Pyloric Stenosis

Symptoms of pyloric stenosis usually appear within 3 to 6 weeks after birth. Pyloric stenosis is rare in babies older than 3 months.

Symptoms include:

• Vomiting after feeding. The baby may vomit forcefully, ejecting breast milk or formula up to several feet away. This is known as projectile vomiting. Vomiting usually happens right after feeding. Vomiting might be mild at first and worsen over time.
• Constant hunger. Babies who have pyloric stenosis often want to eat soon after vomiting.
• Stomach contractions. Wavelike ripples across your baby’s belly may be visible after feeding but before vomiting. This is a sign of the stomach muscles trying to move food out of the stomach.
• Dehydration. A baby may show signs of low body fluids, also called dehydration. These signs may include few wet diapers, lack of energy, dry mouth and lips, and crying without tears.
• Changes in stool. Since pyloric stenosis prevents food from reaching the intestines, babies with this condition might be constipated.
• Weight loss. The lack of nutrition can cause a baby not to gain weight or to lose weight.

Other conditions have symptoms like pyloric stenosis. It’s important to get a prompt and accurate diagnosis. See your baby’s doctor if your baby:

• Projectile vomits after feeding.
• Is hungry again immediately after vomiting.
• Seems less active or unusually irritable.
• Has few wet or soiled diapers.
• Isn’t gaining weight or is losing weight.

Pyloric stenosis can lead to:

• Failure to grow and develop. The lack of nutrition causes poor growth, weight gain and development.
• Dehydration. Frequent vomiting can cause low fluid levels, called dehydration. This condition also may result in an imbalance in minerals called electrolytes. These minerals help regulate important functions throughout the body.
• Jaundice. Rarely, a substance secreted by the liver, called bilirubin, can build up. This may cause a yellowing of the skin and or the whites of the eyes. This condition is called jaundice.