Does My Son Have Acid Reflux and Can They Give Him Something?

I have a nutritionist who works with our family and she says that babies can't have acid reflux...it is something that the drug companies "invented". Here are a couple of things you can try...feed him a little less (babies tend to spit up what they don't need), or put some bifidus powder in a little bit of breast milk in a bottle (or if you are giving him cereal or fruit, mix it in). It helps the digestion, if that is even the issue. It could be that he just has a weak "flap" at the top of the esophagus (sp). It is a muscle that if they burp or hicup doesn't keep the liquid down. Out of four kids, two were major pukers...they just did, and they totally outgrew it! Acid drops will only make it worse...don't get sucked into that trap! (especially with the drugs!!!!!!!) Acidopholus and bifidus are both friendly bacteria (like in yogurt). Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful

My son spit up a lot too! He was considered a "happy spitter", meaning there was no pain associated with the spitting up. Because of this, the doc said he was fine. Mine grew out of it between 6-10 months. By the time he was on adult food, he wasn't doing it anymore. Hang in there! It'll end soon!

It could be simply that he eats too much too fast. That causes the gas that brings he food back up. Plus if he's overeating that can make him "toss". His little tummy can only hold sooo much.

Hi M.,
My older daughter was a major spitter upper. She was formula fed. I spent the first nine months of her life soaked in spit up & most of her clothes were completely ruined. Her doctor finally suggested that I add cereal to her bottles which really seemed to help. She never seemed to be in any pain or feel any discomfort with all of the spit up. Like other people have, said, I think that she just couldn't handle all of that liquid at one time. She definitely outgrew it and is now a thriving healthy 3 year old. If your son doesn't seem to be in any pain & your ped isn't too concerned, I wouldn't worry about it too much. They do grow out of it especially once their diet is mostly solid rather than mostly liquid. Good luck!

My son is 3 & still has reflux. The key for us when he was a baby was smaller meals more often. Eventually I had to go to pumping, so I could control his intake of milk. There are also lists online of "trigger foods", and one of the most important is staying upright for an hour after meals.

My son did the same thing till he was a year old and then it went away. We still say that if you were around during his first year you probably were spit on by him. He spit up on everybody and everything, even doctors. I just carried extra clothes for him and us. About 1 year old he just stopped, so only about 5 more months...good luck.

My son was the same way. He spit up a ton, and it is awful when they are eating solids because it can stain the carpet and clothes. My pediatrician said that they could give him medicine if I wanted, but since he was gaining weight it was not neccessary. The good news is that he grew out of it. The bad news is that it wasn't until he was about 14 months. He is now 21 months and he still will occassionally spit up a little if he plays too hard right after eating, but it isn't like it used to be. I elected not to give him medicine since it wasn't really bothering him, but it is a personal choice.

My son had it as an infant. The doctor gave him an exam after i told him he was repeatedly spitting up most of his milk. He did a simple exam of lightly squeezing his stomach and VOILA! He was diagnosed with reflux. His was so bad, he developed asthma from the stomach acid damaging his esophagus. He had to have breathing treatments for awhile and they also had me feed him cereal. Now, mind you he was only 2 months old. They gave him a liquid antacid and had me have him sleep kind of propped up. That helped a lot. By the time he could stand up, it was subsiding. We went through a lot of cloths and bibs. Take him to another doctor and voice your concerns. I switched docs because my son wasn't losing weight either, but he was very uncomfortable. I hope this helps some.

sadly, it sounds like something he'll likely grow out of. if he's not uncomfortable, it's likely not reflux and do you really want to medicate him if he doesn't need it?

my daughter spit up A LOT till she was about 10-11 months old and finally it stopped. she was always in bibs, we got a new front loading washing machine and she grew and was happy and people learned to cover up when holding her :) don't worry--he won't be going to kindergarten doing it!

