How to Prevent Baby Spitting Up Curdled Milk

How to Prevent Baby Spitting Up Curdled Milk? Is it harmful? Find the answers to these in this definitive guide on spitting up for new parents

What causes spitting up in babies?

Types of spitting up

Should I worry about my baby spitting up?

How to Prevent Baby Spitting Up Curdled Milk

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Breastfeeding can be a challenge for many new parents, and it can take quite a bit of effort to make it work. Now just as you’ve got the hang of it and are beginning to enjoy it, you find that your baby is spitting up the milk your body worked so hard to make!

Yes, spitting up can be messy, but it can also be distressful for new parents who aren’t sure if this is normal or if their baby is missing out on valuable calories and nutrients. If the spit-up has a curdled appearance, parents become even more alarmed

If you’re worried about this too, don’t worry – spitting up is quite common among babies, especially in the first few months, and generally subsides by the baby’s first birthday.

What causes spitting up in babies?

1. Immature digestive systems – The human body possesses a muscle between the stomach and the esophagus, called the lower esophageal sphincter, which is responsible for keeping food down in the stomach. This muscle is still underdeveloped in babies, which results in some of the stomach contents coming up. This effect is more pronounced since babies’ stomachs are small and can only hold a little at a time.

2. Acid reflux – Acid reflux is common in young babies, and occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter doesn’t close completely, causing some of the stomach acid to come up and lead to spitting up.

3. Food allergies – Some babies can have an allergic reaction to something in the formula they are consuming or even in the mom’s diet. However, in such cases, the spitting up is often accompanied by symptoms like diarrhea.

4. Pyloric stenosis – The pylorus is at the bottom of the stomach through which food passes into the intestines. If the pylorus muscles are enlarged, it can lead to spitting up. This is a serious condition that requires surgery, but it is an extremely rare condition, occurring only in 3 out of 1,000 babies.

Types of spitting up

Normal spit-up – This spit-up has a smooth texture and looks almost identical to the milk the baby has had, whether it is breast milk or formula. This kind of spit-up is generally seen during or immediately following feeding.

Curdled spit-up – This spit-up has a chunkier, curdled appearance and is usually seen a while after the baby’s feeding. The curdled appearance is due to the action of the stomach acids on the breast milk or formula while it is in the baby’s stomach.

Colored spit-up – For young babies who consume only milk, the spit-up is likely to be whitish in color. For older babies who’ve started solids, the color of the spit-up will change depending on what foods they eat. However, red could indicate the presence of blood, while green or yellow could indicate the presence of bile or phlegm.

Vomit – Vomiting is actually completely different from spit-up and is generally a sign of the baby being unwell. For instance, spit-up usually occurs close to the baby’s body, while vomit travels farther. Spitting up is gentler, while vomiting requires more force and can be painful for the baby.

Should I worry about my baby spitting up?

Seeing the baby spit up can worry most new parents, but it is generally harmless. In fact, your baby may appear to be more comfortable after spitting up and getting that release. Spitting up can also free up space in the baby’s tummy, making room for more milk.

One thing to remember is that the spit-up milk usually appears more than it actually is. It may seem like your baby has spit up everything she ate, but that is very unlikely. The mess on your clothes is no indication of how much your baby has actually spit up!

In a nutshell, spitting up is not harmful and should not affect your baby’s growth and well-being. As long as your baby seems fine otherwise, there is nothing to worry about. However, if you notice any of the following signs or symptoms, it is better to consult a doctor:

• Forceful spitting up
• Spit up that is red, brown, green, or yellow
• Spit up that looks like coffee grounds
• Suddenly starts spitting up after 6 months of age
• Refusal to feed
• Insufficient weight gain
• Blood in the stool
• Increased irritability or crying
• Cough or difficulty breathing
• Fewer wet diapers

If you notice any of these signs, it could be a sign of an illness, so it’s best to see the doctor right away. As for regular spit-up, you can reduce its occurrence by following a few simple tips.

1. Choose the right feeding position

Babies who feed in lying positions tend to spit up more than babies who feed in other positions. While feeding your baby, keep the baby’s head at a higher level than the feet. Ensure that the baby stays in this position throughout the feeding and doesn’t dip down. This helps the milk to flow down easily and reduces the likelihood of it coming up.

