reflux formula

[MamaPan]

hi - i have a friend with a bub w reflux (he is 3 months) - at the moment he is breastfed but throws most of it up and also loses interest in feeding. someone suggested she try a reflux formula - anyone here had sucess with this? what formula is best? do you do a combination of bf and the reflux formula? any advice i can pass on appreciated.

[visitor2]

I used Karicare AR formula and didn't bf. You can buy a thickner that you can use while BF. The other thing to do is to get her to talk to her GP as they will be able help as well.

[{sarah}]

I wouldn't recommend stopping BF & going onto an AR (anti-reflux or thickened) formula as there are no guarantees it will work. The thickened formula just made Zander's vomit chunkier & smellier so it was no use for us.

[scarlet121]

I wouldn't recommend stopping breastfeeding either, for a refluxer it is much easier for them to digest and bringing a formula into it may bring a lot of problems.

If you did use a formula anything AR is mean't to be anti reflux, in the sense that it thickens so it stays down, but these are usually combined with a full milk based formula and that sits for a long time and takes a while for them to digest, which makes them reflux more. So a hypoallergenic formula or a HA formula is generally best. But breast milk, honestly is a good thing, as it is already HA.

As long as the baby puts on weight and isn't in pain, then it would be termed a happy chucker and no intervention is necessary, watch for weigth loss, and if there is pain there is medicine a doctor can give.

You can get gaviscon infant from the pharmacy and that can be given before a breast feed and works to thicken the milk, this is also another option.

[MamaPan]

thanks for all the tips - i passed them on to my friend. Her bub was ina lot of pain...
but she has been going to a baby osteo who has helped a lot and happily her bub is going a lot better.
thanks again