Have you had more than one child with reflux - GERD

[princesspants]

I have had 3 and am still going through it with number 3. I have always wanted to try and establish what might cause you to have children with reflux.

I know a GP who's 3 children had reflux and she said there isn't enough research on it but she is guessing it is hereditary.
Im not sure. My gran had 5 without it, my mum had 2 without it.
Not sure about my DH's side as I reckon if he or his siblings had it, my MiL is too erm, simple to have noticed !
Also in those days they probably were less likely to have it diagnosed (they are bad enough now).

Surely however, they would have still had noticed a baby with severe feeding problems, constant screaming and an inability to lie flat without turning puce and screaming like they are being murdered. Or did they just stick them outside in the Silvercross and shut the door.
Lucky sods!

Maybe this survey could shed a light...Please answer all 10 questions if you can.

1. Are you overweight?

2. Is your diet healthy?

3. Do you have digestive problems?

4. Do you have an under active thyroid?

5. Are you Gluten intolerant?

6. Was your baby early?

7. Do you have any other family members who had it, or indeed yourself?

8. Did you take any medications in pregnancy?

9. Do you have any theory's on why more than one of your children have had it?

10. Do you have any health issues yourself?

I should answer too!

1. No but I can put on a good 3 stone in Pregnancy

2. It's not bad. I try and get as much fruit and veg as possible but I also like the odd treat here and there. Don't eat ready meals or such like.

3. Yes, I have digestive problems on and off

4. Yes I have an under active thyroid

5. I seem to have problems with gluten. Feel much better without it.

6. My first 2 were 3 weeks early. Third on time.

7. No idea. I didn't.

8. Levothyroxine

9. Really not sure, hence the survey!

10. Apart from the above, no

Here goes...

1. Yes, quite
2. Mostly, a bit over cheesed though
3. No
4. No but family history of it
5. No but mil and ds have gluten/wheat issues
6. Ds induced at 40+3, dd csec at 39+1
7. Dh's sister was a screamer but no others that I know of
8. Omeprazole in first pregnancy but not second
9. Genetic? Born too early?

10. No

I'm very interested to see what other people say, good thread.

I think it must have an hereditary component. DD had it, DH had Pyloric Stenosis and MIL remembers people saying she had a 'delicate stomach' as a baby. However, MIL had SIL first with no problems. Does it run in the male line? No-one on my side had it all.

MIL openly admits she put DH in the pram at the bottom of the garden - or, on really bad days, the farm road end!

I had a very normal pregnancy and DD was 40+2. She was 8lb. Labour was easy (TENs and birth pool).

I would like to know though if we ever try for another.

Could it be related to bf? MIL didn't bf, DM didn't bf. I tried but failed spectacularly. DD's silent reflux was worse with formula than bf. Related to tongue tie? DD has a posterior tie. Related to folic acid? There is a study in Australia - I think - examining whether tt is increasing because pg women are taking folic acid. My GP mentioned it to me. The study is looking at giving folate rather than folic acid. Could it be related?

1. Are you overweight?

Yes

2. Is your diet healthy?

No, hence I'm over weight. Having said that, I think I eat well but over eat.

3. Do you have digestive problems?

No but I had terrible terrible reflux in the pregnancy that resulted in the reflux-baby, ds2.

4. Do you have an under active thyroid?

Not that I'm aware of.

5. Are you Gluten intolerant?

Not that I'm aware of. Ds1 was allergic to wheat but has grown out of it.

6. Was your baby early?

both babies were late and although I laboured naturally, both were positioned badly and c sec in the end.

7. Do you have any other family members who had it, or indeed yourself?

I'm not sure. My sister had collic so maybe. More telling is my dh who has digestive issues as a grown up?

8. Did you take any medications in pregnancy?

Gallons of gaviscon. In late pregnancy I took co codolmol and paracetamol for sciatica.

9. Do you have any theory's on why more than one of your children have had it?

Only one of my children has had it, I think. But ds1 was horrendous to wean and is a "resistant eater"

10. Do you have any health issues yourself?

Not aside from a weight problem.

Would it be more relevant to ask if we were over weight during pregnancy? I was for both my pregnancies.

Here is something that has interested me from the time I was pregnant with ds2., that I didn't have a single instance of fetal hiccups with him. Not one. Maybe it was his position in the womb.

1. Are you overweight? No I'm fairly slim now and was slimmer when younger (size 8, healthy BMI kind of slim)

2. Is your diet healthy? Yes pretty healthy

3. Do you have digestive problems? No. Dh did when he was younger though (could be violently sick after eating a biggish but not ridiculous meal).

4. Do you have an under active thyroid? No

5. Are you Gluten intolerant? No

6. Was your baby early? A little but he was full term.

7. Do you have any other family members who had it, or indeed yourself? I think my sister did - my mum's description exactly matches how ds was

8. Did you take any medications in pregnancy? No

9. Do you have any theory's on why more than one of your children have had it? I think it must be largely hereditary - my GP said it was because the valve at the top of ds's stomach was insufficiently developed.

