How to care for a baby with reflux

When caring for a baby with reflux, measures such as avoiding breastfeeding or giving a bottle when the baby is hungry and not laying down or rocking the baby immediately after feedings are recommended.

Normally, reflux in babies is not considered a concern in the first months of life and when there are no other symptoms, improving as the gastrointestinal tract develops until 1 year of age. Understand better what reflux is in babies.

If you suspect reflux in your baby, especially if other symptoms such as difficulty feeding or gaining weight appear, it is recommended to consult your pediatrician to recommend the most appropriate treatment.

What to do

Some recommended care for babies with reflux are:

• Burp the baby during and after feedings;
• Avoid laying the baby down immediately after feedingsespecially in the first 30 minutes;
• Breastfeed your baby in an upright positionas it allows milk to remain in the stomach;
• Keep the baby’s mouth well filled with the nipple or bottle spoutto prevent you from swallowing too much air;
• Give smaller, more frequent meals throughout the dayto avoid making your stomach too full;
• Introduce baby food as directed by your pediatricianas it also helps to reduce regurgitation;
• Avoid rocking the baby for up to 2 hours after breastfeedingeven if in the baby comfort, so that the contents of the stomach do not rise into the mouth;
• Place the baby on their back and use a wedge under the bed mattress or an anti-reflux pillow, to elevate the baby during sleep and prevent reflux at night.

Typically, reflux in babies improves between 6 months and 1 year of age. However, it is possible that some babies continue to have reflux for longer, which could indicate food allergies or gastroesophageal reflux disease, which should be evaluated by a pediatrician.

How should the diet be

Food for reflux in babies should ideally be breast milk, which is easier to digest. However, especially for babies who use a bottle, sometimes the pediatrician may recommend special milks, such as anti-regurgitation (AR) or hydrolyzed formulas. Learn how to choose milk for your baby.

Furthermore, it is important to avoid giving a bottle or breastfeeding when the baby is not hungry and, if using a bottle, prefer to give the milk more slowly and eat smaller, more frequent meals, so that the stomach does not fill up too much.

What can a mother eat if her baby has reflux?

Normally, no changes to the mother’s diet are necessary if the baby has reflux. However, for breastfeeding mothers, it may be advisable to avoid cow’s milk and its derived foods, such as cheese and cakes, because an allergy to cow’s milk protein (CMPA) in the baby can cause symptoms similar to reflux.

When to start treatment

Treatment of reflux in babies is only indicated when symptoms other than reflux are present and there is a risk of complications, such as pneumonia or malnutrition. If there are no other symptoms, reflux is considered normal and only monitoring by a pediatrician is recommended.

When treatment is indicated, it may involve the use of medicines for gastroesophageal reflux, such as omeprazole or domperidone, and changes in the baby’s diet. Furthermore, it is important to maintain care at home, such as improving the breastfeeding position and adjusting the volume of bottles.