2. Ensure a good latch

A good latch is essential for multiple reasons – reducing pain, improving suction, and also reducing the intake of air. Swallowing air while sucking can increase the likelihood of spitting up as well as acid reflux. A good latch means that the baby’s mouth is open wide around the areola and not just the nipple. The baby’s chin touches the breast and the lips appear turned out.

3. Avoid overfeeding

Feeding too much or too fast can both result in spitting up. Rather than feeding a lot few times a day, increase the number of feedings and feed a little less at each feeding. This ensures that the baby’s little tummy doesn’t get stuffed beyond capacity. Keep an eye out for the signs of fullness, like slowed sucking, relaxed hands, or getting distracted.

4. Control the flow of milk

Along with ensuring that the baby isn’t overfed, you also need to control the flow of milk into the baby’s mouth. This can be an issue for mothers who have an oversupply of breast milk or a powerful let-down, which can cause a sudden rush of milk that the baby can’t handle. Express some milk before starting the feeding, so your baby gets a more controlled flow of milk. If you’re bottle feeding, choose a nipple with a smaller hole.

5. Avoid distractions while feeding

As your baby starts becoming more aware of the world around her, she may start stalling during feeding and getting distracted. This can lead to a loosening of the latch and swallowing more air, increasing the likelihood of spitting up. Try to feed in a quiet environment without distractions around, and try to keep the baby focused on the feeding. If she is too distracted, she may be full, so you can remove her from the breast.

6. Remember to burp your baby

Burping the baby is one of the best ways to reduce spitting up, although if you’ve overfed the baby, burping could lead to more spit up! Burp frequently during feeding as well as after, by holding the baby up and patting on the back to release any trapped air. If bottle feeding, burp after every 30 ml of milk.

7. Keep your baby upright after feeding

Even after burping your baby, it helps to hold him in an upright position for the next 20-30 minutes so the milk has a chance to settle down in his tummy. Avoid any active play like bouncing or swinging since this can lead to spitting up or even vomiting. Instead, simply sit down with the baby or walk around holding him.

8. Put baby to sleep on her back

Experts recommend putting babies to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome. This is also helpful for another reason – it reduces pressure on the tummy and reduces the chances of spitting up.

9. Raise the head of your baby’s mattress

Keeping the head in a raised position is a great way to reduce the chances of spitting up or acid reflux. However, it is not recommended to use pillows for babies, so an easy way to achieve this is to roll up some blankets and place it under the baby’s crib mattress. This keeps the head elevated without hurting the baby’s posture.

10. Reduce pressure on baby’s tummy

While placing the baby on her back is a good way to reduce pressure on her tummy, it also helps to dress her in comfortable clothes. Avoid anything that is tight at the waist, like pants with tight elastic bands. This also applies to diapers – fasten the seals in a comfortably loose manner, leaving some room for the baby’s tummy.

11. Look at your own diet

If you are breastfeeding your baby, your diet may have an impact on the baby’s spitting up. Some babies react adversely to certain foods in their mothers’ diets, like tomatoes, citrus fruits, spices, and carbonated drinks. You can try avoiding these foods and see if it’s reducing your baby’s spitting up.

12. Change your baby formula

If you are bottle feeding, it may help to look at your baby’s formula. Switching to a formula with low-lactose content or a hypoallergenic formula may help reduce spitting up. Always consult your pediatrician before changing your baby’s formula.

If you’ve tried all these methods but your baby is still spitting up, there may be another problem. Please watch out for any of the symptoms mentioned earlier, and if you notice any of them, consult your doctor right away.

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Baby Spitting Up Curdled Milk: Causes & Treatment

Is your baby spitting up curdled milk after feeding? If you are a newbie parent, seeing your baby spitting up after every feed can make you wonder if your little one is okay. Being a new mommy can be an intimidating experience for most women as every day may bring new parenting challenges for them. There are many issues that may become a cause of concern in daily life, and one of them could be your baby spitting curdled milk! Well, it is very common for babies to spit up; however, if you wish to know why it happens, what you can do to reduce it and many other associated aspects of the topic, well, all this and more are discussed in the following blog!

What Is Baby Spit-Up?

