- Frequent spitting up or vomiting after feedings
- Vomiting more than an hour after eating
- Regular spitting up after the baby's first year (most children stop spitting up around this time)
- “Wet burp” or “wet hiccup” sounds
- Pain, irritability or crying after feedings
- Difficulty sleeping
- Difficulty gaining weight, or weight loss
- Difficulty swallowing
- Bad breath
- Sore throat or a hoarse voice
- Refusal to eat, even when hungry
- Frequent breathing problems (including coughing, wheezing, pneumonia, bronchitis)
Reflux can include stomach acid, which can irritate and even damage the esophagus. If reflux gets into the windpipe and lungs, pneumonia and other respiratory problems can develop.
Reflux can also mean that your baby may not be keeping down enough food. If your baby has reflux, keep a detailed record including:
- What and when your baby eats
- How much he or she eats (and a guess at how much of it stays down)
- How often he or she has reflux
- Any of the signs of GERD, listed above
- Share these records with your health care provider regularly. Together, you can fix poor diet before it becomes dangerous for your baby's health.
Most babies outgrow reflux after about a year. It's rare for a child to have reflux past the age of 2. Health care providers can diagnose GERD easily, using a variety of tests. Once a baby is diagnosed, there are many ways to help your baby through feedings and reduce the amount of reflux afterwards. These suggestions can be helpful for all parents, even those whose babies spit up only occasionally and do not have GERD:
- Feed the baby in a vertical position (sitting up). Keep the baby sitting up after feedings. Burp the baby frequently, but not forcefully.
- Give smaller servings and have more frequent feedings. Avoid spicy, fatty and acidic foods (like citrus fruits). If your child is eating solid food, tell him or her to chew slowly and take small bites, to reduce gagging.
- Thickened feedings (for example, milk mixed with rice cereal) may help your child keep food down. But some studies have found that thickened feedings may increase the number of coughing fits.
- Some experts suggest that the baby lie face down at a 30-degree angle (on a slope) for two hours after feeding. You can also place the baby on his or her side.
- Most infants outgrow GERD without needing medication. But there are medicines to treat GERD. If none of the above suggestions help, talk with your baby's health care provider about prescriptions. In some cases, surgery may be needed.
- Call a health care provider if your child seems underfed, is not gaining weight, or is losing weight.
January 2007
