Infant Acid
Reflux
Infant acid reflux is also known as gastro esophageal
reflux (GERD) which occurs when the contents of
the stomach flow back upwards into the throat or esophagus. The esophagus is the tube which connects
the stomach to the mouth and opens in order to allow the food to travel
down. Infant reflux is quite
normal and tends to happen after meals. One of
the symptoms is regurgitation or spitting up and
that is why so many parents know the disease by that name (spit
up). The spitting up can occur after regular meals, bottle or
breast feeding. There are some benefits to a baby being breast fed. This
illness occurs in about 2/3 of all healthy infants and
usually decreases as they age. Unless the babies show other
signs such as respiratory disease, weigh loss, vomiting green fluids and esophagitis, this condition is not
dangerous to the children's well being. The secondary sings and symptoms are the time when a doctor needs to
be notified.
Those additional signs could mean that the child is
experiencing gastroesophageal reflux disease which is less common, but much more dangerous. Sometimes this more
severe pathological process is known as "pathogenic GER" and does
require lifestyle management and a medical diagnostic evaluation. Around 1 in every 300 babies will show symptoms
of GERD and it seems to be getting more common. The
sufferers can exhibit symptoms which do inhibit a healthy life such as wheezing, chronic
sinusitis, growth failure,
discomfort and crying during feeding,
unhappiness and other similarly serious
symptoms.
I understand the concern of many parents as well as the helplessness
of not knowing and understanding why their baby has acid reflux. The
occurrence happens very often during the first 3 months of the infants life and should stop somewhere in
between 12 to 18 months. The main thing that you, as a parent, can do is educate yourself as
much as possible and this will help you deal as well as manage the treatment and recovery of the baby. It is
hard to place the emotions aside, but remember that "the things you can't do shouldn't stop you from doing the
things you can." The good news is that there is help out there and you can make this time much easier on the
child.
The cause of gastroesophageal reflux is the inability of the muscles located at the bottom of
the esophagus to work properly. This ring is known as the lower esophageal
sphincter (LES) and when it is weak (as it is in
infants) often it opens and allows the backward flow of the stomach contents and acid. This is then seen as vomit
or spit up. A lot of factors such as screaming, crying, strain and pressure to the stomach may also trigger this
illness.
The important thing is that the child is evaluated
and that the doctor decides what is causing the symptoms. Since there are many other illnesses with symptoms that
might overlap, it is not recommended for anyone to try and diagnose themselves with the help of a medical book or
the internet. The information found can help point you in the right direction, but it is much more helpful once at
least the diagnosis is
made correctly. You could just as well be trying to treat a completely different illness and cause more damage than
good.
Warning: If left
alone, this illness might lead to poor growth, inability to eat, pain, blood loss, voice changes as well as
breathing problems.
Diagnosis of
Toddler Acid Reflux
The medical examiner will ask you questions about
the symptoms and perform an examination to figure out what is happening. Often, the doctor can figure out what is
happening without actual testing and simply start the treatment. This can come through years of experience working
with similar cases. Do not downplay any of the symptoms in order to make your child seem healthier than they
actually are, the question during this process are meant to evaluate the actual health being of the child. Many
parents seem to get this part wrong, whether they don't want to admit these things out loud or simply forget under
pressure. It might help to write down as much information as you can on paper before hand.
Treatment of
GERD in Babies and Children
The treatment will differ substantially depending
on the babies age and symptoms. There are often times, when no treatment is needed and all the baby requires is
some dietary and lifestyle changes.
The doctor might suggest an alternative feeding
schedule, sometimes GERD is triggered by over feeding
as this places too much content within the stomach. The baby should be grazing (eating small meals often) and not
get the 3 larger meals that you might be doing yourself.
If food allergies are a problem than the child's
diet will need to be adjusted, or the mother's if she is breast feeding. For slow growth, higher calorie intake or
tube feedings might be necessary.
Some of the more serious cases require medication and these usually work by decreasing the
amount of acid which is present in the stomach. The medication is rarely a one stop solution, and other changes
might have to occur as well.
When the medication isn't enough and the baby has problems
keeping any food down and not breathing properly, a surgery is the last option. It is very rare and should be
discussed in detail with the nurse or physician
Related Articles:
|