If you have a newborn, you probably notice that your child has a recurring problem with newborn reflux. These babies may have trouble sleeping, spit up more frequently, and generally seem irritable. If you’re a parent of a newborn with reflux, you can take a few steps to relieve these problems. Feed your baby often and avoid letting him have large meals. However, you should always consult a healthcare provider if you think your child has GERD or other severe conditions.
In most cases, newborn reflux is triggered by a slow digestive system. Milk stays in the baby’s stomach longer than it should, causing reflux. It can also be triggered by allergies or resistance to milk. The valve connecting the food pipe to the stomach starts to develop around 10-12 months. As your child ages, his stomach size and length will increase, allowing more milk to enter the oesophagus.
Young infants are prone to infant reflux, which can be painful and embarrassing for you and your newborn. It can also signify prematurity since the oesophagal sphincter muscle is still developing. The pressure exerted by the stomach can overwhelm the power, which opens and closes, allowing the contents of the baby’s tummy to flow back up the oesophagus.
Infants experiencing acid reflux often experience hiccups, coughing, and vomiting of milk. Parents should not panic if they see one or more of these symptoms in their babies. As long as your baby is otherwise healthy, there’s no reason to worry. If your baby is experiencing these symptoms, it’s probably not something more serious, but if the symptoms are too severe or persistent, you should consult a doctor. The sooner you seek treatment, the better.
There are two types of newborn reflux. Primary reflux (GER) is a condition that is caused by something other than the baby’s acid production. Secondarily, secondary GER occurs because of something different than the acid secretion in the baby’s oesophagus. Reflux in newborns may be silent or cause symptoms such as spit-up, but they all share the exact underlying cause. For example, a baby may have a recurring GER episode and a fever or an extreme increase in gastric acidity.
While there are no definitive homoeopathic treatments for newborn reflux, the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends that parents seek medical advice and monitor their newborn’s symptoms. However, many parents aren’t comfortable relying on pharmacological remedies for their child’s condition. Besides, homoeopathic remedies are rarely 100% effective, and it’s always best to consult your paediatrician before administering any homoeopathic remedy to your newborn.
If your newborn experiences persistent infant reflux, your doctor might recommend thickened feeds or an anti-reflux formula. However, if your child is not a risk for GERD or has a mild case of the condition, you don’t need to worry. Mild newborn reflux usually goes away on its own with time. If your baby is otherwise healthy, you can monitor their diet and keep it as normal as possible.
