Nursing Mothers Should Take Care Of Themselves Too
Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development.
When you are breastfeeding your baby, you need to give importance to your diet, too. The diet you follow has a direct influence on your babys health and its growth and development.
In fact, breastfed babies may benefit from a change in the mothers diet. Hence, breastfeeding mothers should keep a close eye on their diet to help avoid acid reflux in babies.
- Give up all dairy products immediately, as the protein found in dairy products can irritate a babys immature digestive tract.
- Avoid common allergens including wheat, gluten, citrus, nuts, eggs, and soy.
Acid Reflux Medication Is Rarely Needed
Acid Reflux Medication Is Rarely Needed
Its important to understand that most reflux is buffered by frequent feeds in infants and seldom is of acid pH a fact that seems to be largely ignored by doctors. In fact, studies show that a PPI is no better than a placebo for symptoms purported to be those of GERD in infants namely irritability and spitting up.
Over-prescription of acid-suppressing medications in infants is a serious matter, as discussed by Dr. Eric Hassall in The Journal of Pediatrics, who is currently Staff Gastroenterologist at Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation in San Francisco, California, and is an advisor to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration . According to him, We are medicalizing normality. In most infants, these symptoms are life, not a disease, and do not warrant treatment with drugs, which can have significant adverse effects. Dr. Eric Hassall further stresses that gastric acid is an early line of defense against infection and is important for nutrition. By prescribing acid-suppressing medications to infants who dont actually have serious, long-lasting reflux disease, pediatricians are not only putting their patients at a higher risk for infections like pneumonia and gastroenteritis, they are also risking further long-term diseases because PPI use in infants can also lead to deficiency of essential minerals and vitamins, such as magnesium, calcium, and vitamin B12.
Dont Blame Breastfeeding For Acid Reflux In Infants
Just as importantly as being ready, dont let others tell you that it is your milk. You have decided that you want to give your baby the very best of milk, but others may tell you that you should stop breastfeeding and give your baby special baby formula instead. If your doctor or nurse suggests this, seek out a more breastfeeding-friendly health professional to help.
Warning: Formula will just make matters worse. Breast is really the besteven more so if your breastfeeding baby has acid reflux. Dont let anyone tell you different. The formula companies have spent years trying to lie to you about this!
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The Truth About Acid Reflux In Babies
For many years, pediatricians have wondered if colic might actually be a burning pain caused by acid reflux in babies . One book even trumpeted it as the cause of all colic. But hundreds of millions of dollars spent on baby antacid medicine have been wasted. Its now proven that GERD rarely causes colic.
Natural Remedies For Acid Reflux Babies Tip #4 Massage And Touch Therapy
To naturally treat acid reflux in babies, try massaging your babys stomach with coconut oil or olive oil. Massage your baby on their back using long, gentle, downward strokes to stimulate the vagus nerve which interfaces with the digestive tract, lungs, and heart.
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Pyloric Stenosis Versus Gerd
If your newborn projectile vomits in the first few months of life, keep an eye out for symptoms of pyloric stenosis, since it can sometimes be confused with GERD in infants.
In addition to forceful vomiting at feedings, symptoms of pyloric stenosis include constant hunger, dehydration, constipation and, rarely, blood in the vomit. While uncommon, the condition characterized by a narrowing of the opening at the bottom of the stomach does require diagnosis by a doctor and surgery to treat it.
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Symptoms Of Silent Reflux In Babies
Babies with silent reflux may not spit up after feedings, making it more difficult to spot. Infants with silent reflux also often present with feeding difficulties, which can slow weight gain and even cause weight loss. In extreme cases, this can result in undernutrition.
Inadequate growth or inability to maintain growth during early childhood is referred to as failure to thrive and can occur as a result of reflux.
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Keep The Baby Upright After Meals
Well, whenever you feed your child, hold him upright for around half an hour after the meals. This is one of the most effective ways to treat acid reflux in infants. It will allow the food to settle in the stomach, preventing acid reflux.
Hopefully, you will be able to comfort your child the next time he suffers from acid reflux. These tips will help out. If the problem continues to trouble your child, you need to consult with a doctor.
Key Points About Gerd In Children
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GERD is a long-term digestive disorder.
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It happens when stomach contents come back up into the food pipe .
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Heartburn or acid indigestion is the most common symptom of GERD.
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Vomiting can cause problems with weight gain and poor nutrition.
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In many cases, GERD can be eased by diet and lifestyle changes.
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Sometimes medicines, tube feedings, or surgery may be needed.
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Treating Acid Reflux In Infants
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WITHDRAWAL OF RANITIDINE
Food and Drug Administration requested that all forms of prescription and over-the-counter ranitidine be removed from the U.S. market. This recommendation was made because unacceptable levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine , a probable carcinogen , were found in some ranitidine products.
