Prescription Acid Reflux Medicine For Babies

Jacqueline wolf a gastroenterologist and associate professor of medicine at harvard medical school and author of a woman s guide to a healthy stomach.

Prescription acid reflux medicine for babies.

Babies commonly have acid reflux but most don t require treatment like medication. A short term trial of an acid blocking medication such as cimetidine tagamet hb or famotidine pepcid ac for infants ages 1 month to 1 year or omeprazole magnesium prilosec for children ages 1 year or older might be recommended if your baby. However some infants who make a mess after feedings do need intervention. Over the counter and prescription medicines.

Acid reflux can be treated with changes in feeding burping and sleeping position or in some cases medication or surgery. A doctor may recommend medicines that treat gerd by decreasing the amount of acid in the infant s stomach. Several acid reflux treatments are available for these babies. In the meantime your doctor might recommend.

However babies who spit up frequently and have other symptoms such as poor weight gain irritability or a prolonged cough may have gastroesophageal reflux disease gerd. Infant reflux usually clears up by itself. For the babies that do have gerd and try acid suppressing medications i can tell you from clinical experience sometimes it makes certain babies less irritable and sometimes it doesn t. If they spit up after feedings but are gaining weight sleeping well and aren t fussy they re likely fine.

The infant has problems sleeping or feeding. Don t get me wrong there are times when these medications drastically help with gerd symptoms but parents should know that it s not a sure bet. Gastroesophageal reflux disease gerd is when food or liquid travels from the stomach back up into the esophagus the tube from the mouth to the stomach this partially digested material is usually acidic and can irritate the esophagus often causing heartburn and other symptoms. You have tried making feeding changes.

Taking control of your. Three conditions poor clearance of food or acid from the esophagus too much acid in the stomach and delayed stomach emptying contribute to acid reflux says dr. Infant reflux generally isn t a cause for concern. Rarely infant reflux can be a sign of a medical problem such as an allergy a blockage in the digestive system or gastroesophageal reflux disease gerd.

The doctor will only prescribe a medicine if the infant still has regular gerd symptoms and if. It s very unusual for the stomach contents to have enough acid to irritate the throat or esophagus and to cause signs and symptoms.