Infant Reflux

Have you tried using Mylicon?

I don't know a lot about reflux, but my daughters both were a bit gassy. We called Mylicon "the magic potion". Depending on the size of bottle you get, it's anywhere from $8-$14.00, but might be something to try before going to the dr. to see if it works.

One other question, do you feed her by bottle at all? If so, the type of bottle could contribute to that too. Dr. Brown's bottles are awesome, so are the newer avent bottles with the vent in them. (We still had to use mylicon, but my daughters never got colicky.)

BUT definitely bring it up to the dr.

Good luck!

Could be she's not liking whatever you've been eating. If you eat a lot of dairy, or lots of broccoli or spicy foods, it could be upsetting her stomach. There is a product called BabyBliss' Gripe Water (not Grape, but Gripe) and it's made of fennel and ginger extracts that could help with the upset stomach.
http://www.babysbliss.com/

Acid reflux has several symptoms. Usually they will puke up the contents of their tummies. He may be fussy after eating and seem hungry quite often since food doesn't stay in the tummy. Children may be extra gassy and cry from belly pain.

This requires children to sit up 30 minutes to an hour after eating. Since they eat so often as infants, I kept my little one in a bouncer, swing, walker (once could hold himself up) or infant carrier to assure he sat up. You may also try putting a teaspoon of prepared cereal into each bottle. This makes the drink heavier and sit in the stomach easier. You may also try switching from breastmilk to a soy formula. My child was receiving extra acid from my milk and couldn't digest cow milk formula efficienty. To reduce the belly pain, after each feeding move the infants in a walking or cycling pattern. This helps push gases out of the stomach and intestine.

Hi S.!I had the same problem with baby #2 and he was only breastfed.  He also spit up all the time.  I kept bugging the dr.  He kept saying some babies just spit up.  I knew this was not normal and ended up switching dr.'s.  The new dr. said he had reflux and put him on meds.  We saw a little difference, but not much.  Then when he was around 1 it almost stopped, but diahrea set in.  I again kept taking him to the dr. (I am not one of the paranoid moms, either) and they kept saying it was the tail end of the rotovirus we had.  This went on for another year and a half.  Finally, we stumbled upon the fact that he had food allergies.  He's allergic to corn and I was drinking cokes while breastfeeding (amoung eating other corn things).  Poor kid.  So, my point is, you may want to check into food allergies.  There is a simple blood test (much more accurate than the scratch tests for food allergies and much less invasive).  Good luck.  I hope you get her to feel better, no matter what it is.

My 5-month-old was diagnosed with reflux at 2 months. He was very fussy, spit up a lot after feedings, and was having a lot of congestion (doc said because it was coming back up all the time, it was backing up into his ears/eustacian tubes/nose, causing the congestion). Doctor put him on Prevacid, 1/2 tab twice a day and after being on that for a week, he was like a totally different baby! At his last checkup 2 weeks ago, the doctor suggested trying to wean him off the Prevacid, just to see how he does and if his system has developed any more to where he may not need it. I would definitely recommend this as a temporary option. Good luck!

Hi,
I have 3 boys and the two younger ones had infant reflux. During and after eating they would scream and arch their backs. They also would spit up a great deal. With our youngest we had to use a receiving blanket as a spit rag. The boys were both put on liquid zantac which helped with the screaming but it didn't really stop the spitting up. They both were around a month old when we noticed it. They out grow it by the time they start walking around a year old, sometimes sooner. Hope this helps.
W., mom of 3 boys, 10yrs, 7yrs, & 3yrs

S., Hi. My daughter had reflux. They tested her for it. Babies can cry for a variety of reasons. She could be sensitive to something in your diet like milk. It sounds kind of suspicious since it doesn't occur every time. Maybe keep a food diary. My son is lactose intolerant. A lot of times just decreasing the fat in the milk you drink will help. Feel free to contact me if you want more info. J. (mom of 3)