If youre prescribed ranitidine, talk with your doctor about safe alternative options before stopping the drug. If youre taking OTC ranitidine, stop taking the drug and talk with your healthcare provider about alternative options. Instead of taking unused ranitidine products to a drug take-back site, dispose of them according to the products instructions, discuss disposal with a pharmacist, or by following the FDAs guidance .
Ranitidine, brand name Zantac, is now marketed as Zantac 360, which contains a different active ingredient . Famotidine is in the same class as ranitidine and works the same way but has not been found to contain unacceptable levels of NDMA.
If you have a baby, you know that spitting up is very common and usually nothing to fret over. But sometimes it can be an indication of acid reflux, especially when accompanied by other symptoms.
If your baby is spitting up and exhibiting any of the following symptoms, it could be a sign of a more serious condition known as GERD .
Watch for:
How To Prevent Your Baby From Getting Acid Reflux
There are two main ways you can prevent acid reflux in your baby before it even starts.
You dont necessarily have to hold the baby for a full 30 minutes you can put them in a swing, car seat, or propped up bassinet. Mainly, you just want the head to be upright relative to the body.
Important:
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Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease In Infants
The esophagus is the tube that goes from the throat to the stomach .
Gastroesophageal reflux occurs when contents that have gone down to the stomach come back up into the esophagus.
Throwing up or food coming up into the mouth may happen.
- GER is common in infants because they have a liquid diet and spend a lot of time lying down. They may outgrow this as they get bigger.
- If GER is more severe and longer lasting, it is called gastroesophageal reflux disease .
- If GERD isn’t treated, your baby may not eat well or gain weight. It can also cause symptoms like coughing, noisy breathing, and vomiting.
Home Remedies To Treat Acid Reflux In Babies
Apart from the mainstream medical prescriptions, such as Antacids, Histamines or Proton-Pump Inhibitors to decrease or neutralize the acid percentage in infants, there are several natural remedies to treat acid reflux in babies which parents can try at home.
1. Lifestyle Changes
Raise the babys head with pillows or the head of the crib or bassinet. After feeding, hold your baby upright for 30 minutes. You can also change your infants feeding schedule as this may taper the bile formation in the stomach. If your doctor allows, try feeding your baby solid foods such as cereals.
Keep your older baby upright for two hours after shes eaten. Instead of big meals, serve your child small but several meals. Also, check on the food that she eats which worsens her acid reflux.
2. Work Out and Regular Exercises
Exercises improve digestion which helps reduce acid reflux. Activities that fight gas and bloating can be done 30 minutes after feeding. Some of the best options include
- Bicycling or Knee Push-Ups
- Lay your infant on the back
- Lift the legs and bent them from the knee
- Gently move the legs in a circular motion as if she was riding a cycle
- Ten repeats, several times a day
3. Massage Therapy
Regular massages improve the digestive system and respiratory tract. It also builds stronger bones and muscles and promotes mobility in the body
4. Coconut Oil in Diet
5. Diet for Nursing Moms
6. Swaddling
7. Fennel
You can also add roasted and powdered fennel seeds in baby food
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Does My Baby Have Silent Reflux
Reflux disease is seen in about children. While gastroesophageal reflux disease and LPR can exist together, symptoms of silent reflux are different from other types of reflux.
In babies and young children, typical signs include:
- breathing problems, such as wheezing, noisy breathing, or pauses in breathing
- difficulty feeding
- failure to thrive, which may be diagnosed by a doctor if your baby isnt growing and gaining weight at the expected rate for their age
Babies with silent reflux may not spit up, which can make it difficult to identify the cause of their distress.
Older children may describe something that feels like a lump in their throat and complain of a bitter taste in their mouth.
You may also notice hoarseness in your childs voice.
Urgent Advice: Ask For An Urgent Gp Appointment Or Call 111 If Your Baby:
- has vomit that’s green or yellow, or has blood in it
- is projectile vomiting
- has blood in their poo
- has a swollen or tender tummy
- has a very high temperature or they feel hot or shivery
- keeps being sick and cannot keep fluid down
- has diarrhoea that lasts for over a week or has signs of dehydration
- will not stop crying and is very distressed
- is refusing to feed
Also call your GP or 111 if you have any other concerns about your baby.
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How Is Gerd / Acid Reflux Treated In Infants
GERD and acid reflux in infants can be treated in the following ways:
- Elevating the head of the babys bassinet
- Holding your baby upright for 30 minutes after feedings
- Change your babys feeding schedule for smaller amounts at more frequent periods
Note: So, even if your baby has improved on acid reflux medicineask your doctor about trying her off it for a few days, to see if the medicine is really necessary.
