Acid reflux in babies

Some of the common symptoms of acid reflux or GERD in babies are:

• Vomiting and spitting 
• Loss of appetite
• Difficulty in swallowing food, choking
• Refusing to eat
• Hiccups and burps
• Pneumonia, persistent cough or wheezing
• Heartburn, pain in the chest or belly
• Unable to gain weight
• Disturbed sleep

Reflux occurs when the stomach pushes food back up to the esophagus, or the food pipe. The lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a ring at the end of the food pipe, checks the entry of the stomach back into the food pipe. 

• Reflux mostly happens when this ring doesn't close properly or is underdeveloped. The food pipe in infants is small and narrow. LES or the valve is also underdeveloped and it opens very easily. 
• Babies have a stomach the size of a marble. It can only contain a small amount of milk at once, hence the regular feeds. Also, an infant keeps lying down all the time, which is a perfect position for milk to come back up.
• Cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA), one of the most common food allergies in babies, can also be the reason for reflux in your child.

Reflux affects both breastfed and formula-fed babies. This smelly stage subsides as the baby grows and his digestive system develops.

While most babies outgrow the condition by the time they turn slightly older, controlling the reaction in your baby will go a long way in relieving the discomfort:

• Give the baby small and frequent feeds.
• Keep them upright while feeding. Instead of putting them on the bed after feeds, keep them in an upright position for the next 15-20 minutes.
• Make sure to make your baby burp after every meal or during it. You can take a break after 10 minutes of feeding, burp the baby, and restart the feeding again.
• If being bottle-fed, check the opening in the nipple, which shouldn’t be too big. Change it from time to time.

If the symptoms persist, getting it checked by a doctor is highly recommended. These are some of the signs that the discomfort isn’t going away:

• The baby constantly spits up after every feed
• Has fever 
• Feeding is accompanied by cough gags
• Vomiting
• Swollen stomach
• Denies feeds, cries and arches his back
• Is not growing or gaining weight
• Yellow or green vomit, blood in vomit or poop

GERD can cause severe problems like sore throat, bouts of pneumonia and middle ear infections.

Although a doctor would prescribe a dose of antacids meant for infants, it is also advisable to maintain the following processes at home to make the baby feel more comfortable:

• Select thicker formula feeds; they settle more easily in the stomach and take time to come up.
• Look out for the contents in the formula feed that you have selected for your baby. It’s advisable to go for a hypoallergenic formula which can be helpful.
• Decrease the amount of feed, and increase the frequency.

Motherhood may be a beautiful experience, but a demanding one at that. Besides feeding and looking after the baby, being aware of your baby’s reactions and feelings is key. Reflux is another challenging phase that comes along, but it goes away with time.