What Are The symptoms of Acid Reflux In Babies?

It is a condition where one experiences stomach acid to flow back to the esophagus. Acid reflux is common and many people experience it especially infants.

Adults experience acid reflux at times after meals. Acid Reflux in babies is more common compared to adults as most babies tend to regurgitate after feeding and sometimes experience heartburn. 

Acid reflux in babies is at peak during their 1-4 months of age. Acid reflux in babies is harmless as the babies often do not show signs of secondary symptoms.

Babies diagnosed with acid reflux are easy to detect. The common symptoms of acid reflux in babies include frequent spitting after feeding, hiccups, wet burps, irritability during feeding, frequent coughing and poor sleeping. 

Other less common symptoms of acid reflux in babies are weight loss, sore throat, ear and sinus infection, excessive drooling and respiratory problems. With difficulty in eating, the babies tend to show irritation when fed and almost try to avoid eating altogether by struggling and crying. 

It may be hard to understand babies by their crying but parents are advised to pay extra attention to their child especially when it happens usually during feeding as their child may be trying to tell them about their discomfort. 

The cause of acid reflux in babies includes overfeeding, unsuitable milk formula, poor digestive system where the circular muscle at the junction of the stomach to the esophagus that was unable to retain the acid in the stomach from going to the esophagus resulting to spitting up. 

In order to prevent acid reflux in babies, parents can take small steps such as feeding their babies in small portion, switching from artificial milk to breast feeding, making the baby burp and correcting the baby’s sleeping position. 

Adjusting the baby’s diet is also essential and parents can do so by adding new food items and only feeding the baby with natural food. 

When diagnosing acid reflux in babies, doctors usually carry out lab tests, esophageal pH monitoring and under endoscopy. Diagnosis is important for acid reflux in babies to help doctors ensure that the babies are not in danger of a more severe condition. 

Acid reflux in babies often resolve as they grow older usually after 6 months old. For medication, the type of medication that doctors prescribe includes antacids, acid suppressers and acid blockers. 

Parents are not advised to simply buy the medication off the shelves and should consult a doctor on acid reflux in babies to check against their child’s symptoms. 

Acid reflux in babies can change the parents’ perception in care giving. Babies with acid reflux will require careful handling and a lot of attention which may cause quite some stress in the household.  Furthermore, to cure acid reflux especially in babides usually require patience.  

Although acid reflux in babies is not as severe and harmful as some diseases, there is also a surgery for acid reflux which is known as the Nissen fundoplication. 

It may sound extreme, but if parents who decided to let their child undergo the surgery, they should always consult a doctor for other alternatives and the risks behind the surgery if necessary.