Babies have an underdeveloped digestive system, because of which they may regurgitate some of their stomach contents. Since they primarily feed breast milk or formula milk, when they spit up, it likely looks like a white substance, the nature of which depends on how long after the feed your baby spits. Spitting, unlike vomiting, is not painful and does not require much. Many times, your chubby bubby won’t even notice when they’re doing it.

Now the curdled part. If your baby spits up milk during or sometime after the feed, the milk they regurgitate will likely be smooth in texture. If your baby spits up curdled milk hours after eating, the milk will come out as curdled. The explanation for this is that when the milk gets into the stomach, it mixes with the stomach acid and curdles up. When your baby spits out, the curdled milk comes out.

What Does Curdled Spit-up Look Like?

Your baby’s spit up milk looks just like the breastmilk or formula that your baby feeds. However, the spit up milk may appear less or more curdled based on the time it stays inside your baby’s tummy. This means that if milk comes out or the baby spits up soon as after his feed, the spit up milk may appear just like milk only, however, the milk that stays longer inside the tummy may appear more curdled because it gets mixed up with the stomach acids and appears chunky or curdled. Also, if the baby is only on breastmilk or formula, the curdled spit is likely of whitish hue. However, red spit up could indicate the presence of blood, and green or yellow spit up could indicate the presence of bile or phlegm, and if any such abnormal coloured spitting up is noticed, it should be reported to the doctor!

How Is It Different From Normal Spitting?

If your breastfed baby is spitting up curdled milk, it does not mean that you should hit the panic button at once! You need to know that most babies may spit up curdled milk at least once before they turn three months old. However, you may want to know what is considered a normal scenario in this case and also when should you become concerned! Well, if your baby appears content, does not experience any breathing difficulty, is comfortable, is not losing weight and basically, if your baby feels and looks fine, then you can term your baby as a ‘happy spitter’. However, if your baby is spitting up the entire contents of his stomach on regular basis and as a result is cranky, not gaining weight, and exhibiting other such symptoms, then it could be a cause of concern and usually not considered normal. It will be a good idea to visit your doctor to know about the underlying causes of the same.

What Are the Causes of Spitting up Curdled Milk?

There are a bunch of reasons babies may spit up curdled milk. From digestion issues to acid reflux, just like in adults, it could be anything; hence, it is essential to map the underlying reasons so you can ensure it doesn’t happen again. Here are some reasons for babies or infants spitting up curdled milk:

1.

Because of Acid Reflux

Acid reflux is known to be a painful condition in which acid from the stomach travels up the throat. This condition is very common and can lead a baby to throw up curdled milk. This condition can be prevented by feeding the baby in an upright position, keeping a tab on how much to feed in one go, by avoiding certain foods while breastfeeding (citrus foods, carbonated drinks, spicy foods, etc.).

2. Because of Immature Digestive Systems

One of the most common reasons for curdled milk in a baby’s mouth is because of an immature digestive system. However, as babies grow up, their digestion gets better and they stop spitting up. In some cases, babies may spit up because of digestion issues such as lactose intolerance, allergic reaction to formula or cow’s milk, milk protein allergies. You can establish such allergies or intolerance by keeping a tab on symptoms such as diarrhoea. If any such symptoms are registered, you must visit a doctor.

3.

Because of Pyloric Stenosis

This is one of the rare conditions that can affect young babies in which the stomach is narrow and it becomes difficult for the food to travel to the intestines. This condition can be one of the reasons for your baby’s unexplained weight loss, spitting up curdled or non-curdled milk, constipation, etc. The treatment of this condition usually requires surgical intervention.

Curdled Spitting-up Vs Curdled Vomiting

You can easily distinguish between curdled spitting up from a baby vomiting curdled milk. Where spitting up is more subtle and is usually followed by a burp. You can usually see it as liquid coming out from the side of your baby’s mouth. However, in comparison to spitting up, vomiting is not only forceful but your baby will throw up several inches away from him.

