Infant acid reflux occurs in more than half of all babies, according to the Mayo Clinic. Although infant acid reflux does not indicate your baby is unhealthy, it can be troublesome for your baby because your baby may refuse to eat due to an upset stomach. Time will typically resolve your baby's symptoms, but other treatments are available until baby acid reflux is fully eradicated.
Significance
The purpose of the esophageal sphincter is to prevent stomach acid from coming up into the mouth, according to Dr. Greene's website. However, babies do not possess fully formed and strengthened esophageal sphincters. As a result, babies experience spit up that can be just milk or both milk and acid. When stomach acid is involved, your baby's esophagus may become red, painful and tender. Although this condition often ceases as your baby grows older, she can develop symptoms that indicate discomfort in the meantime.
Identification
Although spitting up is a common occurrence for your baby, it also is a common symptom associated with baby acid reflux. If spitting up is accompanied by symptoms such as your baby arching her back, coughing, wheezing or crying with a hoarse voice, these can all be signs of baby acid reflux, according to Dr. Greene.
Considerations
Babies can occasionally experience acid reflux as a result of allergies to foods, including the milk you feed your baby, according to Dr. Greene. Cow's milk and/or soy protein that is found in your baby's formula can result in acid reflux. If you are still breastfeeding, the foods you eat, such as caffeine, tobacco, coffee or other stimulants, can cause acid reflux. If your baby is exhibiting signs of acid reflux, consider speaking to your baby's physician about switching her formula.
Types
Several types of acid reflux exist, and the chief difference is the symptoms a baby experiences. Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) results from the backwards flow of stomach acid, according to the website Colic Calm. This type of GER has symptoms mentioned previously. Silent GER occurs when reflux material comes up only part of the way. This type may not have symptoms, but damage to the esophagus still can occur. This type may be harder to treat because it is tough to measure a treatment's effectiveness. Laryngopharyngeal reflux occurs when your baby's gastric juices extend all the way up to the throat and nasal passages. This is a more severe form of GER and can result in chronic cough and sore throat in your baby.
Prevention/Solution
Baby acid reflux is often treated by altering the way you feed your baby. For example, you may choose to give smaller feedings several times a day to reduce the acid produced by the stomach, according to the Mayo Clinic. Feeding your baby while sitting up and keeping him sitting up 15 to 30 minutes following a feeding can help reduce reflux symptoms. Ensuring the bottle nipple is not too large and food is not coming out too fast also can help to reduce your baby's reflux.
If your baby's acid reflux seems to become increasingly problematic, your physician can prescribe medications that can help your baby, such as Tagamet, Zantac or Prilosec, according to the Mayo Clinic.
