Does anyone have a baby with acid reflux?

Paula - posted on 04/27/2010

Hi Stacey my son is now 6 years old but was an acid reflux baby, he was classed as failure to thrive and was under paediatric care for the first 6 months of life. having been through all the medications I found the thickened formula for anti reflux the best, I live in NZ so not sure where in the world you are but here the formula was Karicare anti reflux thickened formula, when I returned to the UK whren he was 15 months old for a holiday he still couldn't drink water and refused most of the formulas there. Luckily he was on solids as well but found the whiter colour formula SMA was the only one he would drink. I guess what I can tell you is that eventually they do come right but it can seem a long hard road whilst you are there. At 15 months he was still a tiny baby, but now he is average size for his age and eats so very well. i think if I look back now his digestive system was underdeveloped at the time, he was a small baby at 38 weeks just under 61b which was a little surprising at the time, and he continued to lose weight. Perhaps the most distressing thing for me was that I wasn't producing enough milk to feed him myself and then when he went onto formula the problem became more obvious. going onto solids earlier in the piece helped.Good luck it is fantastic to see so many people respond to your post.

Danielle - posted on 04/27/2010

elevate him when he sleeps. Also, dont keep pulling the bottle out of his mouth when he is feeding...lets air in. Let him burp naturally

Heidi - posted on 04/27/2010

My son had severe acid reflux. At 1.5 months he caught RSV and it made it noticeable. Warning...if your child has acid reflux, cold virus will increase the intensity of it. (Breathing problems increase reflux and reflux increases breathing problems---it is a nasty little circle of effects.) He would urp up 99 times in an 8 hour time frame with at least 1/4 of those being enough to choke him according to the Ph Probe. He did not stop till he got closer to the age of 6 and now he occasionally has it. Try eliminating allergy foods. MOST often an allergy food triggers the reflux. If you are nursing...it is something you are eating. If its formula, it is some ingredient in the formula. My son is allergic to gluten/wheat and dairy. My neighbors child had the same problem and he is allergic to the proteins founds in soy, dairy, and wheat/gluten.



Do NOT let them give your child Reglan...they gave it to my son for a year and began to have tremors and shook with repetitive movements uncontrollably...lasted 3 months and now they are starting to take notice that this is not the right drug to give to children or infants. I'm also seeing lawsuits pop up from them having given it to the children.



Always keep your child, when sleeping, w/head elevated to a 45 degree angle. They need that angle to keep the acid from burning away the lining in their esophagus. All that burning can damage the lining and can cause esophageal cancer. If you keep your child in a crib, get a wedge to elevate the child. If your child is a toddler, get a wedge to place in bed to allow him to sleep more comfortably.



These are on Amazon so you can the many variety of acid reflux pillows available. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_baby-p...

Karen - posted on 04/27/2010

My daughter had acid reflux. The prevacid helped and eventually she grew out of it but it was a very difficult time when she was a baby. The only thing I found that helped her was to hold her completely still after a bottle for about 15 to 20 minutes. Then I could burp her and put her down for a nap. Hang in there, he'll grow out of it and then you'll be a strong mom who can handle lots of crying babies.

~Jennifer - posted on 04/27/2010

Than you for your replies to this question.

Susan - posted on 04/27/2010

Hi my daughter had gerds when she was a baby, the only formula that helped was Nestle Good Starts!

Justine - posted on 04/27/2010

I tried every medication out there as well. Nothing worked. We finally got her a hazelwood necklace and it was like night and day!! I like not pumping her with lots of medications and it works so much better than anything else did. http://www.fluffenvy.com/item_94/Hazelwo... Good luck!

Laura - posted on 04/27/2010

Chanda.



Thank you for your comment re: breast feeding. You beat me to what I was essentially going to say. I would have given anything to breastfeed my second child. I lived at the breastfeeding clinic. In the end my son was never able to breastfeed effectively and is now maintained full-time on a G-tube (soon to be transferred to a g-j tube to address very severe reflux). I would ask all posters to please refrain from any form of guilt-trip (intended or not) re:breastfeeding as it can be a very sensitive subject.



