On the Coast – Families Issue 101 I August/September 2019 | Page 26

Reflux in
babies
causes and treatment options
BY DIANA ARUNDELL – UNIVERSITY QUALIFIED NATUROPATH
I
t can be difficult enough trying to
settle into life with a baby even
when there’s no additional health
concerns, and when extra issues
present themselves it can be extremely
challenging for new parents. Often it’s
a combination of not knowing what’s
actually wrong with the baby as well as
the extra fatigue dealing with the issue
and the emotional upset of seeing your
baby in pain. Reflux and silent reflux is
a classic example of this. Reflux is often
transitional and can affect almost half
of all babies with a small percentage of
babies experiencing more severe reflux
having more than 6 episodes per day.
Reflux is one way the gastrointestinal
tract can let us know that something
needs some attention and that can
include what is being consumed and/or
how it is being consumed.
Reflux is recognised in a baby when
they frequently vomit up their milk and
there is discomfort and pain associated
with this due to stomach acid that comes
up with the milk creating a burning
feeling in the oesophagus. Silent reflux
is when the acid still makes its way up
and irritates the oesophagus but it is not
necessarily accompanied by the vomiting
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ON T H E C OA S T – FAM ILIES
which can make it even more difficult to
diagnose.
There are a number of reasons a
baby may experience reflux and these
include both structural or functional
reasons as well as those related to certain
food triggers such as allergies and
intolerances. A baby’s gastrointestinal
tract is brand new at birth and it can
take time to mature. The baby’s gastro
intestinal tract is suddenly directly
exposed to new molecules via
breast milk or formula,
and not only does it
have to get used to the
increased volume of
what’s coming in,
it needs to digest
and absorb the new
molecules it’s being
exposed to. Just like
us, babies have acid in
their stomachs to break
down protein and other
nutrients, and the stomach
has a protective mucous membrane
lining to protect itself from this acid.
There is a valve at the top of the stomach
to prevent this acid from rising up into
the oesophagus (which doesn’t have this
protective mucous membrane lining)
and it can take time for this valve to
mature in babies. For those with mild
or infrequent reflux, most babies grow
out of it by 12 months but if it is severe
it needs to be investigated further as
it may be more than just an immature
valve or too large portions of food being
consumed in one sitting.
Some things that may help improve
reflux due to structural reasons include
checking with your lactation
consultant about feeding
positions and also ruling
out tongue or lip tie as
these can contribute
to reflux. Feeding
smaller portions
at a time, keeping
your baby upright
after feeding and also
elevating your baby’s
chest and head slightly
for sleep can help and
improvement will often be
noticed fairly quickly.
If reflux is occurring due to dietary
triggers it can take a little more detective
work to establish the cause and if
the baby is exclusively breastfed it