Most infants sporadically spit up. However, if other problems arise it may be due to the fact your infant could have gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). This can also occur in older children.
Common symptoms of GERD in infants and kids
- constant vomiting
- never ending cough
- not wanting to eat or having difficulty
- heartburn, gas, or stomach pain
Other symptoms may also be present but its hard to pinpoint it on being due to GERD.
What causes Gerd in your infant or children?
Similar to adults with the same condition, GERD is a result of the upward movement of the stomach’s contents into the esophagus and sometimes into the mouth and onto the ground. In which you have the duty to clean up.
Joking aside, your infant will probably grow out of GERD by the time they are one year old. But it may also due to other problems your infant may have.
For those with older children with this problem, it is the smame causes as those with adults. Common problems are obesity, overeating, and acidic beverages.
Diagnosing your child with GERD
As your infant or child may not have the ability to commuunicate the pain he or she is encountering, it is your job as the parent to convey what pain you see to the doctor. For the most part this will be enough but further tests may be necessary at times.
- Barium swallow- a x ray test that uses barium to highlight any obstructions or narrowing the esophagus or stomach
- pH probe- your child will be asked to swallow long thing tube with a probe that will stay in the esophagus fo r24 hours. This will meaure the levels of stomach acids. This can determine whether breathing problems arise as well.
- Upper Gi endoscopy- a doctor uses a camer to see the your stomach or esophagus
- gastric emptying study- your child’s food will be mixed with a chemical and a camera will follow it.
Treats for Infant and Children Gerd
For infants, you want to elevate the head so that you use gravity to not only the reflux to go up. You will also want to hold the baby up after feeding for at least 30 minutes. You may want to substitute solid food or thickening the baby formula. You can also try changing the feeding schedule.
For children, you will want to tell them to keep their heads up and tell them to be upright for at least two hours after eating. Feed them smaller meals but more frequently. Limiting soda and all foods and beverages that seem to trigger the reaction. Also, tell your kid to go outside.