In terms of the original question I do feel I must first ask if you baby's birth and development to date has been normal (i.e. was he/she premature, suffered a traumatic birth or been sick). Reflux, as one poster indicated, can be linked to immaturity and development and can improve with time. However, severe reflex can also be linked to neuromuscular disorders which is why it is vitally important to be working with trained health professionals and not making important decisions (i,e meds, formula) based on information you get on a posting board without physician input. In addition to working with physicians we found working with a dietician and an occupational therapist or nurse very helpful. The dietician can comment on formulas, thickening fluids etc (we found them better than the docs) and the OT/nurse can talk about effective positioning etc.



My son has very severe reflux in addition to other neuromuscular and neurological problems. We have had good luck with losec and he continues to have compassionate access (available in Canada) to Cisapride/prepulsid which is a drug that was pulled from the market about ten years ago but is available to individuals in severe cases. He is also maintained on a feeding tube and fed around the clock. At 11 he still weighs less than 60lbs.



Please understand that I am not saying this to scare you....only that acid reflux can be very minor and will go away at some poing BUT it can also be severe and in those cases you MUST be working with trained professionals.

Susan - posted on 04/27/2010

My son had it 18 years ago when there wasn't much knowledge on this sort of stuff. Docs changed formula to soy which just made it worse. My son always had a sensitive stomache while growing up, and when he was 6 our family physician thought he might have an ulcer. As the years went by, my son missed a lot of school due to frequent stomache aches. it got worse as he got older. Finally! A different family physician took the next step and recommended we go see a gastroenterologist (a doc who deals with stomache issues). My son had an upper G.I. done when he was 16 1/2 and the doc was amazed to find out that he had pylorics disease, which is curable with the right antibiotic. The doc said he'd never seen pylorics diease in someone so young before! Needless to say, all of that illness through the years has caused my son to fall behind short of graduation and is now in a special program his senior year to catch up so he can graduate pretty much on time. My advise is: don't wait that long to discover what it is. Ask your doctor if he could recommend you to a gastroenterologist. You never did say how old your child is, but it can't hurt to treat for it. Good luck and let us know how everything turns out.

Toni - posted on 04/27/2010

hi..my little boys now 3 but he had acid reflux and Gaviscone powder in his bottles worked wonders but as soon as i stoped giving him infant milk n put him on full cows milk at just under 11 mths old it all stoped and no longer need it..i think the baby milk is 2 blame 4 alot of it

Heather - posted on 04/27/2010

HI STACEY :)

BOTH OF MY DAUGHTERS HAD ACID REFLUX, BUT MY YOUNGEST WAS THE WORST. SHE ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL AT 4 WEEKS OLD B/C SHE WAS DEHYDRATED AND WAS LOSING WEIGHT FROM ALL THE VOMITING- THE NURSES AT NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL TAUGHT ME A FEW GOOD TRICKS--

INSTEAD OF USING A INFANT WEDGE, TRY ROLLING 2-3 TOWELS AND PUTTING THEM UNDER THE MATTRESS TO INCREASE THE INCLINE, BUT INSTEAD OF DOING IT VERTICALLY IN THE CRIB, DO IT HORIZONTALLY-THIS WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU TO GRAB HIM OUT AND GIVE HIM LESS ROOM TO SCOOT; THEN TO PREVENT THE BABY FROM SCOOTING DOWN, AGAIN- ROLL 2 TOWELS LONG LENGTH WISE, AND SHAPE THEM INTO AN OVAL ON THE MATTRESS, YOU WILL PROBABLY NEED TO PIN THEM TO THE SHEET TO KEEP THEM IN PLACE WITH SOME DIAPER PINS. THEN YOU PUT A COUPLE OF RECEIVING BLANKETS OVER THE OVAL AND YOU HAVE CREATED A SORT OF "NOOK" FOR THE BABY TO LAY IN. THIS WORKED WONDERS FOR HER! THEN, AS HE GETS OLDER, YOU CAN MAKE THE NOOK BIGGER BY ADDING ANOTHER TOWEL.



