Health and medical information

Babies sometimes bring up some of their feeds, and find pleasure and gratification from the action. ‘Rumination’ actually means chewing the cud, a natural action in cows who enjoy regurgitating some of their previously eaten meal to chew on it again. It often starts in babies still on liquids, possibly starting when food is brought up with wind. Bottle-fed babies readily learn to regurgitate at will. One merely makes a funnel of the tongue, tightens the abdominal muscles, and presto! Up it comes. The food will be partially dribbled out. Some will be rolled around in the mouth and later swallowed.

Treatment

Most cases are self-curative and require no active treatment. The baby is not vomiting, as many parents believe, and reassurance can be given that baby is not suffering from some dire gastro-intestinal disorder. Ideally, prop the baby up after feeding. Soon after starting solids and cereals the baby will stop the habit.

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