Acid reflux disease in babies is a fairly recent discovery.Not long ago, it was believed that babies couldn’t suffer from acid reflux because of their all-milk diet.However, it is now recognized that babies are more prone to acid reflux than any other age group because their digestive systems are less developed.Acid reflux occurs when milk is regurgitated into the esophagus.Of course, most babies spit up now and then, but babies with acid reflux disease suffer from pain as their esophagus is burned by stomach acids.This makes for a very cranky baby.
Babies with acid reflux disease don’t always spit up a lot.Sometimes the milk only comes as far as the esophagus.So watching for spitting up isn’t the surest way to spot acid reflux disease.Instead, babies will appear congested frequently, will change temperament depending on their position, and will often either pull away from the breast while nursing or eat voraciously as the milk soothes their throat.You may hear gurgling noises from the throat of a baby who doesn’t spit up all the way.
As always, nutrition will help these babies resolve their problems earlier.Good nutrition in the breastfeeding mother will allow the baby to develop the ability to keep milk where it belongs.In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to help ease your baby’s pain.
Position, Position, Position
Positioning is the most important factor in helping acid reflux babies.You might notice an improvement in your baby as soon as you start positioning her correctly though it will probably still take some time to heal the damage that has already been done.As you may have already figured out, acid reflux babies do better in upright positions.Holding them up on your shoulder will make them happier than laying them down.In fact, you may have discovered that your baby wakes up soon after you lay her down.Positioning during sleep will have a big effect on keeping baby’s stomach acids where they belong.
These days, the general recommendation is to put babies to sleep on their backs to avoid the risk of SIDS.However, the acid reflux baby will feel better placed on her tummy.This is because the esophagus connects with the stomach towards the back, so stomach contents are more likely to stay put if baby is laying tummy down.Because acid reflux increases the chance of babies aspirating regurgitated milk, it may not be any more dangerous to put them on their stomachs than their backs.Really, the risk of SIDS even in a baby laying tummy down is minimal.
If you are uncomfortable with the thought of laying your baby on her tummy, you can raise the head of her bed instead.This will also help keep the baby’s stomach acids down while she is sleeping, though you’ll have to be careful that the baby doesn’t slide down during the night.Some parents also find that their acid reflux babies sleep well in their car seats.Technically, this defies logic, since the scrunched up position of the baby’s stomach would make her more likely to spit up, but some babies do just find anyway.If placing your baby in a car seat to sleep, it’s best to place the seat on the floor and possibly even strap the baby in if she is strong enough to twist her way out.
Another time you should be mindful of your baby’s position is after she has eaten.Keeping her in an upright position for 20 to 30 minutes after she has eaten should help ease the worst of the acid reflux.You should also try to burp baby well after feedings.
Prescription Antacids
If your baby’s acid reflux is very bad you might want to ask your doctor for prescription antacids.Some have a long history of safe use.These will help reduce the amount of stomach acid your baby produces which will reduce the burning when your baby regurgitates.