ALSO- I WOULD KEEP ON WITH THE PREVACID AS NOT ONLY WILL IT HELP WITH THE REFLUX, BUT IT WILL HELP HEAL WHAT DAMAGE MAY BE DONE ALREADY, I ALSO ADDED GAS DROPS TO HER BOTTLES. THE CHEAPEST I HAVE FOUND WERE AT WALMART, THEIR EQUATE BRAND RUNS AROUND $3.50 VERSUS $10 FOR THE NAME BRAND, AND THEY ARE IN THE PHARMACY AREA BY THE STOMACH MEDS.

IT WILL PASS (HOPEFULLY); MOST BABIES OUTGROW GERD BY 1 YR...HAVE PATIENCE & FAITH :)

Christine - posted on 04/27/2010

Both my boys had quite severe acid reflux as babies. The only thing that helped them both was a medication called Losec. It's only available on prescription and is a tablet that you need to dissolve in cooled, boiled water. Within 24 hours I had a much happier baby (and less vomiting)! They both were off the medication by 12 months of age. Keeping them upright after a feed is also beneficial and I did have their cot mattress propped up with a pillow under it. Good luck!

Viviana - posted on 04/27/2010

I had my baby with acid reflex , I put Him to sleep in the car seat most of the time even at night and it helps a lot, hopefully this will help you.

Sandy - posted on 04/27/2010

Only time. My son is now 3 yo. He had reflux,only symptom arching back when fed and drinking 1 oz at a time,and was on Zantac for 1st 6 mos. As he was sitting up on his own and starting solids,we were able to stop Zantac and all was well. No problem since 6mos of age! Follow up w/a ped gastroenterologist if no relief,is my rec. Gd luck it is soo hard!

Mary Lynn - posted on 04/27/2010

we have a reflux baby as well. The first 6 months were the hardest. DS was on Prevacid solutabs twice a day and Zantac liquid at lunch. We also had him on the ready to feed Nutramigen formula thickened with soy-free (Beechnut brand) oatmeal. That helped him a lot.



You can try elevating 1 side of his crib mattress by putting books underneath and see if that helps. Some babies sleep better in a swing or car seat.



If that does not seem to help you may need to see a pediatric GI and they can run some tests.



My son is now 1 year old and his reflux is so much better. He is still on the prevacid and zantac. He has a hard time with his gag reflex and new textures with foods, but doing well overall.



Good luck to you!

Tracey - posted on 04/27/2010

my son had it really bad the first couples months so they switched him to a soy formula, turns out he is lactose intolerant

Danielle - posted on 04/27/2010

My son also has reflux. He was prescribed Prevacid and it seems to help him. I give it to him 3 times a day. Morning, Noon and night and it helps him alot!!! Do you keep him propped up at night or keep him upright 30 mins after feeding him?!! He sleeps in his bouncy seat to keep him upright while sleeping. Also, try a vibration. It keeps a babies mind off of his stomach and it sooths him also!!!

Heather - posted on 04/27/2010

My son is 5 and a half and he still has it. When he was a baby I breast fed and supplemented with formula. I think he did better with the breast milk. Zantac helped a little but it is not preventative like Prevacid. I have never had the opportunity to try Prevacid as I heard it's too expensive. I held my son when he slept most of the time and that seemed to help him (I didn't sleep much). I don't know about others but my son developed feeding issues because of it. The good thing was that he never put anything in his mouth he wasn't supposed to. Hoe old is your son? What are his symptoms? What is the most troublesome thing about the acid reflux? If nothing helps I would see a specialist and make sure it is acid reflux.

