If you suspect your child is suffering from acid reflux, it is important that your child sees a doctor. Your child's doctor will be able to determine if a diagnosis of GERD is appropriate, and all other disorders with similar symptoms have been excluded.
The course of treatment the doctor prescribes for your child will depend on your child's age and symptoms. The doctor will most likely initially suggest lifestyle modifications to see if this will ease the reflux symptoms before prescribing any medications.
The course of treatment the doctor prescribes for your child will depend on your child's age and symptoms. The doctor will most likely initially suggest lifestyle modifications to see if this will ease the reflux symptoms before prescribing any medications.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: N/A
Here's How:
- Have your child eat smaller, more frequent meals
Large meals expand the stomach and can increase upward pressure against the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). - Limit your child's intake of acid-stimulating foods and beverages
These foods include:- Citrus fruits
- Citrus juices
- Chocolate
- Peppermint
- Tomatoes and tomato-based products
- Caffeinated beverages, such as caffeinated colas
- Carbonated beverages, such as colas
- Have your child wait at least two or three hours after eating before bedtime
Gravity helps keep the stomach juices from backing up in to the esophagus and assists the flow of food and digestive juices from the stomach to the intestines. - Elevate your child's head while he sleeps
Lying down flat presses the stomach's contents against the LES. With the head higher than the stomach, gravity helps reduce this pressure. Ask your child's doctor how high to elevate the head. Your child's doctor may recommend using a wedge pillow to elevate your child's head. - Have your child wear loose-fitting clothes around the waist and stomach
Clothing that fits tightly around the abdomen will squeeze the stomach, forcing food up against the LES, and cause food to reflux in to the esophagus. Clothing that can cause problems include tight-fitting belts and tight-waisted jeans. - Keep a heartburn record
You can record when your child experiences heartburn symptoms, what foods your child consumed or what activity he was doing before the heartburn occurred, the severity of each heartburn episode and what gave him relief. Take this information to your child's doctor, so you can both determine if any other modifications to diet, activity or medications need to be made. To get you started, you can use this heartburn record. - Try Acid Blockers:
The doctor may prescribe acid blockers, also known as H2 blockers, which block acid production in the stomach. These include: - Try Acid Suppressors:
The doctor may prescribe acid suppressors, also known as Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs), which completely block acid production in the stomach. These include:
Tips:
- Learn the symptoms of acid reflux in children.
- Learn how acid reflux is diagnosed in children.
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Sources:
"Gastroesophageal Reflux in Children and Adolescents." NIH Publication No. 06–5418 August 2006. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). 29 Dec 2008.
"Heartburn, Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER), and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)." NIH Publication No. 07–0882 May 2007. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). 18 Mar 2008.
Marsha Kay, M.D., Vasundhara Tolia, M.D.. "COMMON GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS." American College of Gastroenterology. 18 Mar 2008.