10. Do you have any health issues yourself? No

Interesting you mentioned hiccups piggy - ds had fetal hiccups a lot, don't remember it at all with the other two.

Only one of mine was diagnosed with reflux but looking back ds1 was pretty miserable until 6mo and I do wonder if he had a milder case.

Stargirl,

My reflux baby, ds2 has posterior tongue tie. I struggled to bf, but for the week he was bf, he had reflux at the breast.

My ds1 didn't have reflux but he has a lip tie and struggled to bf.

Stargirl I breast fed all 3 and they were all a nightmare. I did introduce 1 bottle to DS1 around 4 months, no bottles for DD and 1 bottle to DS 2 around 3 months.

The only difference I noticed was they could take a bottle calmly but breast feeding was like feeding an angry wasp.
I have definitely came to the conclusion through speaking to many others that breast feeding doesn't cause it. Bottle feeding doesn't cause it. Possibly Bottle feeding is meant to exasperate it but I didn't find that personally when I added a night bottle in.

Maybe if they were totally bottle fed it would be worse but it certainly isn't the cause.

I find that very interesting about folic acid though. Even just the fact that there is a study being done is good to hear.

All 3 hiccuped in the womb. I think that may be down to position.

shoewhore You say your GP said the valve was insufficiently developed. Was this his explanation of reflux, which is the theory or did your DS have the barium meal and x-ray to find out?

I was offered the barium meal and x-ray for DD but decided not to. I wimped out basically as she was only 3/4 months. Did anyone else have this done and what were the results?

Someone asked are boys more prone to it? Who knows but my DD was just as bad as my 2 boys.

Interestingly (and painfully) Each of my DC's reflux was worse than the last. So DS1 was not diagnosed until 4.5 months. On hindsight he was pretty good considering he didn't get meds until then.

There is not a chance DD would have made it to 4 months. She'd have combusted through screaming! Or id have left her in a box outside a police station.

At this point I was convinced that it was because the two of them were 3 weeks early - Until, DS2 arrived bang on time, a good weight and oh my god he has been the absolute reflux demon from hell. He was awful until 9 months. Even on meds I still struggled to feed him until I changed to bottles at 8 months. At least I could sit him up properly and he'd sink the bottle no problem. Breastfeeding consisted of me having to stop, stand up and wind him around 6 times per feed. Even at 8 months !

Ok the only similarities I see was that most people said they were overweight - so is it diet? Did you all take folic acid?

1. Are you overweight? No

2. Is your diet healthy? Yes

3. Do you have digestive problems? Yes - reflux!

4. Do you have an under active thyroid? No

5. Are you Gluten intolerant? No

6. Was your baby early? No - only 3 days early

7. Do you have any other family members who had it, or indeed yourself? Myself, my husband's mother and brother

8. Did you take any medications in pregnancy? No

9. Do you have any theory's on why more than one of your children have had it? Hereditary

10. Do you have any health issues yourself? No

I'm a GP too and while I can't quote the papers, I was under the impression that there is a hereditary link. Certainly my ds1's paediatrician (a UK leading expert in reflux in babies) said it was highly likely another child may have reflux, but unlikely to be anywhere as severe as ds1's. He point blank refused to drink milk from 9wo due to the pain and severe oesophagitis and was in and out of hospital and tube fed. He didn't start weaning until 15mo and wouldn't touch fruit and veg. He is 5yo in a week's time and has a very limited diet which causes me a lot of worry. Dd2's reflux was much milder and improved with ranitidine. She is now 12mo and it has not had an adverse effect on her eating.

Very interested that you are doing a mumsnet survery on it - I'll keep an eye on the results!

1. Are you overweight?
   No. Size 8

2. Is your diet healthy?
   Yes

3. Do you have digestive problems?
   no although mild dairy intolerance

4. Do you have an under active thyroid?
   no

5. Are you Gluten intolerant?
   don't think so

6. Was your baby early?
   No, on time and late

7. Do you have any other family members who had it, or indeed yourself?
   yes, FIL

8. Did you take any medications in pregnancy?
   no

9. Do you have any theory's on why more than one of your children have had it?
   Linked to intolerances

10. Do you have any health issues yourself? No

I will add - I've read somewhere that certain groups of people are more intolerant to dairy as they're not used to it in their diets (I think Asian for example)

My other theory is that dairy is not very good for us as a species - tenuous I know, but the countries which consume the most dairy are the fattest and unhealthiest.

Agree with the heredity component. My dd has it (only child so far), my husband had it terribly as a baby resulting in operations. His father has barratts disease. My husband's sister's 2 kids have had it. I am under no illusion that if we have another we will have to go through it all again!

There was a fascinating R4 documentary a couple of years ago about dairy. A group of scientists were using genetics to track dairy tolerance over 1000s of years. The theory seemed to be that most people descended from Northern Europeans were able to have dairy because it was an evolutionary advantage to be able to tolerate it.

