Infant reflux?

[caro33]

I am interested: what have been people's experiences with infant reflux? I keep getting different opinions from doctors and maternal and child nurses here. I have visited the doctor, read all I can etc and am no closer to an answer.

 

Baby is 8 weeks old, and has recently taken to building himself up into a real screaming lather from 2pm for a few hours. At the start of the day he is a joy, and he sleeps well enough at night (albeit with 3-4 hour feedings), but it turns to custard in the afternoon. When he's upset nothing will make him forget it - have tried sleeping, playing, going for a walk, quiet cuddles, noisy rooms, quiet solitude etc (I have tried what seems like everything). I feed him when it's time and ignore his desire to snack, and I also test out feeding him whenever he wants it. Once he's done he starts again with the crying, which is not like him at all.

 

Some professionals say it can't be reflux because it doesn't happen 24 hours a day. I get told it's normal baby behaviour and might be colic. Maybe he's bored, maybe hungry, maybe over-stimulated - god knows it seems like each of these sometimes. Others say it is reflux and it's normal for the distress to come in patches. I get told to feed him when he wants to, and that 2-2.5 hourly is fine, and others say to only feed 4 hourly or so. There are different views for how we feed, as in one breast or two, and 15 minutes each or 40 all up. I have been told baby might just have a sore neck (we've been to the chiropractor, who, of course, said it was a neck issue). I also have a fast milk letdown and thought that might be it....

 

He's fine on his back for large chunks of the day, but when he's having a crying attack he hates to be on his back and only stops screaming when I sit him at 90 degrees. He also does the choking/swallowing thing. Some people say this is reflux and others say it can't be if he's happy on his back the rest of the time.

 

In all of this I am left frustrated and basically winging it with the baby. I have tried giving him Mylanta and he loses the plot and spits it out. I hope he's just having a growth spurt and this is normal, but who knows. His local nurse said we should take him to the doctor and get him on Zantac.

 

So what has been others' experience with reflux and does this behaviour I described ring true? What I find frustrating is that when I try different approaches I think I have things worked out, and then the ground shifts again. I am okay with this being normal baby behaviour, but when I have two nurses saying within a few hours of each other completely different things, I am left feeling like I (and the baby) cant' win. It's reminiscent of my hospital stay when I had him and every person said something different...

[itsallgrand]

Simply to add more info to the story: Have you tried feeding the baby anything other than breast milk?

[Mythical_Suicide]

Simply to add more info to the story: Have you tried feeding the baby anything other than breast milk?

 

at 8 weeks old, baby is too young to be adding anything other than breastmilk/formula.

 

 

My son suffered with acid reflux really bad until well after he turned 1, and while his symptoms were constant, My nephew also suffered from acid reflux just not as severe as my son and his would only come on at certain times as it sounds like your son is doing.

 

I would seek out different opinions and suggest to his pediatrician maybe seeing a specialist and possibly trying out some medications.

 

The part where you say he's fine as long as he's elevated really makes me believe it is reflux and nothing else. But yea, I would definitely try to get him on some meds, even if it is temporary just to find the problem because it does sound like acid reflux.

[caro33]

Simply to add more info to the story: Have you tried feeding the baby anything other than breast milk?

 

Tried water once when he seemed to need to feed all the time, but he wouldn't take it.

 

And to add more info again, I have tried to modify my diet in case he has issues with my breastmilk - have been off almost all dairy for weeks now, no tomato, no broccoli, no chocolate etc. Have found no apparent link between what I eat and his reactions though.

[Mythical_Suicide]

Tried water once when he seemed to need to feed all the time, but he wouldn't take it.

 

And to add more info again, I have tried to modify my diet in case he has issues with my breastmilk - have been off almost all dairy for weeks now, no tomato, no broccoli, no chocolate etc. Have found no apparent link between what I eat and his reactions though.

 

Have you tried keeping a journal of what you eat and matching it up with the times he has the most trouble? Maybe you can link something like that, if that does happen to be the case. That is what my SIL was told to do with my nephew since she also breastfed and it worked somewhat.

[itsallgrand]

Well, I was thinking formula.

 

It could be the breast milk.

 

Maybe not. But it's one possibility not explored yet. Taking the breast milk out of the equation.

[BeStrongBeHappy]

he needs to see a pediatrician to make sure there is not some other issue, or that there isn't some kind of medication especially for colic that he needs.

 

the poor child is obviously distressed and so are you... it may just be colic, BUT babies can have other problems, and there is no reason for him to be in intense pain enough to scream for hours on end... intestinal infections, or even pain somewhere else in his body that you think is related to colic or digestion but may not be... like ear problems, or some other more serious problem that should be looked at. there can be some anatomical conditions that need minor surgery to address, that are not always initially apparent.

 

please be careful with chiropractors and infants... i wouldn't take a child to a chiropractor when a pediatrician is trained to deal with the special problems of infants. chiropractors don't always have the proper credentials to deal with babies and might cause serious damage to an infant, or cause to you to misdiagnose a problem that could be minor or serious, depending on what it is.

[caro33]

at 8 weeks old, baby is too young to be adding anything other than breastmilk/formula.

