Acid Reflux In Children
by Clive Chung
Acid reflux in children is a common problem in the first year of life, usually starting a few weeks after birth, The contents of the children's stomach pass back into the esophagus because the muscle at the entrance to the stomach is weak. In most cases, acid reflux in children is a temporary problem.
What are the symptoms of heartburn in children? The main symptoms of heartburn in children are: Persistent vomiting; the vomit may contain blood Regurgitation of feedings, which may dribble continuously from the mouth A cough, if regurgitated milk or formula is breathed into the lungs Crying and irritability Failure to gain weight, if the acid reflux in children is prolonged and severe
Contact your family doctor at once if your children's vomit contains blood. Otherwise, you should make an appointment for your children to be seen by a doctor.
What might the doctor do? The doctor will examine your children. In addition, he or she may send samples of urine and blood for testing so that any other cause of the vomiting, such as gastroenteritis or pyloricstenosis, may be ruled out. What is the treatment? Altering your children's normal sleeping position may help to reduce reflux. If he or she is old enough, your children should also spend more time sitting in a baby chair. If the symptoms of acid reflux are severe, make your children's formula thicker with rice cereal. You should try to avoid giving your children anything to drink without offering solids as well. Also, some parents are trying liquid Zantac for infants
If the acid reflux in children does not improve within about 6 weeks, the doctor will probably prescribe a drug that helps to prevent the problem by increasing the muscle tone of the eophagus. Some people may also suggest using liquid Zantac for infants to reduce the amount of acid in the stomach. Most babies outgrow reflux by the age of 1 year with or without treatment.
There are many medications for acid reflux in children. One can try using H2-blockers like cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac), famotidine (Pepcid), and nizatidine (Axid). These drugs prevent the backflow of acid into the esophagus. One can also try using the proton-pump inhibitors, such as esomeprazole (Nexium), omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), rabeprazole (Aciphex), and pantoprazole (Protonix). They decrease the level of acids produced in the stomach.
However, the above medications may have some side effect. You should always do some research or consult your doctor before putting your infant on these drugs.
About the Author
Check out our blog to learn more about infant reflux treatment, as well as the side effect of some over-the-counter medication: http://illness911.blogspot.com/2007/10/zantac-and-infant-reflux.html