reflux and starting solids early

Alison - posted on 01/18/2009

We took our son to a specialist at Children's Hospital. You may need to try other medications and a different formula. My son was on enfamil's Nutramigen® LIPIL® and added a teaspoon of rice cereal for each ounce of formula. Try a different bottle too. The only bottle that helped my son was Dr. Brown's natural flow bottles and if you add rice to the formula. You need Y-cut nipples. See a specialist it will help give you piece of mind.

Rebekah - posted on 01/17/2009

My niece had horrible GERD and they did find that adding rice cereal to her milk did help! Also a doctor may prescribe an acid blocker, but that is usually for extreme cases as it may have unitended side effects in a developing system.

You might also consider taking your baby to a chiropractor or massage therapist who does cranial sacrio massage. It is just some gentle pressure on the abdomen to make sure that all the organs are in the right position. My son has had it done a few times and he has gone to regular spitting up just a little bit after meals. Just another option to consider.



An exerpt explaining this technique:

Considered by many to be the gold standard of Chiropractic techniques, Sacral Occipital Technique (SOT) is a sophisticated method of manual correction which addresses the entire body. Evolved by Dr. Major DeJarnette during the 1920s, Sacral Occipital Technique is used by practitioners all over the world.



SOT is based on the understanding that the pelvis is the weight-bearing architecture of the body. Within that 3-bone pelvic structure is the sacrum, the actual fulcrum of the body. The sacrum and the occiput – the bone at the back of your head – work synchronously as the Sacral-Occipital pump . This pump mechanism is responsible for the rhythmic movement of the Cerebral Spinal Fluid flow (CSF) through the skull and the spinal canal, creating a pulse known as the Universal pulse, empowering nerve flow from the brain and spinal cord to the body and back.



When the pelvis becomes torqued or misaligned, the sacrum will tilt, interefering with the synchonicity of the pump, causing a change of that pulse and flow with nerve flow compromised. A structural cascade of misalignments will – over time – follow including the full spine, the cranium, the shoulder girdle, arms, legs, knees, feet and organs. Yes, even organs can become misaligned…and thereby dysfunctional. (I.E.: Acid Reflux is caused by a stomach misalignment called a Hiatal Hernia.)



Acid Reflux or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is another condition that is easily addressed and corrected with the use of Sacral Occipital Technique. Structural misalignment patterns can be the cause of this disease. We find it is (often) easily adjusted into non-existence.



from http://fibrocare.org/services.html

Sylvia - posted on 01/17/2009

Quoting Crystal:

reflux and starting solids early

Hi I have two kids one is 4 1/2 yrs and I also have a 10 1/2wk old.
My 10 1/2 wk old has terrible reflux and is on losec, he has real issues taking the bottle and every feed time is a nightmare!! He is very hungry but cries because it hurts!! this is very hard to see and deal with so was thining about starting him on solids at 3mths due to this and also the fact that he is always hungry yet unable to tolerate drinking his formula.
I was wondering if anyone else has started their child on solids at 3mths (rice ceral)?

My youngest daughter also had reflux,  she could go the distance of my kitchen.  When she did keep it down she was still hungry.  I made sure with my doctor about solids and he said go ahead so we started solids just before her 3 month.  She ate very well and stopped fussing.  We gave her mashed up fruit and cereals, mushy bananas,  we used to call her "the shark" because she ate with such intent.  Don't worry your son is fine, just hungry,  our "baby" is now 8 years old and is healthy and happy.  Don't be afraid to follow your instincts.  Good luck .  Sylvia

Michelle - posted on 01/17/2009

Hi Crystal, This really sound like a medical problem your little one is having.  I think you should try asking his dr/nurse for help with this.  If your baby can't or won't eat or is in pain, you've got to get him in to see a real medical professional asap!  Good luck to you both!

Kristina - posted on 01/17/2009

I actually started my son on solids at 2 1/2 months per my dr as he was eating almost 40 ozs  a day in formula.  I gave him the cereal at night mixed with his formula.  I also started with the rice.  The only thing I will suggest is not to start any new formula when you start the cereal.  We had some contipation problems in the beginning.  He was on only rice for about a month then he was on oatmeal in the morning and rice by 3.5 months.  Then I introduced the oranges and yellows after hus 4 month check up. 

Giuseppa - posted on 01/17/2009

Hi Crystal,

My son also had reflux.  His started when he was about 8 weeks old.  Our pediatrician recommended putting him on rice formula such as Similac AR or Enfamil RA.  That made the world of difference.  The horrible  spit ups stopped within a couple of days, and he was much more comfortable.   If the rice formula had not worked, the next step would have been to put him on zantac.  Fortunately we did not have to go that route.  We kept him on rice formula until he was about 6 or 7 months old and was tolerating baby food well.  He's been on regular formula since then and is doing just fine.   Even if you were to start him on solids right now, the majority of his nutrition would still come from formula, so, I don't know if that would help much.  We started my son on rice cereal at about 4 months, but kept him on rice formula until he was close to 7 months.  I hope this helps.  Good luck!

Tanya - posted on 01/17/2009

Yup...I did.  I, too have two children.  My oldest girl is almost four and I have a six month old boy.  He had horrible problems with spitting up his food while still screaming for more.  As a second time mom, I wasn't as hesitant in "trying something new."  I started my son at four months on solids which consisted of cereal and fruits/veggies (only the lighter colored ones).  This really seemed to help.  My doctor suggested also putting him on Similac, Sensitive RS.  This has cereal in the formula.  I have to admit, my little guy has packed the pounds on though.  I'd say he is about 22 lbs at 6.5 months and is super long, too.  His PJ's are Carter's 18 mos.  But, he is happier than a clam and loving life!!  Go for it I say.  It can't hurt, but may take a while since he has the tongue thrust at that age.

Kylie - posted on 01/17/2009

hi there crystal , i have had 4 out of my 6 children with different problems related to milk but my worst child who had the same , reflux , was given a special milk from the doctor called enfimil because after being put on all different types of medicine to try and help the situation it came to light that not only did she have reflux she was allergic to sum fin aswell if your child is really bad you could ask the peadiatriction if they could try the medicine first..

Crystal - posted on 01/17/2009

Hi, thanks for your replies!

I currantly have Toby on Bellamys organic formula as its the only formula that his little stomach could handle, so i have been adding the karricare thickner to it myself, the stuff is great but he still has his really bad days when nothing seems to help him!

Think i will deff be trying banana and avocado when he is three months, just thinking about it is making me hungry :)

Thanks again

Ashleigh - posted on 01/17/2009

Hi Crystal, My daughter also had terrible reflux and was also on Losec so I know just how awful it is for them! She was born 9 weeks early so I had problems with her feeding from the very begining! She is almost 2 now. I started her on solids around 3 month (her true age). I never fed her baby cereals but started off with mashed avocardo and bananas for her first foods and only a couple of tea spoons at first building up to a few table spoons after a few weeks, keeping it simple and bland. Are you using the thickened formula designed for babies with reflux? After feeding my daughter her formula I would keep her upright for at least 30 mins to reduce reflux and elevated the top half of her mattress about 3 1/2 inches to also reduce reflux while she slept which helped alot. So avocardos and bananas! and you wouldnt beleive how much fruit she eats now!! Good luck ;)

Laura - posted on 01/17/2009

i started at 14 weeks so 3.5mths old as ds wasnt satisfied on milk, he wanted more and more then would puk it back up so i started him on rice for a week then added in creamy porridge thats a;; he had solid wise until he was 4.5mths then started properly