Newborn Map

Spit-up vs vomit

Spit-up is common. Call now for bilious (green/yellow-green) vomit or persistent projectile vomiting. No reflux treatment on this page.

We are not pediatricians. This is not medical advice. Your pediatrician knows this baby.

Many newborns spit up. A wet burp on a cloth is not automatically reflux disease. We will not treat from here. We will tell you which call-now signs are not “just a spit.”

Spit-up (often)

  • Small to medium milk that dribbles or comes with a burp
  • Baby is otherwise waking, feeding, and making wet diapers
  • Happens more after a fast bottle — pace before you buy a wedge

Positioners and inclined sleepers are not a home reflux treatment. FDA / AAP: do not use. Sleep stays flat and back.

Call now (not a wait-and-see thread)

  • Bilious vomit — green or yellow-green. That is a same-day / emergency conversation.
  • Persistent projectile vomiting — forceful, repeated, not one lucky arc after a burp. Especially if it is getting worse.
  • Blood in vomit
  • A baby who will not wake, looks limp, or is working to breathe
  • 100.4°F (38°C) under 3 months
  • Fewer wets than you were told, or a weight plan you are missing — enough milk

If you are not sure which column you are in, call. That is what after-hours is for.

What we will not do

  • Diagnose GERD
  • Start a thickener, a wedge, or a formula ladder
  • Tell you to elevate the crib

Next

Sources