silent reflux

[WentworthMillerMad]

Hi - we saw a peaditritian at yorkhill yesterday for my babies constant screaming, refusing to feed. he is 14 weeks. she sure he has silent reflux, after lots of tests and we now using infant gaviscon. just wondered if anyone has any tips on bottles or formula. currently on avent with 3 flow teat and aptamil. is it worth changing bottles or the milk???? would this help???tried dr brown when he was younger but teat was too soft - many thanks

[Wezzle]

My ds suffered from silent reflux so I sympathise with you and your LO.

Gaviscon was no good for my ds as it constipated him. Don't be surprised if it doesn't work.

There are other meds out there though. We tried ranitidine which reduces the amount of acid produced in the stomach. Unfortunately, there was no improvement so he was given Omeprazole which actually stops any acid being produced.

We saw huge improvements after this and also after weaning.

As for formula...I'm not sure that any make a real difference but I used Aptamil Easy Digest and I used the Avent variable flow teats.

There's a great website called Little Refluxers where you can speak with other parents with children facing the same problems as you and your LO. You'll get lots of advice, tips and support.

I hope you see an improvement in your DS soon.

[WentworthMillerMad]

thanks wezzle - he seems calmer today but TBH it could not have got worse!!! great website thanks

[ready2pop]

My DS has silent reflux too. It took ages for it to get diagnosed because he was putting on weight at a rate of knots and not throwing up but we were given omeprazole too and it has worked wonders.

Wezzle - interesting to see your DS was better after weaning. Our paedeatrician has suggested weaning DS at 17 weeks for same reason. Did you wean early or wait it out?

Good luck WMM - hope your DS gets better soon.

[Wezzle]

Hi ready2pop

I think ds was about 5 months wen I started to wean him. HV also advised to try from 16 weeks but he was 5 weeks early so only 11 weeks really .

I was quite lucky though he took to solids really well and because we'd had so much trouble with bottles (explosive poos) I fast tracked him and dropped all of his bottles except supper and first thing on a morning.

I don't know if it was conicedence butI saw a huge improvement in him from that point on.

We're currently triying to wean him off the meds. Fingers crossed e''k be off them in a couple of weeks.

Finally light at the end of the tunnel.

Good luck with your DS. Check out the little refluxers link below, it's really good if you're struggling.

[Fizzylemonade]

I had 2 sons with reflux one who projectile vomited and didn't care and one who had silent reflux who screamed the place down.

Saw paed in private hospital after gaviscon didn't work. He was 17 weeks. Was put on thickened formula Enfamil AR which we got on presciption. We were advised to wean, made no difference even with very starchy foods as advised so we went back to just milk. Our paed wanted to try the formula first rather than meds.

There is high street version of Enfamil AR which you could try, I think it is SMA staydown. Enfamil contained rice starch that thickened on contact with stomach acid so we didn't need any special teats. If you read the back of the staydown tin it will tell you that you need to mix the formula with COLD water then you can heat if afterwards.

It worked a treat, he went from drinking 10 or 12 2-3oz bottles up to the normal 6oz bottles. The HV didn't really care as he was gaining weight (yes because I was having to feed him 10 times a day and look after a toddler, it was hell)

Good luck.