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Infant feeding

Does this sound like reflux to you?

9 replies

smk84 · 24/09/2012 16:15

Hi, ds is almost 16 weeks and ebf. For about 3 weeks he has been pulling off all the time during feeds, gurgling tummy, I hear milk coming back up into his throat. He goes red with it sometimes too. He is almost never sick. He has been crying during and after feeds, sporadically, it's not every time, and I can't spot a pattern to it. Saw 1 gp who said its co.ic, and another who said reflux and prescribed gaviscon, which we have been giving but it doesn't seem to make any difference. It is making us both miserable. We were having problems with him pulling off before this, I thought due to strong let down, but the pulling off is now combined with him being very uncomfy during feeds and the lengths of the feeds are very short compared to normal. I have tried different positions but doesmt seem to help. Not sure if I am posting in the right topic? Any help would be so appreciated. Thank you.

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mawbroon · 24/09/2012 16:38

have a read of this

Did you ever get a follow up about the tongue tie?

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Happygirl77 · 24/09/2012 16:55

Hi,
This sounds exactly like silent reflux (silent in that baby doesn't usually vomit). My ds (8 months) has had this since he was tiny Sad

The stomach acid (mixed with milk) refluxes back up the oesophagus to sometimes the throat or mouth and then goes back down again (it can burn on the way up and back down, hence baby's distress!) that's the rumbly gurgle sound you can hear. Baby will cry because he's hungry, start feeding (my son was often ok for a few mins) then become distressed and pull away off the breast (arching his back to try and lengthen the oesophagus). Then he will realise he is still hungry so try to feed again only for the refluxing to start up again, causing distress all round! Sad

Gaviscon is usually the initial drug given by doctors for silent reflux but there are other options if it's ineffective - your baby needn't suffer!

In the meantime, try to keep baby as upright as possible during and after a feed (do you have a sling you can carry him round in for half an hour afterwards?) Reflux babies do not like lying flat as the acid gets trapped. Try raising the head end of the crib or cot as well.

Am sure other people will come along with suggestions and tips. It's hard but they do grow out of it!

x

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smk84 · 24/09/2012 17:33

Mawbroon yes we did , saw max fac specialist who said if it was her she would have nothing further done as its so minor. She also said it would require general anaesthetic so risks would outweigh benefits. Thank you for the link unfortunately it's not working.
Happy girl thank you, we have tried feeding upright but it just doesn't seem to work, so I am now trying him lying on his side as usual but with his head as high as poss and his body sloping away
.. Trying to get 10ml gaviscon in by syringe 6 times a day is proving almost impossible , he gets really upset:(

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smk84 · 24/09/2012 17:37

Have just googled that mawbroon... Interesting...
Any ideas why these problems would appear around 12 weeks? He has been pulling off numerous times during let down for much nlonger than that though.

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Happygirl77 · 24/09/2012 17:54

Gaviscon is SUCH a pain to administer, especially if baby is EBF. I used to give it in warm expressed milk but that wasn't easy either (especially when out and about!) I would go back to the GP and ask for something more effective. Describe your ds' symptoms, they'll likely agree it's silent reflux. Hang in there!

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mawbroon · 24/09/2012 21:24

I honestly don't know why it would start now, but I know that my ds1's behaviour re his tongue tie changed over time. He didn't start having reflux until he was 5yo and it stopped as soon as he had the tie revised (even though it wasn't done properly, it was done enough to help)

It is often a red flag about lack of tongue tie knowledge when hcps describe ties as slight or minor. Often they are basing this solely on the appearance of the tie which shows a lack of understanding about tongue tie, especially posterior tongue tie. There may not be much to see, but it's not about how the tongue looks, but how it behaves. And also, GA is not neccessary.

Every time you post, it seems that you are describing yet another problem typical of a tongue tied baby. I would not be surprised to learn that the tie either reattached or wasn't revised deeply enough the first time.

Have you thought about contacting matters for some expert advice?

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mawbroon · 24/09/2012 21:30

sorry, Milk Matters!

And my link from earlier seems to be working now.

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whenwill · 24/09/2012 22:34

reflux is linked to tt anyhow, although it is most usually picked up at 2-6 weeks through either projectile vomiting, looking uncomforatble on back, grunting etc. 16 months would be late for this, as it is usually improving by then.

I don't know your history but tongue tie is tongue tie. it can look terrible and never cause any problems or be small and cause no end of problems.

I had dd's snipped at 7 months without ga privately with Ann Dobson (against gps advice). Some NHS trusts say 3 months , some 6 without ga. It's all different. The people that have done the clinical trial would probably say 4 months is def. fine. It was far less of an issue for dd than injections.

It has made the whole world of difference (her tt was 'very minor' also).

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smk84 · 27/09/2012 17:54

Thank you. Mawbroon I contacted mil matters and they gave me contact details for an ibclc and I am hoping to see her at the weekend. Funnily enough it is Ann Dobson who they put me in touch with !

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