Infant Reflux - Boston,MA

My son had this same problem. He was on medicine for 6 months but what really helped was going on Enfamil Nutramigen. It is realy expensive and our insurance didn't cover it but it worked really good and helped him out a lot. Good luck!!

Hi R.,

If you are breastfeeding and want to continue, dont stop. if your baby has reflux, mother's milk is gentler and muhc better on sensitive tummies. It could also be an allrgy to soemthign you are eating so i would have her stool tested at the pediatrician's office and tsted for blood. the test is called a guiak test. if it has blood in it it is most likely from an allery to somethign you are eating...she may have milk protein allergyor maybe even soy and then you shoudl try an elimination diet. start with milk products and be careful to read labels very carefully. kellymom.com has a lot of great info on this. Also, i heard that a baby would need to be on a reflux m for atleast 6 weeks before it starts to work....is she having silent reflux or is she vomiting? if you are breastfeeding, when does she pull off your breast and stop eating?

,y son, long story here, also had symptoms of silent reflux that caused him to not want to nurse...i kept going back to the doc pleading with them and telling them that there was somethign wrong. they igmored me and said that i was paranoid 1st time mom....well they didnt listen to mne for 3 months and things just kept getting worse until i did my own research and asked them to test for things and of course his stool was positive for blood and he had a milk protein and soy allergy but by then he had already developed a severe oral aversion and refuses to eat completely now. we are in some pretty strict feeding therapy now and he has Failure to thrive and only drinks when asleep now. it is horrible and i dont mean to scare you but i just want u to be aware of what teh consequences can be if your child isnt treated. make sure your docs listen to you. i have heard taht reflux meds are not that harsh on a baby's tummy and if she really needs them, then i would keep giving them to her, but also rule out allergies as well. the symptoms of both are very similar. please vontatc me if you would like to talk and i will give you my number....good luck!!!!!!!!!!! i know how hard it is and i am still going through it. hang in there, and congrats on your twins!

My oldest daughter, now 8, has been on Zantac since she was about 2 months old. My other daughter, now 6, has been on Prevacid since she was about 3 years old - they had very different symptoms. With my oldest it was obvious that she had reflux. With my youngest, we didn't know until she was old enough to tell me she "had throw up in her throat". Neither child has outgrown it - I believe I was told if they don't outgrow it by the time they are 3 years old, it's not going to happen - you still have time. The MAIN THING I recall about the Zantac was that each and every time my daughter had a growth spurt, her medicine dosage needed to be adjusted for her new weight. And since it takes awhile to get into her system - about 7 days - it is a long time of suffering - until I got good at noticing the beginning symptoms and would then reacte immediately. It is VERY HARD having a child with reflux - others will never understand. They think it is like colic (which is a walk in the park compared to reflux. My daughter actually had both colic and reflux. I could tell when the colic was done and the reflux was still there.) I struggle with the long term unknown effects of the medicines vs. the existing pain and potential long-term esophogeal cancer (which is very deadly, has a low cure rate, only like 1-5% cure). You need to discuss these things with your doctor. A good pediatric gastro doctor is Dr. Russell at Mass General. We are not God, but are given horrible choices to make. Zantac has been around the longest, and so has the longest track record of no long term effects. Nonetheless, a 40 year track record doesn't say much when your child is not even 1 year old. Your child is still very little. She may outgrow it. One day at a time - just relieve her pain now, and think long term a year from now.
Good luck and know you are doing a VERY hard job.

HI! I used an all natural Aloe Juice for my son, as young as 2 months old and it helped him a lot. He never needed any medication. Let me know if you are interested in trying this and I can get you the info, just message me. GOOD LUCK in whatever you try!
~C.

My son had the same problem with zantac the doc put him on axid, double check with the doc about the dosage it usually goes by weight if she has grown since the perscription they may up the dose. Good luck

Hi R.,

My daughter had reflux and now I am going through the same thing with my 4 month old son. He was also on Zantac and now Prilosec. I have been putting cereal in his bottles since about 8 weeks and at 3 months I began giving him cereal in the morning and at night as well as in his bottles. My doctor said that if the formula is thicker than they may be able to keep it down better. Not sure if that was something you tried or not. Your baby may also be gaining weight and need the dosage upped. When they are that age it seems like you up the dose every few weeks. I am going to be taking my son to a specialist next month. He isn't in pain with his spitting up it is just so much at every feeding. It could be that your baby needs a special formula as well as medicine. I would stay on top of the doctor. You know your children best and if you dont' feel something is right keep telling them until they give you the answer you need. I would also have them refer you to a specialist. The sooner you get it under control the happier your baby and you will be. As far as the medicating, I was nervous at first too but these medications are similiar to adults taking TUMS. There is no harm with those. I hope this has helped and good luck with the baby.

