What is infant acid reflux?

Infant Reflux is a digestive disease that occurs after you feed your baby, contents of food in the stomach flow back into the throat. Acid reflux is not very serious, few tips can do the trick, like, burping your baby, giving Woodward’s Gripewater, etc.

Causes of acid reflux

The muscle at the lower end of the food pipe is referred to as the lower esophageal sphincter. This muscle relaxes to let food items into the belly and contracts to stop the food and acid from passing again up into the pipe.

Liquid flows back into the food pipe from the stomach when the muscle does not close entirely. It occurs in all people, but it happens frequently in infants.

Infant reflux, or regurgitation, is common in infants and heightens between 3-4 months of age. Some infants reflux at once a day, while some have it with most feeds.

Symptoms of acid reflux

Spitting up and vomiting

Usually, spit-up is not painful, but forceful spit-up after meals can be a cause of infant reflux. If your kid is crying and making a fuss after spit up, it should be because of acid reflux.

Disturbed sleep

Infant reflux can make it challenging for your baby to sleep through the night. Stomach contents have a chance to settle when you feed your little one before bedtime.

Gagging or choking

Your little one will most probably choke or gag when stomach contents flow back into their throat. The position of your little one’s body during feeding can make it more serious.

Unwillingness to eat and difficulty eating or swallowing

Your toddler may resist eating if they endure pain during feeding. This pain might be due to the irritation that occurs when the contents of the stomach come back up into their throat.

Irritability during feeding

Your baby start screaming and crying during feeding because of acid reflux. This response is usually due to abdominal discomfort or esophageal irritation which is a common cause of infant reflux.

Failure to gain weight

Not gaining weight & losing occurs as a result of excessive vomiting or poor feeding associated with infant reflux.

What are the remedies?

Keep your baby upright after feeding

Put your toddler in a sitting position during feedings. As it can prevent food from traveling upward into the throat.

Burp your baby with Woodward’s gripewater

Stop feeding your baby every two to three ounces to burp them. Burping will release gas and relieve the symptoms of infant reflux. Woodward’s Gripe water is a wise choice to burp your baby. It gives symptomatic relief to your little one.

Delay playtime after meals

You should not jostle or bounce your infant after feeding. These movements can increase or may make way for spitting up or vomiting.

Change your diet

Try to eliminate food items that can increase infant reflux or can be gas-inducing from your diet while you are breastfeeding your little one.

Check nipple size

When you are feeding your baby with a nipple bottle, always check the size as your baby may swallow too much air according to the size of the nipple. The size of the nipple shouldn’t be too small or too big.

Causes of infant reflux can be relieved through diet and lifestyle changes. Medicines are available to decrease reflux. Take the right steps and don’t panic. Gripe water for babies can also help you out till some extend.