S., my 5 1/2 month old also has reflux. The doctor and I suspected it at about 1 month, but I thought he was too young for meds, and I wasn't completely convinced it was acid reflux causing him to be fussy when he nursed. And, like your baby, it wasn't all the time. Somtimes he was fine, and other times he fussed, but would always eat. He never spit up a ton or puke or anything like that, and he never seemed bothered by it after eating. He was happy. But, eventually, he developed a chronic cough, and sounded congested. I took him to the doc wondering what was up, and he said acid reflux can stimulate the mucus production, causing the congestion, etc. At that point, I felt sorry for him and decided I needed to get over my anti-medicine thing. He takes Zantac twice a day. Within a day or so his symptoms were gone. And, you should continue breastfeeding. Breastmilk is the easiest thing for your baby to digest and it empties their tummies the fastest, so despite extra breastfeeding challenges, it will be worth it. Also, the La Leche League website has info about feeding reflux babies that I found helpful. Good luck!

have you considered a possible food allergy to something you are eating since it isn't consistent? My son would get fussy, only after certain nursings, and later discovered at 4 months that he had a laundry list of food allergies. When I changed my diet the fussiness and reflux disappeared instantly! Something to consider rather than going straight to medication. Maybe a food log would rule out or in the possibility?

Yes, both of my boys had infant reflux. I understand the fussy nature of it. We had to put them both on Previcid Solutabs. (My boys are five years apart in age.) This finally let me get a few hours of sleep at night. Ask your doctor there are alot of different things that could be making your little one fussy. All are very easily cured. Good luck! Feel free to ask me if you have any more questions.

I have twins that had reflux though they were bottle fed. IT doedsnt sound to me like she has it b/c my twins would not even let us have the bottle near them and when we finally got them to drink it, the whole thing would come back up. Since she is breastfed, have you ever considered that it was something that you are eating? My youngest son was breastfed for the first month and a half and he was really fussy and here it was what i was eating. Alot can give a baby gas....check up on what to eat while breastfeeding and maybe that will help - it could be gas....maybe some Milicon would help that too...good luck with that....but it doesnt sound like reflux to me....normally they throw up like exorsist style with that...atleast mine did and mine had a formula intolerance associated with it. My youngest just needed a sensitive formula for it. Good Luck

My daugther is a year now, but when she was younger, it seemed like every baby had it to some extent. As long as she's keeping plenty down, I wouldn't worry about it. I would worry more about giving a little one meds. Know what I mean?

Has anyone mentioned milk protein intolerance to you? My son now 21 months was breast fed also and had similar symptoms. He had a cow's milk protein intolerance and reflux. After 5 weeks he ended up on Nutramigen (a hypo allergenic formula, not milk or soy base) and on medication for the reflux. He got to stop the meds at 10 months old and by 12 months he could drink milk. I just limit it late in the day. He was followed by a wonderful gastroenterologist at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr Kaplan for both problems. Lots of luck. It does get better

Hello S.,
Both of my children had acid reflux as infants. With my first, she would get very fussy after feedings. We tried putting her in her car seat after feedings and keeping her up-right for a while after eating...She ended up getting put on acid reflux medicine (she had an allergic reaction to Prevacid but did very well on Zantac) the doctor also suggested thickening her formula with rice cereal. We noticed an improvement after that too. She eventually outgrew it.
Then, when my son came along he too had the problem and our Peds. sent us to a GI Doctor and he too had acid reflux and was put on Prevacid (he had no reaction to it) we also had to thicken his formula. He too outgrew his problems around age 1.
My son also had problems with the formula he was on and digesting it the GI doctor put him on Soy Formula for about 4 months and this also helped him.

If this is what your daughter has, and her Pediatrician or GI Doctor treat it the right way, you will definitley notice a difference. Most kids outgrow it and never need the surgery.

If you are breastfeeding and they suggest thickening her formula, you might have to pump and try to get her to take a bottle so you can thicken it up. Her doctor might start her off with just the acid reflux medicine first and see how she does with that if you are breastfeeding?
I'm sure your doctor will know what is best for your little one!!! :)
With ours, thickening up their formula also helped them to not spit up so much which can cause more burning in their esophagus.

