Reflux is a very common problem in tiny babies. It is also known as possetting or spitting up and happens when milk that has been ingested travels back up through the oesophagus or food pipe.
Babies also have stomach acids that are necessary for the breaking down of food. When you feed your baby milk, the mixture of acid and milk can be regurgitated and can make baby very uncomfortable. If you’ve ever suffered from heart-burn, then you know what it feels like.
A Baby Wrap Carrier can prove to be incredibly handy to help alleviate reflux as it allows your baby to be in a comfortable upright position with no added pressure on his or her little tummy. When baby is feeling uncomfortable and a little stressed, carrying him or her in a Baby Wrap Carrier, helps to soothe and calm baby.
Whilst reflux is messy and can be very frustrating, it is also very normal and at least 40% of babies suffer from this problem. Up to 5% of babies can have as many as six or more episodes a day. However, it is a temporary problem that usually gets better as baby grows and their digestive system matures. A very small percentage of babies have what is known as severe or persistent reflux (gastro-oesophageal reflux disease or GORD). Should you at any time believe that you baby falls within this percentage, we would highly recommend setting your mind at rest with a visit to your paediatrician.
To understand the cause of reflux, you need to bear in mind that your baby’s stomach is very small at birth and grows bigger quite slowly as baby grows. Baby’s food pipe (oesophagus) connects the little mouth to the little stomach at the bottom of which there is a valve that is controlled by a ring of muscle. Sometimes as baby’s tummy becomes full with milk, the little valve doesn’t stay properly closed and allows some of the mixture of milk and stomach acid to move back up the food pipe. We would caution against adding cereal to make baby’s milk thicker as there is no scientific proof that this helps with reflux. Once again, if you are unsure, consult your doctor first.
Reflux can be prevented in a number of ways :
- Feed your baby in an upright position
- Hold baby upright for about 20 or 30 minutes after each feed
- Put baby in a baby wrap carrier after each feed
- Try giving baby smaller, but more frequent feeds
- For bottle fed babies, burp every two or three minutes during feeds and also make sure that the hole in the teat isn’t too large. A teat that’s too big can cause milk to come out too fast which in turn makes baby gulp, swallowing air and exacerbating reflux
- Try raising the top of baby’s cot by putting a flat pillow under the mattress and whilst your baby should still sleep on his or her back, it may help if their little head is slightly higher than their feet
