Just wanted to post this to raise awareness of pyloric stenosis.

My son is now 14 weeks old but at 10 weeks old he was diagnosed with pyloric stenosis and had to have surgery to correct it.

After numerous trips to doctors and being told my sons projectile vomiting was due to reflux, after weighing my son and him losing weight for the second time, I knew something was wrong. It was then that I took him to the Childrens Hospital and he was diagnosed with pyloric stenosis. He was dehydrated and had to be put on IV fluids to stabilise him before they could operate.

Pyloric stenosis (pie-lorr-ick sten-oh-sis) is a condition that affects the digestive system, which can cause your baby to vomit forcefully. It affects an estimated one in 500 babies.

Food normally moves from the stomach to the small bowel via an opening called the pylorus. Pyloric stenosis happens when muscles around the pylorus become bigger and squeeze the opening, causing it to become narrow (stenosis). Food cannot empty out of the stomach because there is not enough room for it to pass through the pylorus into the bowel and it is often vomited out.

Pyloric stenosis can lead to weight loss or poor weight gain from frequent vomiting, because the body cannot get the nutrients it needs from food. When the stenosis becomes severe, the vomiting becomes persistent and projectile (forceful), leaving babies at risk of severe dehydration.

Pyloric stenosis happens in babies when they are between two and six weeks of age, and an operation is needed to fix the problem. It is more likely to happen in first-born male children of Caucasian families, particularly if a parent has had pyloric stenosis.

Signs and symptoms of pyloric stenosis

If your baby has pyloric stenosis, they may:

have persistent vomiting, which becomes progressively more forceful and may be projectile (the vomiting is non-bilious, which means it is not bright green in colour)

often be hungry after vomiting

have weight loss or poor weight gain. 

Some children with pyloric stenosis have a pylorus that can be felt under the skin above the belly button – it typically feels like an olive.

Diarrhoea is not usually a symptom of pyloric stenosis.

Having had a child with reflux before, I knew this was more than reflux. I'm so glad I trusted my gut and took my son to the hospital.

Trust your instincts and if you're not happy with the answers you are given, get a 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc. opinion until you are satisfied!

It's been almost 4 weeks since my sons operation and he has already put on over 1kg and doesn't vomit anymore.

Just wanted to post this because even if it helps one person then it's worth it.

My son didn't fit the typical baby with pyloric stenosis. He was 10 weeks old when he was diagnosed however, I was given the run around for around 4 weeks before he was diagnosed and he was placed on reflux medication. He is also not the first born Male however, he still had it so not all babies with pyloric stenosis will present the same. I infact mentioned to a doctor I thought he might have pyloric stenosis and his response was "he doesn't look sick enough to have it." I made sure I called that doctor and told him I was right!!