GERD in Babies and Small Children
Not only can acid reflux, or GERD, affect the adult population, it can also affect babies and young children, and carries the same levels of pain and discomfort we, as adults, have to put up with. Although you can't cure your baby, you can do a lot to help her by looking out for her and altering her diet. The trouble with babies is they can't tell you about their symptoms, nor can they suggest they may be suffering from GERD. It is important to look out for the signs and consult a physician if you are at all worried about the possibility of your child suffering from the condition.
Infantile GERD is mainly prevalent through regular vomiting after meals. Although babies tend to bring back some of their food, if this becomes too frequent an occurrence it could be down to GERD. The problem normally arises in babies as a result of a lack of co-ordination in the oesophagus, stomach and diaphragm, or perhaps as a result of some nervous problems which your baby will almost certainly grow out of and learn to contend with.
To diagnose GERD in babies is, like in adults, no easy process. As I said, the baby can't tell you what its feeling, so the trial and error involved is much greater before realising effective results. The best ways to test for GERD are through a pH probe, endoscopy or a gastric emptying study. The pH probe involves inserting a probe into the oesophagus to measure the acidic quality of any liquid therein. If it proves to be overly acidic, this is a good indicator of GERD and the physician can then prescribe medication to calm the acid which is causing the majority of the pain. With the endoscopy, the doctor uses a small camera to take a closer look at the inside of the oesophagus, which can be helpful in looking for further complications which may be prevalent. With the gastric emptying study, the doctor will measure the length of time required for the stomach to fully empty, which if longer than usual could also be a cause of your baby's reflux.
As with the adult form of the condition, there are a range of medications and treatments which can be prescribed. Firstly, ensuring your baby eats less acidic or acid stimulating foods is a good start. Medications can include antacids, which serve to neutralise the content of the stomach, or alternatively a histamine antagonist can be prescribed to alter the production of acid within the child's stomach.
It is important to look out for the signs of GERD in your baby. If the condition is left, it could do serious damage to your baby's gastrointestinal tract which could result in problems in later life. It is far better to solve the problem early, and hopefully your child will overcome the condition as she/he gets that bit older. GERD is as uncomfortable for kids as it is for adults, so please be vigilant and make sure your child is as comfortable as they can possibly be.
Acid reflux news on the Web
Precancerous Condition Associated With Reflux Disease Triggered By Bile - Not Acid
For many people with gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, acid reflux drugs are the answer to their woes, curbing the chronic heartburn and regurgitation of food or sour liquid characteristic of the disorder. But when it comes to Barrett's esophagus, a condition commonly found in people with GERD, acid control may be less important than beating back another bodily fluid - bile... |
New GERD Device Offered At Mayo Clinic
A new device to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition that can lead to serious health problems, will soon be available at the Mayo Clinic in Florida. The device will be offered to patients taking medication for the condition, who continue to have chronic reflux symptoms. The device was approved to treat GERD (also known as acid reflux disease) on March 22 by the U.S... |
Acid Reflux 50% More Common Than Ten Years Ago
A long-term Norwegian study reveals the number of people who experience acid reflux at least once a week has gone up by nearly 50% in the last 10 years, with women appearing to be more susceptible to the condition than men... |
Prescribing Acid-Suppressing Drugs To Infants
Frequent spitting up, irritability, and unexplained crying in infants can be very distressing to parents. Pediatricians often prescribe acid-suppressing drugs for these symptoms in an effort to treat infants for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); however, GERD is an uncommon cause of these symptoms in otherwise thriving infants... |
Prescribing Of Acid-suppressing Medication For Infants Rises Considerably
Infants who are frequently spitting up, irritable, and cry for unknown reasons can be extremely worrying for parents. The infants are often prescribed with acid-suppressing drugs by their pediatricians in an attempt to treat them for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) but in otherwise thriving infants GERD is not a common cause of these symptoms... |
Acid-Suppressing Drugs Being Over Prescribed In Infants
Frequent spitting up, irritability and unexplained crying in infants are often very distressing to parents. Physicians frequently prescribe acid-suppressing drugs for these symptoms. However, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is an uncommon cause of these symptoms in otherwise thriving infants, and in his Commentary published in the October 20th issue of The Journal of Pediatrics, Dr... |
GERD Treatments, Benefits And Risks - New Report
New plain-language reports compare the risks and benefits of therapies for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a digestive condition that affects millions of individuals in the U.S., and can be treated with medications or surgery. The reports are from the U.S... |
Proton Pump Inhibitors Should Have Black-box Warnings, Group Tell FDA
Withdrawal from PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) can lead to severe rebound acid secretion, a complication that can force users to become dependent on them - this should be mentioned in a black-box warning, consumer group Public Citizen has told the FDA (Food and Drug Administration)... |
Leftover Embryonic Cells Connect Gastric Reflux And Cancer
The ultimate source of some cancers is embryonic cells. Research published in the June 24th Cell, a Cell Press publication, traces the precursor of deadly esophageal cancers to leftover embryonic cells found in all adults. Some people with gastric reflux disease have a greater risk of developing esophageal cancer... |
Homing In On Genetic Signature Of Esophageal Cancer
University of Rochester Medical Center researchers have pinpointed two genes that are amplified in the worst cases of esophageal cancer, providing data to support a new investigational treatment that targets those same genes. The study, led by Tony Godfrey, Ph.D., a research associate professor of Surgery at the James P... |
News From The Annals Of Family Medicine, May/June
Acid-Suppressing Proton Pump Inhibitors Associated with Fracture Risk A meta-analysis of previous research into an unintended effect of acid suppression medications - some of the most widely used medications in the world - finds evidence that long-term use of proton pump inhibitors, but not H2-receptor antagonists, is associated with increased risk of fracture... |
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