Infant Reflux

Kariana lying on Tobin's chest and sleeping at 7 weeks old.

The other day Grandpa Bergen asked me why I hadn't written about the issues we had with Kariana's reflux when she was a newborn. I'm not sure I have an answer. Maybe I've tried to block it out or maybe the first 2 1/2 months were such a blur I've already forgotten. Neither is really true so let me try to re-cap the first 2 1/2 months with Kariana.

GER (Gastro Esophageal Reflux, a.k.a.“reflux”) is simply defined as the backward flow of stomach contents into the esophagus (the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach which is not fully developed in newborns). The prevalence of GER in infants peaks between 1 to 4 months of age, and usually resolves by 6 to 12 months. As a new mother, I had read and heard a lot about colicky babies, but no one seemed to focus closely on GER or “infant reflux.” I later learned the reason for this is that not all pediatricians recognize reflux in babies. Kariana was fortunate to have a pediatrician who immediately caught on to her signs/symptoms of infant reflux.

It became obvious within the first few weeks that something was making our precious little bundle very uncomfortable, but it took us a few weeks to figure it out. Kariana was a very fussy newborn. Tobin and I didn't know what was a normal amount of crying and fussiness for a newborn and it had been a long time since Grandma and Grandpa Bergen, who were staying with us and helping us out, had had me so they didn’t remember either. The four of us worked as a team (well, at least, we tried) and we limped along those first few weeks on very little sleep trying to do the best we could for Kariana who was our focus 24/7. Looking back at those first 2 ½ months, the signs of infant reflux were obvious, but it took many sleepless nights and several trips to the pediatrician to get Kariana’s reflux under control.

Kariana demonstrated classic signs of infant reflux. She “spit up” after her meals and continued to spit up hours later. She would cry after meal time because she was in pain from the reflux. It was clear that her spit ups were not just a laundry nightmare, but that her reflux was making her uncomfortable. Kariana also cried whenever we laid her on her back to change her diaper or to put her to sleep. In fact, Kariana would not sleep on her back at all. Her favorite position was to lie in an upright position on her belly on our chests. This seemed to be the only position Kariana would sleep comfortably. So Tobin, Grandma Bergen and I took shifts sitting on the chair with Kariana sleeping on our chests for hours at a time.

Then Grandma Bergen began lying Kariana on her belly across her legs and it became obvious Kariana was more comfortable sleeping on her belly. Much to my concern, we began lying Kariana on her belly in her crib to sleep at night. In a world where SIDS is indoctrinated into a new mom's brain, having Kariana sleep on her belly was hard for me to come to terms with. I insisted we sleep on an air mattress on the floor in Kariana’s room with her.

We also started Kariana on prescription medication to reduce the acidity in her stomach that was causing her to reflux (Kariana took Zantax; Prevacid did not work for her). We also gave Kariana Mylanta after her meals to sooth the burning sensation caused by the reflux. In the beginning, I did not like giving my newborn all of these medications. I was concerned I was overmedicating my precious little bundle. Those not familiar with infant reflux wanted to attribute the fussiness to colic and/or gas and suggested Gripe Water and Mylicon Drops. We tried both with no luck. We knew Kariana wasn’t colicky or gassy. She was suffering from infant reflux and it was obvious that the prescription medication made her more comfortable.

Because of her reflux, Kariana needed to be held upright and consequently she spent a lot of time in our arms. We held her upright for 20 to 30 minutes after each meal to help her digestion. She never spent any time on her back because it made the reflux worse for her. It was difficult for us to take Kariana on outings outside the house. She cried in her stroller because it jostled her too much and made her spit up. She cried in her car seat because the car ride did the same. Kariana needed to be held upright and the Baby Bjorn was our savior those first few months.

Kariana gradually grew out of her reflux. By 6 months she spit up a lot less and by 9 months we discontinued all of her medications. I am happy to report that Kariana is a healthy happy baby and those first 2 ½ months seem like a long time ago.