All my kids were spitters....my 11 mo old still does but it is much better! My 1st Daughter was the worst! It will get better, I promise! I would say, onve they were really good at crawling it was better. My 1st would still spit up and we would find it all over the place! By 1 it was all but gone....I know it is frustrating and a little embarassing, people would bring a change of clothes when they would come over! But it will get better...we tried medication (Iwas uncomfortable giving this to her), change of diet on my part as I too was a nursing, sitting her up after eating, tilting her bed...nothing worked

Good luck and hang in there...it will get better

Our daughter had reflux also which was diagnosed at 2 months. Because she was formula fed, the dr switched her to an "easy to digest" formula. In your case, I would watch what you eat for a week and see if you notice a difference. The main things to avoid are caffeine, chocolate, and spicy foods (also red pasta sauce can cause bad reflux.)
Our daughter was on pepcid for about 8 months and was slowly weaned off of it. I'd let your dr know your concerns.

Hi M.,

I too am a first time mother and my son went through a similar experience when he was about 2-3 months old. My doctor did give him something, I'm sorry I do not have the name of the medication here with me at work, but it did work wonderfully. So please check with your doctor because there is something out there for him to take. Good Luck.
-T.

Be so careful with drugs that are prescribed to reduce acid. Our bodies need the acid to digest food and the drugs stop it which puts all sorts of undue stress on the rest of the digestive system.

My first spit up after every meal until she was almost two. We kept bibs on her every moment of the day. If she coughed we knew some was coming. Oh the laundry!

Anyway... the suggestions for pro-biotics make sense with the information I have learned since then and don't fret too much if he's happy.

Good luck!

Both my little ones had reflux, but my 1st was still happy so we left it to correct itself. He spit up until at least 12 months, but was happy besides. It was annoying, and I always warned people that held him. He also crawled through it and played in it and I had to follow him around at other people's houses to clean it up, but he outgrew it.
Our 2nd started crying- all the time- at a few weeks old. She was screaming like she was in pain and I couldn't accept it was "just colic." She also spit up enormous amounts of milk, making puddles all over. We tried Zantac which didn't work, but with Prevacid she was a new baby! I was worried she'd never smile because at 4 months it was a rare occurrence. After Prevacid, she ended up being such a happy girl (she took that to about 10 months?).
Basically, unless it's interfering with development and making your baby (and you) miserable, I'd avoid the meds. The spit up is annoying, but it will pass. I once said to someone I missed the smell of spitup. Imagine that!

Is it a lot of spit up? Like vomit? Or just a mouthful? Does he cry around the time of the spit up or does it just happen and he doesnt care? If its acid reflux it should bug him. If not then it could be something else.

My daughter was in the >95% for height and weight at 6mos old so docs refused to believe me something was wrong with her. Finally I found a doc who actually listend (doc #6!) and she had two digestive problems. One, acid reflux. First they tried zantac. Small improvement so they tried a stronger med, Prevacid. That one worked great, no more crying while she tried to eat and no more spit up. Then her other problem, she would throw up 3 or more times a day. But she was not sick and she was not bothered by it. She would simply wait 15 min and eat all over again. Since she ate right away, it did not affect her growth. That didnt mean something wasnt wrong though.

There is a test for acid reflux. They have the baby drink barium, a harmless white substance that is visible on x-ray. When the baby swallows they take a picture and see if any is sloshing back up in the throat. Its easy. I thought for sure Claire would NEVER drink that bottle of barium, but since she wasnt allowed to have breakfast she downed it fine. Yep she had reflux. It ruled out another amazingly common disorder, pyloric stenosis. Just look it up on webmd.com. What my daughter had was that her stomach did not contract properly and push the food down into her intestines. When the food sat in there an hour or two her stomach would apparently say "Well if its not going down its going up.", and she would throw up. The reglan caused her stomach to contract properly and problem solved. I finally, at this point she was 9 mos old, had a baby who did not spit up or throw up, and no more tears for her or me!

If doc wont try zantac, a basic acid reducer, I would seek a second opinion. Even in infants, spit up shouldnt happen more than every once in a while.

I learned to always trust my own instincts and never a doctor's opinion, because an opinion is all it is. The first 5 pediatricians were all very wrong about my baby. I knew, deep down, that something was not right, and kept trying until I got answers.

