GERD in Infants

GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is also referred as acid reflux, and is nothing but the abnormal backward flow of food present in the stomach into the mouth. Spitting up the food, crying while feeding, and refusal of the food, are some of the common signs of GERD in infants. Though GERD is not a serious disease, it should be treated earlier to avoid further complications. Let us know more about GERD in infants.

GERD in Infants
GERD in infants is basically due to immature digestive system or poor coordination of the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract. Let us first understand the anatomy of the food track to know how the acid reflux actually takes place. Esophagus is the food pipe that connects the mouth and the stomach. There is a small opening present at the end of the esophagus called LES (Lower Esophageal Sphincter). This LES is tiny muscular opening that relaxes and contracts only upon the entry of the food into the stomach. When no food passes through the esophagus, LES remains closed. Now, in GERD, LES opens sometimes due to certain reasons like increased pressure in the stomach and causes the acidic food in the stomach to regurgitate into the esophagus, which further enters again into the mouth. Other causes for GERD are, overeating, consuming certain food items, etc. GERD does no pose serious problems, but if the symptoms occur frequently then it may harm the food track of the baby. Symptoms of GERD in infants are given below.

GERD in Infants - Symptoms
The symptoms of acid reflux in babies are quite easy to identify. But sometimes if the baby swallows back the acidic food that has refluxed, then the diagnosis of GERD can become difficult. This type of GERD is called silent GERD and it is quite dangerous, since the acidic food passes twice through the food track within short period of time. This may harm the esophageal tract due to scarring of the tissues of the esophagus. The symptoms of silent GERD include, sore throat, poor weight gain or weight loss, crying due to pain, breathing problem, inability to gulp the food, etc. The common symptoms of GERD in infants are listed below:

• Food refusal
• Spitting out the food or vomiting
• Frequent hiccups and burping
• Bad breath
• Coughing
• Abdominal pain
• Drooling
• Frequent crying and fussiness

GERD in Infants - Treatment
GERD in infants usually does not require any special treatment. The symptoms vanish automatically with the growing age of the baby, since most of the time GERD in infants is due to undeveloped gastroesophageal tract of the baby. So, you must be thinking how to treat GERD in infants? Well, the first and foremost thing is, you require to adopt some feeding techniques to alleviate the symptoms of GERD. The lifestyle changes required for GERD in infants basically aim at keeping the food in the stomach in its place and prevent it from refluxing into the mouth. So, you should hold the baby in an upright position while feeding, and at least for 30 minutes after feeding. Tilt the bed of the baby so that it sleeps at an elevated angle. Go for frequent and small feedings so that the food gets digested properly. Continue with your breastfeeding and avoid acidic foods like chocolate, garlic and caffeine. These natural remedies for GERD in infants have proved to beneficial in treating the problem. But you should consult a doctor if frequent episodes of GERD are observed in your baby. The doctor may prescribe certain medications to relieve the symptoms of GERD. Very rare cases of severe GERD in babies are observed. Silent GERD can be a cause of concern, so consulting a doctor on observing its symptoms is a must.

This was a summary on GERD in infants. Discomfort of the child due to acid reflux can be very painful for every parent. But you should not panic and treat the problem in an appropriate manner. Consult the doctor, get your queries solved, and follow the given instructions to alleviate GERD in your baby.