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Treatments--Infant Reflux and Pediatric GERD
There are several treatment options available for a child suffering from GER/GERD. Most often, just making some changes at home is enough to relieve the minor symptoms of infant reflux for many babies and children. If this is not enough, then medication may be required while still trying to continue the changes at home to help relieve the symptoms. Keep in mind that most children do outgrow their reflux symptoms by one year of age.
Remove triggers that may be causing reflux symptoms. A lot of times reflux can be caused by an allergic reaction or an intolerance that the body is having to something it is consuming. Examples of this are cow's milk proteins or lactose intolerance. Elimination diets for breastfeeding mothers or complete diet alterations for a child on formula or solids may be all that is needed to help relieve your child's reflux symptoms. Please read Ultra-Bland Reflux Diet and Foods That Aggravate GERD for more help. An allergist or a gastroenterologist can be of help if this may be the cause.
Delayed gastric emptying or another physical abnormality such as an obstruction of the esophagus could also be an underlying cause of the symptoms of reflux, and it is certainly a possibility that should be explored. These other health concerns can be diagnosed through available testing. Although uncommon, it is good to rule out other causes. You can read more about emptying problems in our article Delayed Gastric Emptying.
At-home treatments for reflux can help your child to feel more comfortable. Elevating your child's head at home can help reflux symptoms. You can do this by elevating the crib/bassinet head and also by getting your baby to sleep in a swing or a car seat. Thickening bottles can be beneficial for some babies. Your baby's happiness is also a treatment in itself for reflux. Crying increases the symptoms of reflux, so try to limit the crying. For more information, please check out our article, Non-Medical Treatments For Infant Reflux/Pediatric GERD.
Medications relieve symptoms for many children. Medications are prescribed for symptoms when treatments at home don't help, and an underlying cause is being investigated or ruled out. There are many different medications and options. Trial and error is the only way to find the correct medication match for your child. This can be very frustrating, as it is a time consuming process. Please read our article, Medications Commonly Used For Infant Reflux/Pediatric GERD for more detailed information about medications.
Surgery is the final option. The anti-reflux surgery is most likely not needed. The (Nissen) Fundoplication surgery should only be considered as a last resort for reflux that is bringing on serious complications. You can read more about the fundoplication and what warrants the surgery by reading our article called Considering Fundoplication – The Anti-Reflux Surgery.
There is so much to try and to consider when dealing with a child with reflux. Many doctors will begin to treat infant reflux in the hopes that the baby will outgrow it quickly, and most children do. Those who don't could be suffering from another health issue that is causing it, or it could be nothing more than gastroesophageal reflux disease. Unfortunately, we have many moms here at MWP with children that are suffering from this disease for which there is no cure.
If you would like to discuss any information in this article, I encourage you to join the support forums here at MWP. We have many moms who are waiting to talk with you. We wish you the best with getting your child the help he or she so desperately needs.
Written by: Erin, ElisMom
Read more about Reflux Information:
Causes of Acid Reflux,
What is Silent Reflux?,
Symptoms of Infant Reflux,
Diagnosing and Testing 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?
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