How To Prevent Reflux And Gord
Most children grow out of reflux or GORD by the time theyâre 12 months old, without needing any medical treatment.
In the meantime, here are some things you can try to help prevent or reduce reflux in your baby, and that may also help prevent occasional reflux from turning into GORD:
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Feed your baby smaller amounts more frequently
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Burp your baby more frequently, both during and after each meal
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After a feed, keep your baby in an upright or semi-upright position for at least an hour. Keep in mind that putting your little one in a baby chair or bouncer thatâs inclined at too steep an angle may cause him or her to slump, which can make the reflux worse.
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If youâre formula feeding your baby and your doctor or health visitor advises it, switch to a thicker formula that doesnât come up so easily
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If your doctor thinks the reflux may be caused by an allergy to the cowâs milk in formula, he or she may advise you to switch to formula that doesnât contain this ingredient
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Always ask your doctor before trying any special âanti-refluxâ milk, especially if your baby is already receiving anti-reflux medicine.
Symptoms Of Infant Reflux/gerd
First, we should really look at what the most common symptoms of baby reflux and GERD are. Common symptoms* include:
*from the book Colic Solved, by Bryan Vartabedian an excellent resource if you have a colicky baby with reflux at home!
So many parents we work with suspect their infants might have acid reflux, but havent checked with their healthcare providers yet. If your baby has the reflux symptoms listed above, make an appointment with your healthcare provider and take steps toward treatment. Some healthcare providers prefer to wait for symptoms to subside or improve, while others prefer to start medication sooner rather than later. Either way, you will want to plan a course of action with your healthcare provider before you start to work on improving sleep.
Also, remember that while spitting up is considered a classic sign of reflux, there is such a thing as silent reflux. If your baby seems fussy and uncomfortable after eating , or if you hear lots of tummy gurgling after your baby eats, silent reflux may be to blame.
What Feeding Changes Can Help Treat My Infant’s Reflux Or Gerd
Feeding changes may help your baby’s reflux and GERD:
- Add rice cereal to your baby’s bottle of formula or breastmilk. Check with the doctor about how much to add. If the mixture is too thick, you can change the nipple size or cut a little “x” in the nipple to make the opening larger.
- Burp your baby after every 1 to 2 ounces of formula. If you breastfeed, burp your baby after nursing from each breast.
- Avoid overfeeding give your baby the amount of formula or breast milk recommended.
- Hold your baby upright for 30 minutes after feedings.
- If you use formula and your doctor thinks that your baby may be sensitive to milk protein, your doctor may suggest switching to a different type of formula. Do not change formulas without talking to the doctor.
Read Also: Why Is Newborn So Fussy At Night
Use A Thicker Formula
For bottle-fed babies, thicker formulas that help the milk stay down in their stomach can reduce vomiting. They do have drawbacks you should be mindful of, though. For instance, they might make your baby more prone to constipation. Keep in mind also that although thickened formulas are available without a prescription, you shouldnt use them for your baby unless youve been advised to do so by a health professional.
Nursing Mom Elimination Diet
Dairy can cause problems, because the proteins found in this food can irritate babys immature digestive tract. If you suspect this may be the case, give up the offending food/drink for a good month before you determine if its the culprit. Other common allergens include wheat, gluten, citrus, coffee, nuts, eggs, and soy.
Recommended Reading: How To Know If Your Newborn Is Lactose Intolerant
Personalized Sleep Help That Takes Your Babys Health Into Account
Sleep coaching a baby with reflux can be truly toughyou have to walk the tightrope of helping your baby feel comfortable and alleviate her pain, while also working to avoid any negative sleep associations that will mess with your sleep coaching plans.
So why not let us help? Our team of highly-trained, caring sleep consultants has worked with thousands of families like yours they know exactly how to account for your babys reflux and GERD while still ensuring that you have a Personalized Sleep Plan that will teach your baby positive sleeping habits and move your whole family towards sleeping through the night.
Establish Strong Bedtime Routines
When you put good bedtime routines in place, and make sure that your baby gets to bed at the same time and into the habit of sleeping at certain times, theyre more likely to sleep right through the night. Try to think about how the routines you put in place can be improved and made more consistent if theyre not already.
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How To Help Your Infant With Reflux/gerd Sleep Better
Keep in mind that the majority of newborns and young babies have occasional bouts of reflux some spitting up here and there, or a bit of tummy pain is very normal for newborns, as the sphincter muscles that keep stomach contents down arent well-developed. Most babies outgrow their reflux symptoms as they mature. However, babies with severe reflux, or GERD, may struggle with reflux symptoms for months on end, and be extremely uncomfortable after feedings.
If your baby is young , or if your babys reflux symptoms are fairly mild, theres a lot you can do to alleviate the problem at home, without medication. Those steps include:
How To Help A Baby With Reflux Sleep At Night
Filed under:babocush, babocush baby, baby colic, baby reflux, baby sleep, baby sleep routine, colic, nighttime routine, parenting advice, parenting blog, reflux, reflux blog
When your baby has reflux, it can really impact their ability to get a good nights sleep. As a parent, you want your baby to sleep soundly every night, and when they do, you do. So its in everyones best interests to find a way to help your baby with reflux sleep better. Were going to talk today about some little tricks you can try so read on to find out more.
