Reflux causes pain in baby’s tummy, throat, and mouth and then can be woken up from sleep easier. Here’s how to help baby in the meantime. By Lisa Milbrand. Remember, you have to refrain from engaging the baby in any physical activity. As a mother, you may also consider using formulas that stop reflux, constipation, colic and sensitive tummy. (Babies with CMPI might well be pukers, but it won’t be silent reflux.) Certainly there are many reasons why a baby won't eat while awake with pain from a chronic condition such as acid reflux high on the list. This means milk can easily travel back up your baby's oesophagus, usually when they're full from a feed ² . Silent reflux doesn’t usually persist in babies beyond the one year mark, but if it does, you must take that baby to a pediatrician. Before the baby takes a nap, burp the baby for as long as possible. Try holding your baby in a more upright position while feeding and burp her frequently. You might hear gurgling sounds during or after a feeding. This is bad and can cause silent reflux. Another way you can tell if reflux is the culprit to your baby's sleepy time woes is "if you see your child is waking up and uncomfortable within one hour of feeding… She has plenty of wet and dirty nappies though. But what if you are not entirely sure of what is wrong with him/her or you misdiagnose his illness for another? For others, the milk starts to come up, but doesn't get as far as the mouth. I don’t know why none of the GP’s I saw suggested anything other than ‘a virus’ for 3 months. If the reflux is causing problems or your baby has GORD, the doctor may suggest some treatment, such as feeding your baby thickened fluids. In around one-third of cases, the baby would display avoidant-feeding behaviour while awake but feed without resistance when drowsy or asleep. seeming unsettled and grizzly after a feed; These symptoms can lead to your baby not gaining weight, or even losing weight. However, don’t overlook ‘pressure’ as a secondary cause of his avoidant, distressed feeding behaviour. Swallowing air can increase pressure around the small intestine and lead to reflux. If you are a smoker as well, for the health of the baby, you should stop smoking as soon as possible. Silent reflux. For example: A single instance does not usually cause a baby to become averse to feeding, but could if the experience was traumatic. Accepts milk from a dropper, syringe, spoon or sippy cup, or enthusiastically eats solid foods after refusing to breastfeed or bottle-feed. Simon Harris. His main symptoms are huge difficulties with feeding. by risa | May 28, 2012 | Articles & Information, Feeding. You won’t see this happening, but you may notice that your baby seems uncomfortable or fussy during feeds. Medical procedures involving baby’s face, nose or mouth. For example, if you are giving the baby 2.2 ounces of Similac Sensitive Infant Formula every four hours, you should change it by providing the baby 1.1 ounces every two hours. Things improved when we started ranitidine but not a huge change. But first thing’s first. You should also restrict your intake of fats, chocolate, oily, and spicy foods. PPI work against “normal” reflux. Refusal to feed is an unusual manifestation of a common condition: GER disease. Pain: Babies can suffer from 'silent reflux' which causes similar symptoms to reflux but without vomiting. Symptoms of reflux in babies include: bringing up milk or being sick during or shortly after feeding; coughing or hiccupping when feeding; being unsettled during feeding; swallowing or gulping after burping or feeding; crying and not settling; not gaining weight as they're not keeping enough food down; Sometimes babies may have signs of reflux, but will not bring up milk or be … If your diet includes taking acidic food substances like citrus fruits, tomatoes, eggs, dairy products like milk, adjust and avoid taking them for the time being till your baby’s reflux symptoms declines. While medications are available to treat your baby’s silent reflux, La Leche League International suggests trying natural remedies first. Hence, he will no longer suffer pain or display distressed behaviour associated with acid reflux. The problem is, this logic leaves out the important fact of the stomach enzyme pepsin being the primary cause of silent reflux symptoms. When this acid comes in contact with the throat, voice box, or nasal passages, it irritates them, and the baby will always feel like something is obstructing his throat. Since food contents are in the stomach, the food mixes with the acid produced by the stomach and flows back to the throat. Reflux usually starts before a baby is 8 weeks old and gets better by the time