Overview
Introduction
An infant who vomits forcefully after feeds but immediately wants to eat again may be developing infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS), especially at 3 to 6 weeks of age.
An infant who vomits forcefully after feeds but immediately wants to eat again may be developing infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS), especially at 3 to 6 weeks of age. The narrowed pyloric canal blocks gastric emptying, so vomiting is typically progressive and nonbilious. The first bedside sorting task is the color of the emesis: green vomit is bilious and points to possible intestinal obstruction, not routine pyloric stenosis. IHPS is a medical urgency because repeated gastric losses can produce dehydration and a metabolic alkalosis that must be corrected before surgery.