Amy - posted on 04/27/2010

I had twins with severe acid reflux. I worked very closely with their Dr. I feed them 1oz. meals and then kept them upright for an hour. This was followed by more 1oz. meals and being kept upright. The used zantac, simethicone , and Gaviscon. We wedged their mattress by putting the wedge under the mattress. We also somtimes but the baby in a baby carrier and slept holding the baby in a reclining chair. Just follow your Doc's advice and if you think you are not getting good advice go to another Dr. between 1yr and 18 months they usually outgrow it.

Nikki - posted on 04/27/2010

My daughter was diagnosed with acid reflux at 2 months and put on zantac which helped. The doctor also suggested we add rice cereal to her bottle which helped even more. The thickness helps them keep it down a little better. Hope he gets better soon!

Tanya - posted on 04/27/2010

I apologize, I didn't read through all of the posts. Just offering what helped for my daughter who had severe GERD (diagnosed by a Pediatric GI). I skimmed and see some of what I will post has been stated already. :)



She started on Zantac at 2 weeks. Her reflux hit it's peak around 13 weeks of age. By then she was on Prevacid solu-tabs (the BEST!) for the reflux, Carafate to heal her esophugus, and Reglan to help move the formula through her little tummy. It was a ROUGH few months. She was aslo put on Ailimentum ready to use (powder and concentrate did not help as much as RTU). Yes, it stinks. :(



After a few weeks on Carafate we were able to stop that med...and a few weeks later stopped the Reglan...we continued with Prevacid solu-tabs and Ailimentum until she was about 6 months old. At that time she was still on Prevacid and Carnation Good Start. By 9 months she was doing great...and was able to come off the medications! :)



She also slept in her vibrating bouncy chair (on vibrate) elevated for the first 4 months. After 4 months we were able to put her in her crib on a wedge with the positioners (so she didn't roll to the side).



The chair was the Fisher Price infant to toddler rocker. It was more like a mini-bassinet. It was fabulous. We would put the kick stand up and put her in it (strapped)...and one of us slept right next to her. At 4 months she was getting more active and thats when we had to move her to her crib.



http://www.google.com/products/catalog?r...



Again, sorry...if this is just a repeat of what others have said...184 posts was a LOT to weed through.



Best to you.

Yvette - posted on 04/27/2010

my son had it really bad. he only was 8 lbs till he was about5 mths. the thing that helped was i used target brand formula. at 5 mths he started gaining weight again. the formula that the doc gave me to "fatten" him up didn't work. don't over feed them to. that can upset them. feed often. i would feed him ever hour or so an ounce or more. i also would just hold him for a half hour or so. i hope he gets better soon. i know it is hard when you see them in pain and can't do anything but it will get better

Debbie - posted on 04/27/2010

YES... I almost totally forgot that my son was in his bouncy chair most of the time. He even slept in his infant carrier at night by my side of the bed on the floor. He loved that, AND he slept very well in it... (got "good" sleep)

Rene - posted on 04/27/2010

My son was born with acid reflux and he's 6 now and unfortunately still has it. The Zantac seemed to work for us and there is a formula the pediatrician put him on called Alimentum to help also. We also bought a wedge for the crib. Now he gets the hiccups really bad where he actually spits up whatever he has in him but if we give him a little bit sugar on a spoon with a sip of water, within seconds they're gone. I've also learned to stay away from stuff with red dye in it, that also seemed to make him spit up.

Missy - posted on 04/27/2010

My daughter had it, they told us to put books under one side of the crib/bed to make them sllep at an angle, this seemed to work great and she had less episodes at night. She eventually grew out of it

Mellisa - posted on 04/27/2010

My son had acid reflux. I also tried everything to help him. I tried the medicines, but it didn't seem to help. What worked for him was Gentlease formula by Enfamil. I also found that napping in his bouncy chair helped. They have this great reclining chair that babies can sleep on to help with reflux called the Nap Nanny. You can go on their website to check it out. If I would have known about this chair I would have bought it for him instead of using the bouncy chair. www.napnanny.com

Hope this helps!

