fb tracking
No Result
View All Result
BellyBelly
  • Home
  • Getting Pregnant
    • Conception
    • Two Week Diaries
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Articles
    • Pregnancy Week By Week
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Pregnancy Calculator
    • Pregnancy Journals
      • Irene’s Pregnancy Journal
      • Pregnancy Diaries
      • Jovie Birth article
      • Maja Birth article
      • Diary of Ambah article
      • Diary of Belinda article
      • Diary of Rachael article
      • Diary of Sherie
      • Diary of Janelle
      • Diary of Sharon
      • Diary of Lucy
      • Diary of Kathryn
      • Diary of Julie
      • Diary of Kelly
    • Prenatal / Perinatal
    • Sleep
  • Birth
    • Birth Articles
    • Doulas
    • Midwives
  • Mothers
    • Mother Articles
    • Post Natal/Post Partum
  • Baby
    • Baby Articles
    • Baby Week By Week
    • Baby Sleep Articles
    • Star Signs For Baby
  • Breastfeeding
    • Breastfeeding Articles
    • Breastfeeding Week by Week
  • Toddler
  • Child
  • Men/Dads
  • Parenting
  • Health Lifestyle
    • Health
      • General Health
      • Cooking & Recipes
      • Meal Planning
      • Exercise
    • Lifestyle
      • Family Travel
      • Relationships
      • Men/Dads
  • Competitions
    • Competitions
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
  • Home
  • Getting Pregnant
    • Conception
    • Two Week Diaries
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Articles
    • Pregnancy Week By Week
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Pregnancy Calculator
    • Pregnancy Journals
      • Irene’s Pregnancy Journal
      • Pregnancy Diaries
      • Jovie Birth article
      • Maja Birth article
      • Diary of Ambah article
      • Diary of Belinda article
      • Diary of Rachael article
      • Diary of Sherie
      • Diary of Janelle
      • Diary of Sharon
      • Diary of Lucy
      • Diary of Kathryn
      • Diary of Julie
      • Diary of Kelly
    • Prenatal / Perinatal
    • Sleep
  • Birth
    • Birth Articles
    • Doulas
    • Midwives
  • Mothers
    • Mother Articles
    • Post Natal/Post Partum
  • Baby
    • Baby Articles
    • Baby Week By Week
    • Baby Sleep Articles
    • Star Signs For Baby
  • Breastfeeding
    • Breastfeeding Articles
    • Breastfeeding Week by Week
  • Toddler
  • Child
  • Men/Dads
  • Parenting
  • Health Lifestyle
    • Health
      • General Health
      • Cooking & Recipes
      • Meal Planning
      • Exercise
    • Lifestyle
      • Family Travel
      • Relationships
      • Men/Dads
  • Competitions
    • Competitions
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
BellyBelly
No Result
View All Result
Home Baby

Reflux Medications For Babies – 8 Important Things To Know

Renee Kam IBCLC
by Renee Kam IBCLC
Last updated October 5, 2023
Reading Time: 4 min
Reflux Medications For Babies Important Things To Know

Gastro-oesophageal reflux (called reflux for short) is a normal physiological process where the contents of the stomach come back up into the oesophagus.

Reflux is common in normal, healthy babies and usually causes no significant problems.

If your baby is overall happy, eating well and growing well, no treatment may be required.

However, if there are problems a doctor may diagnose gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).

8 Important Facts About Reflux Medications For Babies

In such a situation, one or more medications may be suggested.

Common medications prescribed for babies diagnosed with GORD are acid suppressant medications, such as proton pump inhibitors. These medications reduce the production of acid in the stomach.

The idea behind giving these medications to babies diagnosed with GORD is the belief they may be experiencing pain caused by stomach acid coming up their oesophagus, with reflux leading to oesophageal inflammation and damage.

However, GORD is often diagnosed on the basis of listening to parents about what’s happening with a baby rather than objective and diagnostic tests being carried out to determine if there is or isn’t oesophageal inflammation and damage.

If your baby has been diagnosed with GORD and medication has been suggested, the potential benefits must be weighed up against the possible risks.

