Does this sound like reflux or just a windy baby?

[firststeps]

Hi, my ds is just over 3 weeks old and we have been having problems feeding him and with wind from day 1 - he will gulp down a feed really quickly - can do 4ozs in less than 5 minutes and sometimes drinks so quickly that he has projectile vomited a whole feed as soon as he has finished it, he then suffers terribly with trapped wind from both ends - he arches his back and draws his legs up and makes a pained crying noise. He was on Cow and Gate Premium and we switched him from that to the Cow and Gate Comfort and also started giving him infacol to see if that would make any difference but it hasn't changed things much. We wind him during and after a feed, but we struggle to get his wind up at the time - it seems to be that is has permanent trapped wind! I just wondered if it was worth asking my HV if I could get him tested for Reflux or does this sound like normal wind problems in a new baby and will it improvbe over time?

Hi firststeps
Poor little man, does sound as though somethings not quite right for him I would go see the GP (IME HVs are pretty useless). Have you tried giving him less at each sitting say 2oz but more often. With infacol as I understand it you have to let it build up in their system before you start to see the full effect. You could also start thinking about changing to another brand of milk as they are all slightly different. Whatever you do you'll need to give it a few days to really see if it imporves things.
SIL has had similar to this with all 3 of hers and they are all lactose intolerant and need a lactose-free milk on prescription. No big deal just a hastle to get from chemists all the time.

Another thing would be to try another bottle, or slower teat (for newborn). I haven't used it but Dr Brown bottles are apparently very good for that kind of problem. Which bottle are you using? The idea of giving less milk more often sounds good to me. Are ou feeding on demand or on 'schedule'?

Hi firststeps - we had this problem with our DD when she was a new born (she is 8 months now). She would projectile vomit sometimes her whole feed and at most other feeds vomit when winding. She also seemed to be in pain a lot. Turned out she had reflux and has since been on gaviscon infant, 2 sachets per feed to start with and now reduced down to one per feed. Since she started on the gaviscon she has only been sick a couple of times that I can remember and this was due to tummy bugs rather than wind or anything, so it definately helped in her case. Don't know if this info will help your lo but just something you could maybe mention to hv.

thanks for all your suggestions, we did try giving him smaller amounts more often but this seemed to make things worse; as if the first couple of ounces hadn't digested and we were feeding on top of the wind that was there from the previous feed if that makes sense . My instinct tells me something isn't right - so I think I will take him to the GP after the holiday weekend.

ellesbelles did your GP suggest a reflux test or did you have to push for this? Also how long did it take to get the results?

As far as I know there isn't a test for reflux - a diagnosis is made on the basis of clinical observation (or whatever they call it) - i.e. what the parents tell the dr the symptoms are.

It does sound like it might be reflux and/or an intolerance to milk proteins or lactose.

I would definitely ask the GP.

(we had similar with ours by the way, except that he is bf - I had to stay off dairy and soya, and he was on Gaviscon, then Ranitidine and Domperidone - you would need to see a specialist if things got that serious though).

I pushed my hv and gp for a referral to the hospital. DD was prescribed the gaviscon at the first appointment and was booked in for further tests. However, the gaviscon was so effective that no further tests were ever carried out. It took a wee bit of prodding to get the initial referral and then we would have waited a month for the tests after inital appointment.

mommalove, the turning red and gobbling feeds is an exact description of what my ds is doing, he is also very unhappy lying on his back when awake - he will cry but stop immediately when upright which was another thing that made me think it is more than just wind - it seems like he is in constant discomfort. I will make an appointment with the GP asap and am o seeing the HV next week so will let you know how I get on - thanks for the reply

I had a similar problem with my ds, and although it may be laborious it can help to rub their back for a lot longer than you think. He suffered badly with trapped wind, which i found if i continued to rub for about 20 minutes (maybe more) would come out with a giant burp. He has got reflux, but the gaviscon does not solve the trapped wind issue, so therefore he still needs winding for as long as it takes to get out a burp.

there is a few tests for reflux but they are apparently quite invasive so drs tend to prescribe gaviscon first off and, if it makes any difference at all, then agree that there is a reflux issue.

my baby is 14 weeks and has been refluxy from day one, with very similar symptoms ie arching back, vomiting and apparently lots of wind with it.

the gaviscon did make a difference to his pained crying and vomiting ut created a whole additional set of problems with trapped wind and constipation, meaning he refused to eat at all for a night.

in the end we cut back on the gaviscon dosage (from half a packet every other feed to once a day) and decided to visit a cranial osteopath. Our GP said she would refer us to a paediactrician if we wanted a prescription for the other, more serious drugs, but as they arent licensed for babies in the UK, she was reluctant to do it herself. It appears that this is really common with most GPs, especially if your baby isnt vomiting so much that they are losing weight.

The CO is brilliant and has made a real difference.

other thoughts - try holding your baby facing away from you, on his front with your hands supporting his tummy, at a 30degree ish angle. hard to describe, but almost like he's like a plane taking off from standing on your lap. it was the only position i could get mine to stop crying in. and is a good one to stop the projectile vomit hitting you .

also, mine only sleeps on his tummy. and the dummy was brilliant - apparently it helps them minimise the tummy pain somehow

good luck

I have finally got a diagnosis of reflux after a hellish week before Christmas. gaviscon worked brilliantly over Christmas but the pains have started to return this week. I had been using cranial osteopathy which used to work for one day and then all the symptoms would return. I'm also dairy/soya free as exclusively breastfeeding. Originally, i thought it may have been a dairy allergy but now think dairy just makes it a whole lot worse so steering clear for now.

This week i have been to a homeopath and fingers crossed it will work!

Its heartbreaking to watch and listen to her being in pain. Everyone telling me its normal baby stuff was hard too as i knew something was not right. I know it won't cause long term problems but i'm sure she'll enjoy life a lot better not in pain or discomfort!