Vomiting undigested food--mostly during naps/bedtime

[shells_n_cheese]

My DD is almost 16 months, and has always been a very fussy, colicky child. She used to spit-up and vomit frequently as a baby, but I thought it was most likely due to my very fast letdown and oversupply.

Now she is 16 months and still vomiting/cranky/fussy. She doesn't do it all the time, but enough where I am starting to wonder what is wrong.

I don't know if she is doing it on purpose or what. She usually does it when I put her down for a nap. I have seen her stick her fingers down her throat numerous times, and made herself vomit that way. She did this when she was awake, after eating. I don't know why. Just yesterday she woke up from her nap sticking her fingers down her throat, crying for about 45 min. Nothing DH and I would do would make her feel better for longer than a minute or so. I asked her if she had a boo-boo in her mouth, and she started crying louder as if to say "yes". I wonder if it's just teething? Maybe molars?

She acts totally fine after she vomits--actually pretty happy. Part of me wonders if this is just because she gets to get out of her crib. She seems to ALWAYS be hungry too. She will want to eat whatever anyone else is eating, even after she has eaten quite a bit. Maybe this is normal toddler behavior, I don't know.

I just got her up from her nap and had to give her a bath because she vomited yet again. Her vomit smells awful, looks like curdled milk and will have undigested food in it from HOURS ago. She ate blueberries for a snack, and then a hotdog for luch, and she threw up both items. The hotdog looked lke whole peices still--like she never even chewed it!

Now I am afraid to give her anything else to eat because she just may throw it up again when I put her down for a much needed nap (she has been up for over 6 hours now and needs to sleep).

I am starting to wonder if this is just an attention getting thing, or if she has some type of digestive issue. Any ideas or experience with this?

[lotus.blossom]

My 15 m/o DS has done this a few times in the past couple months. The first two times I am positive it was a reaction to Tylenol as it happened about a half hour after he had it. But last week he threw up in the middle of the night just out of the blue. I had gone to bed (we co-sleep) and was laying there not quite asleep yet and I was watching him laying on his belly and suddenly he turned his head and barfed everywhere! In the past he tossed and turned and fussed in his sleep before he threw up. It was food that he'd had for lunch about 12 hours previous. Its so puzzling. I have this irrational fear of vomit and its not making me feel very good that it happens so randomly.

Hope you get some answers! I imagine I won't from my doctor anyway. I've told him about the past episodes and he said it must have been a virus. But no one throws up just once with a virus.

[Lilypie32]

Perhaps she has acid reflux. When the acid comes up the digestive tract it can irritate the throat. Maybe she is trying to get rid of the burning by sticking her hand in her mouth. She might feel better if she throws it up. I'd talk to your ped and see what s/he says. My son had awful acid reflux as a baby/toddler and was constantly throwing up. Hope she feels better soon.

[LadyCatherine185]

reflux or food allergies were my first though. poor thing, hope you get some answers soon!

[BeantownBaby9]

sounds like food allergies to me too. The allergy board here on MDC is truly amazing and they can help you out. DS also did a vomiting thing with very undigested food from morning every night when he had a mild parasite. Artemeisa & Clove from Bioray fixed that.

[EdnaMarie]

I have no idea, but that is not normal (since you mentioned that perhaps it is). Considering that she's always had trouble keeping things down, I agree that you should look at reflux, allergies and intolerances. I'm not surprised she's hungry if she keeps throwing up her food, though. I hope you find answers!

[maddymama]

Hi Mama,
The undigested food part of your post makes me think that it's a gastro-thing. I'd take her to a ped or a gastoenterologist just to make sure.
~maddymama

[julie128]

I have a friend whose (older) son used to throw up for no apparent reason, then she heard that giving probiotics might help, so she now gives him a Good Belly everyday, and he hasn't thrown up since. He's a super picky eater though.

Is your daughter sticking her fingers down her throat in order to make herself throw up like baby bulimia or something?

Did you ask your ped about this? It sounds pretty serious. Being able to digest your food properly is essential to normal health.

[kriket]

My niece throws up processed foods too. You mentioned hot dogs is what made me think of this. Their pedi said the artificial ingredients upset her and up they come. Also blueberries are on the 'dirty dozen' list of things that carry the most pesticides. I am not usually a "go organic" person, but if it is something similar to my niece, it may help. Maybe try really easy foods to digest for a while? Steamed things, goat milk, crackers?