This can be very frustrating for parents that may not know really what is happening or what to do in this regard. We not only have a fussy baby in our hands, but the poor thing cries through frequent episodes of regurgitation, arches of the back of your pain and refuses to eat.
What you should know is that these are the classic symptoms of reflux gastro (GER) in an infant. GER is actually fairly common in children and most of the time will disappear at the time they reach eighteen months. Gastroesophageal reflux may develop if his son still exhibit the symptoms of heartburn or acid reflux after this marker, which can lead to breathing problems as well.
In addition to vomiting, arching and refusing to eat, constant (or sudden) episodes of tears and hiccups can also indicate a problem with the digestive system. Unfortunately, this does not provide a picture of the problem because all the symptoms are very similar to the symptoms of colic or an allergy to a formula. It can be difficult to determine the exact problem nature, since the child is not able to tell us where it hurts.
How the doctor tests for heartburn or acid reflux?
As tests for almost all other medical conditions, there is no exact science to determine if your baby has GER, GERD, colic, or simply an allergy formula. Some methods include endoscopic procedures or test content for pH of reflux. A new technology known as impedance measurements allow doctors more details about what is happening in the esophagus of the baby to help determine the exact cause of the symptoms.
As a usual practice, a doctor could prescribe and H2 Blocker or antacids on an experimental basis to see if this causes symptoms of heartburn or acid reflux to calm down. If the medication test works, it is likely that the baby is experiencing GER. To eliminate the possibility of allergy formula, the pediatrician may recommend simply changing a formula with low protein content.
If this solves the problem, then heartburn or acid reflux was not the likely cause of the symptoms. Occasionally, heartburn or acid reflux will also cause bleeding, weight gain insufficient and respiratory problems that can help an exact diagnosis of the condition.
Treatments for baby heartburn or acid reflux
There are some approaches to treat a baby with heartburn or acid reflux that are similar to methods used in treatments for adults. Small, frequent meals may help relieve swelling or fullness that leads to heartburn. Be sure to burp your baby well and not wait until he or she is full to do so. Take breaks in food to burp him or her to decrease the likelihood of regurgitation.
Keep your child sitting during and after he or she eats. Adults experience more symptoms of heartburn or acid reflux when lie after a meal, and this is also true for your baby. Finally, you can try thickening formula with rice cereal baby, so it does not rise through the esophagus as easily. This measure does not reduce the appearances, but can certainly help with heartburn or the amount of acid reflux that travels higher in the throat.
Beyond of these preventive measures, you may need to request drugs and assistance of the pediatrician. He or she can start with a simple Antacid to see if it will relieve the symptoms. If not functioning antacids, your doctor may recommend H2 blockers and inhibitors Proton pump (PPI) are the same types of drugs prescribed to adults with GERD. These drugs reduce the amount of acid secreted in the stomach, decreasing the amount that may cause heartburn or acid reflux.
PPI and H2 blockers come with few side effects, however. H2 blockers are considered insurance for children and when used to treat heartburn or acid reflux can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, or constipation in newborn infants. PPI is new child treatments, but has so far been secure. The side effects of the PPI are produced on a long-term medication use including polyps and liver damage. Even in adults, PPI is considered as a treatment for only severe cases of GERD.
