Acid Reflux Symptoms In Infants

Q: My son is suffering from acid reflux problems and at the moment I don't know what to do to treat this problem . What are symptoms of acid reflux in infants? My son spits up what I think is quite a bit, but my first never spit up so I don't have much of a comparison. Is excessive spit up even a symptom?

A:These are some of the more common symptoms of reflux. Your baby may only have some of them, and may have other symptoms that are not listed First, your baby does not have to be losing weight to have reflux. On the contrary, many reflux babies actually overeat because eating eases the pain. Second, your baby does not have to be spitting up to have reflux. This is known as "silent reflux" and can actually be harder on your baby because their esophagus is getting burned by the acid on the way up and again when it goes back down. It's also a lot harder to recognize as reflux. If your baby is exhibiting signs of reflux,

you should talk to your pediatrician about it. Be forewarned though that many pediatricians only consider reflux to be a problem if the baby isn't gaining weight properly. Beyond that, many seem to think it's merely a laundry problem for an overreacting parent and will tell you that your baby will grow out of it and send you on your way. Yes, your baby will grow out of it, but if your baby is experiencing pain and discomfort from reflux, there's no reason why he should have to suffer while he's growing out of it! You need to make sure that your doctor understands that your baby is in pain and that you're not complaining about the laundry. And if he still doesn't listen, find another doctor.