Does anyone have a baby who has severe acid reflux?

Question

My daughter has just been diagnosed with severe acid reflux. Does anyone have any tips on what to do to keep her from spitting up so much? Also, if your baby has acid reflux what has your doctor prescribed for them. Has the medicine caused any weird side effects?

Answer 1

I had three of them with severe GERD and also work with babies every day that have it because of my occupation. My kids were put on Zantac and they did fine with it. I could see a major change after the first dose was given. All babies are different and so some respond differently to each medication. I know my kids could not be on Reglan because it caused colic like symptoms and made them cry even more. I also put rice in their bottles, this helps thicken the formula to stick to the babies ribs so that they have less coming up when they have an episode. Enfamil also makes an AR if you do not want to mess with putting rice in yourself. There are also nipples availble with a Y cut in them for thicker formulas. Babies with reflux should be placed on their tummy to sleep because if they are on their back and have an episode tiny particles can go up the esophagus and into the trachea causing apnea or even cesation of breathing. Babies with reflux also should NOT be placed into a swing, car seat, etc. after eating. The position of the baby while in a car seat or swing puts pressure on the abdomen and will cause a reflux episode. The baby needs to be kept at angle (with just the head elevated) for at least 30 minutes. Do not put the baby in a position that will put extra pressure on the stomach, this will cause a reflux episode. The bouncy seats they have out that are at an angle are good to use, as the baby is not acutally in a seated position. Also you should try to feed smaller portions and feed more frequently. Try to burp the baby after every 1 to 2 ounces. My kids would not let me do it they would scream when I took the bottle away and tried. Crying will make reflux worse so if they don't like it don't do it. That is about all you can do and just hope your baby grows out of it. Some babies do not and this will make it even worse when they start on solids, which makes medication even more necessary. I see a lot of cases come across the OR of infants that had untreated GERD and it is just heartbreaking. It really can do a number on the esophagus so if you susptect it get them tested and take all the steps necessary to help your baby be more comfortable.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

Talk with a health food store, there is so much hype on acid reflux, it is hard to really trust what you hear, do some research on your own, go the natural method because there are too many side affects with pills, and you have to what buy them for ever, they camouflage the cause and don't get to the source of the problem and fix it. Depending on your child's age and problem, the treatments will vary. Try on-line search engines by typing in acid reflux, natural cures and get some good solid information to read, then you can try and see what feels right and comfortable for you and your child, after all it is your life and your health, right?
Good luck. Sincerely, OneDreamCaster

Answer 5

This book is probably the most informative and practical guide on the subject of acid reflux and heartburn that I have ever read https://tr.im/JUWUV
I was prescribed Lansoprazole which was brilliant but after two years of aching joints, extreme muscle pain which the doc gave me cortisone jags for, with some research I discovered the drug Lansoprazole was causing these rare side effects but it was I who diagnosed it NOT my doctor, I came off the drug 2 months ago, changed my diet and discovered just eating an apple stops any acid reflux, I eat an apple before bed, brilliant no acid, any time I feel the slightest sign of reflux I simply eat an apple. Apple juice is not that good nor is anything else I have tried including honey at stopping reflux.

Answer 6

Do you have one of those baby bouncers? If so, (same idea as above answer) put her in that to sleep, even in her crib. Also, try burping her by placing her so that she is straddling your leg, belly down, and bent over just a bit. (use one hand to support her chest and neck.) And don't wait until she finishes her milk/formula to burp her, do it at least once halfway thru.
Another thing you can try, depending on her age, is "tummy time."
If she can lift her head at all, put her on her belly for 15-30 minutes three times a day, while rubbing her back. This can help settle the churning in her stomach that causes that alarming surge of spitup. If it makes it worse, though, stop untill she can lift her head and chest better. Occasionally, the pressure on her chest can cause discomfort and trigger her gag reflex-- not especially harmful, but uncomfortable nontheless.

As far as the medicine goes, rashes on the face and neck, dry scalp, and diarrhea are common for the first several weeks after beginning treatment. The reflux may aslo seem to get worse for a day or two as she adjusts to the meds. If any of these symptoms go on much longer than they should, or if they seem especially bothersome to her, stop giving her the meds and call her pediatrition right away.

Answer 7

My son has it pretty bad. Here's what you do:
1) Keep him upright for about 15 minutes after she eats

2) Put her to sleep at an incline. They sell sleep positioners that are at a slight angle

3) I use a gripe water that has really helped my boy out a lot, it's called colic calm and it helps absord the acids in your baby's stomach: http://www.coliccalm.com

4) If your daughter is formula fed and she can tolerate lactose formulas, try AR Lipil. It has rice starch in it and it helps keep it down

I've managed to keep my son off of prescription drugs so far, he's now 5 months old and his reflux has improved so much.

Good luck.

Answer 8

My son was prescribed Ranitidine to keep the acid down. Teh reflux happens because the sphincter at the top of the stomach isn't mature enough and doesn't close properly. I found that after feeding if I propped him up for a bit that usually helped. If its any consolation as they get older and start moving around they grow out of it...my son did.

Answer 9

I have this, and so do 2 of my children. I found that in the beginning it is much worse. zantac and reglan combined are great meds for this, but they taste like crap(I taste all of their meds to see how bad I should feel when they take it, don't ask).
try giving smaller meals, when my 5 year old was a new guy, I fed him 1 ounce per hour, and he slept in his carseat or in his swing. the reason you prop them like that is to help gravity keep the food in the tummy, not in the throat because that hurts.
if the problem is not getting better, there is one more sure thing, but the doctors will tell you no. I would feed my boys very runny rice cereal before bed time, this helps to solidify the milk in the tummy so that the baby doesn't hurt at night and you may get some rest.

Answer 10

if your baby has severe acid reflux, you have a lot of messy work ahead :) my daughter had it from 2 months old to 7 months old. then it cleared up when she started eating more solids and less formula.
First, feed the baby in as upright of a position as you can manage. if you breastfeed, this can tricky. try some practice positions while baby is not hungry with your shirt on. trying to find a position while baby is hungry can be frustrating to both of you. if you bottle feed, try feeding baby while she is sitting in a infant seat, car seat, or swing in as upright a position as possible. after feeding, keep the baby upright for at least 20 minutes. in my experience, don't swing her in the swing after eating, either. that upset my daughter's acid reflux, too. while feeding, burp baby every ounce ot two, or every few minutes if you can't tell the amount she has eaten. if your baby is formula-fed, try enfamil's gentilease formula, it's a purple container, or wal-mart has the parent's choice gentle type for cheaper. it's proteins are easier to break down in baby's tummy and causes less gas and acid build-up. if spit-up is still severe, tell the pediatrician. they will prescribe a liquid form of Zantac for baby. my daughter had much less acid relux spit-up after taking Zantac, it decreased by at least half, and we were spending less on formula, too. because when baby spits up half of what they ate, they need more to have a satisfied tummy. keep lots of burp cloths around and don't wear your favorite outfit at mealtime. good luck!