M.A. asks from Little Rock, AR on December 27, 2008
Acid Reflux - Little Rock,AR
My 3 month old has had a little bit of a stuffy nose since she was born. It comes and goes and sometimes it's worse than others. She started getting worse on Christmas morning. Very congested, coughing, sneezing but not running a fever. My doctor has told me in the past this is just a newborn, not really anything we can do. I took her to the doctor this morning (she saw a different doctor) and she told me it's acid reflux. I'm a little unsure of this diagnosis since she NEVER spits up. She doesn't even burp very much. She does however get the hiccups A LOT which I think is a symptom. We started her on rice cereal last weekend and the doctor said that is good and to give it to her at every feeding. I was only doing it in the morning and at night. I'm just looking for input from some other moms who may have gone through this. Does this sound like reflux???
So What Happened?™
She is all better now. So I believe it was just a cold. I have started her back on cereal in the evenings. Sorry for those of you who think she is too young for cereal. She is hungry all the time and most say you can start them on cereal at 4 months. The doctor that I saw that said it was acid reflux was not "her" doctor. She goes in this Friday for her 4 month check-up and I will go over what happened with her regular doctor. Thanks for all your input and support.
More info . . . I stopped the cereal to see if maybe it was an allergy to that. Last night she started running a fever. Not much, 100.8 rectally. So now I'm assuming it's not acid reflux and just a cold??? I do have her crib raised and I'm feeding her upright. Just in case it's a little bit of reflux too. I called the doctor this morning and they said if her fever goes up again to bring her in so they can do some bloodwork.
Thanks for all your input.
Featured Answers
W.B. answers from Tulsa on January 05, 2009
M.,
I'm not a Dr., but when my daughter had reflux, she was spitting up a fair amount. I would think that would be a factor. I have heard, however, that reflux can cause a cough from the acid coming into the throat, but I don't know about congestion. I thought all newborns were congested a fair amount of the time, along with hiccups all the time. I would just suction her nose and try to keep her comfortable. Also a cool mist humidifier may help. Maybe you should just try a second opinion???
Good luck,
W.
K.R. answers from Biloxi on January 02, 2009
You maynot believe this, but I have acid reflux too and this older lady told me that mustard helps to prevent acid reflux just a teaspoon of plain mustard so thats what I do now. So if it's acid reflux or not just try a little mustard and see if she gets better. It sounds like alleges to me.
More Answers
S.S. answers from Lawton on December 28, 2008
My daughter had reflux and it was a lot of tummy aches and spitting up. Hiccups are part of it, but I'm not sure I would call it reflux just from that. If it were me I'd ask for a second opinion before putting her on meds.
J.C. answers from New Orleans on December 28, 2008
My daughter had reflux and didn't spit up. We put her on liquid zantax prescribed by thr Dr. and it worked wonders. Don't worry. This won't last too long.
A.C. answers from Oklahoma City on December 28, 2008
yep. sounds just like my daughter. she was snorty and congested sounding from birth, and then one day she was sleeping with her mouth open on my lap and i heard her hiccup and saw the milk rise up in her throat and go back down. she was put on medication at about 2 months. she didn't spit up much, and was huge and rolly-polly, but she was also exclusively breastfed, which our dr said made all the difference in the world. if she seems ready for cereal, swallowing and all, i guess go with what the dr says, but cereal is hard on them, and if she isn't sp[itting up or seeming in too much pain i wouldn't do it at every meal. i will say we were on meds til 15 months, and her reflux still seems to come and go at times. we really avoid processed foods, and horrible stuff like hot dogs or chips can make her throw up, even at three.
M.J. answers from Birmingham on December 28, 2008
My 2nd child had reflux when he was a baby and it was awful - he screamed nonstop for the first 3 months of his life until we finally got him on the right medication that worked for him. I would go back and see your regular doctor because a congested nose doesn't sound like any symptom of reflux I have ever seen. Also, I think that prilosec and medications really help better than rice cereal if it really is reflux. I really think she would be screaming or acting in pain if it really is reflux. When I say he screamed nonstop I am not exaggerating - I am still traumatized by his reflux 2 years later - I hope for your sake that is not reflux!! Good luck figuring it out!
W.B. answers from Tulsa on January 05, 2009
M.,
I'm not a Dr., but when my daughter had reflux, she was spitting up a fair amount. I would think that would be a factor. I have heard, however, that reflux can cause a cough from the acid coming into the throat, but I don't know about congestion. I thought all newborns were congested a fair amount of the time, along with hiccups all the time. I would just suction her nose and try to keep her comfortable. Also a cool mist humidifier may help. Maybe you should just try a second opinion???
Good luck,
W.
N.M. answers from Texarkana on December 28, 2008
first of all a stuffy nose sounds like alligeries acid reflux has to do with the top of your stomach not the nose I don't think I would got to that doctor again good luck
J.M. answers from Oklahoma City on December 28, 2008
My son is almost 3 months old and he was diagnosed with acid reflux very early on. We've had problems with formula (we started with Nestle Good Start) and then switched to a formula for colic (Nutramigen by Enfamil...even though my son wasn't colicky!). His symptoms included LOTS of burps, spitting up with every bottle, very agitated during feeding times like he's in pain (arching his back, searching for the bottle but then crying when it gets into his mouth). It got to the point where he would pretty much refuse to eat. My pediatrician prescribed infant Prevacid solutabs, which dissolve in water and then you give them to your child with a syringe. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. I was also told to add rice cereal, and began that when my son was probably only a month old. I started only doing about a teaspoon in a 4-ounce bottle in the morning and at night. The point of the rice cereal is twofold: (1) it thickens in the stomach making there less room for acid, and (2) it can help babies gain weight because it has more calories (my son had difficulty gaining the "appropriate" amount of weight early on). I've now started the rice cereal in every bottle.
I think some doctors are just hell-bent on the acid reflux diagnosis for any concerns we have, which is frustrating for us. I will say that my son also had that stuffy nose thing, and my pediatrician said it has a lot to do with the fact that they are babies and have baby-sized nostrils. :-) Of course, it then became a full-blown cold. I'm actually going to change pediatricians in the new year. The current guy who has made all of these diagnoses has made a couple of errors, including prescribing ADULT medication for my son, so I'm trying a new one.
Also, keep in mind that if you are slightly unsure, go back to your regular pediatrician for a second opinion. He/she might think differently.
Hope your daughter feels better!
H.C. answers from Oklahoma City on December 28, 2008
My daughter whom is a year old. Appears to have acid reflux. She doesnt have the symptoms you discribed, but you can tell that she has a reflux about once a day, she coughs and chokes, her eyes water. It was pretty scary, but she NEVER spits up. Her doctor said that as long as it isnt making her spit up and over time subsides, then no need for worry, she has done this as long as I can remember, very possible her entire year of life.
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