K.

Hi R.,
My now 19 months old son was diagnosed with acid reflux when he was about 6 weeks old. I tried Zantac with him as well but it didn't really seem to do much! I then tried a VERY experienced and specialized in children; chiropractor and after the first treatment I could see a difference. I was very nervous to bring him to a chiropractor at first, however, I am glad I did it because his symptoms very entirely gone after the 5th visit! Good Luck!
A. (32 year old mom of two boys, ages 4 and 19 months)

My understanding of those medications is that they make the problem worse because they reduce the stomach acid. Supposedly, reflux is not caused by stomach acid, but rather from acid produced from undigested food. More stomach acid, not less, is what's needed.

Have you tried eliminating the foods that perhaps are not being digested or digested well such as dairy, gluten and soy? Also if you are breast feeding you would need to stop eating dairy yourself (and perhaps gluten and soy as well). It will take at least 2 weeks for dairy to clear the system.

Good luck.

Not sure if Im too late. My daughter had reflux(silent kind) and was COLIC. My pediatrician really didnt think we should chg her formula but we did. It didnt hurt to try and we felt she was a bit better on Nutraming. With a drs note my insurance covered it. She also started on zantac, then prilosec...It wasnt 100% but it made her more comfortable. I know their are tests that can be done(the scope down throat)to rule out anything. If youre not happy with drs advice, keep pressuring them....its hard to see your little one not feel so good. good luck..

My daughter also had reflux for the first few months, but outgrew it- which I guess is pretty common. I agree, it may be the formula you are using- I know that there is one called Nutramigen that helps if there is a sensitivity. In our case, our daughter was breastfeeding but her symptoms of reflux (and colic) were worse within hours of me eating any dairy or eggs. (I introduced both foods back into my diet after 6 months, and she was fine).

We would keep her upright for 30 minutes after each feeding (so hard during those night time feedings) and tried inclining slightly the pad in her basinette so her head was a little higher than her stomach- both of those things helped. I think they also make wedges for cribs for that purpose.

Don't worry, chances are she is going to be better all on her own, in the near future. Sometimes I still can't believe that my (now) happy and content little girl was the same baby who was so, so miserable for her first few months- it was the hardest thing my husband and I have ever been through.

Hi R.
So sorry for your little one. My son went through somthing similar. The meds just never really worked. Turns out he was allergic to milk. I took untill he was 4 months old cause I was breast feeding. I didnt give him formula till then. But also at this age they grow fast and the medicine is costantly changing
K.

Hi R.,
My daughter had this same issue. I was breast feeding and using formula. We switched formula and began using Similac Gentlease, this along with the Zantac worked for her, by the time she was 4 months her symptoms stopped, we continued with the Gentlease. Because I had to use a special formula for this, my doctor wrote a perscription for the formula and it was covered by our insurance until she was 1 year old.
I know all children are different - good luck with this!

First of all look at what you are feeding her. If it's a dairy based formula she could be allergic to dairy. If you're nursing it could be anything that you are eating from wheat to dairy to just plain old gassy foods. I feel so bad for you to have to be putting your precious little one on these medications so early in her little life. I'm sure your pedi has already told you this but also keeping her as upright as possible after feedings help as well. Was she a premie? It's possible that her digestive system is just taking a little longer to develop than normal. Keeping her in an upright position (in her car seat or an infant seat) will help to keep the food where it belongs until her tummy can digest it.

Good luck, take care and enjoy you little angels!

My doctor said my son had it FINALLY after 6 weeks of him screaming and spitting up constantly. He told us to to put rice cereal in a bottle at night and then keep him upright after feedings for 30 minutes. We experimented with this a bit, but have gotten it down to a science. He has a tablespoon of cereal for every ounce he drinks. He really is much better...still spits up, but doesn't do it as much and certainly is a MUCH happier baby. Needless to say, I'm much happier going this route rather than trying different medications. I'm still breastfeeding and haven't changed my diet, so it luckily wasn't a food allergy (though you might want to check that out). Good-luck....I know it's hard to see your baby in pain and not be able to fix it! FYI - if you can find a chiropracter that specializes in pediatrics, I have heard that works miracles too, so check it out....

