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Remedies for Acid Reflux in Infants

Acid reflux, also known as gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and commonly termed "spitting up,"affects an average of 65 percent of babies at some point and tends to peak between one and four months of age. Although acid reflux is messy and tends to cause parents stress, the issue usually resolves itself by the time a baby reaches 6 to 12 months of age. Parents can experiment with various home remedies to find relief, and in persistent cases, can consult their pediatrician for possible prescription treatment.

  1. Home Remedies

    • Change your feeding habits. Home remedies for acid reflux in babies can be as simple as feeding your baby smaller, yet more frequent feedings and meals. Keep your baby upright during and for at least 30 minutes after all feedings and meals. Minimize all distractions during feedings and try playing soothing music and dimming the lights. Give your baby a chance to burp at least once during each feeding and once after each feeding.

      If you are breastfeeding, try to identify foods in your diet that could be triggering reflux reactions and sensitivities, such as dairy products, carbonated beverages, tomatoes, citrus foods, processed foods and high-fat foods. If you are not breastfeeding, discuss changing formulas with your pediatrician. Homeopathic medicines that specifically treat acid reflux in babies can be beneficial, but speak with your pediatrician before you begin any alternative medication treatment.

    Professional Treatment

    • Babies with persistent acid reflux may need prescription-strength medications to reduce stomach acid and speed up their digestion process, limiting the amount of time milk remains in their intestines. If all other medications and treatments have failed, your pediatrician may recommend surgery to treat the acid reflux.

    Prevention: Breastfeeding

    • Try breastfeeding your baby as long as possible to prevent acid reflux. Although breastfeeding is not a guaranteed method for prevention, breast milk is less irritating to the stomach, it is easier to digest and is emptied from a baby's stomach twice as fast as formula.

      Overall, babies who are breastfed have less severe and fewer occurrences of acid reflux, but mother's who are not able or choose not to breastfeed can also try gentle formulas that consist of broken-down mild proteins for easier digestion, and formulas specific for a spitting up and acid reflux.

    Misconceptions

    • Mothers are often told by elder women and friends to thicken their baby's formula with cereal to reduce acid reflux and spitting up. But recent research shows that this method is not only ineffective but can also be harmful. If your baby aspirates while drinking thickened formula, the cereal can irritate the esophagus and possibly even cause choking.

    Considerations

    • Parents whose babies are suffering from acid reflux often feel overwhelmed and distraught. Connect with other parents and educate yourself on how to deal with the condition by utilizing the Pediatric/Adolescent Gastroesophageal Reflux Association, also known as PAGER (see Resources). The national organization provides support to parents of babies and children with acid reflux by distributing current acid reflux treatment information in monthly newsletters and brochures as well as holding monthly support meetings.

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