Does anyone have a baby with acid reflux?

Audra - posted on 04/26/2010

First how old is he? My son at 3 days old was diagnosed with acid reflux. the doctor prescribed liquid zantac, but I told pediatrician that I wanted to try Prosobee formula as my breast milk was not good, the pediatrician agreed and it worked. Never had to give a dose of medication, and he is doing great and a rambunctious 4 year old!!! :)

Robin - posted on 04/26/2010

Dr. Brown's bottles helped our son. They were the essential "cure". Sitting up for an hour after feeding, and a raised crib helped too. Good luck!

Cindy - posted on 04/26/2010

My daughter has it as well, she is now 5 months old and it is no longer is bothering her so we stopped giving her the zantac. I was told it peaks at 3-4 months. At this point she still spits up alot but is no longer fussy because of it. She always slept best in the swing (yes all night in fact) since she was more upright, other friends have had their children sleep upright in a Boppy, I spent many nights on the couch holding her upright, the wedge never worked as she slid off it, but now that she rolls over (since 3 months old) she sleeps great on her belly in her crib, it won't stay this bad forever but there certainly is a lot of laundry with all this spit up! I have heard Prilosec was great. Good Luck!

Michelle - posted on 04/26/2010

My son has bad reflux. He is 5 months. None of the medications helped. We still take zantac. But what really helped at night was a Nap Nanny. We didnt have any success with a wedge either. The Nap Nanny elevates them at a 30 degree angle. He hasnt had any problems with reflux during the night since we bough this. He has been in the Nap Nanny for night time sleep and naps for the past 3 months and it is a life saver. It's a bit pricey but worth every penny!

Michelle - posted on 04/26/2010

I have a few suggestions... we tried EVERY formula it seemed, but finally we put our son on Enfamil AR and he's been SOOO much better! He was on Alimentum too, and kept spitting that up as well. But this Enfamil AR is awesome, and not as expensive either! Also, we bought this terrific thing from Fisher Price that has REALLY helped. It's called the Newborn Rock N Play sleeper. Here's a link
http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=2...

I don't know where we'd be without it! We have TWO of them, one for upstairs and one for downstairs. He sleeps THRU THE NIGHT and everything now.

Good luck to you... I know how AWFUL it is for your little guy to have Acid Reflux... hang in there.

Elizabeth - posted on 04/26/2010

Hi Stacey, my son had reflux but after 4 different doctors we discovered it was actually food allergies that were presenting like reflux. the Zantac and the Prevacid also had no affect on him. Have you talked with your doctor about trying an elimination diet? If you are breast feeding, that means you are on it or if you are bottle-feeding it could mean changing from milk based to soy based. I had to eliminate all dairy, soy, eggs and nuts for 6 months but by one year the gastroenterologist 'cleared' him and now we can both eat whatever we want without any pain or vomiting. If everything else has failed it's worth giving a shot. Hope something you read helps.

Cheryl - posted on 04/26/2010

Also, if you have changed the formula and still nothing, that is when I would go to the doc.

Cheryl - posted on 04/26/2010

You need a prescription for reflux, it reduces the acid the body produces thus resulting in fewer issues of reflux. I also have reflux and take nexium, if I miss one day I am sick and on fire. Also, my 5 yr old as mentioned above has it and so did my oldest. It is genetic among other reasons. They can do a test to check for acid in the back of the throat. Think of it this way, if your child has some GI issue that is going undiagnosed because you think he or she may have reflux, it could make things worse. For example, I thought my son had reflux because he would vomit occassionally. After a few months, it got worse - a lot worse very quickly. Within 5 months he had lsot weight and was very ill and nobody could figure it out because even the pediatrician thought it was reflux. He had a brain tumor and once he was diagnosed they told us if it had gone another month, he could have died. I think getting a 2nd or 3rd opinion is worth it, if it is just reflux - they can give prescriptions that will stop the excess production of acid which is better than OTC type meds that just cover up the problem.

Jaclyn - posted on 04/26/2010

My daughter had it horribly. She was on every kind of pill Zantac, Prevacid Nothing helped. She was also on Alimentum formula. I took it upon myself to try Simulac Sensitive RS ready to feed. After 2 weeks she never spit up again. It was like she was a different baby. Good Luck!

Jennifer - posted on 04/26/2010

My daughter had it horribly. It's been a while and I don't remember what formula we used (it's kinda spendy) but it worked....we also didn't lay her down right after she ate, she always had to sit up for a good hour or so after eating and she eventually out grew it.....good luck!!

