INFANT'S ACID REFLUX

Natural Ways to Deal With Infant Acid Reflux - More Than Home Remedies

Most babies get some sort of reflux, and most of them outgrow it by one or two years of age. Some babies spit up most of their food, and some have projectile vomiting. Here are several tips that are very effective.

• Try other formulas.
• Try a soy formula (like Isomil).
• Add a little rice cereal to the bottle of formula. You can try up to one tablespoon of rice cereal to 2 ounces of infant milk. You will have to cut the nipple hole some to let the mixture flow out better.
• Don't overfeed the baby but go for smaller, more frequent feedings.
• Don't have the baby lie flat during feeding but have their heads up higher than their butts so gravity can keep the acid down.
• After tightening the top of the bottle, unscrew it a little to let some of the pressure out. Or, you can use a Playtex Nurser Easy Feed Premium Nurser for less air in the formula.
• Burp the baby after every 1 or 2 ounces of formula. If burping after every 2 ounces does not help, try it after 1 ounce instead. If your are nursing, the baby should be burped after feeding on each side.
• After feeding, hold the baby upright for at least 30 minutes instead of laying them down.
• Doctors nowadays suggest having babies sleep on their backs. This position makes it possible for the baby to vomit or spit up and then choke to death. For this condition, put the baby to sleep on its left side - which also happens to be best for digestion. You can also get a sleep positioner to keep the baby on his side.
• You can raise the top of the crib 4 to 6 inches so that the acid stays down. Or, you might be able to put the top of the mattress on a higher rung than the foot of the mattress. Or, you can use a crib wedge, made for raising baby's head, or a secure sleeper, which also prevents a flat head.
• When the baby is older, you can use a carseat for napping after meals instead of lying down. You would want to have some sort of little pillow next to the baby's head to help it not fall forward, or you can use a head support or a head cradler. This position should not be trusted for sleeping overnight or with you out of the room for long periods.
• Give the baby infant vitamins to make up for any lack in nutrition caused by spitting up or vomiting. They come in liquid form and just drop the recommended dose into the mouth or put it in the bottles.

If your baby's reflux is being treated with medication, you might see one or two more doctors to be sure that medication is really necessary. But, don't stop the medication without a doctor's permission.

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