Gastroesophagus Reflux Disease in Infant

In case there is any doubt whether the  Infants symptoms are related to GERD , the Doctor may have discussion with the parents and ultimately order for tests to confirm whether the child’s symptoms are related GERD.

The infant’s treatment of reflux depends on the symptoms and age. Since GER resolves by itself, some infants may need any treatment at all. In case the baby is healthy, the only care he may need is that the feed to be made little thickened with cereal and after feed the baby need to kept upright. Overfeeding must be avoided . Instead , feeding less quantity at any time for more no. of times, is recommended. In case food allergy is suspected , one may change the baby’s formula or modify the diet of the mother if she is breastfeeding the child . If the child’s growth is not satisfactory, the child may be given high calorie diet or subjected even to tube feeding .

If the child is having difficulty in eating or sleeping or not growing properly, the doctor may suggest medication. The medicines used for reflux disease , mainly to contain acid secreted by the stomach. There are drugs like H2 blockers, Proton-Pump Inhibitor etc. which are normally used for intended medication. However, generally speaking unless the drugs are tested for “off level use” for children, these drugs are not to be used for children. However, all these decisions may be taken by doctor attending the child. One thing may be noted that very rarely infants gets GERD in such severity to retard their growth or cause breathing problems. In some rare cases, the child may have to undergo surgical procedure for cure. Most of the infants outgrow reflux by one or two years of age and do not need any medications at all .