P92: Feeding problems of newborn

P92.1: Regurgitation and rumination in newborn

The oesophagus or gullet connects the mouth with the stomach. It is a muscular tube. The muscles in the oesophagus move food into the stomach. The oesophagus is usually closed by a sphincter muscle at the junction to the stomach. This is meant to prevent the stomach contents and gastric acid being regurgitated into the oesophagus. Only during swallowing does the oesophagus briefly open its sphincter muscle to the stomach.

Milk can be brought back up into the mouth from the baby’s stomach or esophagus. This can be due to changes in the child’s esophagus, for example. There may also be no apparent physical cause.