I am sure you have heard of acid reflux, an unpleasant condition that affects millions of people all over the world. If you suffer from this disease then you will know how painful it can be especially its main symptom, heartburn. If you have a young child, especially if they are less than 12 months old you may want to know some more about acid reflux in children. This is because this form of the disease tends to effect children of less than 1 year old. The reason it tends to occur often in young children is that their muscle at the base of their esophagus - which is supposed to only allow food to travel in one direction - can be quite weak. This allows acid to reflux from the stomach up through the esophagus. Generally though this problem is only temporary and it is usually not much to worry about.

Regardless, it is still something that all cautious parents will want to keep an eye on. Knowing and being able to spot the symptoms of acid reflux in young children is important, since they obviously won't be able to tell you themselves that they have heartburn. If they are vomiting regularly with patches of blood, then this is one of the most obvious symptoms. Also, if they seem to persistently have food dribbling over their mouths then this is a sign that food is being regurgitated which can point to acid reflux in children.

Other symptoms can include light coughing, crying and crankiness and irritability. They may also fail to put on weight as all of the food is not being swallowed. This would be a certain sign that your child's acid reflux has become a severe and prolonged problem.

If you have noticed some or all of these symptoms, it would be advisable to book an appointment with the family doctor. In all probability, the acid reflux will not become a serious problem but when a young infant is involved it is always best to err on the side of caution and seek the doctor's advice. The doctor will examine your child and may require blood and urine samples to help determine what, if any, condition your child has. Other conditions which could be causing similar symptoms include gastroenteritis and pyloricstenosis. Once the doctor has the results of the test he will know what exactly is causing the symptoms in your child and if it is acid reflux or something else.

Fortunately, it may not be initially necessary for the child to begin taking medications to treat the acid reflux. Instead some quite simple measures can be taken to try and eliminate the problem. For example, changing the position they sleep in can quite often stop acid reflux while having your child sit on a baby chair while eating has also been seen to help reduce the problem.

As I stated at beginning of the article, in the large majority of cases the acid reflux will be resolved without the need for any serious treatment or prescribed medications. It is just one of the many things that are worth keeping an eye on when you have a young child to look after.

   Back to top     |      Print this page   |     Bookmark this page