 

 

My son suffered with acid reflux really bad until well after he turned 1, and while his symptoms were constant, My nephew also suffered from acid reflux just not as severe as my son and his would only come on at certain times as it sounds like your son is doing.

 

I would seek out different opinions and suggest to his pediatrician maybe seeing a specialist and possibly trying out some medications.

 

The part where you say he's fine as long as he's elevated really makes me believe it is reflux and nothing else. But yea, I would definitely try to get him on some meds, even if it is temporary just to find the problem because it does sound like acid reflux.

 

Until after he turned one? Poor him and poor you. That must have been tough.

 

His pediatrician has been booked out for weeks - we booked a time with him a month or so ago for 3 January, so we'll get an answer then I hope. We've been to the local GP and had no joy, but might go again in a day or so (he had his shots last night and is out for sorts for now) and perhaps get a prescription in case he needs it. I am just sick of the people in charge of the solutions (ie script writing) having different ideas and thinking I am also uninformed.

 

Interesting about your nephew, perhaps the difference is that different health care professionals just have different ideas about what reflux is...

[caro33]

please be careful with chiropractors and infants... i wouldn't take a child to a chiropractor when a pediatrician is trained to deal with the special problems of infants. chiropractors don't always have the proper credentials to deal with babies and might cause serious damage to an infant, or cause to you to misdiagnose a problem that could be minor or serious, depending on what it is.

 

I agree. But we saw a pediatric chiro, one referred by my son's local nurse, and the guys at the clinic are the leading children's chiro practice in my state. The chiro has actually made a real difference to my son's neck (he wouldn't turn it) and he is super careful - this is not your adult back cracking stuff.

[RayKay]

BellaDonna is a good one to ask about this!

 

I read an article recently that it is VERY common in babies as they are just not mature enough - most outgrow it and have it mild enough where they should NOT be medicated (but are) and many have it more serious.

 

Honestly....most of the time it is just something they need to outgrow (which I know sucks for you and daddy AND baby!).

[JadedStar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by itsallgrand

Simply to add more info to the story: Have you tried feeding the baby anything other than breast milk?

 

at 8 weeks old, baby is too young to be adding anything other than breastmilk/formula.

 

 

My son suffered with acid reflux really bad until well after he turned 1, and while his symptoms were constant, My nephew also suffered from acid reflux just not as severe as my son and his would only come on at certain times as it sounds like your son is doing.

 

I would seek out different opinions and suggest to his pediatrician maybe seeing a specialist and possibly trying out some medications.

 

The part where you say he's fine as long as he's elevated really makes me believe it is reflux and nothing else. But yea, I would definitely try to get him on some meds, even if it is temporary just to find the problem because it does sound like acid reflux.

__________________

~!The only fool Larger then the one who thinks He's always right, is the one who

 

 

Wow. Babies get acid reflux? I never knew that. I just figured we adults who put too much crap into our bodies got that!

[Mythical_Suicide]

 

Wow. Babies get acid reflux? I never knew that. I just figured we adults who put too much crap into our bodies got that!

 

Yeah , I was shocked when I was told my son had it.

 

As RayKay said, it's very common in newborn and infants and usually it isn't a problem for most as they outgrow it once they are able to eat more solid foods and their bodies mature and alot of pediatricians don't like 'diagnosing' and medicating it as it is so common and can usually be controlled by doing certain things with feedings and such.

 

But you also have cases like my son who require medications when its so severe that they lose weight, cant/wont eat, suffer permanent damage to their esophagus (sp) or other serious problems.

[JadedStar]

Yeah , I was shocked when I was told my son had it.

 

As RayKay said, it's very common in newborn and infants and usually it isn't a problem for most as they outgrow it once they are able to eat more solid foods and their bodies mature and alot of pediatricians don't like 'diagnosing' and medicating it as it is so common and can usually be controlled by doing certain things with feedings and such.

 

But you also have cases like my son who require medications when its so severe that they lose weight, cant/wont eat, suffer permanent damage to their esophagus (sp) or other serious problems.

 

I had my babies so long ago that there are many things it seems now that they didn't know then. My firstborn, my daughter, cried incessantly for what seemed like an entire six months! They said colic but God it had to be more than that!

 

My second, my son, never cried and was always happy.

 

The generic colic diagnosis never set well with me with my daughter.

[caro33]

BellaDonna is a good one to ask about this!

 

Thanks RayKay, have spoken to BellaDonna. What I'm really after is any parents who have had a baby like mine (not such bad reflux-y type behaviour) and whether it really was reflux...

[Mythical_Suicide]

I had my babies so long ago that there are many things it seems now that they didn't know then. My firstborn, my daughter, cried incessantly for what seemed like an entire six months! They said colic but God it had to be more than that!

 

My second, my son, never cried and was always happy.

 

The generic colic diagnosis never set well with me with my daughter.

 

Yeah, definitely. I was talking with my aunt about this awhile back and she said pretty much the same thing, both of her kids were always crying and they chalked both of them up to Colic and shes thinking, looking back that it could have been so much more that they didn't know.

 

I feel so sorry for anyone who has to deal with any form of reflux with a baby. That entire year was hell for both me and my son, I felt so bad for him.

[caro33]

The colic thing is strange isn't it: "we have no idea what the problem is and we can't help you, so let's call it a name and leave it at that"...