Question About Acid Reflux in 14 Month Old

According to what we learned in my RN school, milk can irritate reflux.
Did you have him on a milk-based formula? I just wondered because my son had reflux for several years and he was allergic to milk. The medicines never worked for him, but he was happy, and healthy, he just threw up his whole first year. Didn't even eat solids until he was aobut 13 months old, he didn't want to. (breastfed) the worst problem is that is ruined his teeth. All the acid ate away the enamel on the top teeth, so he has crowns, plating, ect at 2 YO> (He is 6 now, and can drink milk, and is fine)

Hello:) I dont know a whole lot about acid reflux but I do know that yes milk will irritate it. My son who just turned a year on the 14th of July was having some problems when he was 5 wks old and they thought it was acid reflux until they did and upper gi and noticed that his stomach wasnt emptying the way it should so that said there that it wasnt reflux but it was pyloric stynosis where my son would eat all day and then puke all night. it was horrible. so then he was diagnosed with asthma and is on a breathing machine 3 times a day. When he was about 6 months old I did have to switch his formula to a lacto free formula because I noticed that he was always congested after he would eat a bottle. So now today he is on Lactaid and is doing fine so that might be something that you can try. I did try cows milk too before I put him on the lactaid and he was congested as well. but he is doing just fine drinking lactaid. that might be something to give a try. I hope this helped.
Tammy

you may have to see a gastroentonoligst....my oldest daughter has gastro reflux desease.....started as spitting up everything awhile after eating..i have been told if diagnosed before 4 there is chance of correcting....unfortunately my daughter was diagnosed at age 7 she is now 18...she still has occasional bouts

Well, can i ask was your son only coughing or did he seem to have stomach pain also? did he have diarrhea? My son has acid reflux, although we didnt know that until just recently through and endoscopy/colonscopy combo they did. For us, the medicine they gave us gave him severe pain so he just doesnt take any. If it happens again i would suggest trying Rice Milk.

However, with the acid reflux, i would try to make sure his bed is slighly elevated if its not already and I would not give him his milk right before bed. i would give it to him as the night gets closer and although him to move around afterwards to force it down his throat.

You can email me for further details if you feel that it could be something other than the acid reflux. We found out after a few months of milk that braeden was intolerant to milk and had some food allergies. FOr us, he would be restless at night, cry in his sleep, and as it got worse, cry inconsolably. Hopefully that isnt the case but something to watch out for.

Good luck!

PS. I am currently taking my son to a homeopathic doctor to help resolve some of these issues. Only just started but if you are interested I can let you know how it goes and pass the info along.

Hi,
My son (almost 1 yr) also had reflux and also a sensitivity to dairy (would scrunch up his legs and cry as a baby when I would eat alot of dairy) Since he is weaning now I checked into giving him goats milk instead. I talked to a women in Hudsonville area who sells fresh goat milk. Goat milk is alkalinic like breastmilk- very similar to it in fact- higher in fatty acids, protein and calcium than cow's milk- but lesser in folic acid. Cow's milk is acidic! I never realized this until recently. If there is a sensitivity to dairy that could be showing itself in reflux. His body is not processing it well- then maybe think about goats milk instead. If you have any questions about this let me know.
B.

Hi, I hope I can help somewhat with your questions on reflux. Both of my children have and had it since about 3 weeks of age. My son was worse than my daughter and has been on two different medicines twice a day (Zantac and Prevacid) We just took him off the Zantac when he was 14 months old and we slowly are weaning him off the Prevacid now that he is almost 17 months old. We heard the same gurgling sounds when he was born and could only describe it as a wave coming up his throat and then he would begin gagging and choking. We were told the same information when he turned one, but obviously it proved to be wrong. I might suggest talking to your pediatrician about what you are seeing and get a second opinion from a ped. gastrointerologist (sp). Our ped. gastro. is out of Troy Beaumont and is wonderful. It took us awhile to get into him, but he really seemed to help us out a lot with our son. We also were told to keep him off of milk until he was 18 months because of a possible milk allergy. We have been using soy milk until now, where we are slowly switching him over to cows milk...I think every few days we get a few ounces more cow milk mixed into his soy milk. A very long process but we don't want to go cold turkey because of a possible set back. I hope some of this makes sense and you are able to get your sons reflux under control. It is a long road, but it eventually will be gone and a thing of the past. :) Take care and just know you are not alone!

