Acid Reflux Baby

Hi T..

When my boys were babies they were diagnosed with acid reflux. They always like to eat and they gained weight well. They were on some kind of thickener that I added to their formula. It wasn't rice cereal (they were on it from the time they came home from the hospital at 5 weeks old) but something we got from the hospital. I can't remember the name. Maybe you can ask your ped. about it? It really seemed to help keep their formula down and cut back on spitting up, and therefore cut back on the pain from the acid reflux. We also kept their beds on an incline and kept them out of bouncy chairs and swings - and tried to explain to grandma they couldn't be patted and rocked back and forth as much as other babies!!

Anyway, they are 6 y/o first graders now and healthy as can be. They are on the short end of the spectrum, but their weight is perfect for their age.

Good luck!

L

My son had problems when he was about that age. Our Dr. told us to feed him half as much twice as offten. (insted of 6oz every 3 hours, 3oz every hour and half) We also swiched him to Enfamil AR, the new formula seemed to help the most. It is the same price as Enfamil with Iron. I think it has rice starches added to the powder, causing it to gel up in the stomach. When he did spit up it seemed like it was a lot less. He seemed to grow out of it when he got older and started eating more solids. We where able to switch him to Enfamil Next Step when he was 9months old. Hope this helps and good luck..

I had a baby who had Acid Reflux as well. Although she never had eating problems, we had the baby at a sitter during all of this as well. It was very hard. It does take a while for the medication to work. Also, there are several medications available and some do different things. We were put on Zantac which just reduced the acidity in her stomach. Although it was a very long time until it actually started working, it did end up being the right medicine for her. Other reflux medicines slow the stomach pump, etc. So my advice is to keep a close eye on everything and if things don't get better after a few weeks, take her back to the doc and discuss trying a different reflux medicine. We tried 3 different ones and then went back to Zantac. And I would trust what the doctor is saying. If she's underweight, take that seriously. Babies need all of the food and energy they can get for now. If you are still having problems after a month, ask the doctor if it might be good to make an appointment with a pediatric G.I. doctor. Once we saw the G.I. doctor at Children's Mercy downtown, she was put on the right road to getting better. Good luck!!

Hi T.-

Has your pediatrician ruled out a physical problem (rather than chemical) as the culprit?

The diagnosis of acid reflux in newborns is a relatively new phenomenon, and unfortunately I see babies being put on medication at a very early age. In my practice, I have seen several babies diagnosed with acid reflux respond very well to their adjustments(I am a pediatric chiropractor in Overland Park). Without talking with you more or meeting your daughter, from what you've said, if she's not eating very much and having a hard time keeping food down, there could be a physical/mechanical reason, ie tension in the mid-back area or abdomen.

At any rate, if you are interested, I would be happy to have a private conversation to see if perhaps this is what is happening with your baby. If you'd like more info on pediatric chiropractic, you can visit www.icpa4kids.org, and for more about my practice you can visit www.first-choice-chiro.com.

Yours in health,
Dr. Alyssa

T.- My son is 2 years old now and he was diagnosed with acid reflux as a baby too. He was put on prilosec until he was about six months old. I know how hard it is to see your baby not eat and be in so much pain when there is nothing you can do about it. It can get frustrating. My son used to scream at the top of his lungs for 2 hours every single night for the first 3 months of life. All I can tell you is that you are doing all of the right things, It is something your baby will outgrow with age. Just keep attempting to give your daughter the rice cereal. There is also formula out there that we gave our son- It was "easy to digest" formula from simulac(it has a pink ribbon around the label, I don't remember the exact wording) He seemed to keep it down better than anything else. My son is still underweight and will probably always be underweight -20th percentile- I know some doctors can be harsh about this but he is perfectly healthy and active. Try not to compare your baby with others when it comes to weight because your baby will most likely have a different growth pattern and as long as she is active and happy, that is all that matters!