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ABOUT INFANT REFLUX AND PEDIATRIC GERD

MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT INFANTREFLUXDISEASE.COM

The esophagus is a long tube that carries food and liquids from your mouth to your stomach. At the lower end of the esophagus, a valve called the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, opens when you swallow to let food and liquids into your stomach, and then closes again to keep stomach contents in their place.

When the LES doesn't function properly it allows stomach contents including hydrochloric acid to back up into the esophagus. This is what causes the pain and damage from reflux.  Our stomachs have a protective lining to protect itself from the naturally occurring acid, the esophagus, throat, nasal cavities, lungs and teeth do not.  Over time, repeated exposure to these areas by acid can cause increasing damage and cause more serious complications.

It is this inappropriate opening of the LES allowing stomach contents to flow up the esophagus that is referred to as reflux.  Up to 50% of infants are born with some degree of reflux simply from immaturity of the LES and most of these infants will not have complications and will outgrow it before they are a year old.

Reflux is referred to as GERD (GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease) or acid reflux disease when this benign condition begins to cause more serious complications.

Symptoms of reflux:

  • frequent spitting-up or vomiting

  • constant or sudden crying, "colic"

  • irritability and pain

  • poor sleep habits typically with frequent waking

  • arching when eating

  • spitting-up past infancy

  • wet burp or frequent hiccups

Symptoms and complications of GERD:

  • refusing food or accepting only a few bites despite being hungry or the exact opposite requiring constant small meals or liquid

  • food/oral aversions

  • anemia

  • excessive drooling

  • running nose, sinus infections

  • swallowing problems, gagging, choking

  • chronic hoarse voice

  • frequent red, sore throat without infection present

  • esophagitis

  • apnea

  • chronic ear infections

  • developmental and/or speech delays

  • respiratory problems—pneumonia, bronchitis, wheezing, asthma, night-time cough, aspiration

  • gagging themselves with their fingers or fist (sign of esophagitis)

  • poor weight gain, weight loss, failure to thrive

  • barrett's esophagus—pre-cancerous condition (in older children and adults if left untreated)

  • erosion of dental enamel

  • neck arching (Sandifer's Syndrome)

  • bad breath

Children with GERD will not necessarily exhibit all these symptoms, for example children with silent reflux will not throw up.

While it's true that simple lifestyle modifications will help many babies with reflux, others, as in Noah's case, are failed by all current treatments and suffer terribly. These kids need better options!

MORE INFORMATION ON THINGS RELATING TO INFANT REFLUX,
INCLUDING MESSAGE BOARDS AND CHATS CAN BE FOUND AT INFANTREFLUXDISEASE.COM
 

Information and support on Infant Reflux
and Pediatric GERD, from
One of the internet's most well respected, extensive websites for information and support on Infant Reflux and Pediatric GERD.
Everything you never wanted to need to know about reflux and GERD in children.

Website supplied by the GERDling Moms Network.