Reflux in babies occurs when the muscle at the top of the baby's stomach does not work effectively and therefore that muscle does not work in stopping the contents from the stomach going back up and spilling out of baby's mouth.
Sometimes you may notice that your baby isn't their 'self' but you can't quite work out what is wrong with them, most parents find it hard to determine the cause of this and later discover that their baby has been experiencing reflux for some time before they were able to pick up on it. Don't distress over it as reflux can be quite difficult to pin point if you haven't experienced it in an infant before.
The symptoms from reflux to watch out for in an infant include:
o Refusal to feed
o Crying during and after feeding, and especially when lying down (ie. When changing nappy or sleep time)
o Vomiting/posseting
o Crying and/or screaming
o Disrupted sleeping patterns
o Congestion
o Poor weight gain
Some babies with reflux may experience discomfort or pain with it, while other babies with reflux may be quite happy and content but will vomit or posset without any of the associated discomfort or pain. Other babies may not vomit or posset at all, but experience the discomfort from reflux, this is known as 'silent reflux', it is where the food in your baby's stomach only makes it part of the way up the oesophagus.
You can minimise the discomfort or pain associated with reflux by your baby through:
o Elevating the head of your baby's mattress
o Keep your baby upright during a feed
o Keep your baby upright for about 20 minutes after a feed
o Use a thickener to thicken up baby's milk, this can sometimes reduce vomiting or posseting
o Medicines (prescribed by doctor, or over the counter natural medicines)
Once your baby is able to sit upright unassisted, you may find that the symptoms of reflux may reduce. In the meantime try to ease the discomfort as mentioned.
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