Krystal - posted on 04/26/2010

hey there, I was told that my first daughter had acid reflux and they kept giving me liquid zantac for about 2 months.She would throw up like 90% of her feeding each time. I never really saw a change on the zantac. I took it upon myself then to put her on Lactose free formula. After that she was great. No problems. I really hope this helps.

Sally - posted on 04/26/2010

Using a wedge helps quite a bit. If he keeps sliding down, make a "nest" which is basically a rolled up towel or blanket in the shape of a U. This helped keep my son from sliding to the bottom of his crib. Also, I found the book called "Colic Solved" by Bryan S Vartabedian to be extremely helpful. It explains exactly what reflux is and even gets into the anatomy of it.

Sara - posted on 04/26/2010

My almost 7 mo old son has it also and I nurse him. I cut dairy out of my diet (as much as I can, as there is lactose in many things that you wouldn't think of!) and it has improved. (if you are formula feeding you might check the ingredients as some if them have lactose) He still pukes more than the average baby, but I have been burping him more often (sometimes just holding him while walking across the room you can feel/hear the air in his stomach) and that is helping too. My pediatrician said that medications like Zantac help with the pain, but not the problem.

Georgia - posted on 04/26/2010

WOW! So many folks have helped and I didnt have time to read each one... know this: Both my son and daughter were on reglan and zantac for severe reflux...horrible burning and a smell that even burned MY eyes.... we fixed their infant cribs so that one end was elevated, we even had my daughter sleeping in the infant tub, elevated at the head with "seatbelts" to hold her in as she attempted to sleep. Hers was not long lasting...but my sons was worse....
GUESS WHAT!!!?? I never dreamed I would say this...but since I was going to a very thorough Chiropractor, he adjusted my baby boy... around 5 months old , while he laid on my tummy...nothing major... but WHAM!!! NO ACID REFLUX!!!!
Trust me... it does sound strange... but it worked!!!!
DR GASIEKI here in Metter Georgia is extremely good... he is thorough to a fault! GOOD LUCK!!!
After all the meds... the special formulas..... the chiropractor WORKED! (after only 3 visits!!!!) NO JOKE!

Jessica - posted on 04/26/2010

Chiropractic! You should get him adjusted because he most likely has a misaligned vertebra that's placing direct pressure on the nerves that innervate his digestive tract (including his epiglottis). Chiropractic adjustments have been proven safe and highly effective for all aged children, including newborns. It's amazing what an adjustment can do for the human body!

Amy - posted on 04/26/2010

My son was on Zantac and Prevacid, but the only thing that worked for him was Prilosec. He out grew the reflux when he was around a year.

Barbie - posted on 04/26/2010

Is he still on formula? Try Enfamil ar which helped my son out alot, zantac and prevacid never worked, we had to put him on whole milk after formula cause he could not take any other milk.

Cheryl - posted on 04/26/2010

My son was prescribed pepcid, see a GI specialist. They can test to verify whether it is reflux or another problem. It is always best for the doc to evaluate issues like this. Good luck!

Sioux - posted on 04/26/2010

My son had reflux when he was a baby. He was also allergic to milk so the Pediatrician put him on Nutramigen. He was on liquid Zantac I think (it's been almost five years so I can't remember exactly, lol!). I put blankets under him in his bassinet and then eventually bought a wedge to put under his crib mattress to prop him up. Also had tons of recieving blankets nearby at all time for clean up. He has outgrown most of it, just certain foods bother him now. Hope your baby feels better soon!

Carole - posted on 04/26/2010

For my daughter, we switched her formula to alimentum. Its pretty expensive but it was the only solution.
http://similac.com/baby-formula/similac-...

Cindy - posted on 04/26/2010

Mylacon drops (simethicone) are VERY effective!! LOVED those with our son.

Melissa - posted on 04/26/2010

Try Enfamil's AR formula. I used it for my older son and it seemed to help. Also try feeding him less amounts more frequently and stop to burb alot!

Michaelle - posted on 04/26/2010

I don't know what your doctor would say, but ask about apple cider vinegar. A tablespoon in about a 1/4 cup of water works wonders and works instantly.

Bec - posted on 04/26/2010

All i can suggest is take bub to a different doc for a second opinion

Jennifer - posted on 04/26/2010

If that works, then keep using it. My grandson had colic and we determined it was from acid reflux and gripe water helped tremendously.

Elaine - posted on 04/26/2010

My baby had acid reflux for 3 months and we tried almost everything. The only thing i liked was to give natural tea to make him calm is the best option and also wrap him a very worm blanket!