I had my first son at age 30. I am now 34 & just had another baby 8 months ago. I learned alot from the first baby, which makes it easier the second time around.
Well S....being a mom you have to see what work's best for your child. You cannot try to listen to everything a doctor tells you about your baby. Each child is different. For example...when my first son was born they put him on Similac w/iron right in the hospital. About two days after I came home with the baby...I noticed that he kept pulling his legs up to his stomach as if he was in pain (cramping).
I told the doctor right away and of course she told me that he was too young still. He was not cramping from the milk. I kept looking at my baby & it just seemed as if he was uncomfortable. Well...I took things in my own hands and decided to switch formula. I put my baby on Isomil (soy milk). Since that change...I notied an entirely NEW baby. After a year...I put him on regular soy milk. I did some research and discovered some side effects that may affect him as he gets older with soy. From there he has been on rice milk since. My son is four now...and is still on rice dream milk. The one that is fortified with vitamins. He loves it!
I automatically put my second child on soy formula while in the hospital.
Husband's mean well & they try to help out...but as you know...they really do not know much themselves. There is always something about a MOTHER'S intuition. You are home with the baby all day...so you would know more on how the baby is acting/responding to something.
Another example is that I asked my son's doctor if giving my son cod liver oil especially in the winter would help build his immune system up. The doctor told me that there was no need to give him that. Sure...that provider just wants me to keep bringing my son to the office so he can continue to get paid. As I was growing up I remember my mom making my two sisters & myself take a teaspoon of it everyday! We hardly ever got colds. When my son turned 1, I started to give him cod liver oil anyway in the winter. I am glad that I did! When I would pick him up from daycare...his nose was the only one that wasn't running. LOL! I also did research on cod liver oil and it has great benefits. It even helps out with asthma, which they think my oldest son has. Of course they have not diagnosed him with it yet. They state that he is too young to rule it out though. They have to wait until he gets older to take the breathing test. He was referred to an ENT and was diagnosed with allergies/sinis. The ENT also stated that he has a mild case of acid reflux.He is taking Singular & Zyrtec. It definitely helps him. Especially when the pollen is high.
I am sorry that my response is so long...but I just had a lot to say. S., if you have any other issues/problems/questions that you would like feedback on...email me. Here is my direct email address. I do not look into this mamasource website often. My website address is ____@____.com
Email me anytime...the new mom stuff was new to me at once.
No question is a DUMB question!
Take care

Yes,
First, take him off of all milk products asa his body is giving you very clear communication that it is causing his body harm.
Second, find a new and competent doctor with a holistic philosophy so you can start creating health in your precious child - rather than just continue to suppress new illnesses with new drugs. Naturopathic doctors will assist you with this transition very easily. Look for them on line or in the yellow pages.

My youngest had reflux really bad, she was 4 weeks early, so it wasn't a surprise. She was on two different medications and we also had to add about 1/2 cup of rice cereal to her 8 oz. bottle from the time she was one month old to when we took her off her bottle at one year. It was the only way for her to keep her food down - it was either add the cereal or have her be classified as a failure to thrive because she projectile vomited better than 3/4 of her bottle. By the time she was one she was on table food and cows milk exclusively. The doctor had us slowly wean her off her meds, one at a time over the course of a month for each. We realized that it was possible that she would never out grow it. We got lucky and she did. Although, it is still possible, seeing that my husband suffers from it as well, that it will revisit us in the future.

With all that said, I'm not sure that cow's milk would cause the reflux directly. Typically speaking, because it is thicker, it coats the stomach and helps break down the acid. My husband always gravitates to the thicker milks (2% or whole) when he is having problems, because it does make it better. Some things to look at though is if he is off his medications? If so, maybe he needs to go back on them. If not, maybe he needs to have the dose increased to accommodate for the fact that he has grown over the last year. Both of those you would want to talk to your doctor about. It may be a simple phone call to the nurse to see if s/he can get the answers from the doctor for you, or you may need to go in. It may also be possible that your son is lactose intolerant. Good luck!!

i've heard that coconut is very healthy for you, Why dont you see if your son will drink that instead.

