• Repeatedly bringing up (regurgitating) food
• Repeatedly rechewing food

Symptoms must go on for at least 1 month to fit the definition of rumination disorder.

People do not appear to be upset, retching, or disgusted when they bring up food. It may appear to cause pleasure.

The health care provider must first rule out physical causes, such as hiatal hernia and pyloric stenosis. These conditions can be mistaken for rumination disorder.

Rumination disorder can cause malnutrition. The following lab tests can measure how severe the malnutrition is and determine what nutrients need to be increased:

• Blood test for anemia
• Endocrine - hormone functions
• Serum electrolytes

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Rumination disorder Overview

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Rumination disorder Treatment

Review Date: 01/20/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)