I hope she gets better...I know how it feels when I get acid reflux (Yuck!!!) and I can just go up-stairs and take a Tums etc... if needed. Your little one needs your help.

When putting her in the carseat after feedings to help keep her up-right. Make sure she has padding behind her head or move her head in a different way if she's favoring one side. My daughter started favoring her left side and then would turn that way while sleeping. We would try to lay her on her side in a wedge to sleep and she would always turn onto her back and turn her head to that one side. She had to wear a helmet for her flat spot for about three months. So, make sure your little one doesn't start to favor a side.

Good Luck!
T.

It is usually fusiness and spitting up or even vomiting a few minutes after eating. It is easily corrected with some meds. and they usually outgrow it. You can put her to sleep in a more upright position, like her carseat to see if that helps until you see the doc.

My son, when he was 2 months developed a cough and was very irritable. Two doctors couldn't tell what was wrong, but the 3rd diagnosed him with GERD (reflux). They put him on all kinds of medication but nothing helped. Finally, I called the La Leche League and they gave me alot of good advice for breastfeeding moms.

First of all, KEEP BREASTFEEDING!! My doc wanted to give him a special formula to make the food stick in his stomach, but that's the worst thing you can do. No cereal or anything, you want to empty his stomach as quickly as possible, plus breastmilk is the best thing for him.

Second, I took all dairy out of my diet along with caffeine (coffee) and chocolate. Within a couple days (and I took him off all medication) he was perfectly normal and happy. The doc even noticed a difference at the check-up when my son was smiling instead of screaming!

Third, make sure the prop up your daughter after she eats, have her eat smaller more frequent meals as that's easier to digest than a big meal, and at nighttime put towels underneath her mattress when she sleeps (if she gets irritable in the middle of the night). Also, I'd suggest getting in touch with a La Leche League leader as they offer a lot of good, practical advice that the doctor never told me.

Good Luck and I hope things improve!!

My daughter had this (and still does occasionally at 4 months) as well. We just burped her every 2 oz (if you're breastfeeding you'll just have to guess when that is), and that helped quite a bit. Setting her upright after eating for at least a half an hour. We have also given her gripe water with great results. Every time we told the Dr, we were told that "every baby has reflux, I can't give you medicine for it", so we've tried to figure things out on our own. So far it's working pretty well. She spits up significantly less than before.

Also, if they aren't losing weight, it usually isn't anything to worry about. My daughter is a happy spitter, and never seems to mind, but she also gains over a lb a month, so the Dr isn't too worried about it.

As a Mommy to a preemie who had severe reflux since day one, and even occasionally now, at 2 yrs. of age, I can tell you that is not reflux. You'd know if it were!! Reflux will cause tons of spitting up. What most people would consider as actually throwing up in large amounts, after each feeding and in between, usually. It sounds like she just may be gassy. I'd suggest trying to burp her a little more/longer. Or she may be tired and want to sleep afterwards, and that can cause the fussiness. But if she's not producing large amounts of spit-up directly after feeding, then it certainly doesn't sound like reflux to me.

My son had that problem. I think really it was just that he could not get his burps up and I did not burp him long enough for them to come up. They wanted me to give him a dropper of some kind of medicine but I was not sure I wanted my son on drugs so early. Try your hardest to get your daughter to burp and keep them somewhat vertical if you have to put them down until a burp comes up. It will go away in time. My son now burps fine and has no reflux troubles at all at 4 months.

My son had it and it didn't affect him after eating unless he ate too much. I had to single-side nurse because as soon as I tried to switch sides, he'd puke it all up and I had to start all over :( He spit up profusely and, many times, projectilely. You could also see him kinda of spit up in his mouth and then swallow it back down. He would scream for 4-6 hours EVERY night and we'd have to put him in the car seat and swing him with quite a bit of force to get a break from the screaming (and then stop to get a break from the pain in our backs and arms).

