How Do You Treat Heartburn in Infants?

In infants, most acid reflux cases will resolve by 12 months of age and do not necessarily require treatment. Babies are more likely to have a weak LES because it hasn’t fully developed yet. This makes that muscle more relaxed when it should stay shut.

Diagnosis is difficult since they can’t properly articulate or express how they feel.

If your child has poor appetite, cries a lot, coughs, sneezes, has trouble breathing or sleeping and has forceful vomiting then its time to see a doctor.

But there are a few things that you can do as a parent in order to alleviate his heartburn symptoms:

1. Feed your child with smaller meals more often. No large meals as these will almost always trigger acid reflux symptoms.

2. Make sure they burp after every 1 to 2 ounces of formula or after nursing from each breast.

3. Put your baby back to sleep on his back only even if he has reflux.

4. Because of gravity, always feed your baby in an upright position.

5. Don’t let them eat within 2 or 3 hours of bedtime. You want their stomach to be empty when they sleep.

6. Your child should not consume anything with caffeine in it such as chocolate, spicy, fried, or acidic foods including oranges and other citrus fruits, and tomatoes.

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