What Is Likely to Happen if a Newborn Is Overfed?

Because new parents may have difficulty interpreting a newborn̵7;s cues and cries, it can be difficult to ascertain how much and how often to feed a newborn. If parents overfeed the baby, some undesired issues may occur. With time and practice, it̵7;s usually possible to learn a newborn̵7;s cues to provide the right amount of breast milk or formula.

  1. Spitting Up

    • If a newborn spits up a large amount of formula or breast milk following a feeding, it may indicate overfeeding, according to the Lucile Packard Children̵7;s Hospital at Stanford. Look for a pattern to ascertain whether spitting up connects to overfeeding or a possible intolerance issue. If spitting up a large amount of formula or breast milk occurs with every feeding, this may indicate an intolerance as opposed to overfeeding. Conversely, if spitting up occurs less frequently, it may indicate overfeeding.

    Gas

    • If a parent responds to all crying by assuming the baby is hungry, overfeeding will likely occur. This cycle of overfeeding can contribute to discomfort and gas issues in a newborn, warns Senders Pediatrics. Giving the baby more food than his small stomach can tolerate will likely cause bloating and gas, which causes even more crying ̵1; thus the cycle of overfeeding continues. The baby̵7;s stomach may respond by moving food through the digestive system more quickly, which can cause uncomfortable symptoms, including spitting up and intestinal gas.

    Weight Gain

    • Overfeeding a newborn may set the stage for rapid weight gain, which could lead to an overweight baby and child, according to the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital website. Average weight gain for a baby is to double birth weight by approximately 5 months of age and triple birth weight by 1 year of age. A newborn breastfeeding on demand will feed between eight and 12 times in a 24-hour period or drink between 14 and 31 ounces of formula, according to the Vermont Department of Health.

    Learning Cues

    • Watch your newborn closely to learn hunger and satisfaction cues, advises the Vermont Department of Health. A hungry newborn likely sucks on fingers, thumb or fist, makes rooting motions to find a nipple and begins to make fussing noises. With careful monitoring, you will likely notice these cues before your newborn actually cries from hunger because a newborn will only cry from hunger if parents miss initial cues. A satisfied baby will generally stop sucking, turn his head away from the nipple and close his mouth.

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