Prescription Acid Reflux Medicine For Babies
Babies commonly have acid reflux but most don t require treatment like medication.
Prescription acid reflux medicine for babies. However babies who spit up frequently and have other symptoms such as poor weight gain irritability or a prolonged cough may have gastroesophageal reflux disease gerd. Jacqueline wolf a gastroenterologist and associate professor of medicine at harvard medical school and author of a woman s guide to a healthy stomach. Find more tips here. However some infants who make a mess after feedings do need intervention.
For the babies that do have gerd and try acid suppressing medications i can tell you from clinical experience sometimes it makes certain babies less irritable and sometimes it doesn t. But one children s health expert has noticed an alarming increase in the number of infants being prescribed acid. Rarely infant reflux can be a sign of a medical problem such as an allergy a blockage in the digestive system or gastroesophageal reflux disease gerd. A short term trial of an acid blocking medication such as cimetidine tagamet hb or famotidine pepcid ac for infants ages 1 month to 1 year or omeprazole magnesium prilosec for children ages 1 year or older might be recommended if your baby.
Three conditions poor clearance of food or acid from the esophagus too much acid in the stomach and delayed stomach emptying contribute to acid reflux says dr. 20 2011 babies may spit up and cry and fuss for seemingly no reason. Several acid reflux treatments are available for these babies. Don t get me wrong there are times when these medications drastically help with gerd symptoms but parents should know that it s not a sure bet.
Infant reflux generally isn t a cause for concern. Infant reflux usually clears up by itself. In the meantime your doctor might recommend. A doctor may recommend medicines that treat gerd by decreasing the amount of acid in the infant s stomach.
Acid reflux can be treated with changes in feeding burping and sleeping position or in some cases medication or surgery. You have tried making feeding changes. Taking control of your. It s very unusual for the stomach contents to have enough acid to irritate the throat or esophagus and to cause signs and symptoms.
If they spit up after feedings but are gaining weight sleeping well and aren t fussy they re likely fine. Gastroesophageal reflux disease gerd is when food or liquid travels from the stomach back up into the esophagus the tube from the mouth to the stomach this partially digested material is usually acidic and can irritate the esophagus often causing heartburn and other symptoms.