ARTICLE SUMMARY :
- What causes reflux in babies?
- The origins of reflux
- What are the symptoms of reflux in babies?
- Fight acid reflux to relieve baby's pain
- Consult a doctor or an early childhood specialist
- Baby's position after bottle-feeding
- Baby's diet
- Choosing an anti-reflux bottle
- The best anti-reflux feeding bottles
- What you need to know about reflux in babies
From the very first weeks of life, babies can be plagued by reflux. Impressive and disconcerting for young parents, they can even lead to questions.
Is baby vomiting? Is he lacking nutrients that are essential for his healthy development? Does breastfeeding encourage reflux? Or, on the contrary, would feeding baby powdered milk not be conducive to good nutrition after all?
In the following article, we'll explain where reflux comes from, and what you can do to relieve the pain it causes your child.
What causes reflux in babies?
The origins of reflux
It's normal to be concerned the first few times you're confronted with reflux, which can be quite impressive. Especially as no one really talks to future parents about this widespread phenomenon during the nine months of pregnancy.
First of all, we need to reassure ourselves about the fate of newborn babies. No, baby hasn't vomited his meal. The quantities spat out are, in fact, only a tiny fraction of what he ingested, so there's no risk of depriving him of the nutrients essential to his development.
What's more, whether you breastfeed your child or prefer to bottle-feed industrial milk, there's no one hundred percent scientific guarantee that there's any real difference in the onset of reflux.
Baby is simply experiencing external reflux, which must be distinguished from internal reflux, or "silent" reflux. The latter often goes unnoticed, as it remains in the child's throat. Behind all these names lies a physiological explanation.
As a child's digestive system is immature, the valve preventing this kind of upwelling is not yet fully operational. Sometimes, the volume found on the baby's sleeping bag can be quite impressive. In the most pronounced forms, baby may suddenly spit out what appears to be his entire meal in a jet.
Baby has also not yet developed sufficient muscle tone , and therefore cannot hold his head properly. These are all medical explanations given by doctors to try and understand the origin of reflux.
Reflux symptoms in babies
In addition to soiling its own clothes and, incidentally, those of its parents, baby can sometimes show clinical signs.
In reality, it's not the reflux itself that's painful, but the acidity that makes it up. This acidity will eventually cause irritation and then painful inflammation of the esophagus.
- Baby screams, cries, squirms and turns pale temporarily.
- They may suffer from chronic coughing, triggered by irritation of the esophageal lining.
- The horizontal position seems uncomfortable. Reflux rises much more easily when your child is lying down.
- Your child may make a face and stick out his tongue at every turn. He chews and seems to brood.
After the onset of these symptoms, it's usually not long before he orally expels some of the contents of his predigested meal.
This last figure varies according to the time elapsed between the meal and regurgitation.
This can sometimes smell like spoiled milk, which doesn't make the situation any more comfortable. Once the reflux is out, the child calms down and the symptoms subside.
Fight acid reflux to relieve baby's pain
In addition to an immature digestive tract, there are many other factors that can lead to reflux. Fortunately, it is possible to gain insight into these variants and act accordingly.
To maximize the chances of relieving baby's pain, you need to act on several levels:
Consult a doctor or an early childhood specialist
As mentioned above, reflux is not to be taken lightly, as it is painful for baby. This is why medical advice should be sought before anything else.
This will help determine whether your baby is suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD ) or just simple regurgitation associated with intestinal gas, for example.
As a newborn baby is unable to speak, its cries and screams are the only way for it to draw attention to its condition.
As a result, parents' personal interpretations cannot escape the diagnosis of healthcare professionals.
Baby's position after bottle-feeding
It's a good idea to keep your baby upright for at least twenty minutes after each feed or bottle-feeding, holding his head against your right shoulder, for example, with your right hand just behind his skull. The left hand should then be placed under the baby's bottom, and the baby's legs should be wrapped around the mother's or father's waist for greater stability.
Some specialists even recommend holding baby in this position for half an hour. By doing so, the risk of baby regurgitating is greatly reduced, as he is allowed to "burp" and evacuate much of the air ingested during his meal.
Baby's diet
Thicker, anti-regurgitation milks are available on the market. Adding cereals to your child's milk in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions also helps thicken formula and limit spit-up.
Be careful, however, not to overdo it, as these preparations are generally very sweet. A wide choice of cereals is nevertheless available. Rice and quinoa, for example, are both interesting alternatives if your baby is gluten intolerant.
In particular, it is possible to intervene on the quantitative aspect of meals. A baby with a lot of reflux may be a baby who drinks too much too quickly. By taking breaks, you can encourage your baby to burp in the middle of a feed, using the babywearing method described in the previous section.
This also reduces the risk of colic.
To find out more about the best anti-colic bottle to adopt, we invite you to read the article right here for your child's well-being.
Choosing an anti-reflux bottle
By offering anti-reflux bottlesreflux is significantly reduced. Most of these practical bottles are designed to feed baby in such a way as to limit incoming air, allowing the stomach to receive its milk ration smoothly and without bubbles.
How can I help? There are various systems for minimizing reflux.
The best anti-reflux feeding bottles
To prevent reflux, the first thing to do is to limit the risk of baby ingesting air when drinking. As well as causing colic, the air in a newborn baby's stomach is an additional force that stirs up the swallowed contents, encouraging them to rise back up into the esophagus.
To avoid this, some brands offer bottles with a removable straw. Others prefer to add a valve that creates a vacuum at the bottom of the bottle.
The teat is another accessory not to be underestimated. Its shape and flow rate play a vital role in the passage of air during sucking. A slow-flow teat is preferable for every newborn.
The shape of the bottle itself is also an important criterion. S-shaped bottles are specially designed to keep the milk flowing towards the nipple, even when baby is fed in an upright position.
Please note that a bottle alone will not prevent reflux. It's by combining each of the above solutions that you can achieve a conclusive result.
What you need to know about reflux in babies
Reflux is not a serious condition in itself, but it can put a strain on baby's daily life.
What's more, it's painful and must be resolved if it is not to develop into esophagitis.
Physiological in origin, it is nevertheless possible to help improve your child's comfort by :
- baby upright after each meal.
- give him a slightly more solid diet and structure his meals by first reducing quantities and then spacing out mealtimes. (please seek medical advice before making any decisions concerning your toddler's diet).
- Opting for an anti-reflux bottle to protect baby from the risk of regurgitation after each meal. Élhée feeding bottles fully fulfill this function. Their ergonomic shape and teat limit the passage of air during sucking.
Good news! Reflux usually subsides around baby's sixth month!
Les biberons Élhée accompagneront votre bébé de la naissance jusqu'à 24 mois et plus, pour lui permettre une parfaite autonomie, sans risque de casse.
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