Acid reflux in newborns is a distressing disease. The food that we eat enters the stomach through a tube called the oesophagus. A ring of muscles known as the lower oesophageal sphincter opens to allow food to enter the stomach. It normally opens to release gases after a meal. In case of infants the contents reflux out of the mouth and cause vomiting or regurgitation. It occurs in newborns during the first three months of age, and usually, the symptoms disappear by the time the child is 18 months old. However, at times the symptoms of acid reflux are severe requiring medical evaluation and treatment.
Acid reflux:
Heartburn is often taken lightly by
many and is thought to be just a simple burning
sensation. However, many a times, this simple
heartburn is merely a symptom of the more
dangerous GERD or Gastro-oesophageal reflux
disease underlying it. It is most popularly known
as acid reflux. Acid reflux in newborns can create
many problems, for the simple reason that it can
go undetected. Unlike adults, newborns cannot
really convey what they feel, when they are
attacked by this irritating disorder. Another
complication is that the GERD is relatively rare
in infants. Even if the newborn does acquire it,
the first symptoms like throwing up, spitting,
etc, are mistaken to be 'normal' in babies that
are so young. However, besides these symptoms,
parents often notice some other symptoms on close
observation, which are definitely abnormal in
newborn babies.
Symptoms of acid reflux:
Acid reflux in newborn
babies can cause symptoms like pneumonia,
wheezing, inability to grow or put on weight,
feeding aversion and more. The symptoms may vary
from one baby to another. Hence, if you see even
just one or a few of such symptoms in your
newborn, it is always advisable to consult the
paediatrician as soon as possible. Sometimes,
the child may not even manifest such symptoms.
This condition is also known as silent GERD.
Difficult to diagnose and understand, this
condition may go undetected for a very long time.
Acid reflux treatment
options:
Once the disease is diagnosed, you have
won half the battle for your baby, as there are
many effective ways in which you can treat acid
reflux. While some parents like to stick to their
paediatrician for conventional treatment, other
parents consider taking help of over-the-counter
medicine. This should be strictly avoided, as
pills can cause serious and fatal side effects in
babies. Also, even if conventional medicine is
helpful to treat the symptoms, sometimes, even the
best medicines may fail to attack the root cause
of acid reflux. Therefore, it may continue to
flourish as soon as the superficial treatment is
over. Relapse is fairly common with conventional
medication and treatment. Hence, more and more
parents are turning to the idea of holistic
treatment not just to treat acid reflux in their
newborns, but also to eliminate it for good.
Holistic treatment:
Holistic treatment for acid reflux is
effective and especially advisable for newborns
for various reasons like,
·
It is safe and has no side
effects.
·
It not only eliminates the symptoms of acid reflux, but also the root
cause of the disease and thereby prevents its
recurrence.
·
Holistic treatment avoids newborn
babies from being subjected to harsh conventional
forms of treatment like surgery.
Despite this, it is always recommended
that you seek the opinion of your doctor, before
switching from conventional medication to holistic
treatment, as any major change entails paying
notice to a large number of meticulous details and
complications. Holistic treatment has been a major
success in eliminating acid reflux in cases where
conventional treatment has grossly
failed.