Talk to your doc, but keep in mind that babies spit up, some more than others. If she's not showing signs of pain and she's not colicky, it's not worth drugging her just to try to stop the spit-up.I recently read that something like 8 in 10 babies are misdiagnosed with reflux. It's kind of the "in thing" or the "go-to" answer if a baby cries more than people think they should. If she doesn't have most of the symptoms my son did, it could be an intolerance to something in your diet (usually cow's milk).

Try Gripe Water, it's all-natural and usually homeopathic (depending on the maker). You can find it in the baby aisle at Kroger next to Orajel or you can get it at notural food stores like Whole Foods (Wild Oats).

Good Luck! :)

hi--i have 1yr old twins my grandchildren living with me my daughter in military grandson has in i got really bad had in in hosp atLoyola university for a weekhe would scream-throwing his head-arching his backwith bottle hes 1yr old but hes was 13 weeks per-mature soreally hes about dr says the 8th month old monthi can give u a drs name the best top guy at loyola hes the top dr too see their and he talks with you when seeing him and calls you personnalymy e mail ____@____.com

hi,
just because she is fussy after she eats doesn't necessarily mean she has reflux, there are other factors like amount of spit up & things like that...you said you are breastfeeding..basically what you eat so does your baby..if you eat something greasy or spicey, you're passing it on to her...my son had reflux when he was an infant & it carried over to toddler years..they waited until he was 12mo. before giving a definate diagnosis and doing tests on him. i would see your doctor before you let your friends diagnose your baby.

Hi S.! I have an 8-1/2 month old baby girl who dealt with reflux when she was a newborn. I nursed her, but ended up only nursing her on one side at a time, instead of nursing, burping, then nursing more on the other breast. We nursed every two hours, using only one side, and it helped with her spitting up tremendously. We also ended up using Zantac, but only when needed. We didn't use it around the clock. She has since outgrown her problem, and is now on formula, but I only give her four ounces at a time. If I give her much more than that, it tends to come up. She was much happier when we switched to nursing every two hours as well. But the fussiness, that seemed like it lasted forever! I'm a firm believer that if you put too much in their belly, that they will get cranky. Their tummies are so tiny, they can't handle too much at once. Good luck!

I have 2 kids and BOTH of them had it. Avery my daughter had it REALLY BAD. I would nurse her and she would burp and then WOW she would have her milk come back up BUT it would FLY out of her mouth and I mean ALOT. I took her to the Dr and they put her on a med but it did not really help much so I stopped it. I will tell you that there is tablets ALL NATURAL I give my son now and he is 11 mo and have been giving them to him since he was 2 weeks old and the same with my daughter. They melt in the mouth and it is for gas, colics and more things and they are WONDERFUL Trust me. I will give one to Quentin my son and he stops the screaming right away. Also there is a massage I did on both of them to get the tummy gas out rub down on tummy not hard just lightly to work everything down and they both love the rubbing with warm lotion. Avery is almost 4 and will bring me lotion to rub her down lol. Another HUGE suggestion is to elevate them. There is a wedge you can get to help them elevate to help the acid to not go down and come back up. I feel for you my son was not as bad as Avery but the spitting up and the projectiles is very scary when it keeps flying out of the poor lil things mouth. If you ever want to talk email me. There is a tummy warmer I use on Quentin and it helps right away it is called happy tummi go to happitummi.com. It is an herbal pack and you put it in the micro to warm it and put it in the cover and put it on. WONDERFUL to have. WATCH what you eat also stay away from the things that will upset the lil tummy which I am sure you know all that. Sorry this is so long. Hope some of this helps...

hello my daughter got the same way 15-20 min after she ate and she ended up having severe acid reflux and was allergic to milk. signs of acid reflux are being really fussy and hard to calm down, spits up excessive amounts of the liquid they are drinking. my daughter was so fussy to the point she would stiffen up her body and was extremely hard to calm down. you might want to talk to your infants dr about it. reflux is easliy treated and might want to see if its the milk is the reason why she is so fussy. my daughter was like that till she got put on neocate formula which is amnio acid based and put on meds and hasnt been fussy at all since.