First off - many babies out grow reflux, so don't worry too much. My 3 year old did not - but he is not the norm. Here are some things we did:
- elevated the head of his bassinet to help keep the reflux down physically. It's still elevated.
- Held him up right for at least 20 minutes after each feeding. Usually we held him - but the baby swing came into play sometimes. With twins, it might be harder to hold each time. The NICU nurses suggested the swing over the car seat due to how the baby is positioned in each.
- watched his diet very carefully. My breast milk had to be supplemented because he was a preemie. So I had to eliminate a lot from my diet and we had to use special prescription formula with no soy or dairy. If you go for expensive prescription formula, keep trying to get the insurance to pay for it. In CT they are required by law to pay for prescription formula. It took us until the third case to get our insurance to cover it ($45 a CAN, not a case) - but persistence paid off as he was on it for over a year.

Drs see a lot of reflux and can be a little casual about it. Be sure to keep going back and asking for help with changing diet (yours or hers depending on how she's fed) and meds until she's comfortable. Of course, give each new thing time to work before moving on. Look for food allergies and/or intolerances (not the same). Ask to see another DR or a pediatric GI DR if you can't get resolution.

Also, if you nurse, drinking fennel tea is supposed to help (I don't like fennel and couldn't drink it). Keep a food log of what you eat to see if there is something bothering her more - often broccoli - for my son it was spinach I ate in salads.
Foods to avoid for reflux: spicy (including black pepper and paprika); acidic (tomato or orange); onion; pepper; garlic; mint; fresh ginger; coffee and cola; carbonated drinks. If it is a milk/soy intolerance, look at sites like www.mspikids.info for advice. I don't know much about gluten intolerance.

Don't feel bad for using meds - waste of energy! You are being a good mom and caring for your little one. Using the meds now can help avoid asthma later.

Congrats on your new little ones! :) Has your pedi suggested switching formula? ( or are you breastfeeding?) Sometimes its the formula. We had to use Enfamil Nutramigen Lipil($$$)Thank god for WIC. What a difference! She was also on Zantac. I dont remember how long tho, it was 7 1/2 yrs ago!
I dont know if your a believer in chiropractic care, but they can work wonders for babies with reflux, no kidding. You could inquire about it with your local chiropractor.

I was successful with holding my daughter upright for 30 minutes after eating--it can help you to try lying in the middle of the bed and place the baby face first on your chest--that way she is upright and is close to your hearbeat and smell so it is pretty soothing. The swing also helped but I found that it worked best when the motion was side to side not forwards and back--that just made her throw up. We also bought the Amby Baby Hammock which she loved to sleep in--it was designed for reflux babies--it can be pretty pricey so you might want to try elevating her head (a rolled up receiving blanket under the mattress works great). Hope you both find some relief soon.

Hi there,

I know I am late to respond, but I wanted to share my experience (briefly, b/c I could go on and on! email me if you want more info/details). My son had the sympoms of reflux and was MISERABLE. I, too, was pretty miserable watching my son so upset all the time and getting little to no sleep at all. It seemed nighttime was always worse. In any event, they wanted to put him on the RX meds for that, but I just couln't do it. I found a naturopathic pediatrician who was able to help us both. She listened to the foods I ate (he was exclusively nursed at the time that I brought him to her) and come to find out some of those basic every day things that i NEVER would have thought (in other words, it wasn't necessarily the citrus and the saucy stuff that I knew to avoid) were "triggers" for little bellies. Their systems aren't fully develeoped in terms of all of that good ol' acid and reflux and all of that when they are born - things are still maturing in there, so to speak, so some of the foods that we eat, or things in forumula (believe it or not) can trigger HORRIBLE symptoms in our babies. I had a list of foods that I had to eliminate (it was hard at first, but SOO worth it, especially if it meant I didn't have to have my child on an RX like that so young) and within a few weeks symptoms improved. He is now 2 and can eat any of those foods without issue now. It was just a matter of waiting for his system to catch up with his (and my) tastes. If you are interested in more info, or details on the foods, etc. email me. Would love to help!! If you know a naturopathic dr near you that you could go to, I HIGHLY recommend that. They often take the approach of finding the CAUSE instead of simply looking to eliminate the symptoms. My reg. pediatrician (whom I love) simply said it was normal for kids to have this and if it got bad we'd do rx, which they ended up wanting to do, but the naturopath immediately took the time to find out what we/I was eating and determined the CAUSE to eliminate the symptoms. It's a beautiful thing.

