Ashley and Rebekah discuss acid reflux and the effects it can have on your child’s feeding.
Some of the symptoms of acid reflux are poor waking, sour breath, spitting up or gulping, and look on the child’s face. Sometimes infants will arch their back in pain as well. You may see refusals to bottle or breast feed. They are reluctant to eat because of the pain that acid reflux causes. If it goes into the airway there may be some choking as also.
The child may also have poor sleeping habits, up crying during the night. When the child is sleeping flat, the reflux will come up more easily. Most children don’t have all these symptoms, but will probably have at least one or more.
In severe cases of acid reflux, sometimes even after the reflux is dealt with, the child may still associate pain with eating, which still causes feeding issues. You should tell your doctor the symptoms and if they are receiving feeding therapy. The therapist can also contact your doctor if you choose.
Sometimes medication may be needed. A wedge pillow helps during sleeping to keep the acid down in the stomach. You should always feed a child in the upright position.