Teri - posted on 04/27/2010

If you've tried everything, then I figure you've removed dairy from his diet entirely. if you haven't tried this, then I suggest you do it. it takes 2 to 3 weeks to get all dairy protein out of the system. so you have to wait that long, but it will probably solve the reflux issue. if your baby is on formula -- you may want to talk to your dr about a hypo allergenic formula (although, for severly intolerant kids, this may not really do the trick as all these formulas have dairy and/or soy in them and these are the most common culprits of dairy/soy protein intolerance.

good news is that kids usually outgrow a protein intolerance. but you gotta give them the time to get their guts to accept the stuff. one of my sons it took1 yr the other was 2 before he was able to eat dairy.

happy to elaborate if you are not aware of FPIES. it's the most common cause of reflux and so few pedi's understand it. it is not an allergy. it's just the body's inability to digest protein (dairy and soy being the most common)

Debbie - posted on 04/27/2010

The Alimentum is supposed to be the best and VERY expensive, but it was the only thing to help my son's acid reflux. It's "predigested" so it's supposed to be easy on the tummy, but every baby is different. As long as he's farting, should be okay, but the main thing should be if it appears to bother him to the point of causing pain. If he appears to be okay fine, it's the lesser of two evils. You can also consult your doctor to get his/her opinion. We also used the wedge.

Donna - posted on 04/27/2010

take him to an Osteopath. My daughter had it when she was about 18 months and 4 treatments with and Osteopath and she has never had it since and she will be 8 in May!

Jennifer - posted on 04/27/2010

My daughter has it too. Fortunately the liquid Zantac seems to be working for her. The doctor also recommended that we keep her upright after each feeding for 20-30 minutes. It's a pain at night but that seems to be helping the most. By upright...the baby needs to be up over your shoulder. Even the elevation of a car seat is not enough. Hope that helps!

Jolenda - posted on 04/27/2010

My 3 daughter Marley has it and she has had it since the day that is what born, it is terrible she has puked nostop for the past year . We have seen Pediatric Gastro for the past 3 months and i have gotten no where, she like the rest of you have be put on Zantac and Previcid but neither one has helped her so i am pretty much stuck. So what happens after one cause she cant drink milk it makes her constipated so any suggestion will be greatly apprieciated thanx

Jamie - posted on 04/27/2010

My son had reflux until he was 8 months old. He would projectile vomit after almost every feeding and screamed and cried all the time. Our pediatrician recommended a drop called Bio Gaia. We added 2 drops to his bottles a couple times a day..U can purchase this at any pharmacy that carries refrigerated items. Did wonders for us...

Amy - posted on 04/27/2010

I have twin girls, they both had pretty severe reflux. they were put axid, zantac and prevacid. what seemed to work the best was changing the formula along with the medication. It turned out that my girls werent able to digest breast milk or formula correctly causing reflux. We were put on "ready to feed" alimentum and it worked WONDERS.... my suggestion would be try alimentum for a month and see how they do, but it has to be the ready to feed, because powder form didnt help.

Twyla - posted on 04/27/2010

I sell a cushion called the Snuggle Me Cushion that works wonders for babies with Colic and Acid Reflux. Here is the website for it www.simplymommyonline.com If you buy it through me I charge $63.35 which includes the Snuggle Me Cushion, your choice of (1) Fleece or Flannel cover, Storage bag for easy transportation, Free Shipping, and Tax Included. Let me know if you have any questions about it :)

Mimi - posted on 04/27/2010

Both my kids had it. You need an incline bed with a strap for the little one. I recommend Nap Nanny. Keep him upright as much as possible. Also...try Mylicon, sometimes I think it's the reflux acting up but a little mylicon makes my daughter feel better. It could be gas + reflux. My daughters were both on Prilosec, but I heard that Previcid is good...

