Reflux in Babies

Reflux or spitting up is very common in newborns. Reflux occurs because a muscle at the top of the stomach, is loose. It can also be caused by air bubbles in the stomach or by eating too much food too quickly.

What are the symptoms of Reflux and GERD in infants?

• Arching of the back, often during or right after eating.
• Colic - crying that lasts for more than 3 hours a day with no medical cause.
• Coughing.
• Gagging or trouble swallowing.
• Irritability, especially after eating.
• Poor eating or refusing to eat.
• Poor weight gain, or weight loss.
• Wheezing or trouble breathing.
• Forceful or frequent vomiting.

Tips or managing your baby's Reflux:

• Make each feed calm and relaxed.
• Hold your baby in an upright position, not lying down, while you feed them.
• Feed your baby smaller amounts at a time.
• Feed your baby without delay. If the baby has cried for a long time before a feed, they may have swallowed air. Spitting up is more likely if the baby has air in the stomach at the beginning of a feeding.
• Check the size of the opening in the teat if you are bottle feeding. The bottle should leak several drops of milk per second. A hole that is too big will let the baby swallow formula too quickly and baby is likely to spit up the excess. A hole that is too small forces the baby to suck very hard and swallow air.
• Burp your baby several times during each feeding. It works best to support the infant’s head and burp them sitting on your lap. Burping your baby over your shoulder may put too much pressure on their stomach.
• Keep your baby upright for 30 minutes after feeding. An infant seat or car seat works well..Make sure nappies are not too tight and do not put pressure on the baby’s stomach.

What treatments might the doctor give for my infant's Reflux?

If feeding changes do not help enough, the doctor may recommend medicines to treat Reflux. The medicines work by lowering the amount of acid in your baby's stomach.