Projectile vomiting is a type of severe vomiting in which stomach contents can be forcefully propelled several feet away from you. It usually comes in shorter, more violent bursts than other types of vomiting. It’s also more likely that projectile vomiting will come on suddenly with little or no warning instead of coming after you’ve felt nauseous for a while.
Projectile vomiting in infants and children
Projectile vomiting in infants and children has several potential causes:
Pyloric stenosis
Pyloric stenosis is a thickening of the muscle where the stomach empties into the small intestine. It usually causes symptoms within three to five weeks after birth, and it blocks food from moving from the stomach to the duodenum of the small intestine.
Pyloric stenosis requires surgery because malnourishment, dehydration, and growth failure will occur if it’s allowed to continue.
Other symptoms include:
- fewer and smaller bowel movements
- failure to gain weight or weight loss
- dehydration
- a ripple of contractions in your baby’s stomach after feeding
Reflux
Reflux is a condition in which stomach contents back up into the esophagus. In more severe cases, a reflux of acid from the stomach causing esophageal irritation, known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), can cause projectile vomiting.
Other symptoms of GERD in infants include:
- spitting up yellow or green fluid
- difficulty breathing
- refusing food
Stomach obstructions
Other stomach obstructions besides pyloric stenosis can also cause projectile vomiting. For example, if your child swallows a small object, it can block their stomach from emptying.