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Do Infants Outgrow Reflux
Infants tend to outgrow regurgitation as the lower esophageal sphincter strengthens. Most cases GER will disappear by 18 months of age of earlier.
However, around 2-7 percent of parents of children between the ages of 3-9 years report that their child experiences heartburn, upper abdominal pain, or regurgitation. Around 5-8 percent of teenagers describe the same symptoms.
GERD declines until 12 years of age and then peaks between 16-17 years old. GERD tends to be more common in teenage girls than boys.
GER occurs more often in childhood and GERD occurs more often in adulthood.
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Feed Your Baby More Frequently
Sometimes, acid reflux in babies can be treated by making small changes in the feeding routine.
For instance, start giving less breast milk or formula at each feeding to your baby. To make up for the smaller quantity, give more frequent feedings.
Always remember that babies are more likely to have reflux and to spit up when their stomach is too full.
On the other hand, a less full stomach puts less pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter , and this in turn prevents food from going back into the esophagus from the stomach.
When feeding, try to hold your baby in a more vertical position, and keep him/her upright for 10 minutes after feedings, too. Avoid putting your baby down right after feeding, and make sure to burp your baby after every feeding.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Sandifer Syndrome#
Torticollis and dystonia are the main characteristic symptoms of Sandifers syndrome in babies. Torticollis is characterized by a sideward tilt of the head with a chin rotation toward the opposite side of the tilt .Dystonia is characterized by repetitive and patterned muscle contractions that cause twisting of the torso and abnormal posturing .The following are other commonly seen symptoms in babies with Sandifers syndrome. These symptoms usually exacerbate after feeding .
Nodding and rotation of the head
Neck extension Gurgling sounds Writhing movement of limbs Weakness of muscles Arching of the spine Upward deviation of eyes Vomiting Reduced appetite Anemia Stomach ache Vomiting blood Symptoms that stop while sleeping
A baby can show bouts of symptoms. Each episode may last for one to three minutes and might occur up to ten times a day . Consult a doctor if your baby displays any of the above symptoms.
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Smaller More Frequent Feedings
Feeding a baby with reflux can be challenging. Breastfed babies who have reflux may try to soothe the pain by nursing, which can exacerbate the issue.
Formula-fed infants can go longer stretches between feedings, however, this is also not ideal for babies with reflux.
Aim to feed your baby every two to three hours while awake. This may mean reducing the number of ounces your baby gets at each feeding. Overfeeding can increase abdominal pressure, which worsens reflux symptoms.
You may also find nipples with smaller holes to be helpful for your baby. Look for bottles that are designed to reduce the amount of air your baby takes in during feedings.
What Is Gerd In Babies
If your baby fight bread feeding, is always stiff and arch her back regularly, is uneasy when laying on her back or even if her breath smell sour, then the little one may be experiencing baby reflux.
Acid reflux is medically called Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD. A baby with acid reflux is referred to as Scrawny Screamers. GERD may cause your baby to drink less milk, thus becoming Scrawny or underweight.
However, GERD may also make your baby overeat because they think swallowing and milk will help them keep their acid at bay.
Although GERD is common among the adults, it is surprisingly pretty much the same in infants and toddlers too.
So How Do I Know If My Baby Has Acid Reflux Because Most Babies Spit!
A straightforward way to find this out is to see how your baby reacts after vomiting. If your baby appears happy and doesnt seem to be in any discomfort or pain, then she is just a happy spitter.
However, here are some essential list symptoms you should look out for
- Crying after drinking and eating
- Extreme fussiness after feeding
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Is Baby Reflux Just Vomiting
Baby reflux is effectively the same thing as posseting, which is when babies bring up a small amount of milk without seeming to mind . Reflux is common in babies under six months for completely normal physiological reasons and doesnt need medication. Baby reflux is also different from gastro-oesophageal reflux disease , which is when reflux symptoms become troublesome or cause complications .
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What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Gastroesophageal Reflux
Common signs of reflux include:
- heartburn . It can last up to 2 hours and tends to be worse after meals and when lying down
- frequent spitting up or vomiting, especially after meals
- the feeling of stomach acid coming up into the back of the throat
- acidic or bad breath
- frequent cavities, especially in the back teeth, despite good brushing
Signs of GER in babies and young children include:
- choking or wheezing
- wet burps or wet hiccups
- spitting up that continues beyond a child’s first birthday
- irritability or inconsolable crying after eating
- refusing to eat or eating only small amounts
- failure to gain weight
Some of these symptoms may get worse if a baby lies down or is placed in a car seat after a meal.
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