Here are 8 important things to know about reflux medications for babies.

#1: They Tend To Be Overprescribed

An 82% overprescription rate for acid-suppressant mediations in babies has been suggested.

Indeed, the opinion that acid-suppressant medications are being significantly overprescribed has been commonly reported amongst doctors.

#2: They May Not Help

Research has shown acid-suppressant medications prescribed on the basis of babies’ symptoms (e.g. crying, vomiting and irritability) are ineffective.

This research found parents of babies started on acid-suppressant medications reported an improvement. However, later on, when some babies continued with the acid-suppressant medication and others switched to placebo medications, there was no difference between the groups.

Hence, the perceived improvement reported by parents was either due to spontaneous improvement or a placebo effect of the medication.

Also, stomach acid is buffered for about two hours following breastmilk or formula feeds by milk. Any refluxate (acid, liquid and gas) that comes up a baby’s oesophagus in this time is not acidic and shouldn’t irritate the oesophagus and cause pain.

#3: Adverse Effects If Medication Suddenly Stopped

If acid-suppressant medication is stopped suddenly, an over-production of stomach acid can occur which may cause reflux-type symptoms.

This could give parents a false sense that the medications were actually helping their baby and feel like they need to continue with them.

#4: Medication May Increase Infection Risk

There are several important reasons why the stomach produces acid. Suppressing this with acid-suppressant medication could have negative side effects.

For example, it can increase the risk of lower respiratory tract infection such as bronchiolitis, or of bacterial intestinal infections and fungal infections .

#5: They May Increase The Risk Of Allergy

By making the stomach pH less acidic, acid-suppressant medication could result in protein molecules not being broken down.

This has the potential to allow intact proteins to pass directly into the bloodstream, increasing the risk of sensitisation and allergy development.

#6: They May Affect Nutrient Absorption

Acid in the stomach is important to help prevent bacterial overgrowth in the parts of the digestive tract that are not designed to be full of bacteria. Bacterial overgrowth can negatively affect nutrient absorption and cause diarrhoea.

Also, low stomach acid can result in poorer mineral absorption and suppress the stimulation of gastric hormones responsible for releasing all the main digestive enzymes that act in the small intestine.

#7: They May Increase Fracture Risk

The use of acid-suppressant medications in babies may increase their risk of broken bones in childhood. This association has been more strongly identified in adults using acid-suppressant medication in the long-term.

#8: There May Be Many Other Side Effects

While babies can’t report possible side effects of taking acid-suppressant medications, older children and adults who have taken them have reported side effects such as headache, diarrhoea, constipation and nausea.

Acid-suppressant medications have also associated with kidney problems and heart attack in adults.

Given the possible risks of acid-suppressant medications, there should always be an emphasis placed on lifestyle measures and reassurance to manage simple reflux as well as GORD.

Recommended Reading: 

  • Reflux In Babies – 10 Common Questions Answered
Previous Post

What’s Normal Behaviour | 11 Tips For Babies, Kids And Teens

Next Post

American Families Are Overwhelmed – Study States The Obvious

Renee Kam IBCLC

Renee Kam IBCLC

Renee Kam is a mother of two daughters, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), a graduate research student, a physiotherapist, and author of 'The Newborn Baby Manual'. Renee also has a Cert. IV in Breastfeeding Education (Counselling). In her spare time, Renee enjoys spending time with family and friends, horse riding, running and reading.

Next Post
American Families Are Overwhelmed – Study States The Obvious

American Families Are Overwhelmed – Study States The Obvious

Recommended

breastfeeding twins

Breastfeeding Twins | Who Is Easier Boys Or Girls?

Last updated November 30, 2023
Different Types of Twins

Different Types of Twins | An Amazing Guide To Twins

Last updated November 30, 2023
Ozempic While Breastfeeding

Ozempic While Breastfeeding | Will It Harm Milk Supply?

