Acid reflux occurs in about 50 percent of all babies. That’s almost half. The reason for this is that the babies’ lower esophageal sphincter is not fully developed and strong enough to keep the stomach acids in the stomach. Usually this problem will go away once the baby grows older. By the time babies turn one year old or 18 months, the symptoms will subside on their own.
However, for the time being when they are young, watching them suffer from acid reflux can be a heart wrenching experience. Furthermore, babies can only communicate by crying so it becomes much more difficult to know if your baby has acid reflux.
So how do you know if your baby has acid reflux?
One very common indicator is that your baby will vomit after every feed. This is known as “spitting up”. You may notice that the baby will not want to eat because it fears the pain. They may be young but they are intelligent. If your baby avoids eating, struggles by arching its back to avoid eating, your baby might have acid reflux. In some cases, the baby does not gain weight. If the baby’s stools contain blood, that is another indicator. So is vomit that is green or brown.
All these are symptoms of acid reflux.
The severity of the acid reflux will dictate the treatment. Mild cases are easily handled but chronic acid reflux must be looked at by a pediatrician.
One good tip parents can follow is to keep the baby upright for about 30 to 45 minutes after feeding. Just like adults, when a baby’s stomach is full, the chances of the stomach acids spilling out are higher. By keeping the baby upright, you will prevent this from happening.
When burping the baby, try and sit him or her on your lap and burp them. Do not put them on your shoulder and pat the back. Your shoulder will press up against their tummy and place pressure on the stomach. This will cause the acids to rise. It’s simple things like these that many parents should be aware of and will go a long way towards easing their baby’s suffering.
It can be exasperating dealing with a baby that has acid reflux because it will usually not sleep well and cries a lot. Since the baby will wake up several times a night, it can be very draining on the parents who have to constantly tend to it. Rest assured that these tiring times will pass. Do not feel that you are helpless while your baby suffers. This is part and parcel of their development.
As the baby ages, the problem will disappear and you will have a happy and healthy child. In chronic cases, some medication will be required. However, even in these cases, as the baby grows up, it will be able to better communicate and you can implement some rules to keep acid reflux at bay. Acid reflux is not a life threatening problem and can be kept at bay with good habits and a few sensible tips.