How to Stop Baby From Spitting Curdled Milk

Though spitting up curdled milk is a common phenomenon in babies, however, here are some tips that can prevent or stop your baby from spitting curdled milk:

• Make sure you feed your baby in an upright position, as feeding in a curled or slouched position can make your baby throw up.
• If your breasts are too full, make sure you express some milk to managing the milk flow. If the baby is bottle-fed, you should check the nipple hole to make sure the milk flow is proper and not too much for the baby to handle.
• Refrain from overfeeding your baby, if your baby refuses to feed, then do not insist on feeding him. Focus on feeding frequently rather than feeding in one go.
• Check for any extra pressure on your baby’s stomach, which can happen due to tight clothing, tight diapers, babies lying on their tummies for long, etc., to avoid any spitting-up accidents.
• Try and burp your baby to let go of any trapped air that the baby may have ingested during feeds. If possible, burp your baby in between the feeding sessions too.
• Make sure that you keep the feeding sessions calmer and quieter for your baby, as when babies get distracted; they may ingest more air, which can make them spit up more.
• If your little one is formula-fed, try changing it to see if it makes any significant change.
• You may try experimenting with your own diet. Many mothers have got significant results when they excluded gas-inducing foods or dairy from their own diet.

When Should You Not Get Worried?

Baby spit up a lot, and them spitting up milk is not always a worrying situation. Here are some instances you can note when not to worry when your little one spits up:

• The spitting is less in volume and in frequency. Like they spit up only a little feed.
• The spit-up does not come out a couple of feet.
• Your baby does not have stomach pain
• Your baby is growing well and gaining weight absolutely fine.
• Your baby is acting all normal.

When to Call a Doctor

As your baby’s digestive system matures up, the spitting up stops gradually and this may happen anywhere from six to 12 months of age. However, if you notice any of the following things, you should get in touch with your doctor:

• If your baby isn’t feeding properly.
• If your baby experiences difficulty in breathing.
• If your baby isn’t gaining weight.
• If there are traces of blood in your baby’s poop.
• If your baby’s spit contains green or yellow fluid.
• If spit-ups are more like vomiting than regular spit-ups.
• If your baby has fewer wet diapers in a day than expected.
• If your baby’s or newborns’ curdled spit up has traces of blood.
• If you notice your baby crying or being in an irritable state more than usual.
• If your baby is spitting up curdled formula or breastmilk at a later stage, which is 6 months or older.

There are umpteen reasons that can make your baby spit up curdled milk. Though it is a very normal occurrence in newborns and younger babies, however, if you are concerned about this issue, you should meet your doctor and get your concerns addressed. Your doctor is the best person to help you explain the reason for the same and also offer you the best solution.

Also Read:

Is Drooling Common in Infants?
Infant Spitting up Through the Nose
Is It Normal for Baby to Vomit Mucus?

Why does a newborn spit up so often, what is normal spitting up.

— Polina Aleksandrovna, for what reasons does a newborn often spit up on breast, mixed and artificial feeding?

– A newborn and a child up to a year old can normally spit up several times a day due to the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the gastrointestinal tract. In an adult, the angle of the esophagus is acute – it is difficult for food to be thrown into the esophagus. In a small child, this angle is more obtuse, and in a horizontal position, it is easier for the contents of the stomach to enter the esophagus and exit through the mouth. This is true for breast, mixed and artificial feeding, since it is not a matter of nutrition, but of the structure of the gastrointestinal tract.

Spitting up can provoke:

• severe anxiety in the child;
• active play – tossing, flipping, especially after a recent feeding;
• overeating while breastfeeding – stomach overflows and excess milk leaves it;
• infant formula – formula is denser than breast milk and stays longer in the stomach, so there is a higher risk of backflow into the esophagus.

See also

• “Why a newborn hiccups and how to help him”

Does the newborn spit up a lot?

– The younger the child, the more often he can normally spit up. Spitting up after each feeding in a newborn will not be a pathology if the volume of regurgitation is not more than 5 ml (for older babies, about 10 ml). According to the stain on the diaper, it seems to the mother that this is a lot, but in fact it is not so – if you draw 5 ml of water into a syringe and pour it onto the fabric, the stain will be quite large.

The most important thing is that the number of regurgitation should not increase, but decrease. If in the first month the child spit up 1-2 times a day and suddenly began to spit up 10-15 times, of course, this is very alarming.

— Why does a newborn spit up after feeding and when can he be fed again?

– Given the anatomical and physiological characteristics of infants, it is not necessary to look for a connection between regurgitation and feeding.