Sarah - posted on 04/27/2010

If he's young enough, have him sleep in a bouncer/chair. It'll keep his head elevated, plus he can room in with you if you think that'll help.

Effie - posted on 04/27/2010

My daughter has been suffering from chronic abdominal pain for the past four months and no one seems to know what it is - some doctors have diagnosed it as reflux. I found a product at a chemist one night called Marina Infant Mixture and since using this, she has not been in pain! I call it the miracle bottle as NOTHING seemed to work - and trust me I tried EVERYRHING!!!

Liz - posted on 04/27/2010

Hi there...my daughter had it but the Zantac worked for her after roughly 1 -2 weeks as the damage that was already done to her asophogus (excuse my spelling) had to repair before the actual pain could go away. My sister inlaw's daughter also had it but her paediatrician put her daughter on to a different medication. It was a pill that she had to cut in half and crush then mix with water to drink it. I can't remember the name of it but can ask her, it worked really well...your peadiatrician should know what it is. Maybe see another doctor for another opinion...when all else fails that is the only solution.

Nikki - posted on 04/27/2010

My son is now 5 1/2 and still suffers from stomach issues which started with the vomiting on a daily basis until he was put on zantac and then prevacid. My naturopath weened him off the prevacid when he was 4 and onto a natural alternative, DGL. When he was just a baby we did a lot of what others have talked about. I learned to feed him in an exersaucer. He didn't usually bounce too much while eating and that way he was more standing than sitting. We also took out all dairy which he had the most severe reactions to. I feel for you. When he was really little vomiting sometime a few times a day, even once he was walking, I was really stressed out. I just took it one day at a time and I did a lot of research. The doctors weren't always helpful. I suggest you keep seeking answers through avenues other than your doctors. I also suggest naturopaths for an another perspective. They often think of things that the doctors don't. I have found it very helpful through the years to have both the regular doctor and a naturopath for many different issues we've had.

Becky - posted on 04/27/2010

Hi....we do a side business and have a product called. ALOE - it is a liquid and there have been postivie results using this for acid reflux. If you are interested, I can email you literature on the product and look thru for testimonials. Let me know. gibby40@charter.net Thanks.....becky

Rebecca - posted on 04/27/2010

My son had it bad and we had him on liquid Zantac also which helped slightly but the only thing that cured it was putting him on a lactose free and dairy free formula as prescribed by our paedeatricion... Seems he is allergic to dairy and that was causing all the other symptoms.. I'd suggest you get a test done as a week after we put him on the formula it was like we had a whole new baby!!!

Dawn - posted on 04/27/2010

Hi Stacey. Our daughter was 6 weeks prem and suffered with really bad reflux - projectile vomit after each feed resulting in 3 or 4 changes of clothes for each of us every day! The health visitor kept dismissing us and we eventually called the out of hours doctor on boxing day and got referred to the badger centre at the local hosital. THey kept us there for most of the day and eventually gave us something to mix with each feed - and that made her worse. 2 days later we went back up there saying we weren't satisfied, and they put her on sachets of infant gaviscon which we had to mix into each feed. It was great and seemed to solve the problem. We eventually found out during her ongoing monitoring at the hospital that the problem is apparently caused by the valve in the tummy not being fully developed. Less than 12 months on the gaviscon gave the valve time to grow and function properly and she was taken off the gaviscon in the end. Since then, she hasn't had the problem and is now almost 6.

Cindy - posted on 04/27/2010

My son had acid reflux from birth until he was 4 months old. He was on liquid zantac and if it wasn't given at the same time twice a day it didn't work well. He outgrew it by 4 months but we had to make sure he burped EVERY time he drank any formula or it was right back up and out the nose and he was chocking and screaming. Another thing that helped was we put some blankets under the mattress in his cradle/crib that raised his head slightly and that really helped.

