Symptoms and Suggestions on dealing with Infant Acid Reflux

When bringing home your new baby it can be overwhelming to realize that they could be in some sort of discomfort. Some spit up for all babies is a completely normal thing. Their digestive systems and eating habits are so new that it takes their stomachs and coordination some time to get nsync enough to eat and keep it down. When I brought my babies home, especially my first, I had no idea that they could get reflux just like an adult. My daughter had a lot of spit up. I went through many bibs and burp cloths starting at about the age of two weeks. The first symptoms were extra spit up even when laying down asleep, gagging while sitting up and awake with nothing in her mouth, some weight loss and a random cough with frequent hiccups. After much research and a good doctor's visit I quickly found out that all of these symptoms added up to baby reflux. As if that were not enough, my daughter, and later my son as well, had much discomfort while drinking their bottle. They would begin to feed and then jerk away with a horrible cry. This was due to what is called "silent reflux". This is when acid or the food they are trying to take in keeps coming back up the esophagus and then travels back down again. So not only does it burn coming up but going down as well. This can be very uncomfortable for babies and very frustrating for the mom's and dad's especially when they do not know what is causing such trouble.

The best thing to do first when you suspect your baby may have some sort of trouble with reflux, is to make a doctor's appointment to be certain. They will give you the best support and advice in this area. If it is indeed baby reflux they will prescribe a liquid reflux medicine. Both my children had baby zantac and took about a half ML twice a day. This dosage may vary depending on the severity of the symptoms and the weight and age of your baby. Be sure to follow complete dosage instructions from your doctor and pharmacist. In the meantime there are great ways in which you can aid your baby at home in reducing their reflux symptoms other than just medication. One great way is to make sure to burp them frequently during feedings.  Try burping every or every other ounce and see if that helps.  That helped my son tremendously. Next would be to make sure they sit upright for 20-30 minutes after each feeding to give them time to digest. This may seem troublesome when wanting to lay your baby back down at night. There is a solution to this as well. It is called a "crib wedge", which you can place under the head of the mattress. This will elevate their upper body enough to aid in digestion as well.

Another tool is to check the brand of bottles you are using. Try going for Dr. Browns or Playtex VentAire system bottles to ensure that no extra air is being processed during feedings. The type of formula you use, if not breastfeeding, can be altered as well. I opted to try soy formula, because I also suspected that my babies had an intolerance to lactose. Soy can sometimes help aid in reducing spit up, and if you browse the many options of formulas sold in the grocery stores they have some aimed at fussy eaters, gentle digestion and gas and spit up reduction. Another way to aid formula in reducing spit up is to add a bit of baby rice cereal to the formula, if your formula you are already using does not have it in it. One of the formulas aimed at reducing spit up has some cereal in it already. This is to help weigh down the milk and make it heavier in hopes of keeping it down.

As with any challenge, trial and error will help. What is best for one baby may not be the best for another. You and your doctor together can make the right decisions on what options you should take with your baby and your particular situation. Make sure to check with them first before changing any formulas. They have good advice, knowledge and experience. Even if you do not agree with what they may provide as a solution. Also know that by 9 months old this phase should pass completely. Babies will always present a new stage to master and this is only one of the many. Stay calm and know that you will get through it.