Massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to a gastric ulcer in a newborn

Abstract Usually, swallowing of maternal blood is the cause of bloody vomiting in healthy term newborns. Other reported causes include gastritis, esophagitis, gastric ulcer, and duodenal ulcer. We report a newborn girl born by cesarean at 372/7  weeks who had hematemesis on postnatal day 1 and hematochezia on day 2. An erythrocyte transfusion was given on day 3. Gastroscopy performed on day 4 showed multiple gastric ulcers. Antacid treatment was given. On day 12, the newborn had a good general condition and stable vital signs and was discharged. Gastric ulcer needs to be considered as the etiology of hematemesis in healthy term newborns.