Babies with gastroesophageal reflux experience pain, gas, spitting up and upset stomach. Some babies experience reflux so intense it causes them to choke, burp frequently and fuss often. Reflux doesn't just make your baby miserable. It can lead to health problems such as respiratory distress, malnutrition and chronic infections. Adding rice cereal to your baby's formula or a bottle of expressed breast milk helps some babies find relief from reflux symptoms.
Potential Benefits
Adding rice cereal to breast milk or formula is known as a thickened feed. Thickened feeds help some babies with reflux by minimizing spit up and regurgitation because the thicker formula is more likely to stay in the stomach. Thickened formulas also help your baby feel satisfied on smaller, more frequent meals -- another recommended approach to easing reflux symptoms.
Potential Drawbacks
Not all healthcare professionals agree that the benefits of offering rice cereal to infants outweigh the risks. Lactation consultant Kelley Bonyata of online magazine "Kelly Mom" points out that introducing rice cereal to breastfed babies may encourage early weaning or decrease the amount of your breast milk your baby takes in. Introducing babies to solid foods before they're six months old is associated with increased risk of food allergies and other medical complications, according to Bonyata.
Instructions
The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse recommends adding 1 tbsp of rice cereal for every 2 oz of formula or expressed breast milk. Since overfeeding worsens reflux symptoms, you should feed your baby smaller meals more frequently and burp him after each ounce he eats. If you breastfeed, offer the thickened formula then finish the feed by offering your breasts.
Tips
Aside from feeding smaller meals more frequently and burping often, you can help minimize reflux symptoms in babies by making a few other changes to your feeding routine. Keep your baby upright instead of in a reclined position during feedings and for at least 10 minutes after feedings, recommends The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Make sure your baby is latching properly or find a nipple system for bottles that minimizes the amount of air your baby can swallow. Talk to your doctor about medications and formula changes as part of a comprehensive reflux treatment program.
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