I am a 246 days / 8 months & 6 days old baby
Pyloric stenosis (or infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis) is a condition that causes severe vomiting in the first few months of life. There is narrowing (stenosis) of the opening from the stomach to the intestines, due to enlargement (hypertrophy) of the muscle surrounding this opening (the pylorus, meaning "gate"), which spasms when the stomach empties.
It is uncertain whether there is a real congenital narrowing or whether there is a functional hypertrophy of the muscle which develops in the first few weeks of life.[1]
The causes of IHPS are multifactorial. Both environmental factors and hereditary factors are believed to be contributory. Possible etiologic factors include deficiency of nitric oxide synthase containing neurons, abnormal myenteric plexus innervation, infantile hypergastrinemia, and exposure to macrolide antibiotics.[2]
If a diagnosis of pyloric stenosis is made, the baby will have some blood work done to check for dehydration. A catheter will be placed into the vein (IV) to replace fluids that the baby needs. The baby may go to surgery that day or the following day. It is very important that the baby not drink anything until after surgery.
The operation is called a pyloromyotomy (pie-lore-oh-my-ot-toe-me). This operation spreads open the muscle around the pyloric valve of the stomach. The incision is about 1 inch long either right around the belly button or on the right hand side of the abdomen. Stitches that dissolve are used, so they won’t have to be removed later.
Feedings will start slowly . Your nurse will tell you when to start. The amount of breast milk or formula will be limited at first and will be increased with each feed. A few episodes of vomiting shortly after surgery are not uncommon but resolve quickly.[3]
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Notes:
[1] Wikipedia.org
[2] medscape.com
[3] pedisurg.com