Lana - posted on 04/26/2010

If you have or not breast fed, is not the problem, I breast fed both of my children, my oldest (19) I did less than 4months. my 7 year old I did it for over 9 months, my second child (age 7) had acid reflux, I thought it was my fault and what I was consuming, I was wrong. My daughter still has some digestive probs, from time to time, but the fact she is prone to acid reflux has noting to do with breast fed or anything you are doing, my baby had it after the second day she was born, it took several months to diagnosis, so if your are sure of the diagnosis, then you are are the right track, with prevacid, and any natural remedies, I did try cripe water, which is found online, but eventually she has grown out of the worst of it. But still has some times when she needs mylanta,she is 7 and her tolerance for pain is high due to the pain she endured as a infant. Go with your mom instincts, you love your baby so all will be ok, don't panic. Just keep up the good work.....

Mary - posted on 04/26/2010

hi, i am the old mom, my daughter had who is now 22....we had a test done to make sure that it was nothing else...(liguid down throat while looking).....she grew out of it, the baby up even while and after feedin, never lay them down directly after...and for in the crib along with the wedge...get what is called a harness, ask your doctor where to get one it. All of these things helped, and i was greatful because when she had one of her episodes she stopped breathing (2 days being home)....i hope you child will get better soon..

Amanda - posted on 04/26/2010

my son had it from birth and we used gaviscon infant....it worked somewhat but he grew out of it eventually.....just burp a hell of a lot too x

Debby - posted on 04/26/2010

I didn't read through all the replies, so I don't know if anyone has suggested this yet or not...my now-4yr old was colicky through his entire first year and had a major reflux problem. We looked and looked for solutions, tried Dr. Brown's bottles, etc., and the thing that finally helped him was so simple and worked better than anything else. Get some baby gas drops like Mylicon (or any other brand of simethicone drops). When you make his bottle, drop a couple drops of the gas medicine directly into the formula and shake it up. You will see that the bubbles inside the bottle immediately disappear. Guess what? It will do the same thing once it goes into his stomach. No more air bubbles, no more reflux (or not as much, anyway). It worked wonders for us. It doesn't work nearly as well to wait until after the bottle and give the baby the medicine separately. Put it directly into the formula and it should take care of the problem. Hope this helps!

Nikohl - posted on 04/26/2010

My daughter was hospitalized because she would go through spells of not breathing, she had bad reflux and still does at 10 months old. If your son was preemis than it's said that 85% of preemies have reflux, first off you need to find a formula that is more sensitive, I used Similas Sensitive, but when you start a formula you need to give it time to start working. Time is the only thing that will heal their reflux, when we were in the hospital we were told to keep our daughter sitting straight up for 20minutes after each feed, and i"ll tell you it saved us our sanity of constantly cleaning her projectile vomit from any and everywhere it would land. She is 10 months old now and still has lots of signs of reflux but the vomiting stopped when we found the right formula.

Valerie - posted on 04/26/2010

My twins were 6 weeks preemie, and had bad reflux for about 6 months. They were put on Zantac, Prevacid and soy formula. That helped somewhat, but basically they had to grow out of it. Like someone had mentioned earlier, it was due to a premature system and it had to strengthen on it's own in order to hold down the food. 12 years later I remember well the smell of soy puke on all my clothes...ick! Good luck and patience!

Nicole - posted on 04/26/2010

My son had it so bad that he had the surgery at 7months old. Some of the things that helped was put a pillow under the mattress to prop the bed up at the head. Never lay the child down after you feed them, put them in a swing or prop them up on the floor. Our son was on Neocate for formulal(very expensive) Also found out that he had allergies really bad. We did the zantac and prevacid. My son has had the surgery twice and now he is doing great and just turned 7 this past Dec.

Angie - posted on 04/26/2010

My son had extremely bad reflux when he was younger. His doctor switch him to soy formula, put him on liquid prevacid, and also had us give him probiatics and that combination helped a lot. It didn't make it go completely away but it was so much better with doing all of those things.

Tiffany - posted on 04/26/2010

We started our little guy on rice/oatmeal solids (baby cereal) and make sure they are upright for atleast 30 minutes after eating. My son started eating the solids at 10 weeks because his reflux was so bad.

Stacey - posted on 04/26/2010

Thank you everyone for your help!! My son is only just 2 months, I keep hearing from people to try a formula for frequent spitting up (which he does A LOT) He has a doc apt Thursday and I'm going to find out about switching formulas again.

