Today I am going to talk about Gastroesophageal Reflux in Infants or more generally known as acid reflux in babies. Before addressing this problem, you should know that reflux in infants is among the most common complaints pediatrician receives.
In fact, acid reflux in infants is simply part of a normal and developing process you baby is going through, and even to some extend reflux may actually be good in spreading helpful bacteria from mom breast milk into the baby, to protect against diseases.
You should seek comfort in knowing that your baby will eventually grow out of their reflux, but meanwhile, if you notice symptoms such as
weigh loss
your baby is crying all the time
being constantly congested or stuffy
having breathing problems
then you should seek medical attention with your child doctor. When addressing this problem, some doctors might consider reducing the portions your baby is eating by somewhat smaller feeds and adding rice cereal to the formula to increase the caloric density. You can purchase a formula like Enfamil A.R, that already has rice cereal in it, or you could save money by adding rice cereal in your regular formula.
Some pediatrician will also change the type of formula your baby is taken to a hypoallergenic type, especially if your child seems to be sensitive to the proteins in their formula. The top recommended products for this type of sensitivity, are Nutramigen Lipil (hypoallergenic) and Similac Alimentum (hypoallergenic Formula). If your baby is having Gastroesophageal Reflux, doctors might treat the problem with medication such as antacids or some type of Zentac version.
Although I completely disapprove of this type of drugs, some doctor may prescribe proton pump inhibitor to try and reduce the acid in your babies stomach. Even if these types of drugs are very effective in neutralizing acid reflux, there have been reports of dangerous long term side effects of people utilizing products like Prevacid or Prilosec. A safer and better holistic approach you can try is to get a reflux pillow for your baby.
Commonly known as baby wedge pillow, this product will greatly help to relief reflux in your infant by keeping your baby in an inclination position. Studies have revealed babies grow out of acid reflux disorders faster when they are handled, carried or sleeping in an inclined position. The earth gravity will naturally help your baby by preventing acid from streaming upwards.
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