<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong>Contents</strong></span></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Causes</span></span></em></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Symptoms</span></span></em></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Exams and Tests</span></span></em></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Treatment</span></span></em></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Outlook (Prognosis)</span></em></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">When to Contact a Medical Professional</span></span></em></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Alternative Names</span></span></em></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Pyloric stenosis is a narrowing of the pylorus, the opening from the stomach into the small intestine.</span></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><img alt="" src="https://www.zdrav.kz/images/refs2/64Py.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 480px;" /></span></span></p>

<h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a id="1" name="1">Causes</a></span></span></h2>

<p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Normally, food passes easily from the stomach into the first part of the small intestine through a valve called the pylorus. With pyloric stenosis, the muscles of the pylorus are thickened. This prevents the stomach from emptying into the small intestine.</span></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The cause of the thickening is unknown. Genes may play a role, since children of parents who had pyloric stenosis are more likely to have this condition.</span></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Pyloric stenosis occurs most often in infants younger than 6 months. It is more common in boys than in girls.&nbsp;</span></span></p>

<h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a id="2" name="2">Symptoms</a></span></span></h2>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Vomiting is the first symptom in most children:</span></span></p>

<ul>
	<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Vomiting may occur after every feeding or only after some feedings</span></span></li>
	<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Vomiting usually starts around 3 weeks of age, but may start any time between 1 week and 5 months of age</span></span></li>
	<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Vomiting is forceful (projectile vomiting)</span></span></li>
	<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The infant is hungry after vomiting and wants to feed again</span></span></li>
</ul>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Other symptoms appear several weeks after birth and may include:</span></span></p>

<ul>
	<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Abdominal pain</span></span></li>
	<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Burping</span></span></li>
	<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Constant hunger</span></span></li>
	<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Dehydration (gets worse as vomiting gets worse)</span></span></li>
	<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Failure to gain weight or weight loss</span></span></li>
	<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Wave-like motion of the abdomen shortly after feeding and just before vomiting occurs</span></span></li>
</ul>

<h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a id="3" name="3">Exams and Tests</a></span></span></h2>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The condition is usually diagnosed before the baby is 6 months old.</span></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">A physical exam may reveal:</span></span></p>

<ul>
	<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Signs of dehydration, such as dry skin and mouth, less tearing when crying, and dry diapers</span></span></li>
	<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Swollen belly</span></span></li>
	<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Olive-shaped mass when feeling the upper belly, which is the abnormal pylorus</span></span></li>
</ul>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Ultrasound of the abdomen&nbsp;may be the first imaging test. Other tests that may be done include:</span></span></p>

<ul>
	<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Barium x-ray&nbsp;- reveals a swollen stomach and narrowed pylorus</span></span></li>
	<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Blood tests - often reveals an&nbsp;electrolyte&nbsp;imbalance</span></span></li>
</ul>

<h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a id="4" name="4">Treatment</a></span></span></h2>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Treatment for pyloric stenosis involves surgery to widen the pylorus. The surgery is called pyloromyotomy.</span></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">If putting the infant to sleep for surgery is not safe, a device called an&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002360.htm">endoscope</a>&nbsp;with a tiny balloon at the end is used.&nbsp;The balloon is inflated to widen the pylorus.</span></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">In infants who cannot have surgery, tube feeding or medicine to relax the pylorus is tried.</span></span></p>

<h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a id="5" name="5">Outlook (Prognosis)</a></span></span></h2>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Surgery usually relieves all symptoms. As soon as several hours after surgery, the infant can start small, frequent feedings.</span></span></p>

<h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a id="6" name="6">When to Contact a Medical Professional</a></span></span></h2>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Call your health care provider if your baby has symptoms of this condition.</span></span></p>

<h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><a id="7" name="7">Alternative Names</a></span></span></h2>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis; Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis; Gastric outlet obstruction</span></span></p>