Cindy - posted on 04/26/2010

I understand a myriad of mothers have attempted cereal in the baby's bottle - but here area couple reminders if you are going to try it:
1) If your child is under 4 months, their digestive system is NOT ready for cereal. It can cause a multitude of problems, one of the greatest being constipation. Do you really want a baby who suffers from reflux to be constipated too? How would you like it?
2) It is a choking hazard. The cereal is not made to come from the bottle. It will clog the nipple and it is 4x as difficult for a baby to suck the thick liquid than regular formula/breast milk.
So just a reminder, please check with your physician before you attempt introducing cereal to your kiddo.
KEEP THEM UPRIGHT. That is the BEST thing you can do for your child. Use gravity on your side. And burp them A LOT. A baby with reflux is A LOT of work! It is not to be taken lightly and there is not magic potion or simple trick that will fix your child. What worked for some may not work for others. Keep in good communication with your pediatrician.
Although, I have to write, I COMPLETELY appreciate the amount of mothers that come together to help other mothers in need. Thank you to all of you who make an effort to help others.

Liz - posted on 04/26/2010

Have you tried putting cereal in his bottles? My son had acid reflux when he was a baby. We did a combination of liquid Zantac & cereal in his bottles. The cereal makes the "milk" heavier, so it's more likely to stay down. We lucked out & he outgrew it.

Carol - posted on 04/24/2010

My daughter had it and was on Zantac. I was nursing and tried taking everything out of my diet so I started supplementing with Reliv products. Within the first month she quite getting sick and we never refilled her script. I don't sell it anymore (I will take it forever!) but I can get you in touch with someone who does if your interested. I hope you can get some sleep, I remember those days... UUuuuuuuuggggghhhh!

Tammy - posted on 04/24/2010

my daughter is almost two and although it has gotten alot better are there other common allergies with children who have reflux? my doctor is not willin to discuss this at all.

Tammy - posted on 04/24/2010

my daughter is 21months old and has reflux also. it was horrible the doctor would not look at anything the emergency nurse diagnosed her at four months. she still is moody and difficult. i keep askin about food allergies and he will not look at it what do u think.

Nicola - posted on 04/24/2010

My niece has severe reflux and was hospitalised several times with it. In the end she was on a nasogastric feeding tube which meant that she was keeping the milk down better and geting to be a decent weight and she was put on a feeding machine as it took a long time to feed her through the tube. As well as this she was on baby gavison and another medication but the time she was 9 months she was taken off it and no longer has any problems (she is now nearly 2). Good luck and keep asking for help my sister had people coming out to see her to get things right and although a stressful few months for the family keep asking questions until you get the medication right!

Andrea - posted on 04/24/2010

My daughter is now 8 and had severe probs with reflux as a baby. Through the reflux we discovered that she had dangerously low white blood cell count (the day before her first batch of jabs). She was prescribed ranitidine and it was fantastic. I was breastfeeding, which I'm told was a big help to start with, and combined with a low dose of the meds she started to put weight on again. She still had a lot of wind (both neds) but at least kept her feed down and was a lot more comfortable in that she started sleeping properly again. She was a wriggler in her sleep (still is) so propping the cot up at one end never workrd for me either. Having talked to other parents, it seems its not unusual and to be honest there is a degree of trial and error in finding something that works for your baby. Good luck. xx

ISIS - posted on 04/24/2010

My daughter had severe acid reflux...the liquid xantac worked just a bit but I changed her dairy to soy formula for the 1st year and Soy milk for the next year...it help a lot..also when you feed the baby make sure she is proped up in your arms and not comletely lying down that also avoid it from coming up and the baby spitting up...good luck

Mel - posted on 04/24/2010

i also put her on her side between the side huggers so if she spits up during the night it just runs out rather than choking on it.. i also switch the sides each time. So left side one sleep, right side next sleep and so on.. hope it helps you =) also if they get conserpated from the formula try half a teaspoon of sugar in warm water it was recommed by a doc and really works =) keeps my daughter regular =)

Mel - posted on 04/24/2010

i know how you feel.. i have a 10 week old and from day one she had reflux.. It's in my family passed from my dad who almost died from it when he was born.. me, my sister and my brother had it. Our stomach acids are so strong it took out the valve that stopped acid coming back up. I was the worst out of the three and had an operation when i was 10 to repair the damage it made. So one of my fears was confirmed cause my mum saw so many things in my daughter that she had with me. I tried alot of things and it doesn't help that doc's and nurses think your crazy!! Was so lucky to have a family doc that knew my history and was willing to get me to try anything to help so she didn't have to have the opperation that i had.. i propped her little cot in the hospital so she would sleep in it or she wouldnt sleep at all unless on me which was dangerous.

