When is yellow vomit in newborn babies considered normal?

Small amounts of yellow vomit in newborns—especially in breastfed infants—are often due to colostrum and are generally benign if infrequent and small in volume. However, consistent yellow vomiting doesn’t rule out intestinal obstruction and should still be monitored closely. In cases like duodenal atresia, yellow vomiting within the first 24 hours can appear even when other signs are absent. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Why is green or bilious vomit in newborns considered an emergency?

Green (bilious) vomiting signals bile is present in the vomit, which often indicates a bowel obstruction (e.g., malrotation with volvulus, Hirschsprung disease). This is considered a surgical emergency and demands immediate medical evaluation. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

What causes bright red vomit in newborns and how serious is it?

Red or bloody vomit can arise from swallowed maternal blood (during birth or from nipple cracks) or from more serious causes like stress ulcers, clotting disorders, or gastrointestinal bleeding. If the baby appears unwell or the bleeding is persistent, a medical evaluation is essential. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Can projectile vomiting indicate a specific condition?

Yes—forceful (projectile) vomiting in newborns may signal a duodenal obstruction such as duodenal atresia (often with the 'double‑bubble' sign on imaging) or hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. Prompt imaging and pediatric assessment are recommended. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

How do doctors evaluate newborns with suspicious vomiting?

Evaluation includes assessing hydration status, presence of abdominal distension, vomiting frequency and color, and general appearance. If bilious vomiting is suspected, imaging (e.g., abdominal X‑ray, upper GI contrast studies) is used to check for obstruction. Gastric decompression, IV fluids, and electrolyte correction are standard acute management steps. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

“Newborn Vomit Colors Decoded—Yellow, Green, or Red?”

One of the most common problems that every parent faces is the vomiting of their newborn. Simple meaning of vomiting is “Throwing up of stomach content” also know as puking, barfing and heaving. Some say that the vomiting in newborn is normal but no one tells you that which type of vomiting is normal and when to be worry about the vomiting of your baby. So, here we are going to unlock this issue of vomiting in depth and will tell you about when to be relaxed and when to take action.

First of all, simply decode the colour and pattern of your baby’s vomit to have a simple picture the whole scenario

Why my baby’s vomit is red in color?

The red color of the vomiting is due to the presence of blood in the vomit. The presence of blood in vomit raises many concerns like how does blood gets into baby’s stomach or is there any internal bleeding in the stomach of the baby. So, in order to get the answers, let’s break it down.

Usually, the type of the blood could be determined from the patient’s history however if there exists any confusion then an additional Apt test (blood mixed with sodium hydroxide) is performed to differentiate the baby’s blood from the blood of an adult.

Why my baby’s vomit is green in color?

The green color of baby’s vomit indicates the presence of bile in the vomiting. The bile could be present in the vomiting due to the obstruction of the bowel (due to malrotation of midgut or twisted bowel that can leads to necrosis)

The other major signs of bowel obstruction are:

Bloody diarrhoea
Abdominal distention.

Immediate referral to doctor is required as this condition probably requires surgical intervention.

What does projectile vomit mean? Why my baby is vomiting forcefully?

Let’s understand what does the projectile vomit means, it simply means vomiting forcefully that throws the vomit (stomach content) in a strong shooting manner far different from the normal spiting or gentle vomiting.

Sometimes the projectile vomiting occurs without any significant cause but often points toward the pyloric stenosis or duodenal obstruction.

Duodenal obstruction

The most common cause of duodenal obstruction is duodenal atresia. Condition is diagnosed and confirmed via abdominal x-ray, which reveals the typical ‘double-bubble’ appearance of duodenum. Often accompanied by green (bile) colour of vomiting.

Pyloric stenosis:

The most common origin of projectile vomiting is pyloric stenosis. So, let’s understand this in simple words, muscle at the end of the stomach (pylorus) becomes extremely thick and prevents the food from entering the intestines resultingly throwing the food out in the projectile manner.
This condition is often recognized as hungry vomiter as the baby feels hungry immediately after vomiting and poor weight gain is observed in such babies along with dehydration.
The colour of the vomit is non-green.
Common in babies who are at 2-6 week of the age.
This condition is not normal and require immediate referral to the doctor.

My baby is having fever and vomiting episodes what does it means?

Having fever and vomiting often indicated the presence of the infection such as:

Viral infection Also known as stomach flu. A common cause is the Rotavirus. The illness starts with vomiting. Watery loose stools may follow within 12-24 hours. Requires medical attention!
vomiting with fever + nuchal rigidity (neck rigidity), and photophobia may require the investigation for meningitis under medical supervision.
Vomiting + fever+ pale skin+ poor feeding+ low weight gain+ sleepiness+ breathing irregularities, require medical attention for sepsis

My baby is not gaining weight and often vomits what does it means?

This may be due to various conditions one of them is sepsis whose symptoms are mentioned above. The other reasons may include Gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) or genetic metabolic disorders.

Gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR):

Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux (GOR) simply means that the content of the stomach flows back into the oesophagus (food pipe) due to the immature oesophageal sphincter (a sort of gate between oesophagus and stomach) in new born babies

Often improves as the baby grows and the digestive system matures (typically by 12–18 months)

GOR symptoms doesn’t appear in the first days of life because milk intake is still low.
It’s more common with formula feeding than breastfeeding. And in such cases a thickened formula milk is required
In full-term babies, symptoms develop after going home from the hospital.
In preterm babies, GOR is often seen during recovery in nurseries.

Type of vomit induce by GOR:

Vomiting is effortless (not forceful)
Happens more when the stomach is full or baby is lying flat
May sometimes include blood due to irritation (reflux oesophagitis)

How this condition is diagnosed?

Diagnosis is mostly based on symptoms. Often confirmed by improvement with anti-reflux measures (like changing feeding position or frequency)
If symptoms continue, further tests may be needed

Treatment includes:

Thickening the baby’s feeds or using thickened formula milk like “AR” labelled milk, if already on artificial milk
Smaller but more frequent feeds
Minimal handling after feeds.

Dehydration-The silent risk of vomiting ⚠️:

Dehydration simply means that the body has lost too much of water is linked to almost every type of vomiting but the risk level is different for each type. Let’s look at the risk level of each type of the vomit discussed

How can I identify dehydration in my baby?

So, in order to identify the dehydration in our baby we have to look at the following signs:

Few wet diapers like less than 4-6 diapers per day in a newborn baby
Dry mouth or dry lips of the baby
No tears while crying
Lethargic and excessive sleepiness
Fast breathing
Increase hear rate
Pale and cool skin

What we as parent can do to prevent dehydration until the medical treatment started?

This is the most common question regarding dehydration risk associated with vomiting. So, here are the few steps that you as a parent can take to prevent the dehydration of your child:

Care advice for babies on Artificial milk or formula milk:

If your baby is on formula feed then keep on regular formula but give smaller amounts per feed.
If your baby vomits formula milk more than once, then offer oral rehydration solution (ORS) in small amount like give 1-2 teaspoons (5-10 mL) every 5 minutes.
If 2 hours passes by without any vomiting than double the amount of ORS and if 4 hours passes by without any vomiting episode then take your baby back to the regular formula milk but remember to start it with small amounts.

Care advice for babies on mother fed:

Usually breastfeed or mother fed babies don’t require ORS however it may be offered to the babies if the vomiting is severe.
The method to handle dehydration in breastfeed babies is to reduces the amount of the feeds like If the baby vomits mother’s milk once, feed half of the regular time every 1 to 2 hours.
If vomits more than once, nurse for 5 minutes during every half to one hour. When almost 4 hours passes by without vomiting episode then return to normal routine of feeding.
However, If the vomiting continues switch to pumped breastmilk. And give 1-2 teaspoons (5-10 mL) every 5 minutes with the help of either spoon or syringe.
Similarly, when 4 hours passes by without any vomiting episode then return to regular feeding at the breast. Do remember to Start with small feedings of 5 minutes every 30 minutes. And if your baby start digesting this amount then slowly increase the amount of the breastfeed.

Care advice for pumped or bottle feed babies:

If baby Vomited the milk once then give half the usual amount every 1–2 hours.
If vomited more than once then Offer 30 mL every half to 1 hour.
If the vomiting persists then Try 1–2 teaspoons (5–10 mL) every 5 minutes.
When to use ORS: If baby can’t digest breastmilk, give small sips of oral rehydration solution (ORS) for a few hours.
Once no vomiting for 4 hours, restart normal feeds slowly, beginning with 30 mL every 30 minutes and increase as tolerated.

Can I give some solid food to my baby during vomiting?

Better is to avoid any solid food during vomiting episodes. If 8 hours passes by without any sign of vomiting then you can slowly start solid food. Best choice for solid food, is to start from starchy food that is easy to digest like cereals, crackers and bread.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any medical treatment

References:

Safer Care Victoria. (n.d.). Vomiting in neonates. Safer Care Victoria. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://www.safercare.vic.gov.au/best-practice-improvement/clinical-guidance/neonatal/vomiting-in-neonates
Seattle Children’s. (n.d.). Vomiting (0–12 months). Seattle Children’s. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://www.seattlechildrens.org/conditions/a-z/vomiting-0-12-months/
Sisson, B. C., Gross, A. S., Snow, J., & MSD Manual. (n.d.). Nausea and vomiting in infants and children. In MSD Manual Professional Edition. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/pediatrics/symptoms-in-infants-and-children/nausea-and-vomiting-in-infants-and-children

“Newborn Vomit Colors Decoded—Yellow, Green, or Red?”

Why my baby’s vomit is red in color?

Why my baby’s vomit is green in color?