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Pyloric stenosis, which is one of the causes of severe vomiting in infants, is one of the diseases that should be treated immediately with its diagnosis.
Answers to questions such as what causes pyloric stenosis, what are the symptoms, how to do pyloric stenosis surgery are in this article!
What is pyloric stenosis?
Pyloric stenosis is a problem that affects the pyloric muscles that connect the stomach and small intestine. In this disease, the pyloric muscles become abnormally enlarged, causing the lower part of the stomach (exit area) to narrow. Under normal conditions, food passes through the baby’s stomach into the small intestine. But in pyloric stenosis, the narrowing of the lower stomach prevents the passage to the intestine, causing the food to come into the baby’s mouth. This causes babies to spit and vomit.
This problem occurs within 3 or 5 weeks after the baby is born.
Pyloric stenosis is seen in 1 out of every 1000 births and more in male infants.
What causes pyloric stenosis?
The exact cause of gastric outlet stenosis is unknown. It is generally thought to be caused by genetic and environmental factors.
What are the symptoms of pyloric stenosis?
Gushing vomit in babies is the most important symptom of pyloric stenosis. However, what is distinctive here is the absence of bile in the vomit. The liquid that comes out includes the food that is eaten. This is also called regurgitation. If there is bile, there is another problem.
The baby vomits a lot, usually after every feeding hour. Despite all this vomiting reflex, the baby is greedy and wants to be fed. But since the food he eats does not stay in his body, his weight gain may stop or even his weight may decrease. In other words, pyloric stenosis is among the causes of spitting up in babies.
Apart from these;
- stomach cramps,
- dehydration (fluid loss),
- Very small and dry poops
- Conditions such as traces of bleeding caused by forcing the stomach in vomit are also symptoms of pyloric stenosis.
How is pyloric stenosis diagnosed?
The gushing out of babies is a situation that worries parents. When the doctor is consulted with this complaint, first some blood tests are done and the ratio of the nutritional values lost by the baby is checked.
Then, abdominal ultrasound, which has the most important place in the diagnosis of the disease, is taken. On ultrasound, the thickness and length of the pyloric muscle are checked. In addition, gastrointestinal X-ray examination can also be performed. After all these examinations, the problem is detected and the appropriate treatment method is prepared.
How is pyloric stenosis treated?
The only treatment method for this disease is surgery. Those who have babies with pyloric stenosis often fear the idea of surgery, but it is a necessity for the baby to survive.
Before the pyloric stenosis surgery, the baby is fed with the help of a tube inserted through the nose in order to regain the lost nutritional and blood values. After this procedure, the baby is ready for surgery.
In the operation, the baby’s thickened and narrowed pyloric muscles are separated and the stenosis is widened. The surgery can be done by open or laparoscopy method.
The risks of pyloric stenosis surgery are negligible. This surgery does not cause any stomach or intestinal problems in the future.
What should be considered after pyloric stenosis surgery?
What kind of nutrition will be after pyloric stenosis surgery is one of the most curious issues of parents. Let’s explain the subject right away, the baby who has surgery starts to feed little by little 6-8 hours after the intervention. If deemed appropriate, feeding via serum is also possible.
Full nutrition can be started 24 or 48 hours after the operation. However, the amount that the doctor deems appropriate should be followed. Vomiting can be seen at the beginning, but after the first week, these disappear completely. The baby is usually discharged after 3 days.
It is considered appropriate to take a bath in the first week after the baby’s surgery. Apart from these, the care of the incision site is also very important. If there are conditions such as infection, fever, rash, it is necessary to consult a doctor immediately.
