Acid Reflux In Children - What Are The Causes And Treatment Available?
Non-coordination of the gastro-intestinal tract is one of the most common causes of acid reflux in children, especially those in infants. Issues with the brain, muscles, or nerves can play a role in acid reflux in some infants.
Causes:
In older children, the causes of acid reflux are mostly the same as applicable in the case of adults. Factors that act to relax the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) or those that cause the internal stomach pressure to increase are causes of acid reflux in them.
However, in the case of toddlers, some of the applicable factors include not patting the child's back after feeding it or incorrect method used to do so. They also include poor sleeping, overeating during meals, certain foods, specific medicines, obesity, and some drinks. In the case of some toddlers, acid reflux may be due to hereditary factors. A small toddler or infant may suffer from acid reflux as he/she frequently spits up during a wet burp after air has been ingested by him/her. Most toddlers outgrow acid reflux. It is just a part of development and a transient phase in their life. Treatment: No treatment by a doctor is required in the case of toddlers or infants for mild and occasional acid reflux. Only certain precautions are needed to be followed to prevent it. A mother needs to hold the baby upright for about 30 minutes after every feed and pat its back from time to time to remove air from the digestive tract of the baby. Elevating the head of a baby on a wedge pillow or making the baby sleep on a hammock is also a recommended precaution. Arching of the back or stretching by toddlers sometime after a meal also is a body action that helps burping and prevents acid reflux. Another precaution to prevent acid reflux in toddlers and infants is to wrap them protectively so as to restrict movement. Some diet-related precautions are needed to be followed by mothers of toddlers and infants to prevent acid reflux. These include making the child eat small but frequent meals rather than one or two large meals. Further, in some cases, the provision of a lactose-free cereal-thickened special formula as a meal helps toddlers avoid acid reflux. In the case of breast-fed infants or toddlers, preventing acid reflux could also translate into eliminating certain foods from the diet of their mothers. Not doing so may result in digestive discomfort for the children. Inspite of following all the above precautions, there will still be cases in which toddlers and infants suffer from severe and more frequent bouts of acid reflux. In such cases, pediatricians may prescribe certain medications. Such medications are prescribed only for children whose age is1 year or older. It is important to meet a doctor for severe cases of acid reflux in children. As the digestive system of children matures with time, acid reflux generally is not found in them again until much later.
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