Reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is a common condition in babies, especially newborns.
As the gut of newborns are small and immature, it is very common (especially during the first week of life) to cough up small amounts of milk after a feed – occurring specifically whilst burping or from being moved into different positions or when the baby is fed lying down instead of being upright.
It occurs when stomach acid backs up into the oesophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. This can cause irritation and discomfort, leading to symptoms like spitting up, fussiness and crying.
The developmental relationships of oesophagus and stomach in relation to the main breathing muscle (diaphragm) can have an influence on stomach function after feeding. Since digestive track wave-like patterns may not have been established in the oesophagus yet, reflux is likely.
Silent Reflux
In some cases, babies may experience silent reflux, where the acid backs up into the oesophagus as well, but doesn’t cause obvious symptoms like spitting up. Showing other symptoms like coughing & wheezing, these babies can have long, disorganized feeds that can last for an hour or longer. Baby latches on okay & starts to feed, but then arches backwards & gets distressed. It can still cause discomfort, affecting feeding and sleep.
Symptoms Of Reflux In BabiesSpitting up or vomitingFussiness and irritabilityArching the backRefusing to feedDifficulty sleepingCoughing or chokingHiccups
What You Can DoFrequent burping: Burp your baby frequently during and after feedings to release trapped air, but never too forcefullySmaller, more frequent feedings: Offer smaller, more frequent feedings instead of fewer, larger feedings. Very young babies tend to be guzzlers, so they will often down milk & air very quickly, thus distending the stomach – consequently increase gastric pressure. By reducing meal sizes & increase feeding frequency, the stomach may be less distendedKeep your baby upright: Hold your baby upright for at least 30 minutes after feedingsAvoid overfeeding: Don’t overfill your baby’s stomach during feedings. In comparison: at birth baby’s stomach is the size of a cherry, at 1 month the size of a large egg. This tiny size is a key reason why newborns need to feed frequently, as their stomachs empty quickly
Prognosis
Most babies outgrow the condition by the time they are a year old. It is unusual for a child to have GER after the age of 2yrs.
Treatment should be given early, because feeding problems can often lead to tension between mum and baby and tend to become a behavioural pattern, which is difficult to release after it has existed for a while.
Please note that this information is for general knowledge and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
