Acid reflux, also called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), affects infants by causing vomiting and fussiness after feeding. Acid reflux is caused by acidic contents of the stomach moving back up into the esophagus, reports Kids Health. Other symptoms reported by Kids Health include choking, wheezing, wet burps, wet hiccups, spitting up, irritability, refusal to eat or an inability to gain weight. Parents with babies suffering from acid reflux can rest assured that many different options exist to help their infant.
Vertical Position
According to Baby Center, holding an infant suffering from acid reflux in a vertical position can help eliminate some of the pain and discomfort associated with the problem. Feeding an infant in an upright position and then keeping her upright for several minutes after a feeding can help. Avoiding horizontal positions, such as during tummy time, for a short period of time after feeding can work to keep the acid down and make the infant more comfortable, says Baby Center.
Dietary Changes
The Penn State Children's Hospital recommends dietary changes for infants suffering from acid reflux. The hospital recommends providing small, frequent meals and thickening the food to help encourage the infant to keep it down. Kids Health weighs in by suggesting that parents thicken breast milk or formula with a small amount of rice cereal to make the food thicker and easier to keep in the stomach. The Penn State Children's Hospital goes on to suggest that some foods a nursing mother ingests or specific environmental stressors may play a role in the aggravation of acid reflux and should be identified and avoided.
Elevated Sleeping
Just as keeping an infant in the upright position while eating helps ease symptoms of acid reflux, so does elevating a crib mattress or other sleeping area to avoid a horizontal position. The Penn State Children's Hospital recommends that parents raise the head of the infant's crib about six inches to help keep the acid flowing away from the esophagus while the infant sleeps.
Medication
In some instances a pediatrician may prescribe medication to help ease symptoms of acid reflux in infants. Kids Health encourages parents to try holding a baby in a vertical position before and after feeding, making dietary changes and elevating the crib mattress before trying medication. If none of these treatments work, a pediatrician may prescribe an H2 blocker, which works to block the production of stomach acid. Proton pump inhibitors reduce the amount of acid the stomach produces, reports Kids Health.
