Anyone have an infant with GER/Acid Reflux?

[kaysmommie]

My DD was diagnosed with reflux at 3 weeks. She was put on Zantac and Enfamil AR and taken off of breast milk. She had to be on it until 9 months old but it did work. Another thing that helped is that we kept her upright for at least an hour after each feeding (Dr. recommended) and she had to be burped half way through each feeding. She was also started on rice cereal at 15 weeks. I would talk to my ped if it doesn't seem to be getting better as there are other meds that your baby can be put on. It will get better but you may have to tolerate the spit up while out for a while until your baby can get used to the meds. Good luck!

Both of my kids had this when they were born. This is exactly what helped DD. She grew out of it by around 14-16 months. She would reflux what seemed like the whole bottle sometimes and didn't gain much weight. We went to a pediatric GI and everything.

Now DS had less spitting up and more discomfort with his reflux. He cried for almost the whole first 18 months of his life . We had him on every med imaginable. Prilosec capsules worked the best. He had and adult strength dose once a day. We just broke the capsule open and put it in applesauce, yogurt or ice cream. We tried Zantac, prevacid solutabs and 2 others that I can't remember he names of lol. Ds could hardly sleep he was so uncomfortable. He would sleep really good in his car seat/ carrier and he slept there for his first 7 months. We tried slings and those wedges in his crib but nothing seemed to work. you could maybe pump breastmilk and then add rice cereal to the bottles. Also try different kinds of bottles some work better then others. Dr. Browns worked really for DS but they are such a pain to cleanbut for a few quiet hours it was worth it. For DD playtex nursers with disposables liners worked well. luckily that is long behind us now.
Things will get better, it just might take a while before you figure out what works or the child grows out of it. good luck and hang in there.

 

[Tikicampers]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but since you are breastfeeding, you may need to watch your diet. DD was having awful spitup issues (basically losing her entire meal at times), and I cut out dairy (had to with DS as well), and she got so much better. It is a sacrifice (no pizza ), but very worth it.

Also, just to give you hope, I had a tough time nursing DS at first, but once we both got the hang of it (6-8 weeks) it was wonderful.

 

[fterie4u]

My DD had this as well! After different formulas, Enfamil AR, Gentleease, Alimentum(which was $$$) and after different medicine, zantac, prevacid, etc. we decided that we were going to try her on Lactose-free formula. Well, it was a night and day difference! Within 24-36 hours she was a completley different baby! She was happy, slept MUCH better and just seemed so much more comfortable. Oh and we did use the Dr. Brown's bottles right from the start. They are the best!

She is now 15 months old and still is on lactose-free milk. However, she can eat cheese, eggs and yogurt, just not the milk. Her pediatricain said that is becoming more common in children. There is something in the lactose milk that they have a problem with. She also said that my DD may grow out of it within the next year, we will just have to wait and see! Good luck, I understand your frustration completely! Let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[dpcheercoach]

To the OP-you are doing all the "right" things! Keep trying other suggestions until you find what works for you or at least makes things managable. I too worried about my diet and milk products i was consuming although i was not a big milk drinker, but my drs. weren't concerned so i left it.

All4fun-you are right by it not being as important as to why but more important how to deal with it. We did the gaging and throwing up with solid foods as my DS was intorduced to them. He still has a very limited diet, although you would not guess it if you saw him. Very average weight and height and very strong 6 yr. old. I just wory about health problems in the future for him with no veggies in his diet and very few fruits. He eats any kind of crackers, chicken nuggets, pizza, bacon, grilled cheese (which was new this summer), pb&j, and a few "junk" foods like chips or cookies. Fortunately he doesn't really like candy or too much sweets. I think it is now a fear for him to try new things. Although at 6 he doesn't remember his infant days it must be something subconscious(sp?) because it was fruits and veggies that he always gagged on as a little guy. Even if it would touch his lips or tongue he was gagging. Now if I try to get him to try it he refuses and says "I won't like it". It was such an ordeal with crying and fighting us when he was younger that we just don't fight it anymore. He will drink fruit juices so we try to keep as much of that around (without added sugar) as possible so he gets some of those nutrients. It's just so frustrating, wanting your kid to eat healthy and not making any progress with it. Been to different drs. and they all say the same things. I wonder if they really don't see it as a problem or if they think I am exaggerating the situation? Our reg. ped. just says as he gets older ( he's 6 already!) he will eventually try more things and he is a healthy kid so not to worry about it. As a mom how do you not worry?

 

[all4fun]

dpcheercoach -- I am right there with you and I feel your pain!! My little guy and your ds sound like they've sort of been going down the same path. The only fruit my ds will touch are apples - for which I'm thankful - but usually he'll just eat a few bites and then be done with it. Oh and don't cut them up first. He wants to take bites out of the apple. If it's cut up it's ruined and he won't touch it. Sooooo picky, lol. I know exactly what you mean about not wanting to fight it any more because of the previous ordeal you've already been through. There's really no point in fighting them over it because in the end, they are the ones that controls what goes into their mouths. I worry too though about what his current diet is doing to him. Hopefully it gets better (for both of us).

 

[CowboyCO]

To the poster who suggested using Soya milk, PLEASE be careful in replacing formula with Soy milk. There was a family recently (vegetarian) who fed there baby soy milk instead of formula and he eventually perished due to malnutrition. The parents, who thought they were just raising their baby as a vegetarian were charged w/ negligent homocide and child abuse.

