Acid Reflux In Infant - The Signs

Acid Reflux In Infant - The Signs
By Kathryn Whittaker

Many parents are unaware that acid reflux in infant can occur and most will confuse the symptoms with simple cases of spitting up food.

While this is true, to a point, there can be more serious complications with acid reflux and a doctor should be consulted.

The following are the common signs of acid reflux in an infant, allowing you to better understand what to do if this should occur.

It is important to remember that acid reflux is a common problem experienced by infants. It occurs when the muscles found at the end of the throat, the Lower Esophageal Sphincter, open too far.

Typically, the LES muscles only allow gas to pass through after eating; they let food slide down and then close, to keep it out of the throat and send it on its way to the stomach.

When acid reflux occurs, however, the muscles open too wide and bring food back up, resulting in vomiting and other symptoms. These can last until your child is eighteen months old. After this time, however, the symptoms should reduce dramatically, if not disappear completely.

If they do not, you are advised to contact your doctor; your child may have a stronger form of acid reflux and certain tests and treatments will need to be given.

Many children experience the following symptoms:

• Refusal to eat food
• Coughing after eating
• Hiccuping after eating
• Vomiting after eating
• Constant crying
• Arching body when eating
• Has a hard time swallowing food
• Drooling

These are all common traits but, when done in frequent measures, can suggest acid reflux. You should consult with your doctor if symptoms continue for extended periods. In most cases, however, these symptoms will fade away on their own.

Children between twelve and eighteen months will essentially "grow out" of the need to spit up food. If the signs persist, though, you and your doctor will need to take certain steps to treat the illness - assuming this is acid reflux and not part of another problem. Tests will be given to confirm the diagnosis. These tests include:

PH Monitoring: the level of acidity will be measured by placing a tube down the throat and leaving it there for twenty four hours. This will show the amount of acid that remains during the day, proving if there is a reflux problem.

Endoscopy: a camera, located on a tube, will be placed down the throat. This will give your doctor a clear picture of what is occurring there in order for him/her to determine if acid reflux is the issue. If there are problems, such as inflammation, they can be easily spotted.

If neither of these tests reveals acid reflux, then other methods will be tried: blood tests, urine samples, etc. Test results may conclude that your child is not suffering from reflux at all and the symptoms can be part of another illness. That is why it is imperative that you track these signs and understand when "frequent" has become "too much".

If it is acid reflux, there are certain things you can do to lower the problem:

• Hold your child upright after feeding to reduce the surge of acid
• Do not put tight clothing on your child
• Try to feed your child smaller portions but more often
• Burp your child frequently during meals

These simple steps will help reduce the symptoms and keep your child from having the more serious complications associated with acid reflux in infant.

By Kathryn Whittaker. Sign up for a free newsletter that has proven methods for tackling Acid Reflux, Heartburn and GERD head-on and discover more about acid reflux in infant. In the newsletter you'll also find more about the different kinds of acid reflux help and what to do if you have severe heartburn.

By Kathryn Whittaker. Sign up for a free newsletter that has proven methods for tackling Acid Reflux, Heartburn and GERD head-on and discover more about acid reflux in infant. In the newsletter you'll also find more about the different kinds of acid reflux help and what to do if you have severe heartburn.

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