Child with Acid Reflux

Hi M.,
I have 2 kids both suffered from acid reflux and were on medication till they were 9 months old. The most important thing the doctor kept telling me that the acid reflux babies need to be upright after they are fed. They are supposed to be given small amounts of liquid but more frequently. The doctor also suggested a special formula that has rice cereal mixed in it so the milk stays down. Hope this helps. They grow out of it though once they start eating more and more solid.

Stay away from soda, anything bubbly to drink, tomato sauce, clam chowder. These are things that upset my daughters acid reflux.

Hi M.,

Acid reflux is caused by the body being to acid. The acid is create by our environment, the water we drink, the air we breathe and the foods we eat.

I turned my home into a wellness home, healthier air to breathe with no ozone and with negative ions, pimagwater filter that puts back the nutrients in the water to make the body more alkaline and wholefood supplements to nuetralize the acid and a magnetic pad to sleep on that helps to relax the mind and body and also nuetralize the acid.

go to www.nikken.com/ninamarie if you would like to learn more or feel free to email me.

Good luck to you.

N. Marie

What have the parents shared with you? That is, of course, the first thing you have to think of... simply doing whatever they say works. Other than that, the only things I can suggest is avoid feeding any of the foods that tend to irritate this condition. If you don't have a good form for parents to indicate all food allergies, etc. at least get these parents to give you a comprehensive list of what you need to avoid with their child. If they have any medical help for the problem, they should probably also have listed that for your information, even if they are not having you administer meds to her. At least that way, if she had any severe problems under your care and you needed to get medical attention for any reason, you'd know what to tell medical personel. I know that sounds like an unlikely scenario, but I like to be prepared for the worst when it comes to caring for other people's children.
Another good thing for acid reflux usually is to be sure the person gets enough water to drink. Provide regular 'water breaks' for all the children in your care. It's good for everyone, and should help this child's problem.
When the children are eating, I'm sure you encourage small bites and eating slowly... not always an easy thing to get children to understand. This is something else that I think would be extremely helpful for a child with acid reflux. Most adults who I see have the problem seem to be people who tend to eat fast.

A teaspoon of raw organic apple cider with mother http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.j... in 8 ounce cup of water, sweetened with 4-5 drops of stevia http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.j... and 2 drops of lime juice... tastes like lemonade, my kids love it and helps with the acid reflux, digestion and more, he can take sips all day long and keep him fine!!!

http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/acvinegar.html

Check out this site, it has tons of great and useful information and advice:

http://www.pollywogbaby.com/refluxandcolic/reflux.html

Good luck!

You may want to suggest to the parent that he or she try taking the child off different foods to see what is causing it. A common culprit is wheat or gluten (Search "gluten intolerance symptoms" online.) Many parents notice reflux symptoms correlate with the ingestion of gluten. Do a little research online and see what you think.

If it is a baby, my pediatrician reccomended either a formula with rice cereal already added, such as Enfamil AR or adding 1 tablespoon of rice cereal to the bottle and increasing the nipple size.

My niece has acid reflex and her mom does not lay her down after she eats. She keeps her upright so food can be digested better. You might ask her parents what foods she seems to not take as well as others. They may have her on a certain diet, but if you ever have something separate and she wants to taste it, you may not be able to let her.

Dairy may take a little longer to digest as an example. Good luck

D.

Cow milk is very hard to digest and causes acid. Probiotics (acidophilus, etc) can help.

Hi M.,
Does this child have just reflux or actual acid reflux? And if it is acid reflux, have they actually been diagnosed by a pediatrician? It's pretty unusual for young children/infants to have acid reflux. Usually it's just plain old reflux where they spit up a lot after eating. I don't know how old this child is (as someone mentioned before) or it would be easier to guess which would be more likely. In any event, I had a horribly refluxy baby and we had to do the things mentioned earlier...elevate the head any way possible for at least 30 minutes after eating and at least 45 degrees up while sleeping. You'll probably have to put some type of blanket roll beneath their feet while they are sleeping, or they will just sink down and your efforts will be defeated. They should grow out of it pretty quickly, though (if indeed it is just plain reflux). It's just a pain to clean up for a while! If it's actual acid reflux, always stick with the medication the pediatrician says and give it exactly how they say, no more, no less. Having a child on medications to decrease acid in the stomach at a young age will cause their digestive system to become dependent on that and that will give them lifelong digestive problems. Take care.

