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Acid Reflux
Lifestyle changes
Preventing Infant Acid Reflux
Many babies have spitting up problems that
don't require treatment. Referred to as
"happy spitters," their symptoms usually
disappear after six to eight months. For
some infants, however, their symptoms are a
sign of something more serious, and they
need medical attention.
The tips below can help reduce your baby's
reflux. You should consult your baby's
doctor before making any major changes in
your infant's feedings, positions, etc. The
doctor will be able to tell you if the
reflux is normal spitting up, or a chronic
problem that needs medical treatment, and
give you advice on the best treatment for
your baby.
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Hold Baby Upright : Keep infants upright during feedings,
and for at least 30 minutes after feedings.
This will decrease the amount of gastric
reflux.
-
Laying Baby Down When Awake : If you lay your baby down after feeding,
place the baby on his stomach (prone
position) on an incline of at least 30
degrees.
This can reduce regurgitation. But only
place the infant in this position if he is
awake. Also, this is not recommended during
sleep for infants from birth to 12 months
because of the link between this position
and sudden infant death syndrome. Based on
guidelines set forth by the American Academy
of Pediatrics, positioning the infant on
his/her back (supine position) during sleep
is generally recommended.
In infants with GERD, the risk of SIDS
generally outweighs the potential benefits
of prone sleeping. Prone positioning during
sleep is only considered in unusual cases
where the risk of death from complications
of GERD outweighs the potential increased
risk of SIDS. It is very important to
discuss this with your infant's doctor
before undertaking any changes in sleeping
positions.
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Nighttime Sleep Position :
As noted above, position your infant on
his back, and elevate the head of the bed 30
degrees. Gravity will help keep stomach
contents where they belong.
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Try Smaller, More Frequent Feedings
:
Feedings every two to three hours when
the infant is awake will reduce the
occurrence of gastric reflux. Overfeeding
can increase abdominal pressure, which can
lead to gastric reflux.
-
Rice Cereal May Help :
This can reduce the amount an infant
will regurgitate. Start with one teaspoon of
rice cereal to each ounce of formula. If the
baby is breast-feed, try pumping and then
adding rice cereal to the breast milk.
-
Diet Modifications for Mothers who
Breastfeed :
Certain foods -- such as caffeine,
chocolate, and garlic -- can promote reflux,
so if you breastfeed your infant, you should
consider cutting these foods out of your
diet.
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Infant Seats and Car Seats
:
The way the infant is positioned in the
car seat can cause regurgitation to
increase. If the infant slouches over, it
causes abdominal compression, increasing the
risk of reflux. Using simple supports to
keep the infant upright will prevent this.
-
Burping the Infant :
Burping your infant several times during
the feeding will help minimize gastric
pressure, and the reflux it can cause.
Waiting to burp your infant until after she
has a full stomach can increase the chances
of regurgitation.
-
Other Things You Can Do :
Avoid tight elastic around your baby's
waist, and keep diapers loose. Also, don't
give your infant caffeinated beverages,
orange juice or other citrus juices.
If none of the above methods work, there are
a number of medications that often help.
Keep in contact with your doctor as you make
any of these lifestyle changes. Your doctor
will advice you as to the next steps to
take.
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