HI M.,

YOUR SON MAY HAVE ACID REFLUX YOU CAN SEE A GASTROENTEROLOGIST DOCTOR ABOUT THAT. MY SON HAS IT I LEARN OF IT AT THE AGE OF SIX MONTHS THEY PROBABLY CAN GIVE HIM PEPCID LIKE THEY DID MY SON.
BUT ASK YOUR DOCTOR TO RECOMMEND YOU TO A GASTROENTEROLOGIST . I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE BUT RUSH HOSPITAL HAVE ONE HE IS REALLY GREAT AND CARES ABOUT THE CHILDREN. HIS NAME IS DR. LlOYD-STILL AND # ###-###-####

Have the dr. check to see what his iron levels are. If they are low he will spit up most food. I don't know why but it's true.

My nephew was exactly like that. Since he continued to gain they didn't do anything other than mylacon(spelling) drops when he was really fussy.

He eventually outgrew it, but I remember it took a very long time and a lot of clothes.

My daughter has reflux. She started spitting in the hospital and continued for four months until we finally got a doctor to run the right test to find it. They put her on medicine and she was an entirely different child. Although she had major problems sleeping and seemed to be in pain along with spitting up day & night reguardless of what she had eaten when. The medicine is safe and is much better than the damage that can be done by the acid on their throats and teeth. Good luck.

My son was lactose intolerant the first year and that sounds like that is what your child has. We caught my sons right away at the hospital when he was born. We put him on Isomil it is soy based. He was able to do milk based at a year. I hope this helps.

My second child use to spit up as well. Once he started solids he stopped completely. My third (he's 6 months old) has been spitting up since birth (and it seems like it's worse than my 2nd child) and eventhough he started on the cereals and stage 1 foods he still spits up. If his doctor is not concerned then you shouldn't be either. I think we take too many drugs in our lifetime as is why start them early? I think that being a first time mom you tend to freak out more over the littlest things because it's all new to you. I was like that with my 1st. Now, with my 2nd and 3rd, I'm more laid back about things (not that I care less or anything like that). It's probably something he will outgrow. My friend's son didn't outgrow it until he was 1 years old.

As long as he is not in any pain and is still gaining weight, he is fine. Just a barfer is all. Buy lots of bibs!

My daughter has had it since 5 weeks old however had more signs than just spitting up. Look online for signs of acid reflux as my daughter was in obvious pain with the acid creeping up her throat and I could smell it on her breath. Gross and very painful from what I have heard. Zantac has done miracles, just hope she grows out of it.

Find a chiropractor that sees pediatric patients too. I took my 3 month old to one years back because I didn't want to go the route with drugs and medicine for reflux. The chiropractor did some adjustments to my son and showed me 2 quick exercises to do with him involving his sternum and bottom of the feet both before and after he ate. I had to take him back a few times for more adjustments after that but by the age of 10 months, we didn't have to do the exercises anymore. It really works!

You would know beyond a shadow of a doubt if he had acid reflux. He would be screaming a lot and displaying behavior to tell you he's uncomfortable. If the ped is not worried than neither should you be. My daughter spits up a lot and is 6 months. She always wears a bib, and there is always a burp rag on hand. Spray N Wash is my best friend when I do her/my laundry. Everything gets sprayed. It gets better when they start walking. Try more frequent and smaller meals, sit him up after feedings, amd be vigilnt about burping. It will get better

My son is a spitter too. I read a quote somewhere that said something to the effect of, "spitting up is a laundry problem, not a health problem." Best to ask your son's doctor, but as long as it doesn't seem to be causing him distress and it's not explosive vomiting, he's fine.

