Acid reflux infant symptoms

Definition of Acid Reflux Infant Symptoms

Is your baby spitting too much? If your baby is spitting too much, he/she may have a common problem: Acid reflux. More than half of all babies experience acid reflux infant symptoms in the first three months.

Acid reflux infant symptoms appear most likely after a feed. It can also happen after your baby coughs or cries. You do not have to worry that your baby is suffering from acid reflux. Most babies who have acid reflux infant symptoms are generally healthy and happy. Acid reflux infant symptoms resolves by themselves when they reach 12 to 18 months. To reduce the symptoms in the meantime, give your baby more frequent feeds, change positions while feeding, or interrupting feedings to burp.

Common Acid Reflux Infant Symptoms

What are the most common acid reflux infant symptoms? The common symptoms are spitting or vomiting, refusing to eat or eating only small amounts, sudden or constant crying, frequent hiccups, frequent coughing, poor sleeping habits with frequent waking up, and bad breath.

A handful of infants will experience other acid reflux symptoms too. They are difficulty in swallowing, weight loss or poor weight gain, respiratory problems (such as asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, wheezing), frequent ear or sinus infections, excessive drooling, and hoarse voice.

Diagnosing Acid Reflux Infant Symptoms

If your baby is healthy and growing well, the doctor may make a diagnosis of reflux based on the parent's description of symptoms and feeding history, and a physical exam alone. However, your baby's doctor may order more diagnostic tests, if he or she suspects a more serious condition, such as GERD.

These diagnostic tests include lab tests. It invloves taking various blood and urine tests to identify, or rule out possible causes of recurring vomiting and poor weight gain. It also includes esophageal pH monitoring, and upper endoscopy. In upper endoscopy, a tube with a camera lens and light is inserted through your baby's mouth, and into the

Instructions for Infants with Acid Reflux

For infants with acid reflux symptoms, you may want to try these to minimize the symptoms: If the baby is bottle-fed, add one tablespoon of rice cereal to 2 ounces of infant milk (including expressed breast milk). If the mixture is too thick for your infant, change the nipple size or cross cut the nipple.

Burp your baby after 1 or 2 ounces of formula is taken. For breast-fed infants, burp after feeding on each side. Do not overfeed. Talk to your child's doctor or nurse about the amounts of formula or breast milk that your baby should be taking.