All babies are born with gastro esophageal reflux - heartburn and /or spitting up. This is because the sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus does not have as much tone as it will later in the first year of life. These babies tend to prefer sitting up after a meal and when sleeping, just as adults do with bad heartburn. Sometimes they even crane their necks backward after or during a meal and cry.
Remedies for reflux include:
- Keeping the child upright after feeds and possibly even have them sleeping in their car seats.
- Add rice to the bottle (initially 1 tsp baby rice cereal to 2 oz of formula) to thicken feeds. Sometimes higher concentrations are needed.
- Sometimes I will prescribe an antacid like Zantac or Axid to help with the discomfort. These medicines take away burning due to acid but do eliminate reflux which itself usually dissipates sometime after 6 months of age if not sooner.