Best wishes! Send me a message if you'd like!

Have you talked to your pedi about soy formula? They tried telling me that my daughter had acid reflux even after the hospital did a test on her with a tube down her nose for 12 hrs. It came back neg but she was vomiting quite a bit. They put her on zantac, but I felt uneasy about that especially because it didn't seem to work well. I switched her to Enfamil soy formula. I think it may be called prosobee, but I forget. Anyways, it was almost an immediate change in her. Her pedi said it wouldn't probably make a difference, but I could try. It totally made a difference. It does not mean she will be lactose intolerant so you know. My daughter had a fine transaction to milk at 1. Give it a try. Good luck

Hi R.,

Our first daughter also had reflux. It took a long time to diagnose, but after numerous tests, endless screaming fits, endless nights, and the right meds, she did grow out of it. The medications will not eliminate the reflux, just make the reflux itself not cause so much pain. Most likely, everything will remain the same, but the meds will prevent the acid from causing harm and from burning the tender lining of her stomach and esophagus. Once you do find the right medicine, you should see improvement, although the spit-up should remain. Yes, she will grow out of it when her little body matures. For now, look for the right meds, and continue to comfort her. I know that is difficult, but she really needs your love and attention.

In severe cases, there is a surgical option. Our daughter was pretty bad off, but even she did not need the surgery. I would assume that you are not looking at that ahead of you. We found a pattern with our daughter. She always brought up the beginning of the feeding, after re-feeding her it would stay down. So, I would give her a gentle formula at first, and then breastmilk. I would rather she get the breastmilk in her than the formula, and if the first part of the feeding was definitely going to come up, then it was going to be formula.

I do know that this is so difficult. It is hard to see your precious little one in so much pain, but yes, it does get better. Try to get out for a stroll with your babies. Sometimes the fresh air and distraction of nature can help--for you and the babies. As hard as it is, try to get away from them for short spurts of time. I did not do this and looking back, know that I should have. Sometimes, it's okay to let them cry. Put them in a safe place (like crib) and go take a shower. But, most of all, love them, and say those words to them over and over. It is soothing to you to hear a mantra like that, and soothing to them to hear something repeated over and over--not to mention, those are the most beautiful words to hear.

Hello R., I would like you to consider asking your pediatrician whether or not he/she has heard of cranio-sacral therapy. More and more hospitals, especially birthing units, have trained skilled CST practitioners whose gentle manual holistic approach uniquely works with the interconnected system of bones, membranes, and fluid of the body. The work is particularly healing with infants and young children. It will be well worth the try due to the alternative here. CST is the common acronym for Cranio~Sacral Therapy and you can do the research online. There are many a m a z i n g practitioners around you in the Boston area...I know of one in particular who happened to be one of my teachers. Her services would most likely be covered through insurance if your pediatrician refer's your child to her. You can contact me personally if you'd like this information. Be Peace. N.

R. my son was on zantac and reglan plus they added small amounts of beachnut rice cereal (not Gerber it cause gas) to each feed. This started well he was still in the NICU and continued till he was eating. He is 8 and still has reflux. Reflux is a big issue for preemies were your twins early? Lee

My daughter had reflux as well.. It was horrible and I felt bad that it took us so long to realize it.. My daughter was using Zantac. Zyntac is EXTREMELY weight sensitive... the doseage needs to be changed often due to your daughter weight. I spent a lot of time on the internet looking for different advice. She outgrew her dosage at a year but was on it for a good ten months. We didn't try to change the formula which some Dr.'s will do but at the end of the day most of the stuff that I read mom's didn't feel that was helpful... I found this website helpful as well as different message boards from other moms as well.. I also had the pharmacy add a grape flavor to the medicine which seemed to help a little bit. It is a terrible thing to go through if you can't find the right medicine... Hope this is helpful..

http://www.infantreflux.org/

Try coming to the Baby Cafe in Melrose, there are nurses who can help you too, they are fantastic. If you are nursing it could be something yhou are eating, milk, beef, dairy are common.
Take care
T.