All 3 of my kids had reflux. One had it at birth, one at 2 weeks, and #3 not until she was 3 months old. Yes, they can give the baby something. My first and third were on zantac, and my second was on something stronger called prevacid. All were in liquid form. All babies spit up, and the medicine does not help with spitting up it only helps with the pain that is associated with spitting up. It can be very painful for them and that is what the medicine is for. If your son is really cranky the meds will help, but if he's not cranky he is probably not feeling any pain or very little. He is 7 months and he will likely outgrow it (2 of mine outgrew it around 10 months). Feel free to email me if you have any other questions. By the way, if he is crying/fussy a lot and he is gaining weight (which is a good thing) and the doctor says he's fine just remember he doesn't have to deal with a crying baby at all hours of the night. If you feel like he's in pain then push for the meds, he will most likely just need it for a few months. Mylicon drops only help for tummy aches or gas and only work about 50% of the time. Good luck!

My son had it 5 years ago and I breast feed him. He was on a rx until he was on solids full time.I do not remember what it was but was a life saver. I hope you have found relieve some way. I know how miserable it can be.

My son is now 18 months old, but he did the same thing. He was always a spitter upper and although he did outgrow it, he still vomits easily from crying too hard etc. The doctor told me it wasn't acid reflux... just some kids spit up more than others. Don't know if this helps, but it will get better!

All three of my kids were spitters. It is hard on the clothes! My twins did not have reflux, they just spit up a lot. My son did have reflux and the difference was that he would spit up for hours, large amounts. The girls spit up all the time, but not quite the same volume my son would spit. I would pick my son up to nurse him (three hours after he had last eaten) and he would spit up a huge puddle. They have him something, Zantac, maybe? I had the same doctor for all three kids and she only determined my last to have reflux, so there must be some distinguishing characteristics between reflux and spitting. He was gaining weight fine too. I think he had a little trouble sleeping as well. The medicine worked some, but he still spit up. Talk to your doctor about it, some babies just spit up a lot, eventually they stop.

I have 6 1/2 month old and he spits up all the time. Doesn't matter when he ate, he is always spitting/throwing up. I always have a bib on him and have a towel handy. Everyone tells me he'll outgrow it and our doctor isn't concerned either. He is gaining weight (75% on weight). So I try not to worry but it's hard being a first time mother. I worry about everything! Some babies I guess are just spitters. I also work and he gets half breast milk and half formula (Good Start - Green can) and also gets solids 2-3 times a day for the past month.

Try baby acidopholis. It's natural, friendly bacteria. Whole foods carrys it in powder that can easily mix into food. I believe it also comes in a liquid. It restores the good bacteria in the gut. Won't harm the baby, so try asking them at Whole Foods or Wild Oats. They can tell you about it and I've seen it work fantastic!

My first son spit up all the time. He had a dairy sensitivity.

One of my daughter's had severe acid reflux. The one key way of knowing it is acid reflux as compared to just typical spitting up is if the child seems to be in pain - - cries alot especially after eating or while lying down. If no signs of pain, I don't think it would be acid reflux but ask your pediatrician to be sure.

As an adult with acid reflux, I understood what my son, 1 month at the time, was experiencing. My son slept in his cradle swing which allowed him to stay on an incline without adding pressure to his stomach. We also kept him in a diaper, leaving it a little loose around his waist. I would also nurse him in a semi-sitting up position and avoided eating foods that are on the "trigger" list. By three months he would play in the exersaucer for those moments we needed to be hands free. We would still do our tummy time, but only before eating.

He is now a happy and healthy 4.5 year old who burps a lot after tickling. I hope this helps.

My son is 7 1/2 months and has reflux and we've been treating him pretty effectively with Prevacid. His MD prescribed it when he was 2 months old. We had to increase the dose one time due to weight gain. Good luck!

My son did the exact same thing until he was about one. Once he started to eat more solid food it just disappeared overnight. A techniques we tried that seemed to minimize it to a degree (but it never stopped) was holding him upright after feeding him for at least a half hour. There is a medicine you can give him prior to feeding him that if it is acid reflux will help, however, if it isn't (which was our case) it doesn't help any. You know it's acid reflux if when he spits up it seems to make him extremely uncomfortable as if he's in pain.

I know it's messy and icky but it does go away. Our son continued to gain weight even though he spit up too.