Not to throw a wet towel on the discussion, but don't want to ever read about another tragedy like that...

 

[squirrel]

One of the parents at a daycare I worked at thought her son was allergic to milk and switched him to soy milk. It turned out he was allergic to soy-not milk. They also found other allergies.

For those of you who know your older child has a Milk Allergy or Intollerance, you can get Minute Maid Orange Juice with Calcium.

For the other parents with older children who refuse to try new foods have you tried making Fruit Smothies or other drinks? Some of the fruit juices now have some veggies in them-check ingredients (one brand uses just carrots). My mom use to make a chocolate zucchini cake-we liked it as long as there weren't chunks of zucchini in it!

 

[fakereadhed]

To the poster who suggested using Soya milk, PLEASE be careful in replacing formula with Soy milk. There was a family recently (vegetarian) who fed there baby soy milk instead of formula and he eventually perished due to malnutrition. The parents, who thought they were just raising their baby as a vegetarian were charged w/ negligent homocide and child abuse.

Not to throw a wet towel on the discussion, but don't want to ever read about another tragedy like that...

Great post! There are not enough fats/nutrients in soy milk for infants- different than soy formula.

 

[momx2]

Great post! There are not enough fats/nutrients in soy milk for infants- different than soy formula.

That's correct. Until they are 2 or 3 I used soy follow-up forumulas. Then switch over to regular soy milk. There are also soy yogurts, icecream, etc. Also, the fortified OJ is great, but if they are GERD issues it may be too difficult on their stomach. Oldest DD can only tolerate small amounts of OJ.

 

[gwtw428]

My daughter was diagnosed with "silent" GER which means that she has all the symptoms but she doesnt spit up or vomit. It comes up to her throat and then goes back down...burning all the way.. It was really bad until her pedi gave her AXID. It worked the very first time we gave it to her. She was on AXID for 2 months and then outgrew the GER.

 

[Rapunzel]

I haven't read the replies yet, but both of my kids were diagnosed around 4 months with acid reflux.

My son (who is 5 now) was put on Zantac (if I remember correctly) once he started eating cereals he was fine. The Zantac really never helped him.

My daughter (who is 2.5) was diagnosed and the docs also wanted to put her on meds. I mentioned it to my chiropractor and she asked me if she could adjust her. I agreed (the chiropractor is specialized in pregnant women and children). After getting adjusted 3x she no longer was spitting up. I suggested this to a co-worker at the time for her grand daughter. She said it totally worked for her grand-daughter too.

Some people may think its very odd, but if you have a chiropractor you're comfortable with. And hopefully one that specializes in children I'd see if you could get the baby adjusted!

 

[Dallas_Lady]

My DD (now 9 months) has this. I pumped and bottle fed her with a little rice added to the bottles. That helped a little. Her doctor put her on Prevacid, that didn't help and it was expensive. She them put her on Bethanacol and that helped a lot. It's in liquid form and she takes it twice a day. It's worked wonders.

 

[ENSOCK]

Ds (13) had this too. Found out about it at 1 month and outgrew it at 9 months. Had to put the cereal in the soy milk, alot of cereal in the soy milk. It really helps. He outgrew the reflux at 9 months and the milk allergy at 2 years. He still will not drink milk and has a "weak" stomach. I tell dh all the time if ds does not want to do something, or wants out of school or gets in trouble he can make himself throw up.

It does get better! Just love them and remember one day they will be teenagers!

 

[antree]

We were told my DS had reflux at the age of 1 month, he was on pepcid and zantac. I hated giving him the meds. I didn't like how it made him act and it wasn't really helping. So I stopped the meds, switched doctors and the new Dr. switched his formula to Almentuim, and that worked Great, he was on it until the age of 1. It was expensive but so worth it. My niece just had a baby and the doctors wanted to test him for reflux. I begged her not to put him through all those test and just try the formula first and if it doesn't help then have the test done. Well guess what, the formula did the trick and my nephew has never been happier.
He is now 3 months old and holding all his formula down, little spit up he and there but nothing out of the ordinary.

If you haven't changed formula try it, changing doesn't hurt.

 

[two-foxes]

My daughter (who is 2.5) was diagnosed and the docs also wanted to put her on meds. I mentioned it to my chiropractor and she asked me if she could adjust her. I agreed (the chiropractor is specialized in pregnant women and children). After getting adjusted 3x she no longer was spitting up. I suggested this to a co-worker at the time for her grand daughter. She said it totally worked for her grand-daughter too.

Some people may think its very odd, but if you have a chiropractor you're comfortable with. And hopefully one that specializes in children I'd see if you could get the baby adjusted!

Funny you say this....I was talking to someone at Starbucks yesterday who recommended the very same thing. My acupuncurist shares her office with two chiropractors...I may look into this as an option. Although it seems so odd to have adjustments made to a tiny little baby.

For those of you who suggested Dr. Browns bottles/nipples, are those preferable over Avent? Why? We have been using Avent bottles and nipples for when he gets expressed milk (got them as shower gifts), but last night I tried a Dr. Browns nipple on the Ameda pump bottles....he didn't spit up at all. I don't know if that is because of the Dr Browns or if it is because he took from a bottle (controlled amount of milk, less gulping/choking, etc..which he does on the breast alot.) He seems to have less vomit, discomfort, etc when he has his nightly bottle.