Baby Acid Reflux

All of a sudden when your child refuses to eat food, vomits and cries during feeding, then like every other parent you panic, since, you may be unaware of the reason behind your child's discomfort. Acid reflux, can be a reason for all these signs in your baby. Acid reflux which is known as Gastroesophageal reflux (GER), in medical terms, is a very common health problem in babies and usually not a medical emergency. This problem is noticed in almost 20-25% of babies. Let us know more about the causes of baby acid reflux.

Baby Acid Reflux
Acid reflux is nothing but the ejection of food in the stomach back into the mouth, through the esophagus. This condition usually happens when you are feeding the baby or after the feeding is done. It may also happen when the baby coughs, strains or cries. To know why this happens, it is necessary that you understand the anatomy of the food track. After the food is chewed in the mouth, it passes through the esophagus, which is the food pipe and then into the stomach. This esophagus connects to the stomach with a small opening called Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES). This is a small muscular opening that relaxes and contracts only when the food passes from the esophagus to stomach. But sometimes this LES may open and cause the acidic food in the stomach to reflux into the esophagus and then into the baby's mouth. This happens due to the immature digestive system of the baby's body. Since, the body's growth is gradual it takes time for it to adjust with new eating habits and other factors. Let us know the signs and symptoms of acid reflux in babies.

Baby Acid Reflux Signs
The signs of baby acid reflux may be mild or severe. Severe symptoms of infant acid reflux is a rare scenario. Since, babies are too small to express their discomfort, sometimes the diagnosis of acid reflux in infants can be quite difficult. This may happen when the child swallows back the food that has refluxed into the mouth, instead of vomiting or spitting it out. This type of acid reflux is referred as silent GER which can be harmful since, the acidic food passes down through the esophagus again. The typical signs of baby acid reflux are quite easy to identify though and they are given below:

• Refusal for food
• Spitting up or vomiting
• Irritability
• Sudden crying
• Frequent coughing and hiccups
• Bad breath

The symptoms of silent baby acid reflux are cause of concern and they can be listed as follows:

• Poor weight gain or weight loss
• Breathing problem
• Sore throat
• Crying due to pain
• Unable to gulp the food
• Arching neck and back after feeding
• Blood in stool
• Severe feeding problems

As mentioned earlier, silent acid reflux can cause major problems, since, it leads to damage of the esophageal lining due to acidic food. Thus, it is necessary that the baby acid reflux is diagnosed at the earliest, so that, the baby can be provided with appropriate treatment. The doctor will study the feeding habits and suggest some lifestyle changes. Given below are some of the home remedies for baby acid reflux.

Baby Acid Reflux Remedies
Baby acid reflux usually does not require any treatment and the symptoms disappear gradually with increase in age. For severe acid reflux cases, the doctor may prescribe certain medications and syrups. Some changes in the lifestyle can relieve the baby from the symptoms of baby acid reflux. Make the feeding place and the process calm and peaceful without any distractions. Go for small and frequent feedings for your baby, this will help in proper digestion of the food. If you are breastfeeding, then continue with it and do not rely on formulas. While feeding the baby, ensure that it sits in an upright position. Avoid holding your baby over your shoulder while feeding. Gravity helps to settle the food in the stomach at its right place and avoids reflux.

Baby acid reflux can be painful and difficult time for both you and your baby. But you need not worry, since, it is not a cause of concern and the symptoms disappear soon. Just make sure the symptoms are not severe and consult the doctor for every doubt about baby's health.