When Your Baby Has Acid Reflux

You’re admiring your baby and marveling at how adorable she is when she spits up. No, she doesn’t do this to annoy you. She probably has acid reflux. In medical terms, this is called gastroesophageal reflux. Try saying this three times in one breath and you probably will spit up yourself. So, why do babies spit up?

Babies often spit up because that valve at the base of their esophagus (For those who are clueless about human anatomy, the esophagus is the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach.) is not well-developed yet. That’s why the foods they take in are regurgitated and they become irritable.

Since you’re such a great mother, you probably want to alleviate the discomforts of acid reflux. Here are a few ways for you to do this:

First, you can have your baby sleep on a sling or a hammock. A sling or a wrap is a piece of cloth that you wrap around your baby so that you wear him or her. It’s a great fashion statement that says, “I’m a wonderful mother!” When you have your baby in a wrap or a sling, your baby naturally is in a position where his or her precious little head is elevated. This prevents the food from coming back up. Of course, if your baby is too heavy or you feel like you have a gargantuan beer belly (or look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame) when you’re wearing your baby, then you can have your baby sleep in a hammock instead. It works the same way.

Second, you can elevate your baby’s crib about 30 degrees so that his or her head is higher than his or her body. This medical advice comes from Dr. Sears. This helps your baby sleep soundly without being disturbed from regurgitation or acid reflux. Another trick is to have your baby sleep on his or her left side so that the stomach inlet is higher than the outlet.

The third method is to have your baby sleep on his or her stomach. But you must be careful because a lot of parents are afraid that sleeping this way causes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. If you’re thinking of using this method, consult your pediatrician first or buy those reflux wedge thingies that are available in stores. The reflux wedge, despite its rather notorious-sounding name, actually lets your baby sleep on his or her stomach at an angle which allows him or her to sleep more soundly.

Remember, your baby will probably spit up until he or she is six months. That’s the time when the valve becomes more developed. If he or she spits up beyond that, he or she is probably trying to practice for the World Guinness Book of Records for the farthest spit the earliest. Now you’ve got yourself one ambitious baby there! You should be proud!

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