your baby to eat well so he can sleep for long so you can have your rest but the truth is, stocking him with excess milk will only be sending the milk out through the nose and I am sure you don’t want that. .
Pay attention to your baby to ensure he doesn’t overfeed himself. There are times when your baby might get carried away while eating and keep eating even when he is full. stop feeding him when you think he is full.
4. Burp your baby
After every feeding or even in between feeds, massage your baby’s back gently while he is sitting upright to help him burp. This way, any excess air that he inhaled will go out.
5. Pause the feeding
First of all, pause feeding your baby if you observe milk coming out through his nose while feeding him.
6. Use one feeding method
Try to use the same pattern to feed your baby. If you cradle him in a semi-upright position, please stick to that position for at least the first 3 months. If you have to change him from one side of the nipple to another, do so gently.
Stick to one formula bottle so he doesn’t start struggling to get used to this new one and get choked.
7. Stick to breast milk
It could be that your baby’s nasal regurgitation is due to allergies, though this is not common.
But if you noticed that your baby is constantly having milk come out of his nose, or not gaining weight as he should, or cries and seems to be in some sort of pain when this milk is coming out then you might just have to see a doctor to rule out any underlying illness.
It is advisable to stick to just breast milk for the first six months of life. Your breast milk contains your antibodies and these antibodies won’t let your baby suffer food allergies.
But, there are situations where cow milk protein gets stuck in the mother’s breast so whether your baby is breastfed or formula-fed, you should see your doctor to ensure your baby is not suffering from what he consumed from you or his mother or the milk in the formula.
8. See your doctor
It’s important to get your baby screened for gastroesophageal reflux disease by visiting the hospital to rule out any underlying medical conditions.
The esophagus connects the throat to the stomach, and it’s the channel through which food passes into the stomach. Gastroesophageal reflux disease occurs when food that has already passed down into the stomach comes back up into the esophagus. This can cause vomiting or, in some cases, the food may come out through the baby’s nose.
In infants, gastroesophageal reflux is a normal occurrence since babies’ digestive systems are still developing. However, if your baby experiences serious symptoms such as vomiting, noisy breathing, weight loss, and poor feeding, or the condition persists for a long time, then your baby may have gastroesophageal reflux disease. In such cases, immediate medical attention is required to prevent the condition from worsening.
What Can Cause GERD
Your baby’s body is structured in a way that, when he swallows food, the round-shaped muscle at the bottom of his esophagus is supposed to open for food to pass through and closes when this food has entered so the food doesn’t go back up.
However, if your baby doesn’t close when the food has entered or doesn’t open when the food approaches, the milk or formula your baby swallowed will come back up leading to nasal regurgitation or painful vomiting.
Symptoms of GERD
These are some of the signs that your baby has gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Your baby isn’t adding weight
- Your baby finds it difficult to eat or swallow
- Your baby has blood or greenish liquid in the milk that comes out
- Your baby has difficulty breathing
What You Can Do To Help Your Baby Cope/Treatment
It could be the food that they are reacting to, so try to change what you feed them with.
Because your baby is already struggling to breathe, you don’t want to complicate it by smoking around him, it will only complicate his breathing.
- Burp him as much as possible after feeding and in between meals
- After feeding, hold him to sit up for about 30 minutes before lying down.
- Let your baby sleep on his back
- Your doctor may prescribe medicine for your baby if your effort to manage the situation doesn’t work.
- Don’t allow your baby to eat excessively or feed him excessively. This will only worsen nasal regurgitation.
- Create a Safe and cozy environment for Sleep: Let your baby lie on his back in a safe and cozy bed. Don’t lie your baby on his back since he can roll over. Do not raise his head or place it on a pillow.
When You Should See A Doctor Over Gerd
Get the attention of your doctor immediately if you observe any of the following in your baby
If your baby’s urine is dark. Don’t just remove your baby’s diaper and toss it, look at it to see if there is a change in the color of urine or blood in the stool
Call the attention of your doctor if the baby experiences the following:
- Your baby is losing weight
- Your baby finds it difficult to breathe
- Your baby has a fever over 100° F or 37.8° C
- You noticed your baby is in pain
- Your baby isn’t urinating at all
- If the vomiting doesn’t go away and instead gets worse
Last Words
When feeding your baby, it is important to ensure that milk or food goes directly into his stomach instead of his mouth and nose. This is why feeding position is crucial.
Your baby’s digestive system is delicate, especially during the first few months of life, and requires gentle handling. Avoid feeding your baby too quickly and ensure that he swallows bit by bit.
For the first three months of your baby’s life, it is advisable to breastfeed exclusively, especially if your baby was born prematurely. Do not overfeed your baby, and ensure that he does not overfeed as well. Additionally, it is crucial to burp your baby regularly during and after feeding to prevent gas buildup.
Taking these steps can help prevent milk from leaking out of your baby’s nose and reduce the risk of other digestive issues.
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