FAQ: What is GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease)?
Some babies have a severe reflex which causes them a lot of discomfort and pain. Their spit-ups are usually more frequent and larger in quantity. It may involve occasional projectile vomiting as well.
Susceptible population :
GERD usually improves by 1-2 years of age.
Symptoms :
GERD has similar symptoms to mild reflux but are more intense in nature. They show up more often and cause more discomfort. Some of the common symptoms are as follows.
Some babies may have more severe symptoms which are as follows.
Some babies may also have ‘Silent GERD’. This is tricky because there are no spit-ups in this condition. The content from the stomach comes up only till the esophagus and is swallowed back. Even though there is absence of spit-ups or vomits, it is painful for the baby. Other accompanying symptoms include gagging, choking, bad breath, very frequent hiccuping, chronic coughing, excessive fussiness and poor sleep.
Treatment :
It is recommended that a baby with GERD should be considered for medical treatment only if she is facing severe symptoms including poor weight gain or weight loss, severe choking and other breathing complications. However, if a baby is suspected with GERD, usually doctors prescribe various reflux medicines (without running any tests) to see if they improve the baby’s symptoms. Another recommendation is to screen the baby for other allergies as they involve similar symptoms. One of the examples of such allergies is - cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA).
Other Helpful Measures :
References :
https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/gerd/
https://kellymom.com/hot-topics/reflux/
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