Reflux

Reflux

Advice:

Before introducing any medication to a baby I would suggest to analyse the following questions and if you have specific answers for all of them, perhaps medication is the right path for your baby.

-How the reflux diagnosis was made?

-Has the doctor given you a time frame for the medication to work and “cure the baby”?

-Are you aware of all the side effects of medication in babies?

-If your baby is on medication, have you seen any improvements?

-How many types of medication are you using and why?

-Have you increased the doses of medication before any improvements?

-Do you know that most babies outgrow reflux after 4 months?

If your baby ticks more than 7 from the following list then you can consider this as a chronic Reflux case.

1.      Is not eating

2.      Is not gaining wait.

3.      Each feed baby arches his back.

4.      Irritated throat.

5.      Struggling to feed properly.

6.      Bad breath from stomach acids.

7.      Not sleeping well.

8.      Recurrent ear infections.

9.      Has asthma.

10.  Has eczema.

11.  Crying for hours.

12.  Projectile vomit.

If your questions can’t be answered easily and your baby scores less than 7 from the list above then the following tips can help you to pass the mild reflux stage of your baby

Tips to pass the mild Reflux stage

*Feeding by demand is the common cause for overfeeding, vomiting the extra milk is the result.

1.      Establish a feeding routine.

2.      Feed baby after waking up.

3.      After every feed maintain the baby in vertical position for approx. 20 mins.

4.      Lie baby slightly upright in bed

5.      Check that the nappy is not too tight

6.      If breastfed, check mums diet to avoid too much food that contains acid like chocolate, tomatoes, strawberries, lots of fat, coffee, etc.

7.      Avoid lack of sleep - Gastro system not functioning properly.

8.      Check that baby is not swallowing too much air (aggressive eating)

9.      Burping after feeds.

10.  Check for delayed maturation of gastrointestinal track (if baby is premature).

11.  Check for the over-reactive letdown.

I hope the information above was helpful, if you have any concerns, questions or wish to have a chat, please do not hesitate in contacting me, my details are on at the top of each page.

Thanks

Liliana Amaro

Certified Sleep Consultant.

The information above is Not Medical Advice.  The advice you receive from me is for informational purposes only and is intended for use with common early childhood sleep issues that are wholly unrelated to medical conditions.  My advice is NOT intended to be a substitute for medical advice or treatment.  Always seek the advice of your doctor or another qualified health practitioner regarding any matters that may require medical attention or diagnosis, and before following the advice and using the techniques described in the provided information.  Reliance on any information provided by Liliana Amaro is solely at your own risk.