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Diagnosing and Testing Infant Reflux
It is entirely possible to get a diagnosis of infant or pediatric
reflux based on symptoms, although, tests may be necessary if symptoms
are mild and/or if you or your doctor feel it is necessary.
Here are the three most common tests performed at this time:
Upper GI/Barium Swallow: An upper GI is the most common, yet the most
inaccurate test. During this test, a child swallows a liquid which can
be seen on x-ray. X-rays are then taken up to several hours to see where
the material goes. This test just basically shows if the liquid comes
back up the esophagus or not. The reason this test is not very accurate
is because it can give a false negative or a positive result. The major
advantage of an upper GI is that it can see problems beyond GER. A UGI
is often the first test done because it is quite good at identifying
other problems like strictures or any abnormalities to rule them out in
the beginning.
Endoscopy: An endoscopy has many advantages, especially in patients
who have long suffered from reflux. An endoscopy is performed by a
doctor looking through a scope into the esophagus and the stomach. By
doing this, the doctor is able to see the damage and the inflammation
to the lower esophagus and the LES (lower esophageal sphincter), and to
see how the LES acts during work and rest. With this method, the doctor
is also able take any biopsies, if needed, from the lining of the
esophagus to look for any abnormalities or inflammation that would
otherwise be undetected. This is the most invasive and unpleasant of
the available procedures.
The pH Probe: The ph probe will give the best results when looking for
a diagnosis, but it can also be quite uncomfortable. A tube is placed
down the nose into the esophagus. It has a sensor on the end that
measures acidity. The pH is recorded continuously for 12 or 24 hours.
It is not uncommon for your child to be sent home with the pH probe
inserted. A negative pH probe can rule out GER more reliably than any
other test, unless it is an infant under 3 months of age. An infant's
stomach contents may not be acidic enough to trigger the probe. This
test is also great because it can measure how acidic the reflux content
is, as well as how often and what time of day is most common for your
child.
Some doctors prefer one of these over the other, while other doctors
opt for two or three of the tests to confirm or rule out a diagnosis.
Please visit our forums to discuss this further.
Written by: Eli's Mom, Erin
Read more about Reflux Information:
Causes of Acid Reflux,
What is Silent Reflux?,
Symptoms of Infant Reflux,
Medications Commonly Used For Infant Reflux and Pediatric GERD,
Reflux F.A.Q's,
Infant Laryngopharyngeal Reflux,
Sandifer's Syndrome,
Does My Baby / Child have Infant Reflux? Pediatric Reflux? GERD?,
Treatments--Infant Reflux and Pediatric GERD
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