Last updated November 27, 2023

Trending

Ovulation Pain

Ovulation Pain – 7 Causes Of Pain During Ovulation

Last updated June 27, 2023
early miscarriage

Early Miscarriage – Signs, Symptoms and What To Expect

Last updated July 4, 2023
Car Seat Crying – Tips To Reduce Crying In The Car

Car Seat Crying – 8 Tips To Reduce Crying In The Car

Last updated August 9, 2022

Cooking and Recipes

Chicken recipe

Chicken Recipes | Delicious Apricot Chicken Recipe

Last updated October 11, 2023
Bread Recipe

Homemade Bread Recipe | Simple and Yummy

Last updated July 24, 2023
Stews Casserole & Soup Slow Cooker Recipes

Stews Casserole & Soup Slow Cooker Recipes | 30 Hearty Meals

Last updated June 26, 2023
Australian Enterprise Awards
As seen on homemuse.com.au
Lux Life Award

Belly Belly Logo

We’re passionate about women and men feeling informed, confident and prepared for pregnancy, birth and early parenting.

  • Home
  • Getting Pregnant
    • Conception
    • Two Week Diaries
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Articles
    • Pregnancy Week By Week
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Pregnancy Calculator
    • Pregnancy Journals
      • Irene’s Pregnancy Journal
      • Pregnancy Diaries
      • Jovie Birth article
      • Maja Birth article
      • Diary of Ambah article
      • Diary of Belinda article
      • Diary of Rachael article
      • Diary of Sherie
      • Diary of Janelle
      • Diary of Sharon
      • Diary of Lucy
      • Diary of Kathryn
      • Diary of Julie
      • Diary of Kelly
    • Prenatal / Perinatal
    • Sleep
  • Birth
    • Birth Articles
    • Doulas
    • Midwives
  • Mothers
    • Mother Articles
    • Post Natal/Post Partum
  • Baby
    • Baby Articles
    • Baby Week By Week
    • Baby Sleep Articles
    • Star Signs For Baby
  • Breastfeeding
    • Breastfeeding Articles
    • Breastfeeding Week by Week
  • Toddler
  • Child
  • Men/Dads
  • Parenting
  • Health Lifestyle
    • Health
      • General Health
      • Cooking & Recipes
      • Meal Planning
      • Exercise
    • Lifestyle
      • Family Travel
      • Relationships
      • Men/Dads
  • Competitions
    • Competitions
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
  • Pregnancy Symptoms
  • Pregnancy Week by Week
  • Baby Week by Week

OUR NETWORK

  • Belly Belly Logo
    bellybelly.com.au
  • Around the World Plus Kids
    www.aroundtheworldpluskids.com.au
  • Doula Training
    www.doula-training.com.au
  • About
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise

© Copyright 2002–2023 BellyBelly, All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Getting Pregnant
    • Conception
    • Two Week Diaries
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Articles
    • Pregnancy Week By Week
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Pregnancy Calculator
    • Pregnancy Journals
      • Irene’s Pregnancy Journal
      • Pregnancy Diaries
      • Jovie Birth article
      • Maja Birth article
      • Diary of Ambah article
      • Diary of Belinda article
      • Diary of Rachael article
      • Diary of Sherie
      • Diary of Janelle
      • Diary of Sharon
      • Diary of Lucy
      • Diary of Kathryn
      • Diary of Julie
      • Diary of Kelly
    • Prenatal / Perinatal
    • Sleep
  • Birth
    • Birth Articles
    • Doulas
    • Midwives
  • Mothers
    • Mother Articles
    • Post Natal/Post Partum
  • Baby
    • Baby Articles
    • Baby Week By Week
    • Baby Sleep Articles
    • Star Signs For Baby
  • Breastfeeding
    • Breastfeeding Articles
    • Breastfeeding Week by Week
  • Toddler
  • Child
  • Men/Dads
  • Parenting
  • Health Lifestyle
    • Health
      • General Health
      • Cooking & Recipes
      • Meal Planning
      • Exercise
    • Lifestyle
      • Family Travel
      • Relationships
      • Men/Dads
  • Competitions
    • Competitions
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise

© Copyright 2002–2023 BellyBelly, All Rights Reserved.

Know What's Normal For Your Baby Every Week Of The First Year

Close