As Northern European people became agrarian they used cows milk. Children who could tolerate it had a better chance of survival into adulthood than those who could not. Therefore, they were more likely to procreate and have children who could tolerate dairy...and so on. I think the team suggested that 99% of people of Northern European descent had the gene combination to utilise dairy as an important food source.

The team found that this was not true for people descended from cultures in Southern Europe or Asia. They put forward the hypothesis that cows milk wasn't as important in these cultures because it spoiled more quickly and the environmental conditions weren't as harsh. It didn't give an evolutionary advantage under these circumstances.

Truly fascinating! I believe they called this field of enquiry 'epigenetics'. One study in the documentary could show the legacy of famine in The Netherlands in the genes of granddaughters of women who lived through that famine. Amazing!

No idea if it has anything to do with reflux, mind you!

My first baby had reflux but my second didn't. I don't know if that's any help to you, but I'll have a go at the questions :). I didn't have it as a baby (I was a wonderful baby apparently ) but MIL says that DH was very difficult and screamed constantly, so it's very possible that he had reflux.

1. Are you overweight?

Now, yes, but not before I was pregnant.

2. Is your diet healthy?

Yes

3. Do you have digestive problems?

Not sure if it's what you mean, but I do get mild diarrhoea most times I eat out.

4. Do you have an under active thyroid?

Not diagnosed, but yes I think so.

5. Are you Gluten intolerant?

No.

6. Was your baby early?

Only a few days.

7. Do you have any other family members who had it, or indeed yourself?

Possibly DH.

8. Did you take any medications in pregnancy?

No.

9. Do you have any theory's on why more than one of your children have had it?

One one of mine did, no idea why.

10. Do you have any health issues yourself?

Nothing serious, migraines and kidney stones occasionally.

I've just thought of something else. I didn't know about tongue ties then, but neither of my DCs can poke their tongue out.

Princesspants we had a barium swallow done at 12 weeks and it revealed a hiatus hernia was causing the reflux, I very nearly couldn't go through withit but was so glad that I did

I would hazard that many cases of reflux involve some element of cow's milk protein allergy, or possibly tongue tie of varying degrees.

I was a bit overweight with my DS who had the worst reflux; no problems with GERD myself, but DH does and has ever since childhood...although no feeding issues as a baby at all according to MIL.No thyroid issues, no known coeliac, no health problems; antibiotics and co-dydramol in pregnancy; my earlier baby less affected than late baby.

1. Are you overweight? no

2. Is your diet healthy? yes, very

3. Do you have digestive problems? not of this type, but I have had issues with food and so has dh (IBS in his case)

4. Do you have an under active thyroid? no

5. Are you Gluten intolerant? no

6. Was your baby early? no

7. Do you have any other family members who had it, or indeed yourself? yes, my sister and my SIL both had it very badly, my sister's ds2 had it (but not her ds1)

8. Did you take any medications in pregnancy? no

9. Do you have any theory's on why more than one of your children have had it? I was told it was hereditary by the paed gastro, and believed him

10. Do you have any health issues yourself? no

Oh, and re intolerances ds1 had cow's milk protein intolerance (which went away at about 1yo) and ds2 had egg intolerance (ditto).

However, although in both cases they were worse with those foods than without, even a complete elimination diet did not improve ds1's reflux to the point where he could have done without medication. They were aggravators, but not causes ime.

1. I am not overweight
2. I have a healthy diet but not perfect.
3. No serious digestive problems but in hindsight, have been prone to diahorrea.
4. I had my thyroid levels checked a few years ago which was OK but I do think I might have an under thyroid.
5. I am gluten intolerent, have become worse since having children / limiting gluten in my diet due to DC's issues. I am now on a grain free, dairy free and yeast free diet and niggling issues (mouth ulcers, yeast infections, low energy) have improved.
6. My babies were all on time / slightly late.
7. I have no idea if any family members have had reflux
8. Buckets of gaviscon in first pregnancy, for the second two, I thought I had worked out what was causing the problems, dairy and sugar, and largely excluded them which improved reflux symptoms, though I wasn't strict and at times knew I would suffer and ate cheesecake anyway.
9. I think there is a genetic element, a food element, my children have food intolerences and allergies to a greater or lesser degree and I wonder if I had avoided those foods that caused my reflux when pregnant, while I was pregnant and while breastfeeding, if they would have been ok. (Dairy, wheat, sugar, though I didn't link the wheat for a very long time)
10. I have no serious health issues but since excluding grains and dairy, my minor niggles have improved.

I see an immunologist here in Switzerland, who has worked in the field for 30 years. He believes that anyone presenting with early issues should exclude grains (except rice, quinoa, buckwheat), dairy and yeast and also that heavy metals are at the root of many many diseases and all allergies / food intolerences. I have mercury fillings and my DS has mercury toxicity in his body which most likely came from my fillings. If we manage to rid the family of intolerences, allergies and recurrent health issues after two years of metal detoxing and food exclusion, I will be over the moon. This is not widely accepted in the medical world and the mercury connection is disputed, I wait to see if it will work for us.