I have acid reflux so I am thinking that maybe it's the same for kids... I don't know. I stay away from acidic foods (lemons, tomatoes, citrus), chocolate, caffeine, carmel-colored sodas, among other items that a child doesn't do. I also take prevacid for it. I hope this helps.

Hi M.,

I am nanny to a 4-month-old who has acid reflux and one thing that I have learned is that every child is different as to what works and what doesn't. One important thing that is univeral is that be sure to hold the child in as close to upright for 20-30 minutes after feeding. I don't know how old the child is but this is very important. The child should also be lying down with their head elevated. The way we used to do this at a preschool where I used to work is roll up a large towel and place it under the head of the mattrss. One thing that a lot of mothers swear by are simethicone drops but the doctor will probably tell the mom about this. A lot of tlc and patience is vital.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

C.

My baby was diagnosed with acid reflux as an infant (we had a pH probe study done as part of a few studies related to a condition he had at birth), and was prescribed zantac in the appropriate infant dose. We also held him so that he would be upright or at least at a 45 degree angle for at least 30 minutes after every feeding. The reflux was caused by the sphincter at the top of his stomach wouldn't close tightly enough (this is common in infants). As he grew, that muscle tightened up, and with consultation with the pediatrician, we weaned him off the infant zantac at 11 months old.

As others have said, you need to find out more from the parents to see if this is confirmed. Or, if you already have discussed this, see if they are seeking treatment with their pediatrician or specialist.

If nothing else, if this is a very young infant, you can ensure you hold the baby after feeding to keep him/her vertical.

M.:
I am a parent volunteer with a group called PAGER and we have all sorts of information pamphlets and people with children with reflux issues.
I can send you some documents about foods that can be given but would need your email to do so.
If you are interested, let me know and I will forward those to you.
T.

Hi M.,

I have two more options for you to consider.

There is a product called Genesis that is very soothing and calming for the GI system. Whether you call it acid reflux or something else, it doesn't matter. It is very good for all GI needs and many other health concerns as well. Genesis is a 100% juice drink made from grape seeds/skin (reveratrol), pomagranate (ellagitins), apple, aloe vera, cinnamon and 14 other herbs. One ounce a day would probably do the job. It tastes great and kids of all ages love it!

Aloe Plus is also very good for acid reflux. It, also, tastes great and is a concentrated aloe drink. The aloe "cools" the excess acidity. I keep this one on hand for when sore throats, cold, flu symptoms try to get us. Those seasonal bugs don't usually get to take up residence in me and my immediate family, but we do occassionaly have to pull out the big guns to fight them off quickly and successfully.

You can look at these products on my website at www.symmetrydirect.com/dhendon

Please feel free to call me if I can be of any further help to you in this.

Victorious Living with Symmetry Direct,
D. Hendon
###-###-####
www.symmetrydirect.com/dhendon

In his book, "Your Body's Many Cries for Water," Dr. Batmanghelidj makes a good point that dehydration may be the culprit. If I recall his answer correctly, he says to withhold juices and most liquids and to use good quality water. He preferred tap water over bottled water.

Other health-related authors mention that sugar and white flour cause more acid buildup as do most processed foods. (Dr. Barry Sears, for example.)

The best to you!

S. M.

Dear M.,
The first thing you need is more information from the parents as to what foods may cause discomfort and at which times of day. Strangely enough, even bananas can cause heart burn. It sounds like you need a little more information from mom and dad to help you out with this.
With little kids, one thing that really helps is not to let them horse around right after a meal to give their tummies time to settle. Letting them rest with their upper body elevated is also a big help.
My poor son was vomitting every night and I thought he had the flu, but it just didn't go away. So, the doctor put him on medication and told me to have him sleep elevated. He was getting that burning sensation in his throat which made him gag/vomit. Between the medication and not letting him sleep flat, his vomitting days were over. Also, eating smaller meals more frequently helped.
You didn't say how old the child is, so it's hard to suggest things more specific.

Best of wishes!