This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview How infant reflux occurs Open pop-up dialog box Close. How infant reflux occurs If the muscle between the esophagus and the stomach lower esophageal sphincter relaxes when the stomach is full, food might flow up the baby's esophagus.
Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Winter HS. Gastroesophageal reflux in infants. Accessed Nov. Martin RJ, et al. Gastroesophageal reflux and motility in the neonate. Elsevier; Rosen R, et al. Pediatric gastroesophageal reflux clinical practice guidelines: Joint recommendations of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition and the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.
Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Gastroesophageal reflux disease. Mayo Clinic; Gastroenterology at Nemours Children's Health. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. Common signs of reflux include: heartburn a burning sensation in the chest, neck, and throat. It can last up to 2 hours and tends to be worse after meals and when lying down burping frequent hiccups frequent spitting up or vomiting, especially after meals the feeling of stomach acid coming up into the back of the throat acidic or bad breath frequent cavities, especially in the back teeth, despite good brushing Signs of GER in babies and young children include: choking or wheezing if the contents of the reflux get into the windpipe and lungs wet burps or wet hiccups spitting up that continues beyond a child's first birthday when it stops for most babies irritability or inconsolable crying after eating refusing to eat or eating only small amounts failure to gain weight Some of these symptoms may get worse if a baby lies down or is placed in a car seat after a meal.
What Causes Gastroesophageal Reflux? A steady reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus can lead to: breathing problems if the fluid enters the trachea, lungs, or nose redness and irritation in the esophagus, a condition called esophagitis bleeding in the esophagus scar tissue in the esophagus, which can make it hard to swallow pneumonia repeated asthma attacks Because these complications can make eating painful, GER can interfere with proper nutrition.
How Is Gastroesophageal Reflux Diagnosed? In younger children and babies, doctors might run these tests to diagnose GER or rule out other problems: Upper GI radiology study. This special X-ray can show liquid backing into the esophagus, irritation or narrowing of the esophagus, and any upper digestive tract problems. For the test, your child will swallow a small amount of a chalky liquid barium. This liquid appears on the X-ray and shows the swallowing process. A thin, flexible tube goes through the nose into the esophagus.
The tip rests just above the esophageal sphincter for 24 hours to check acid levels in the esophagus and to detect any reflux. Milk scans. This series of X-ray scans tracks a special liquid as a child swallows it.
The scans can show whether the stomach is slow to empty liquids and whether the refluxed liquid is being inhaled into the lungs. Upper endoscopy. Doctors look at the esophagus, stomach, and part of the small intestines using a tiny fiber-optic camera.
They also may take a small tissue sample a biopsy of the lining of the esophagus to rule out or find other problems.
How Is Gastroesophageal Reflux Treated? Treatment for GER depends on the symptoms and how severe they are. Reflux is common in babies, and some simple feeding changes can help: Do not overfeed you baby. Smaller, more frequent feedings can reduce reflux. Talk to your health care provider about how much and how often your baby should feed. Burp your baby before and after feeding. The barium is mixed in with a bottle or other food. The health care professional will take several x-rays of your baby to track the barium as it goes through the esophagus and stomach.
Esophageal pH and impedance monitoring , which measures the amount of acid or liquid in your baby's esophagus. A doctor or nurse places a thin flexible tube through your baby's nose into the stomach. The end of the tube in the esophagus measures when and how much acid comes up into the esophagus. The other end of the tube attaches to a monitor that records the measurements. Your baby will wear this for 24 hours, most likely in the hospital. Upper gastrointestinal GI endoscopy and biopsy , which uses an endoscope, a long, flexible tube with a light and camera at the end of it.
The doctor runs the endoscope down your baby's esophagus, stomach, and first part of the small intestine. While looking at the pictures from the endoscope, the doctor may also take tissue samples biopsy.
What feeding changes can help treat my infant's reflux or GERD? Feeding changes may help your baby's reflux and GERD: Add rice cereal to your baby's bottle of formula or breastmilk. Check with the doctor about how much to add. If the mixture is too thick, you can change the nipple size or cut a little "x" in the nipple to make the opening larger.
Burp your baby after every 1 to 2 ounces of formula. If you breastfeed, burp your baby after nursing from each breast. Avoid overfeeding; give your baby the amount of formula or breast milk recommended.
Hold your baby upright for 30 minutes after feedings. If you use formula and your doctor thinks that your baby may be sensitive to milk protein, your doctor may suggest switching to a different type of formula. Do not change formulas without talking to the doctor. What treatments might the doctor give for my infant's GERD?
The doctor will only suggest medicine if your baby still has regular GERD symptoms and You already tried some feeding changes Your baby has problems sleeping or feeding Your baby does not grow properly The doctor will often prescribe a medicine on a trial basis and will explain any possible complications.
Medicines for GERD in babies include H2 blockers, which decrease acid production Proton pump inhibitors PPIs , which lower the amount of acid the stomach makes If these don't help and your baby still has severe symptoms, then surgery might be an option.
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