Nicole - posted on 04/27/2010

My son had reflux, too. At 2 WEEKS, the dr. wanted to try him on Zantac. We refused because we're not big "pill" people- (not a pill, but, medicine either way). Instead we started adding rice cereal to his bottles which in turn, because of his young age, caused him severe constipation. We stopped the rice cereal after a few weeks, as it really wasn't helping him much anyway and we sort of just decided to let him "grow out" of the reflux stage. I think around 8 months we finally decided to try Zantac and just like we expected, it didn't work. He finally did grow out of it, but even now, at 2 yrs old, I still sometimes hear him having the reflux. Awful feeling...



To that end, though, I must say, I was recommended a product called Aloe Juice. Its 100 all natural and works to calm the stomach acid and coat the stomach. At the time, I knew nothing about it and was a new mom so I was just focused on the dot with my son and didnt really even consider trying this new thing. But, I am now 9 months prego and have been using Aloe Juice myself for heartburn and it is A MIRACLE! It has saved me so many nights and works instantly.



I think it would be worth it for you to try- and if it doesn't help him, its something that you'll use at some point, too so it's not a waste.



Please contact me directly at nicolejoniec@live.com and I can help you get some Aloe Juice to get started.



And, if nothing else, GOOD luck and follow your gut. You'll do fine!

Bonnie - posted on 04/27/2010

prop one end of his mattress up... then roll up bath towels or blankets and prop him in to place...so he does not roll around....

Kim - posted on 04/27/2010

If you want to try a natural remedy instead of all those nasty prescriptions - aloe works wonders! I use an Aloe product called Aloe Gold from Univera - works miracles and is all natural. Why use a prescription drug when you can use something from nature. Contact me if you want to know more. kimkuehl@roadrunner.com

Kristy - posted on 04/27/2010

When my daughter was born, she had it when she was 4 weeks old. She cryed all day long from the time she got up in the morning until it was time to go to bed. She never had naps during the day, just crying all the time. I tired the liquid Zantac and that helped her alot. Not sure whatelse to tell you, but I also heard removing dairy does help.

Sylvia - posted on 04/27/2010

how old is he?

Nicole - posted on 04/27/2010

When my son was 6 months old he was diagnosed with acid reflux. He is now 11 and actually grew out of it by the time he was about 2 yrs old. He was on Zantac and Reglan which together helped. We also put cereal in his bottle (it was almost like a milkshake!) and used the cross cut nipples. After he was done eating we kept him propped up for 30 minutes and made sure he wasn't jostled about. These seemed to work really well for my son and also a child I had in daycare that I followed the same. (not sure what his meds are now) Good luck, it's not pleasant to have to go through this with a small child, I know first hand but usually it will pass with time.

Carrie - posted on 04/27/2010

Stacey,

ALL 5 of my children have had/still have acid reflux. It is hereditary in my case because I have Acid Reflux Disease. According to the pediatrician that I have and absolutely love there isnt too much that can be done because their little bodies arent doing what they should. Acid Reflux is caused by the flap on the diaphram not closing properly after eating a meal therefor causing the individual to have severe "heartburn" or even throw up/spit up what they have eaten. Our dr always told us to add some baby cereal to their bottles, make sure that when its warmed up that its the same or as close to the same temperature everytime they eat. Variety of tempuratures are not good for their little bodies either. So if you always use room temperature water, make sure you stay consistant with that. I have used Colic Calm for my last 3 children and I swear by it even though for my almost 4 year old I swore I was going broke from buying it so much. He eventually was put on Levison Drops for the cramps of colic and Prevacid disolvable tabs for the heartburn. He is soon to be 4 and is still my most "rotten & difficult" child LOL. The biggest thing we did was also have them sleep in a carseat or bouncy chair, belts fastened of course.. the upright position helped to keep the reflux down. With the younger 2 (18 mos and 2 mos) we used swaddle blankets to keep the heat in their bodies because we were told that is why they feel more comfortable when they are stomach to stomach with someone. Heat will keep the "pain" down from the acid burning their little stomachs and throats.

Hope all this information helps.

Good Luck,

Carrie