Acid Reflux - Clayton,IN

My doctor has me grind rice cereal and add a teaspoon per once of formula in my daughters bottle. So a 4 oz bottle of formula gets 4 teaspoons. Seems to help.

It really does not sound as bad as it could be but a couple of things I did was feed him on a constant schedule. My youngest son had this and when we feed at the same time every day it seemed like we were getting better. He would turn purple while eating and then two mintues into eating he would stiffen up and stop eating. So if he is just spitting up that is okay. Also cut back a little on what you are feeding him. Like if he is getting an 8 ounce bottle stop him around 4 ounces and burp him. Then let him start again feeding. Some of that spitting up is the air that can get sucked down.
Also be aware that when starting cereals this will happen again. I would not call a specialist just yet I would try to make some adjustments before paying out the specialist fees.

When I was a baby I had severe acid reflux. when I was about 3 years old I still had the same problem so our pediatrician had me take a test in which we found out that the little "lid" at the entrance of my stomach that keeps all the food and acids from going back wasn't fully developed. It eventually grew but it took several years. To be able to deal with the acid reflux without the meds, my mom always placed me on an angle to sleep, burped me every 2 or 4 oz of feeding, and after 6 months of age, she would make me a cornstarch drink that is very popular in Mexico. You can find it in any Mexican grocery store or in some of the ethnic sections at your regular store. It's called Maizena and it comes in a powder that can be mixed with water or formula. Cornstarch is a natural astringent, which helps with absorbing the extra acids. It's also great with dealing with diarrhea (so a sippy cup a day is ok, more can probably cause constipation in a baby). It comes in several flavors and it's delicious! I also used to take a daily "shot" of pure aloe vera and berries from the nutritional supplements company Forever Living. That was the only thing that would calm down instantly my stomach in the mornings when the acid reflux was at it's worst. All of these products are completely natural and can't harm a baby if used in appropriate portions just like any food or supplement (so a shot for a grown up would be a teaspoon or tablespoon for a baby). I used all of these solutions when our baby was having the same problem and they helped a lot.

They can try increasingly strong meds. If you're breastfeeding, there's a really great thickening that adds no taste or calories but the you have to feed from the bottle all the time:( If you're using formula, try relactating. The great thing about breastmilk is that even if it's coming back up, it's not nearly as bad for the esophagus as formula is!!
My son was on Zantac for 9 months before he outgrew it and did ok without meds. I learned that over-feeding him made him puke more so I couldn't feed him on demand, it had to be on an ever-2-to-3-hours schedule. It worked well for us.

Hi M.,
My little guy also had problems with what the doctor thought to be acid reflux. He was SO fussy, seemed very uncomfortable all of the time and spit up constantly. We tried everything suggested but I refused to try meds. Someone recommended to me that he may have a milk intolerance, I was breastfeeding so I thought there should be no issues but gave it a try and cut out all dairy and simply took a calcium supplement for a few weeks. This made a huge difference in my son, he was a much more comfortable baby!
He still cannot tolerate milk(he is now 2) and must drink rice milk(even the soy protien bothers him). He seems to have trouble digesting milk protein and I know lots of other babies have this problem as well(it is often mistaken for acid reflux or colic)
This is just a suggestion...sometimes with babies it's all trial and error until you get lucky and find the fix:) Best of luck!

Updated

Hi M.,
My little guy also had problems with what the doctor thought to be acid reflux. He was SO fussy, seemed very uncomfortable all of the time and spit up constantly. We tried everything suggested but I refused to try meds. Someone recommended to me that he may have a milk intolerance, I was breastfeeding so I thought there should be no issues but gave it a try and cut out all dairy and simply took a calcium supplement for a few weeks. This made a huge difference in my son, he was a much more comfortable baby!
He still cannot tolerate milk(he is now 2) and must drink rice milk(even the soy protien bothers him). He seems to have trouble digesting milk protein and I know lots of other babies have this problem as well(it is often mistaken for acid reflux or colic)
This is just a suggestion...sometimes with babies it's all trial and error until you get lucky and find the fix:) Best of luck!

Yes- if you have him on any kind of iron supplements - stop. Iron is a heavy metal. Yes, the body needs trace amounts, but not near the amounts that an average human recieves now adays! Since baby food cereals and formula are loaded with iron, I would try to eliminate iron fortified foods as much as possible. Normal babies have enough iron in their systems at birth to last them at LEAST 6 months if not longer, some doctors say up to twelve months. Iron does not process out of the body quickly. It can build up in tissues to dangerous levels , especially in small bodies, and it causes vomiting, stomach pain, feeding issues, constipation, and more. 30% of all pediatric deaths are caused by overdoseing of iron, many of those were under doctors supervision. Many doctors do not realize the potential for iron poisoning and cannot judge 'overall' iron intake levels anyway since it is laden in foods as well!

