You & Your Family

Home / Pregnancy Articles / Your Baby / Help for Reflux

Help for Reflux

2010-07-14 14:12:00

There's help available if your baby is suffering from reflux.

It’s hard for babies to communicate with Mom and Dad when they have a problem. And it can be particularly hard on parents who don’t understand why their baby is perpetually “fussy,” and believe, incorrectly, that their parenting style is to blame.

Two out of every three babies suffers with some level of infant acid reflux, and parents are often hard pressed to find a solution. Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) causes severe heartburn pain when milk and stomach acid flow backwards up into the esophagus. Normally, gravity keeps breast milk or formula in the stomach, but when a baby lies flat, the stomach contents may “reflux” back into the esophagus.

Common Symptoms of GERD

*Irritability: sudden or constant crying, pain in the stomach, chest, and/or esophagus.
*Poor sleep: frequent waking or sudden waking; being inconsolable after waking.
*Frequent spitting up: including partial vomiting, wet burps, and hiccups more than an hour after eating.
*Eating problems: choking, gagging, refusing certain foods,and eating only when tired, which can result in poor weight gain, or weight loss.
*Trouble breathing: coughing, wheezing or labored breathing, runny nose, congestion, frequent ear infections and even asthma.

Naptime Interrupted

Another common problem for babies and parents of babies with acid reflux is that naptime is often interrupted by the child's ongoing discomfort. Long naps are not only important for babies; they offer time for tired parents to get things done around the house or catch up on much needed sleep themselves.

While pediatricians may recommend medications or diet changes to treat reflux, some  practitioners suggest first trying more natural and simple solutions. Keeping your baby at a 30-degree incline may give gravity the opportunity to prevent stomach acid from creeping up. To achieve this many parents use a "wedge" in the crib to elevate the baby’s head. Some parents put their babies to sleep in their car seats or swings to create that same incline until the child has outgrown the reflux. Pediatrician Dr. Bob Sears recommends feeding your baby with goat’s milk, as well as a number of other natural solutions.

One such alternative to traditional products is the Amby Baby Motion Bed, a hammock-like bed with an adjustable incline that mimics the natural movements inside the mother’s womb. Endorsed by Dr. Sears, the Amby hammock allows a baby to sleep in a slightly upright angle. This keeps stomach acid and food where it belongs – in the stomach. The child has less acid reflux pain and enjoys a more restful night’s sleep. Any time the baby does stir and squirm, the gentle bouncing movements of the Amby will lull her back to sleep. To learn more about the Baby Motion Bed, visit www.ambybaby.com.

For more information on reducing reflux and helping baby sleep, visit these websites: www.infantreflux.org, www.infantacidrefluxdisease.com, www.reflux.org, www.askdrsears.com.

 

Related Articles

You're Pregnant - What Should You Eat? Enhance your baby's development with healthful food choices.

 

<< back to Your Baby Articles