Could this be reflux?

[nannynz]

or related to snuffles/cough? or allergy? or just normal?

Baby now five weeks.

Good weight gain - following own line.

Always fed 3-4 hourly during day with 4-6 hours at night. One EBM feed with bottle in middle of night.

Since Christmas has being getting more and more unsettled with feeds. eg is hungry but latches on for a minute then comes off crying. Sometimes can be resettled back to feed.

Infacol started just over a week ago.

Snuffling and cough started about four days ago.

Now at least 3/7 feeds results in crying, stiffening of body for at least 1/2 an hour. It's about 50/50 whether she resettles back to breast after the crying.

Her nappies are still wet and dirty - although less so then usual.

She sleeps well and is alert at times during the day, can be very smiley.

What can it be? And what can we do to help her?

Whoops forgot to say that when she feeds it's mostly about 2 - 10 minutes before the crying starts - so am pretty sure she's not getting full in that time.

Her average feed time is probably about 20-30 minutes, sometimes up to an hour. Usually about 30 minutes one side and then switch to other side if she wants to.

Would have thought reflux signs would have started about week 2 or from birth. But one possibility could be irritability of throat - but could it be something other than reflux such as a throat infection (my 3 year old got an infected throat with horrible puss things down her throat).

I don't have any experience of allergies so can't advise.

What does the HV/doctor think?

deos she arch her back alot? my dd has had reflux from about 2 weeks - a lot of projectile vomiting and really obvious discomfort from acid, arching back, actually wanting to feed more, maybe to soothe the burningthroat. does it help if she is upright/cot tilted? could it be trapped wind maybe? does it help if you bicyycle her legs?
sorry, lots of things , just trying to thinkwhat we tried before deciding it definitely was reflux!

I've never had a baby with reflux so not sure when it does develop.

It started over xmas period so she would have being just three weeks. It's not every feed though, it does tend to be increasing every day.

It's fine if she's relaxed and doesn't start crying. She's never done the back arching when she's had the EBM but I tend to sit her more upright.

Health visitor didn't really listen and not visited dr as she does appear to eating cos she has wet/dirty nappies. Maybe time to make an appt.

The problem is once she starts crying she doesn't stop and it doesn't matter what we try. We did get gripe water but haven't used it. If she does burp it does not make her relax anymore in fact it makes her more upset which makes me think either her throat is sore or acid is burning it.

Thanks for you help. I'm a maternity nurse and just want to make it easier for the mum and baby.

It could be reflux. My DS wasn't diagnosed until 12 weeks - it seemed to get worse and resulted in a choking incident which made me realise it could be. My DS is in the 91st percentile for weight - I think he overeats for comfort (although now he has stopped feeding when awake).
Push it with your doctor - look up the symptoms here and present the case. Good luck

Sounds similar to our DS who wasn't diagnosed till 4 months as he was never a sicky baby (silent reflux) and was consistently at the 50%ile. There have been several threads on this in recent months so maybe worth a look back? I thought DS had colic for first 6 weeks, and then settled after appointment with cranial osteoppath. Reflux became a problem at about 11 weeks and got progressively worse. The latching off and screaming thing was a real problem. He gave up breastfeeding in the end as became totally aversive at 4 months due to the pain. He always found EBM easier as could sit up for it. Encourage breast feeding as upright as possible.
Does the baby find it hard to lie down? DS always took hours to be able to lie flat, especially at night. Slept fine in car seat and on laps though. Hope this helps.
p.s. if you get prescribed gaviscon and it doesn't seem to help. don't assume it's the wrong diagnosis like I did. We moved onto rinitidine and the problem was solved in three days! Keep going back to the doctor if it doesn't improve.

i agree with beth to persist at the dr if gaviscon is prescribed and doesn't work. my dd is now on domperidone as the gaviscon stopped the sickness but not the acid.
good luck.