For example,

• the child has eaten for a long time, the milk has almost left his stomach, but if he was awkwardly taken and the position of the body changed, then he will vomit a small amount of milk remaining in the stomach. This will not be an indication to feed the baby;
• the child burped immediately after feeding – no need to supplement him, most likely, he overate a little. Wait for the next meal and feed;
• regurgitation is not voluminous – no need to adjust the feeding regimen for them. Abundant regurgitation is a subject of discussion with the doctor and the search for tactics based on the problem of the baby.

— Are pylorospasm and pyloric stenosis somehow related to regurgitation in infants?

— Food enters the stomach through the esophagus, then into the duodenum. Between the stomach and the duodenum there is a transition point where the sphincter muscle contracts so that the contents do not flow in the opposite direction.

Pyloric stenosis – permanent narrowing of the opening between the stomach and duodenum, in which the sphincter is excessively enlarged. The hole can be completely closed or very small, and the child will always spit up, because there is nowhere else for food from the stomach to go. The child develops dehydration, weight gain is poor.

Pylorospasm is a disorder of nervous regulation, when the muscle periodically spasms and closes the opening, and food cannot move from the stomach to the intestines. But at one moment the muscle relaxes, and part of the food passes to further sections. With spasm, regurgitation is inconsistent, manifestations are noticeable after two to three weeks.

– Fountain regurgitation – what else can cause it?

– Fountain regurgitation in infants can be associated with food intolerance, viral infection and intoxication, in which the body is cleared of food, because it is not able to digest it.

— What does spitting up curdled milk mean?

– Spitting up curdled milk indicates that the food has been in the stomach for some time and has been slightly fermented. If a newborn is spitting up curdled milk, it may be pylorospasm or pyloric stenosis, or the baby simply spit up the rest of the milk when changing body position.

— Why does a newborn spit up through the nose?

– The oral cavity and the nasal cavity are close, the organs are interconnected. Food partially flows out through the nose with profuse regurgitation or at a certain position of the body, when the milk that the child vomited up, according to the laws of physics, entered the nasal cavity. Due to frequent regurgitation through the nose, inflammatory diseases can develop. Such children are observed by a doctor, measures are taken so that such situations do not recur. If regurgitation through the nose happened once, this is not scary and does not mean that something is wrong with the child. You can just clean the nose with a baby aspirator and not worry.

– Polina Alexandrovna, how to deal with the fact that a newborn burps in a dream?

– If the child has a tendency to spit up, you can try to give him a higher body position in a special cocoon. The baby cocoon is designed to help babies with digestive issues and a tendency to gas, spit up. In the cocoon, the upper body of the child is slightly raised. Due to this, the influence of the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the child is neutralized, and the milk does not flow upward.

– Another warning sign is profuse regurgitation.

— The main criterion for regurgitation is the condition of the child. If the child is worried, gaining weight poorly, he does not have enough nutrition due to regurgitation, then you need to look for a solution to the problem at the pediatrician’s appointment.

Read also

• “How to improve the digestion of a newborn”

– In some babies, spitting up is a sign of neurological problems – is it really so?

— Yes, and pylorospasm is one of them. Children also have the so-called central vomiting, when the problem is not localized in the gastrointestinal tract, but in the brain, the center of which controls the gag reflex. And if there is a neurological problem that leads to disruption of the center, the child may spit up profusely.

— Is the diagnosis made by a pediatric neurologist?

— When a child starts spitting up, it is impossible to immediately say that this is a surgical, neurological or other problem, you need to understand the complex. First of all, the pediatrician must examine the baby and understand what is happening to him. Next comes the appointment of a surgeon, a neurologist and a gastroenterologist. Each specialist, for his part, prescribes an examination and, based on the results, concludes whether there is a pathology in his profile or not.

— Until what age do babies spit up?

– Normally, regurgitation ends by 12 months, in isolated cases they can last up to 18 months. It is important that regurgitation does not become more frequent, but becomes more rare. With the introduction of solid food, there is no basis for regurgitation.

— Going back to the beginning of the spit-up-baby-food conversation, it’s true that formula-fed babies may spit up a little more, but does formula help solve this problem?

