Gastroesophageal reflux in infants can be a tricky condition, mostly due to the fact that a baby cannot verbally express what he is feeling. In a case of reflux, the nutrients travel backward up the esophagus instead of staying in the stomach and progressing through a normal digestive pattern. The National Institutes of Health explains that some acid reflux is normal in babies; the condition becomes more serious when the baby loses weight, vomits frequently, cries in pain continuously and develops breathing difficulties. Home remedies regarding eating and sleeping patterns and positions can help curb infant reflux in many young patients.
Position Baby Upright
Gravity can help the contents of the stomach stay where it should, and this means careful positioning of a baby who suffers from reflux. The Mayo Clinic suggests that parents of infants with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) make sure their babies do not lie down immediately after nursing or feeding. Holding the child upright, either in a person's arms or in a front pack, car seat or bouncy chair for at least 20 minutes after a meal can aid the pull of gravity and help the baby keep her food down.
Tilting the baby's bed by placing a wooden board under one side of the crib may be another solution to reduce reflux. The child's head should be placed at the higher end and she should still be placed on her back for safe sleeping.
Frequent Feedings
Adjusting the infant's feeding schedule to include several smaller and more frequent feedings each day may be a home remedy that can relieve the discomfort of acid reflux in some babies. Very young infants generally feed frequently, but this pattern may also be beneficial to the older baby who has reflux. As in the case of adult reflux, smaller amounts of food are less likely to back up than a large meal, and are not as problematic. A relaxed, unhurried style with plenty of burping time can also be helpful to limit the amount of air that is swallowed during nursing or bottle feeding, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Adjust Food Consistency
Babies who have transitioned to solid foods and still experience reflux may show fewer symptoms when they eat food that is thicker in consistency rather than on the thin end of the spectrum. Jarred fruits and vegetables and even baby formula can be bulked up in texture with a few tablespoons of rice or oat baby cereal and might stay in the stomach more easily.
Younger babies who only take bottles might need the nipple size adjusted. A larger hole in a nipple produces a quicker flow of formula, which can cause an infant to swallow a lot of air while drinking.
