Baby acid reflux is a medical
condition yet to be studied thoroughly that also tends
to be slightly misunderstood. According to recent
estimations, 20% of the approx. eight million
babies born in the U.S. each year suffer from
acid reflux, whereas babies who have developmental or
neurological disabilities are more likely to suffer from
this condition.
What is GERD?
Acid reflux, also called GERD
(gastroesophageal reflux disease), in simple,
mechanical terms is a correctable impairment in the
digestive system. In a healthy individual, the lower
esophageal sphincter (a term which stands for a ring of
muscle that acts as a valve between the esophagus and
the stomach) prevents gastric acids from flowing back
into the esophagus. Gastroesophageal reflux disease
occurs when that sphincter is not able to keep the acids
in the stomach so the acids travel into the throat
sometimes pasting the larynx. GERD can cause numerous
symptoms and complications such as pain, infections,
ulcers, eating problems, voice issues, and in the long
run even cancer.
Baby acid reflux
diagnosis and treatment can be especially
challenging. Since a young baby cannot express his or
her feelings verbally, there is a difficulty to figure
out whether he or she suffer from medical impairment.
Moreover, reflux condition can be easily confused with
normal baby vomiting. During the first 3-4 months of
life, frequent vomiting occurs among 50% of babies,
reaching its peak at four months. Vomiting caused by
GERD can be very disruptive and painful.
In order to make a proper GERD diagnosis in a baby, several
other symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease are to
be identified. These baby symptoms
include
(besides intermittent vomiting): middle ear
infections, adenoid enlargement abdominal pain, anemia,
asthma, persistent crying, unexplained nighttime
awakening, hematemesis (vomiting of blood), chronic
cough, high-pitched sound when breathing, repeated
croup, feeding resistance and nose/sinus inflammation.
The best way to achieve accurate diagnosis for baby acid
reflux is having a specialist, such as a
gastroenterologist or an ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctor
perform the diagnosis.
Treatment of GERD
:
Treatment options for gastroesophageal
reflux disease include: medication, surgery and holistic
treatments. In the case of baby acid reflux, neither
medication nor surgery is considered safe. Surgery is
rarely an option even among adult patients in normal
circumstances. As for medication use, it may be
undesirable especially when it comes to babies for three
of the following reasons:
- GERD medication is aimed at
tackling the symptoms while neglecting the root cause
of the condition.
- GERD
medication may cause a myriad of side effects, which
are particularly difficult to identify in babies.
- GERD
medication can compromise a baby's immune system,
resulting in a weak and vulnerable immune function,
which can lead to various health compilations beside
acid reflux and eventually to the aggravation of
gastroesophageal reflux disease.
The best way to address baby acid
reflux is by
adopting the holistic approach while focusing on a
comprehensive set of all natural lifestyle and dietary
changes. Recent researches provide strong support to
this approach. For example, one research showed a 40%
rate of recovery in babies with gastroesophageal reflux
disease after switching from a cow's milk based formula
to a soy-based formula. Another research showed the
worsening of acid reflux symptoms when babies were given
juice products. Changing feeding and sleeping position
was also found beneficial in cases of baby acid reflux
.