Virginia and I have very similar stories. My daughter was 7 weeks early and hospitalized at 7 weeks because she kept choking and turning blue. She had severe reflux. We added the cereal and put her on meds. At about a year old, we tried regular milk. It seemed to aggravate her condition. I switched her to Silk soy milk for several months and then tried the cow's milk again. She seemed to tolerate that well and we haven't had trouble with it since.

From experience, I know that my boys are lactose intolerant...they can drink milk, but it doesn't *entirely* agree with them. I found with the youngest, that when I replace his milk with Silk, he doesn't spit up at all (which is only minor when it does happen, anyway). They were all heavy spitters as babies, and it is usually due to an immature esophageal valve, but the lactose was an issue, too. Also, milk tends to leave a mucousy residue in your mouth and throat...add into that the reflux (or intolerance, maybe) and the fact that babies have so much extra saliva (lol) and that could be the answer to you hearing it in his throat.

Hopefully, it's that simple...good luck!

~L.

Oh, yes...I must add as I read some other responses; that your doctor is your *medical* resource. If you are not interested in a medical answer, search elsewhere. Your pediatrician is NOT your mentor as a parent, just as your primary care doc is not your life guide. We really need to stop blaming our docs for giving us medical advice when that's what we went there for...

Hi S.,
My son (who is now 10) had/has reflux. His was caused by an immature/weak valve to his stomach. So it was not so much what he ate but how much and how fast he ate. Maybe it isn't that it is 'cows milk" but that he drank too much at one time or took it too fast. Until my son was a toddler (walking mostly all the time) he "burped/spit-up" "half" of what he ate. Based on what your Doctor said your son's reflux may be the same kind. My son's reflux did get better and he no longer needs the medicines he took as an infant but he still does deal with some reflux issues. He eats until full not until his plate is "clean", he may need to lay down/rest after a large meal. If he has a cold/sinus congestion he may "spit-up" if he starts coughing too hard. He also may "throw-up" when he gets upset and cries or if he gets laughing too hard. Hang in there it does get better --M.

My son, now 3 1/2, had the same problem. He started on medicine when he was a couple months old and I couldn't eat dairy while I was nursing. If I ate dairy he would have reflux and spit up everything. When I stopped nursing I switched him over to soy milk and he does very well with that. It's not a "true" allergy because he doesn't get hives, etc, but it's definately an intolerance. He can now tell me when it's bothering him, but he never had any other symptoms besides the acid reflux. And there are so many soy and rice options out there now it's much easier to avoid milk. He can still have milk if it's in something baked (like cookies). I guess the baking process changes the lactose enzyme. So, he really only has to avoid items with raw milk, cheese, ice cream, etc. If the milk keeps bothering him, you could eliminate it for a little while and see if there is improvement.

Acid reflux is where the acid of the stomach enters the esphogase (please excuse the spelling), in a 14 month old it is usually because the valve at the entrance to the stomach is slightly imature (or at least this is what we were told with my one daughter). They eventually out grow this or if it is severe enough surgery is required to repair the problem.
Milk is a acid neutralizer generally speaking, so I doubt that this is the cause of the problem.
I would say get your child into the doctor and ask him about this.
Our doctor had an upper GI run on my daughter and perscribed an apnea moniter so that if she choked on the spit up (or reflux if you will) we would hear and check on her.
She did out grow the problem.
If you aren't satisfied with what your doctor has to say get a second opinion.
Acid reflux also occurs in adults and has more to do with eating spicy things than milk. Have you been giving your child anything with tomatoes? Anything with a high acidity can irritate acid reflux. Look at other things in your childs's diet, like orange juice, spagetti and other things like that.
Good luck
K.

Hi S., I would take your son back to his Dr. and explain what has been going on. Your husband means well but he's not an expert on this. For what it's worth it sounds more like allergies with congestion to me. He still requires the nourishment milk provides so it is important that you discuss this with his Dr. soon. Take Care, Denise.

Well from an alternative standpoint, I can see 2 different things that might help. Cut out the reflux medication and find an alternative practitioner who helps with this minor disorder. All it is is the stomach is a bit out of place and there's an easy way to massage it back to where it should be. I can recommend someone if you want. I am unsure if this has an age limit to it or not.

Secondly, cow's milk is really taking a risk. If you want to stick with it, try, at LEAST, organic milk. If even that creates a problem then eliminate it totally and try rice or almond mild. He'll still get the calcium, but without the threat of vaccines in it.

Let me know if you want to look into the stomach massage technique.