they're 1. Don’t worry—reflux in babies won’t last forever. Putting his/her mattress in an inclined position will reduce the chances of the baby getting reflux. Somehow, this home remedy works in reducing or preventing silent reflux in babies. It usually occurs because a baby… Restrict from engaging in any physical activity like playing with your baby after he/she is fed. My DS is 14 wks old & was diagnosed with silent reflux 3 wks ago. Silent reflux baby natural remedies include; Some parents are fond of letting them babies lie on the bed immediately after feeding. July 3, 2016 . You have entered an incorrect email address! The causative factor may be that gases have built up in the baby, and this means the baby has reflux. You may find the solution that you so desperately seek by enhancing your knowledge about the various causes and solutions to infant feeding aversion. It’s relatively easy to rule out pain as the cause of a baby’s avoidant, distressed or conflicted feeding behaviour by assessing his mood and behaviour at times when he’s not feeding. Silent reflux, also known as laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), is common in young babies. Log in. I have to hold him upright for 20-30 mins after feeding and only way he falls asleep and stays asleep is if I’m holding him. As babies grow, these esophageal sphincter muscles become more developed, which means coordination will be improved. Massage the baby also on their back softly using gentle strokes to stimulate the nerve cells, which interlaces with the digestive tract and lungs. If reflux persists and gets worse, consult a doctor to engage the baby in further tests such as endoscopy exam. Little one is 8 weeks and his silent reflux is getting worse. After breastfeeding and may be done with other things like bathing him and changing diapers, hold the baby in an upright position in your hands for a few minutes. Updated Sep 2017. If your baby feeds will while drowsy or asleep, you can probably rule out pain as the cause. It is difficult for parents to pinpoint if their few weeks old baby has reflux because technically, he/she doesn’t show any sign of it and may not describe it. If such occurrences are repeated at all or most feeds, the baby learns to link the act of feeding with the event that causes him stress, fright or pain. Thankfully, once effectively treated with acid-suppressing medications, a baby no longer produces stomach acid in concentrations that will burn his oesophagus. They include; Silent reflux can both be prevented, treated, or stopped. When to get medical advice Contact your public health nurse, GP or midwife if reflux starts after 6 months of age, continues beyond 1 year, or your baby has any of the following problems: Spitting up feeds frequently or refusing feeds. Seven Key Ways to Help Your Baby with Reflux. Becomes tense, cries or screams when a bib is placed around his neck, or when placed into a feeding position, or when shown the bottle, or after stopping to burp. by Elizabeth Broadbent . Babies always lie on their backs. By frequently burping your baby, you will keep the air that is gulped into the stomach during a feed to a minimum, thereby reducing the volume of milk that may be vomited. One thing silent reflux doesn’t cause is heartburn or indigestion as they are symptoms of acid reflux. 2:39. This could be another factor that triggers silent reflux because the baby won’t be able to keep food in the stomach. Treatment of reflux and GORD. Also, you can naturally regulate silent reflux by giving the baby a massage. This is different from vomiting, where your baby's muscles forcefully contract. He suddenly won’t feed on the breast so we have been bottle feeding but even that makes him scream for a while until he gives in. Moms inevitably gain a new appreciation for the wonderful convenience of machine-washable everything. Silent Reflux & won't feed and Feeding your Newborn in the Huggies Newborn Forum. No one ever talks about what happens when a child won't eat. My DS has terrible silent reflux. Try different nipples sizes to see which one suits your baby the best and give him/her the best seal around their mouth. Her symptoms started when she was 4 weeks old and we've been through the usual medications - Gaviscon (didn't help at all), Ranitidine (helped a little but then became less effective with time despite increasing the dose to max for her weight and increasing with weight gain). Learn three burping techniques to help your baby bring up any trapped wind. Posner also points out that reflux can sometimes be silent "where [babies] don't spit up." I can tell it must irritate her throat because she always seems very uncomfortable and at …