rice cereal and reflux?

Question

My one month old has pretty severe gastroesophageal reflux. The dr has her on the infant form of Zantac, one ml 2x per day. She is miserable at different times of day, and we believe it is because of the acid....she makes gagging faces and looks uncomfortable around feedings, stopping frequently but still being hungry.
She also wants to eat every 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The dr would like it stretched to at least two (she is on Nestle Good Start, the only thing, breastmilk included, that she could keep down sufficiently). Despite this, she is gaining a good ammt of weight and thriving. She went from 6 lbs 12 oz at birth to 9 lbs 7 oz at one month.
Because she is constantly hungry yet never satisfied (she takes in a good amt at each feeding), the dr also recommended a small ammt of rice cereal added to her formula. I am concerned, I have read mixed things about this, but I'd like her to be more satisfied after a feeding. Will be getting another opinion. Anyone done this before?

Answer 1

I had to start giving my baby cereal too early according to today's standards. He was 3mo & eating every hour or 2. I tried talking to his doctor & telling her that I have MS & I can not be constantly feeding him like that around the clock.... We changed doctors, to an older more experienced one & she said it would be fine to give him cereal.
One thing though, his reflux caused his formula to come out of his nose, so when we started giving him cereal we watched him even closer than we did before. We put it in the blender to make it finer and added it to his bottle.
Just my opinion, but if it were me I would give her cereal & watch her very closely.

Answer 2

My daughter had the exact same problem and we were all miserable. The doctor also suggested the rice cereal and switching bottles to the Dr Browns brand. We put 2 ounces of cereal in a 6 oz bottle and almost like magic her reflux slowly disappeared. That was 3 months ago, and she is now a happy healthy 8 month old. She has 2 8 oz bottles per day with 3 oz of that being the rice cereal with banana's(One when she wakes up, and one before she goes to bed). And 2 of her feedings are baby food from the jar. Take the advice of the Dr and add the cereal, it fills her up faster and longer. Good Luck. I know what you are going through!

Answer 3

Yes, I've heard of this. My son also had reflux even when on breastmilk. It wasn't near as severe as your daughter's though. But, my pedetrican did recommend putting a bit of rice cereal in the milk. The rice actually causes the milk to stick to their stomach lining. And, after that I didn't have any problems with reflux at all.

After all this a friend gave a baby book that even had that option if your child is spitting up constantly as a remedy. Rice cereal in the bottle is only bad when you put a bottle full of cereal (like a regular solid feeding in a bottle. It'd be comparable to putting a jar of baby food in a bottle :).

Answer 4

My daughter got the reflux diagnosis when she was 5 weeks old.

My doc skipped Zantac and went right to Prevacid. she takes 1/2 of a 15mq solutab first thing in the morning when her belly is empty. then she eats a half hour later.

We tired the rice cereal in the bottles, but she had a hard time digesting it and it made her very gassy. So my doc switched her to the Enfmail AR. It is thicked with rice starch (but still easy to digest) and helps absorb the acid. But we use the ready to feed kind. it is more expensive, but I read that it works better than the powder for treating reflux and it worked so well on my baby that I was afraid to try powder.

My daughter is on Prevacid and AR and you wouldnever know she has reflux. she is that good.

Answer 5

My grandson had reflux when he was born and always hundry because he kept throwing up , not cause of the reflux, so we added cereal to his milk and it would fill him up.

I also have read the mixed things about feeding a new born cereal.

But you have to rememeber, this is your baby and if it works DO IT. You are the one that has to be there 24 hours a day when she is hungry not them.

Answer 6

well i would not suggest to rice, your babies tummy is not mature enough for that yet, and can make it worse. my daughter had gastric reflux and was on gaviscon powder which went in the formula. definately try and spread the feeds out and dont let her lay on her back, keep her proped up so the acid will not come up, even keep her proped up while feeding her. it did wonders for my daughter and is now a 15 month old run around! good luck :)