Sometimes magnesium can help if there is a magnesium deficiency (more common to occur when iron or zinc is taken) and a MG deficieny can cause vomiting and stomach problems, also feeding issues. I would try magnesium oil on his skin. It will sink in.Magnesium excess easily leaves the body. It is a trace mineral just as important as calcium and near it on the element scale but rarely observed. There are products online called babycalm- I have never tried them but they are 'predosed' for a baby if you feel more comfortable with that..

My little guy whom is now 3 still suffers. He was spitting up about 40 time per day at around 6 months. The only things that worked were solid food and Zantac. We saw about 6 specialists and had him tested for everything (allergies, upper GI, lower GI, ultrasound, cystic fibrosis, Hertzsprung....), . We averaged 7 outfits per day. I would say if finally got less messy by 9 months. Zantac and Prilosec do not stop the spit up from happening but it keeps his esophagus from burning out and prevents long term damage. I found Prilosec made my boy spit up more, that is why we switched to Zantac. If you are not feeding him solids, I recommend starting. Thicker food in the tummy helps to keep it down. One doctor told me absolutely no solids, and another told me feed him more solids. I tried the solids at 3 months out of desperation and it was the best I could have done for him. Hang in there, it gets better.

Sorry to hear about your son's reflux. We went through the same with our son who is now 20 mo. Our son also had a cow's milk protein intolerance, which I have heard is common with a child with reflux. If you are nursing, try taking out all dairy from your diet for 10-14 days. That is how long it takes for it to actually leave your system. This includes the obvious dairy products but also check labels looking for words like whey and caesin. If you are formula feeding, talk to your doc about a good non-dairy formula to try. kellymom.com has some good info on milk intolerance.

After each feeding, we would prop our son up at appox. a 45 degree angle in our arms for 20-30 minutes and then put him in his bed which we elevated slightly at the head of it. If it wasn't nap or bed time, I would put him in his swing to keep him up right for a short period after feedings.

We also had him on zantac, which helped with the reflux discomfort but not with the spitting up.

It will get better as he grows so hang in there!

I hope this helps.

my baby was like that and we jnust changed his formula to that similac alimeantum the purple can it is the most expensive but it work better than meds for my little man

M., I DO have the answer and many testimonials to go along with it. One being my own grandson. I am a Shaklee distributor and when my 5 day old grandson was being breastfed and still spitting up his ped wanted to put him on some med....My daughter instead put him on a product called "optiflora" and he not only did NOT go on meds he is almost 4 and has been fine ever since. You could get the pro-biotic OTC and not get the same results due to the purity of the product. If you are interested please let me know. You can research it yourself. it works so well that her Ped keeps her (my daughters) info on file to give to other moms. ____@____.com Good Luck... S.

if changing his clothes is the worst of it, consider yourself lucky. My son would turn blue, the vomit wouldn't come up high enough for him to actually be sick and would block his airway.

Chiropractic care can help all sorts of things, but it's most likely a physical immaturity and something you are going to have to wait out and treat until he is older. Most kids are much better by age 1.

smaller feedings, while keeping him as upright as possible both during and after can help.

be careful allowing a child to sleep in a car seat or swing, it can cause breathing difficulties. but having your child sleep upright can help as well. We inclined my son's crib mattress so he slept on a slope. they make slings as well that are meant to hold a child in this position while on an incline, your doc should be able to help you find one.

changing to soy, or a more hypoallergenic formula, if you are using formula can help, otherwise he could be having a reaction to something in your diet that is coming through in your breastmilk.

depending on the cause of the reflux, it could also be a severe allergy, solids can either help or make it much worse, but it's really trial and error until you find what works and your child outgrows the problems.

good luck

Have you had his thymus gland checked? Osteopaths are good-they treat the whole person.good luck.

Some suggestions that worked for us:
Feed your son smaller amounts at each feeding.(you'll have to increase the number of feeding per day) Keep him upright for at least 1/2 hour after each feeding. (Put him in a swing or carry him around)
At night if fussiness is really bad, secure him in his infant car seat and let him sleep in it.
During periods of fussiness in the day, a front carring pouch works great.
Also, placing the child stomach down across your legs as you sit and gently bounce is soothing to them.
Has the doctor suggested to start him on solids? Usually at 6 months you can start single grain cereals. Talk to your pediatrician about starting cereal. It may help.
Good luck.

they put my daughter on baby zantac, and it cleared her reflux right up. She was spitting up blood, which was scary, but once she was on the zantac, it cleared up. It was a little funny, as my husband was on the adult version. For him we use diet to manage for the most part, but a 6 month old isnt eating a bunch of citrus and acid-high foods, so I'm not sure what else to do without medicine. good luck!