Infant Reflux

Simple things you can do to help:

1. Try not to lie a child with reflux flat, especially after feeding. It is recommended for at least 30 minutes after a feed an infant should be as upright as possible.

   At night raise the head end of the bed or cot. Blankets under the mattress of the cot and books under the feet of the bed are commonly used. The recommended angle is about 30 degrees.

   When changing nappies or clothes, or even just playing on the floor, pop a pillow or cushion under the child's head.

2. Try and put loose clothing on your infant and especially try and avoid clothes that put pressure on the stomach. Most children with reflux end up living in babygrows, all in one suits and dungarees
3. Examine your child's feeding regime, more frequent smaller meals may help. (mostly for older children on solid food)
4. Unless told otherwise by your medical professional, breastfeeding is best for infants with reflux. In some cases however this is not possible for other reasons.
5. Talk with a member of the medical profession about alternative feeding programs/patterns.
6. Burp (wind) your infant frequently before and during a feed
7. Thicken foods and drinks, but again discuss this with your medical provider. Some treatments for reflux already have this effect in the stomach such as gaviscon. In such cases further thicknening may not be reccomended. Infant formula designed for Reflux can be purchased in some supermarkets, alternatively it should be available on prescription from your doctor. Other options for thicknening foods and drinks can be found on our thicken food and drink page
8. When weaning to solid foods, introduce food groups slowly into the diet, keeping an eye over several days to be sure the symptoms don´t get worse. Many children with reflux can be intollerant to some foods. Dieticians can assist where food intollerance is a problem, providing expert advice and a suitable diet plan.
9. Visit a dentist with children on a regular basis as stomach acid can cause tooth decay in children. Please mention to your dentist that your child has reflux
10. Baby walkers and toys that assist children to stand in prior to being able to do so by themselves are not reccomended. They can put pressure on the stomach!!
11. Avoid smoke exposure.

Tips which have been put together by the members of Living With Reflux:

1. It is always useful when going out to carry a large bag of clothes for both your child and yourself, if your child vomits continuously. Some of us keep a spare set in the car just in case.
2. Pop a cushion under the child's head when changing them or when they are lying on their back on the floor. Nursing cushions work really well as they are 'u' shaped and mold well to shape of the infant/child.
3. If bottle feeding, take an extra bottle to be sure!
4. When using milk thickeners, Advent bottles with the variable flow teats seem to work the best. Doctor Browns bottles are designed to help relieve wind but their effectiveness can be child dependant.
5. Dummies (also know as comforters) may help sooth reflux.
6. Muslin sheets quite often sold in the toweling Nappie section, can be useful to provide protection from vomit, they are a perfect size to put over your shoulder, and wash easily.
7. Disposable changing mats are useful when going to friends or families houses, offering protection for furnishings, and can be easily disposed of if your infant vomits.
8. Try making a diary of symptoms and foods/drinks given. This can sometimes help both you and the medical profession to rule out foods that might be causing a problem, or even just to help with diagnosis.
9. Don´t let things get to the point of dispair. In our forum we have a saying "it´s like being on a roller coaster of emotion," so talk to someone in the medical profession or to some of our other parents in our forum/message boards .

Written by Tracey (Chairman)