Symptoms:

• Repeatedly bringing up (regurgitating) food
• Repeatedly re-chewing 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.

Signs and tests:

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. Lab tests (such as serum electrolytes, endocrine - hormone functions, and a blood test for anemia) can measure how severe the malnutrition is and determine what nutrients need to be increased.