– With the frequency of regurgitation, everything is individual. When regurgitation brings discomfort to the child, but there are no food obstructions, the doctor may prescribe an anti-reflux mixture. As part of such a mixture, there are various thickeners that make the lump of food in the stomach thicker and more viscous so that the product does not flow back and reflux does not occur. Anti-reflux formula is given in a specific way and does not replace 100% of a child’s food.

— Polina Aleksandrovna, to help mom — how to hold a newborn so that he burps after feeding?

— During feeding, the baby should lie with his head up. After that, it is advisable to hold it with a “column” (“soldier”) and wait for the characteristic sound of belching in an upright position – this is how air comes out, the stomach does not overstretch and the risk of regurgitation is reduced.

A child in the first year of life has anatomical and physiological features that predispose to regurgitation. Regurgitation is considered normal if it is not abundant and does not lead to a violation of the child’s condition. Abundant regurgitation, anxiety, fever, poor weight gain, signs of intoxication are formidable symptoms that require a mandatory visit to the doctor.

* Breast milk is the best food for babies. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a child’s life and continued breastfeeding after complementary foods are introduced until the age of 2 years. Before introducing new products into the baby’s diet, you should consult with a specialist. The material is for informational purposes and cannot replace the advice of a healthcare professional. For feeding children from birth. The product is certified.

Frequent vomiting in babies: normal or not

Every caring parent is attentive to the health of their child, so as not to miss the first symptoms of serious diseases. If the child is the first, the reactions of his body, in particular regurgitation, cause concern. Most often it occurs for a physiological reason.

There is a sphincter between the stomach and the esophagus. In children from birth to a year, it is underdeveloped and is not able to keep food in the stomach. Any careless movement leads to the fact that the contents of the stomach pour out through the esophagus, that is, the child burps. To avoid this, pediatricians recommend carrying the child in the “column” position for half an hour after eating. Even in this position, regurgitation is possible, since pressure on the chest and stomach of the child cannot be completely eliminated. There is nothing to worry about, but in some cases regurgitation indicates the presence of serious diseases.

What is normal

If the child spits up only a small part of the food, is active, feels good, there is no reason for concern. In the presence of temperature, capriciousness, lethargy, regurgitation can be one of the symptoms of the disease. For babies up to six months, the norm is spitting up small portions of food up to 6-8 times a day. The curdled consistency of regurgitation is not a cause for concern. This is milk curdled under the influence of a special enzyme contained in the gastric juice, and prepared for further digestion.

The so-called “fountain” regurgitation should alert parents and force them to closely monitor the baby’s condition. It is necessary to drink it with warm boiled water, for some time vilify vertically. If such regurgitation was a one-time occurrence, the crumbs do not have a temperature, you should not worry. If the situation recurs, you should consult a doctor.

Causes of regurgitation

Newborns do not realize how much food they need and often overeat. Parents misinterpret the crying of the baby, and begin to feed him on demand. The baby may not be hungry, but simply demand the attention of the mother, her warmth. Excess food is not retained in the stomach, and the child burps.

When breastfeeding, the baby sometimes does not grasp the nipple correctly, and swallows air along with milk. It will come out with a little milk. Another common cause of regurgitation is excess gas. Food moves to the intestines more slowly than necessary, and part of it is ejected through the esophagus.

Serious problems that are manifested by frequent regurgitation include congenital defects of the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system, intestinal obstruction.

Troubleshooting

Most causes of spitting up are easy to fix, but the situation can be more serious. Some children suffer from lactose intolerance, which is genetically determined. The sooner this is detected and the necessary treatment is started, the better the child will develop. Lactose intolerance can be suspected if the baby spits up breast milk, and this problem is not observed when feeding with mixtures. Timely diagnosis of genetic lactose intolerance allows you to avoid a large number of child health problems in the future.

If parents are concerned about the frequent regurgitation of the baby, it is worth taking an analysis in one of the modern laboratories and consulting a doctor with its results. The modern level of laboratory diagnostics makes it possible to accurately determine the cause of the problem, and knowing it, the doctor will select the optimal treatment.

Study:
No. 180035 Genetic lactose intolerance
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Author-doctor:

Savchenko Svetlana Petrovna

Expert in the field of laboratory diagnostics, healthcare organization, diagnostics and treatment of therapeutic diseases.