Here are just a few things we have learned that can be very affective in helping a child with severe reflux.
1. Try to keep the child upright during and after a feed. We tried to do at least 30 minutes after each feed, he could not get out
of the bouncy seat or high chair. This lessens the chance of lunch coming back up on you. We also don't drop our son in the car unti almost an our after a feed. The motion will trigger the reflux.
2. Sleep on an incline. We tried to do at least a 30% incline in the bassinet when our son was little and in his crib now that he is older. You can spend money buying a wedge or sling but we did not have the money for one. Here are a couple fo tricks we learned that work. In the bassinet we used several book under the wheels on his feet end of the base. We then took a towle and wrapped it and placed it under his bottom to keep him from sliding down during the night. As we moved him to the crib this would not work. Here is a trick we learned in our local PICU from the nurses there. We bought a cheap wedge, and then we would take a large adult towel and roll in long ways. We woudl shpae that into a "UU" and place then around his body. He woudl just snuggle up into his"U" and stay put on the wedge. As he started to roll around a bit during his sleep we had to abandone this idea.
3. Stay away from acidic foods. This means (for us at least), carrots, apples, apple juice, orange, and orange juice. When he gets older it will also include chocolate and coffee. There are lots of others, these are just the ones we have encountered.
4. Use medication, if it is needed. We tried each new medication for at least 2 weeks. It takes that long for them to take full affect. If you are not seeing progress after that time switch if needed. We have been through almost every medication avaliable to us here in the US. We finnally settled on one. We get it compounded at the local children's hosptal into a liquid suspension so he can take it through his feeding tube. They flavor it so that regular children can take it orally.
5. Always carry a change of clothes for EVERYONE including the parents.......We learned this one the hard way. I have had to walk around a mall covered in vomit....not fun!!!! and TOWELS, TOWELS , and MORE TOWELS....We keep them handy around the house to "catch" what comes up. After a while you can hear it coming and get good enough to catch it and aviod a clothes change. Like just now I had to stop to catch some puke, really I caught most of it.....
6. Reflux will get worse when a child is sick or teething. The doctors will tell you otherwise but I have learned that it really does affect there tolerance of food in their sensitive bellys.
7. Small meals more fequent will also help. Our son get fed through his tube 4 times per day. He takes, on a good day, 3 oz. at each feed. He is also on his pump for 10 hours each night on a slow drip to make up for the lost calories during the day. Right now we have him on high calorie baby food which I can sryinge through his tube. Even if you have a child who will eat orally, the "heavy" foods will stay down better. Which brings me to...
8. Thicken all feeds. The more thick, the better it will stay down. Gravity will do it's part to try and help you out. Alot of times parents will put rice cereal into bottles. For us we needed the extra calories so we were instructed to mix his baby formula to 27 calories an oz. instead of the standard 20. This made it thicker and should have helped it to stay down better. For us, his reflux was soo sever almost NOTHING would keep it down, hence the feeding tube and pump.
9. Do your research relfux can be caused by many things. Don't always rely on what the doctors tell you is going on. For us, our son has Delayed Gastic Emptying. (DGE) His belly does not empty fast enough. Since we learned this, he takes a medication 30 min. prior to every "meal" to help his belly empty faster. Because he doesn't empty fast enough he gets over full and will vomit everything back up. It's a delicate balance, take it slow and steady, especially with kids who don't empty fast enough.
10 Go to the greatest lengthns to get the best care for your child. YOU ARE YOUR CHILD"S BEST ADVOCATE!!!!!!! Don't apologize if you must get angry with someone if you feel your child needs better care. If you don't like your doctor, switch to one who WILL work with you. The faster your child get "medically mangaed" the better life will be for your child. Travel if you must, we are getting ready to travel so we can get the best care for our child.
11. Be prepared to spend money!!!!!! A child with reflux can cost alot. When you consider medication and multiple docitr's visits....it adds up fast!!!!!
12. Lastly, as hard as it is, try to treat your child as "normal" as possible, this is the only childhood they will get. Make everything count.
Hope this helps anyone who is new to the whole yucky world of reflux.
(December 2007) (
