GERD in Babies and Small Children

Acid Reflux or GERD has become a common ailment today. Not just adults little babies are affected too. The babies too experience the same level of discomfort and pain as do the adults. It's really sad to see little babies experiencing such pain and discomfort. You may not be able to cure your baby. But you can do a lot to relieve him or her of the pain. You may have to spend extra time looking after them and also change the diet..

Babies are often the silent sufferers. They can neither tell you about their symptoms nor can they express their pain. Hence it is quite difficult to know if your baby is suffering from GERD. Look out for the signs and consult a physician immediately in case you find that your baby may be suffering from acid reflux.

Babies usually vomit after meals when they suffer from GERD. It may be common for the little babies to vomit after food, but when it becomes too frequent it is a possible sign of GERD. This needs urgent attention. In babies, the problem occurs due to the lack of co-ordination in stomach, oesophagus and diaphragm. GERD in babies is also found due to some neurological problem. Your baby may certainly get adjusted to the condition as he or she grows.

Diagnosis of infantile GERD is not an easy process. To know the results, a number of trial and error methods are used. One of the best ways of diagnosing GERD in babies is through pH probe, endoscopy or gastric emptying study.

In pH probe, a probe is inserted into the oesophagus to measure the acidic quality of the fluid. If the acidity is found to be high, the baby is certainly suffering from GERD. In such cases doctors prescribe medication which can neutralize the acid levels. This reduces the pain and uneasiness.

In endoscopic method, the doctor uses a small camera to look inside the oesophagus. This helps in finding out the complications that may exist. In gastric emptying study, the rate at which the stomach empties the contents is measured. In cases where the emptying is considerably slow, the cause of the baby's symptoms can be acid reflux.

Just like adults, there are numerous treatments available for babies too. The doctors can prescribe the medicines best suitable to your baby. Medicines prescribed for GERD are antacids which help to neutralize the acidic content in the stomach or histamines which reduce the production of acid in the baby's stomach. Above all you must ensure that no acidic food or food that may stimulate acids is given to your baby.

As babies are too young to tell you about their symptoms, it's your responsibility to look out for signs of GERD in your baby. If left untreated, GERD can cause serious damage to the gastrointestinal tract of the baby which may cause further complications as the baby grows up. Giving proper treatment at the right time may give relief to your baby and hopefully your baby may overcome the condition with time.

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