Silent Reflux

[KerryL121]

Hi,

My 7 week old son has been diagnosed with silent reflux. We have noticed the reflux is really bad at night and he will writhe around in his crib and is very unsettled. Resulting in no sleep for any of us. The Dr has prescribed infant gaviscon but as my son is breastfed we have extreme difficulty in getting him to take the gaviscon via a spoon, syringe or in a bottle of expressed milk (Due to him sucking so much air in as he isn't used to taking milk from a bottle).

Does anyone have any tips on how they got their breastfed baby to take the gaviscon?

Also do any parents have any other tips on how to treat silent reflux please?

We have a wedge for the crib and Moses basket, a cosy dream for his crib. We also treat him with gripe water for the bad wind he has too.

We struggle getting him to sleep with the reflux as he seems to be constantly clearing his throat and coughing so any tips on how to get him to sleep would be appreciated.

Many Thanks

Kerry

[emmajack87]

Hi Kerry,
We too are using infant gaviscon for our daughters silent reflux. She also takes ranitidine three times a day.
It took us a while to get used to giving her the meds but it was definitely worth it and works wonders.

Ive heard propping Moses basket up and sitting up for a while after feeding can help.

Not sure with regards to administering the gaviscon as our daughter was bottle fed.
My friend used to make it in to a paste and then give it to her little boy via syringe, which I know you said you are struggling to do. Do you have to give it before a feed?

Emma x

[KerryL121]

Hi

Thanks for your advice, you are supposed to give gaviscon during the feed which is difficult when my son just wants milk and not horrible tasting gaviscon.

I'm going to try and get ranitidine tomorrow from the dr and hopefully that will improve the reflux.

[lauramcd86]

Hi @KerryL121 we're giving our 12 wk old little one losec. 5mg. Once a day. It's really helped!! There's a soother you can get to give medication in? I couldn't bear giving her the gaviscon (also breastfeeding.)
www.mothercare.ie/mothercare-medi-dispenser.html

[emmajack87]

@KerryL121
Yeh the ranitidine and gaviscon combo works wonders for our daughter. Just a few issues with constipation in the beginning which was easily sorted by lactulose (which she doesn't need now she's weaning).
Do you make the gaviscon with breast milk or water? Maybe try it at the beginning of a feed then you aren't taking baby away from milk x

[AnaKristina]

I would add keeping the baby upright for 20 min after feeds could help. Frequent feeding helps rather than large amounts when it comes to bottle feeding. Mine is on ranitidine. It stopped working once he gained weight and the GP failed to adjust the dosage accordingly. Now slow improvement in the higher dosage. Can be combined with gaviscon but if you struggle with gaviscon can be a sole treatment. Omeprazol or similar are the next step after ranitidine usually in the UK.

www.mybaba.com/reflux-leading-expert-dr-shah-answers-your-questions/

A ver useful article.

A very useful book also addressing reflux

The baby cry guide by Dr Mark Anthony

[lauramcd86]

@AnaKristina found that article a good read!! Thank you

[KerryL121]

Thank you all for your advice and the article was very interesting.

I currently make the gaviscon up with water. Has anybody made up gaviscon with 15ml of breast milk rather than water

[emmajack87]

@KerryL121 that's what I was wondering, if you could make it up with expressed milk instead. Might be a more familiar taste x

[Writerwannabe83]

I was prescribed Infant Gavisvon for my breast feeding son when he was about 4 weeks of age and it was a nightmare getting it into him.

I went back to munch GP and said Gaviscon is so impractical for BF babies as because with every 15ml of water I'm mixing it with that's 15ml less breast milk he'll be taking in and when you add that up to 6 feeds a day that's potentially a lot of breast milk he won't want because his tummy is full of water and thick Gaviscon instead.

I asked for Ranitidine instead which he gave me no problem and we saw a huge improvement in just 2-3 days.

[KerryL121]

I spoke to my Dr and he said he is unwilling to prescribe ranitidine to my son as he is 8 weeks old. He feels he should be older to be prescribed it. So when I asked him whether I could make the gaviscon up with 15ml of milk he told me to google it and make my own mind up about it.

So today I have my son 15ml of breast milk mixed with gaviscon and he took it with no issue. Fingers crossed it continues to work.

[Oly5]

Nothing worked for us, including ranitidine etc. It massively improved at six months though. I know that's not helpful but just wanted to tell you it will end!

[emmajack87]

@KerryL121 very helpful on the doctors behalf!

I think you have done right by trying it with the milk instead, and good news he's taken it ok! Fingers crossed it does the trick xx

[AnaKristina]

Try another GP. Their skill in treating babies vary.