So i propped her cot at home with slates of wood and she does seem to wriggle to the bottom but i just check to make sure nothing gets over her head. You could try putting something under the bottom area to help revent the wriggle it helped her alot. I angle her when she feeds and about half hr after in the centre of my bed with a window pillow to revent rolling and i feed her novalac for reflux which is alittle thicker than normal formula so there is no problems with it getting through the nipple (is less thicker than the S26 brand that was a nightmare) and has infant gaviscon in it too and she does spit up abit now and has been WAY less than before..

Hope it helps and good luck =)

Karen - posted on 04/23/2010

My son had a severe case of reflux from basically day one. At first we thought it was just colic until a visiting nurse came and told us to talk to our dr about reflux. I stopped bfeeding and used a gentle formula with a tsp of rice cereal per ounce with a fast flowing nipple. (I made the mistake of using baby oatmeal....disaster....it thickens the milk so much that it clumps and won't go through the bottle.) His bottle had the smallest amount of formula 4 oz until he was 8 mos old, and he had a bottle every three hours. The doctor told us to begin feeding cereal, pureed fruit, and pureed vegetables at 4 months....he was choking so we really started feeding him solids regularly at 5 months. We burped frequently and held him on our shoulders for 30 minutes....many babies hold their own bottle at 6 months but we never did this to make sure that he didn't choke. We raised his mattress, and at its worse he slept naps strapped in a swing or at night in his infant car seat next to my bed so I could hear if he was choking or having breathing problems.

My son is 19 mos is still taking Zantac liquid and the amount is adjusted based on his weight; it is expensive even with the co-pay but I can hear the reflux coming back up when we took him off of it for a day. My son is so much better now with the medication. Keep in close contact with your little one's dr...write on a calendar the symptoms.

Some of my friends swear by the a chiropractic adjustment for their babies. We didn't choose that route.

Good luck....get rest by taking turns getting more sleep. My husband worked so I always got up with baby during the week and he took the night time wake ups on weekends. We napped when our baby napped, we didn't feel guilty about the extra sleep. Sleep if someone comes over to play with your little one. Housework is not priority; your rest and sanity are!!!

Good luck!!!!

Ashleigh - posted on 04/23/2010

My daughter had it at a very young age. She was born premiture, 9 weeks prem, and it is quite common for prem babies to have acid reflux. The doc put her on LOSAC but it didnt help. I added a thickner to her formula that you can get from the chemist. I also elevated the top half of her matress a few inches in her crib. After her feeds I kept her upright for at least 30 mins. All of that helped a great deal but it was when I started her on solids that made a world of difference! I started her on solids at 5 months and she had no problems after that! Mashed banana, avocardo, steamed fruit and veges like pears, apples, carrots, potato, sweetpotato, peas, broccoli, anything you can steam to soften. And you wouldnt believe how much friut and vege she eats now!! Im not sure how old your son is? I wasnt too keen on giving her meds. She is now a very healthy and happy 3 yr old. All the best of luck, I know how horrible it is to see them suffer with acid reflux. Hope all works out for you and your son ;)

Iridescent - posted on 04/23/2010

My daughter still has reflux at nearly 3 years old. We regret not getting a Nissen Fundoplication done when it was an option with her feeding tube placement because of this.

Things that help - determine if she's having allergic reactions to foods in your diet if you're breastfeeding, or her formula. Dairy is a very common allergy (75% of people are lactose intolerant to some degree!). Soy is also quite common. The hypoallergenic formulas cost more, but may be the way to go if both cause issues.

Have an Upper GI done if you haven't already to ensure he isn't aspirating and to know how severe the reflux is. It's the ONLY way to know.

Use a crib wedge. There are many types, some have straps to ensure placement during sleep vs rolling down the hill. If you can't get one, put a quilt under one end of the crib or have them sleep in a bouncer until you can. Keep in a sitting position during feeding and for 30 minutes after. Burp frequently. You can thicken with rice cereal up to 4 tablespoons per ounce even very young - this makes SLUDGE you must spoon feed and it will constipate, so speak to your GI to determine the correct amount, if any, as it's for severe uncontrolled reflux after other methods have failed. Use bottles that reduce air (we used Playtex Ventair). Mix formula in 24 hour batches and keep it in the fridge; this reduces the air content in each as it's not freshly shaken to mix. Last resort, request a Nissen Fundoplication be performed and a g-tube for venting.

Donna - posted on 04/23/2010

My great-granddaughter (triplets) all have it, they are now 4mo and still it is pretty bed, we always feed with them almost in a sitting postion and in fact I just put Elousia down she was very fussy from it, I got the nursing pillow of my granddaughters that was very stiff, and put her sitting up in the center with blankets to keep her upright, and she went right to sleep. They all move around in the bed lots to, so it make it had to keep them at a angle....Good Luck