Acid reflux in infants is a common problem that parents need to know how to deal with. It can be hard to get your baby to sleep when they’re uncomfortable, which means it’s hard for you as well.
Luckily, there are lots of natural remedies for acid reflux in babies that are easy to use and can help your little one get back on track quickly.
Acid Reflux in Infants
The lower end of the esophagus is protected by a valve called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). This valve opens to allow food from the esophagus into the stomach and then closes up to protect the esophagus from the acid content of the stomach. Several conditions can compromise this valve, allowing gastric content into the esophagus.
As in adults, infants also suffer from heartburn on occasion. This is mainly attributed to the fact that infants consume essentially liquid and soft foods, which tend to be rich in dairy proteins. The most unfortunate part of infant acid reflux disease is that, unlike in adults, it is very difficult to determine if an infant has developed chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease.
An infant is most unlikely to be able to complain of heartburn or any symptoms of the condition.
Factors Influencing Acid Reflux in Infants
Acid reflux in infants is always a result of a lot of factors. However, most of the causative factors tend to be aggravated by the fact that infants, spend a lot of their days lying on their backs or in a supine position and consuming mostly liquid food.
The tendency for liquid food to cause regurgitation, when combined with the pressure lying in a supine position exerts on the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) constitutes a greater risk of reflux acid incidence in infants.
The incidence, however, could also be attributed to some other factors like the anatomy of the infant’s stomach, improper or incomplete development of the lower esophageal sphincter during fetal growth, poor diet, being overweight, and food allergies, among a host of other factors.
Symptoms of Acid Reflux in Infants
Because infants, unlike adults, cannot complain of symptoms or explain how they feel, it is always very difficult to know when an infant is suffering from acid reflux.
The best bet is to consult a pediatrician. Nevertheless, there are signs and clues that you may look out for in your infant that could suggest the presence of the disease. Some of these clues are:
- Sleeping problems
- Coughing
- Weight loss
- Lack of appetite
- Spitting up frequently
- Apnoea
- Unusual irritability
- Chest pain
- Sore throat
- Bad breath
- Crying
Acid reflux disease can also cause respiratory problems such as pneumonia, strictures, ulcerations on the esophageal wall, and malnutrition. Although these signs don’t always mean your infant is suffering from acid reflux disease, they constitute a good enough reason to go see your pediatrician.
Steps to Reduce Acid Reflux
Acid reflux happens when the valve at the bottom of your stomach doesn’t close properly, and acid moves up into your esophagus. This typically happens when your baby is lying down or sitting up, because gravity makes it easier for the acid to move upward. When you’re laying down or sitting up, gravity isn’t as strong as when you’re standing upright—so it doesn’t have to work as hard to keep the valve closed.
If you think your baby has acid reflux, there are some things you can do to help. The first step is to talk with your doctor and make sure it’s not something else. Next, try these tips:
Feed Smaller Meals
The best thing you can do when it comes to reducing acid reflux is to eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. This will help reduce pressure on your baby’s stomach, as well as help prevent her from overeating in one sitting.
Feed on a Schedule
Feeding your baby on a schedule will help regulate their digestive system and prevent them from spitting up their food or vomiting after eating. It’s important to feed at least every two hours during the day, and every three hours at night until your child is about 3 months old.
Feed Your Baby in an Elevated Position
When feeding your baby solid foods for the first time, keep them elevated above their stomach level by placing them in an infant seat or high chair while feeding them—this will help reduce the risk of acid reflux issues later on down the road!
Burp After Feeding
Burping after feeding can also help reduce acid reflux in babies by making sure that their food stays down where it belongs instead of coming back up into their esophagus (the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach).
Swaddling to Calm Your Baby
Swaddling is one of the best ways to help your baby sleep through the night. It helps keep your baby calm and happy, which can help prevent acid reflux. Swaddle your baby tightly so that they feel secure, but not too tightly that they can’t breathe comfortably.
Chamomile Tea for Acid Reflux in Infants
Chamomile tea is a natural remedy for acid reflux. It’s a great way to calm your child and help them sleep, too!
A mother of a 9-month-old child says: “I’ve been giving my son chamomile tea since he was 3 months old (and it’s worked wonders). At first, I thought that maybe my baby was just getting into ‘tummy time’ too soon, but then one night I decided to try giving him some chamomile tea before bedtime. He went to sleep in about 30 minutes with no fussing at all.”
Another mother commented: “I gave my little guy some chamomile tea when he was about 6 months old because we were trying everything else under the sun for acid reflux.” She said that her son slept through the night after taking the chamomile tea!
Get Rid of Acid Reflux in Infants Today
We hope this article has been helpful in letting you know that your child does not have to suffer from acid reflux. There are many treatments for this condition and we have outlined some of the most popular ones above. You should always consult with a doctor before trying any new medication or treatment plan, though! I will leave you with one final piece of advice from my own experience: don’t give up hope on your baby because there is always hope for improvement if he/she just keeps trying different things until something works out well enough to make their life better than ever before!
