Acid Reflux In Infants - Tips For Dealing With Acid Reflux In Infants

Introduction

Acid reflux, also known Gastro esophageal Reflux (GER), is quite common in infants. More than fifty percent of Americans go through this suffering in the beginning of their life. Some of the early signs of GER in infants are frequent coughing and vomiting, poor feeding or irritability while feeding, poor sleep habits and bad breath. These are the milder symptoms, and only a small percentage experience the more severe ones. For most cases, these symptoms disappear when the infant reaches the age of up to one and a half years.

If the infant is suffering from a severe form of GER, she might experience difficulty swallowing, too much saliva production and respiratory problems such as asthma or even pneumonia. Apnea can also result. You should contact your physician to verify that these symptoms are caused by GER, and not by another disease.

Cure

So if your infant suffers from GERD, what treatment would be best? It depends on how severe the problem is, as well as the child's age. Also, your doctor may feel that your infant won't need any medications if the problem is likely to disappear on its own as the infant grows. The doctor may instead suggest some changes in the infant's style of eating. These could include:
1) Reducing the quantity of food in meals while at the same time increasing the frequency of the meals,
2) Adding cereal to food, and
3) Keeping the child upright after meals

You should contact your doctor immediately if any of the following symptoms occur:
1) Vomiting in large quantities
2) Projectile vomiting
3) Vomiting fluid that looks yellow or green
4) Apnea (spells of no breathing)
These are dangerous symptoms, especially in infants.

For serious cases, the doctor might prescribe some medication. These can include over-the-counter remedies or prescription medicines. Such medications include antacids, acid suppressers and acid blockers. However, it is safer to discuss the problem with your doctor before you use any kind of medication.

Here are some useful tips for dealing with acid reflux in infants. Put a tablespoon of rice cereal in two ounces of infant milk if you bottle feed the baby. Burp your baby after ingestion of one or two ounces. Also, do not let him or her lie down for about half an hour after feeding and avoid overfeeding. Such infants must be put to sleep on their backs, and not on their bellies.

The good news is that acid reflux in infants is what it is - acid reflux in infant stage. There is a great chance that your infant will grow out of it. Only in rare cases do children suffer from the same problem in their childhood or teenage years later on. Even then there are treatments available, which vary with the kind of symptoms.

By: Caleb Liu

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If you found this information on Acid Reflux In Infants useful, you'll also want to read about Acid Reflux Diet.