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Keeping Baby Upright During And After Feedings
Holding your baby upright during feedings and for 30 minutes after will help reduce the symptoms of reflux. Placing your baby down to play or sleep too soon after a feeding increases the likelihood of spitting up or heartburn.
Avoid placing your baby in a car seat or chair and don’t allow your baby to slouch, as this may cause abdominal compression. Doing so can help prevent discomfort or regurgitation.
Potential Risks Of Gord Medications
Taking medications for GORD means that babies may be at risk of the following compared to babies who do not take these medications:
- 3 to 6 times more likely to develop gastroenteritis and pneumonia.
- 4 times more likely to not get enough nutrients from their food.
- Almost 2 times more likely to have a bone fracture later in life.
- 2 times more likely to get an infection that causes severe diarrhoea .
- 1.5 times more likely to develop asthma as a child.
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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 .
What Causes Reflux And Gerd In Infants
There is a muscle that acts as a valve between the esophagus and stomach. When your baby swallows, this muscle relaxes to let food pass from the esophagus to the stomach. This muscle normally stays closed, so the stomach contents don’t flow back into the esophagus.
In babies who have reflux, the lower esophageal sphincter muscle is not fully developed and lets the stomach contents back up the esophagus. This causes your baby to spit up . Once his or her sphincter muscle fully develops, your baby should no longer spit up.
In babies who have GERD, the sphincter muscle becomes weak or relaxes when it shouldn’t.
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Feeding And Sleeping Practices
By making small changes in the position of sleep and feeding, chances of acid reflux can be highly reduced. It is good to ensure that the child is always upright while feeding is on. While sleeping, if acid reflux persists, try to provide an elevation of around 30 degrees for the upper part of the baby. This ensures that the food stays in the stomach and prevents the baby from throwing up.
Acid reflux rarely gets out of hand for babies and can be easily controlled. With the above-mentioned home remedies for reflux in babies, you can take care in ensuring that reflux is prevented altogether and your baby gets quick relief in case it has affected them.
Use A Bottle That Reduces Reflux
Though it can be annoying to have to go out and buy a brand new set of bottles, getting the right bottle can often be the solution youre looking for to eliminate your babys reflux. You’ll want to look for bottles with a type of vent system that eliminates air bubbles in your baby’s breast milk or formula.
You can find some great anti-reflux bottle options here.
You may also see recommendations to use a special formula designed for reflux relief or to put rice cereal in your babys bottle to thicken your babys milk . But these two options should be done at the direction of your doctor. So, how do you know when its time to contact your pediatrician?
Also Check: What Should Newborn Poop Look Like
If Baby Goes To Sleep And Wakes After 45 Minutes Crying There Are Usually Two Culprits
How to avoid this? More frequent burping throughout the feeding then really working to burp baby well before putting them down to rest.
Reflux Is Not The Same As Vomiting
Reflux and vomiting are different. Reflux is effortless, while vomiting is forceful. Some reflux and regurgitation is normal and will usually improve as your infant grows and their digestive system matures. Reflux often increases between six weeks to four months, and for some children it will continue until they are 12 months old.
If you arent sure whether your baby is experiencing reflux or vomiting, call PlunketLine to speak to a registered nurse.
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Small But Frequent Feedings
I know it seems like that’s all you do right now but the less liquid at a time in your baby’s belly, the easier they can digest it. The more digested, the less spit-up! Check with your doctor about how much your baby should be eating in a day and ask his or her advice about how to divide that amount up into smaller portions.
What Are Reflux And Gerd
The esophagus is the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach. If your baby has reflux, his or her stomach contents come back up into the esophagus. Another name for reflux is gastroesophageal reflux .
GERD stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease. It is a more serious and long-lasting type of reflux. Babies may have GERD if their symptoms prevent them from feeding or if the reflux lasts more than 12 to 14 months.
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Key Tips For Helping Your Baby With Reflux Sleep Better
When GERD affects your baby’s sleep .
ByLeigh McMahon March 11, 2019
All newborns spit up. The muscles that keep liquid in their little tummies aren’t fully developed at birth, so it’s totally normal to have a bit of a reversal of fortune at each feeding and that shouldn’t affect sleep. But when your happy spitter becomes an unhappy spitter and your sleep strategies aren’t working, it may be time to explore the possibility that your little one is suffering from reflux.
There are two types of reflux. GER is the reflux you’ve probably heard your mama friends talk about. These are the happy spitter babiesthe constant changing of outfits is the most annoying part of this and the best treatment is time. GERD , on the other hand, is a chronic condition that often needs intervention to prevent damage to babies’ esophagi and mouths.
Aside from not gaining enough weight, being fussy after most feedings and having forceful spit-up episodes, babies with GERD have a lot of trouble sleeping. That’s because the safest sleep positionlying on their backcan cause painful stomach acid to enter baby’s throat and mouth. But since back is still best, even for GER and GERD babies, you’ll need to find other ways to minimize their discomfort while sleeping.
Here are five tips to help your little GERD baby sleep better at night:
Helping Your Baby With Reflux Sleep Better
by Emily DeJeuin Sleep Training Last Updated: February 5, 2020
GERD may be its official name, but most parents simply call it reflux . And if you have an infant with reflux at home, then you know first-hand what sleeplessness feels like, dont you?
We work with so many families who have a baby with reflux, so weve learned a thing or two about how to help alleviate infant reflux symptoms, and to help babies with reflux sleep soundly.
Keep reading for all the details!
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