The Problems With Acid Reflux In Infants

Pediatric reflux or acid reflux in infants is especially hard for babies. It is a painful and very uncomfortable feeling no matter how you position your baby. Babies with acid reflux are uneasy, cranky, crying almost incessantly, and miserable. All of which makes the parents nervous and scared for their newborn. Believe it or not some acid reflux symptoms are normal and the babies may naturally outgrow their acid reflux problems.

Acid reflux occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter fails to prevent gastric content from going up into the esophagus. Just like adult GERD, infant GERD have almost similar symptoms and it hurts like hell in babies like it hurts adults. It is a known fact that almost half of all infants suffer infant GERD in the first three months of a baby's life.


The common symptoms of acid reflux in infants are frequent spitting and/or vomiting, sudden prolong crying, frequent hiccups; frequent coughing, and even bad breath. When these symptoms are observed in a baby, the parents must immediately consult bring their baby to their pediatrician.

Infant GERD are often diagnosed with the symptoms reported by the parents. There are no complex diagnostic techniques for babies with GERD, except for chronic cases. One diagnostic procedure for chromic infant GERD is diagnosed by barium swallow together with X-rays to diagnose more serious problems like blockage, ulcer, abnormal growth, or such organ problems.

The treatment of acid reflux in infants depends on the age of the infant and the severity of the symptom. It is also inherent in infant GERD to go away by itself without needing any intervention. Feeding the baby with thick baby food like cereal and keeping him/her upright can alleviate the symptom. Breast feeding babies with GERD is the best to lessen the flush the acids that are in esophagus of the baby. Mother's milk contains natural antacid so that GERD in infant is avoided.

There are simple steps that can be done by parents with babies suffering from acid reflux. If the baby is bottle feeding, a table spoon to two ounces of rice cereal maybe added to the formula in order to thicken the formula. If the formula becomes thick enough to freely flow out of the bottle, the whole in the rubber nipple can be widen of cut bigger. Burping the baby after the meal is also recommended to release the pressure inside the stomach that could aggravate infant GERD. Infants with GERD are also fed only the right amount of baby foods to lessen the gastric pressure. A pediatrician can give advised to mothers as to the right amount of food a baby can have.

Acid reflux in infants is painful and very uncomfortable for babies. They can not rest as well or eat well if they have this problem it is possible that their development maybe hindered. Therefore, proper treatment must be administered to correct the problem. Again it is not unusual for an infant to show signs of acid reflux symptoms. It is important for the parents to make careful observations and consult their Pediatrician or family doctor for assistance.