Normal infant spit-up vs. acid reflux disease

Pediatrician Dan Thomas, MD Gastroenterology & Nutrition, shares advice for parents on how to tell if your newborn has acid reflux disease or is just spitting-up normally
Acid Reflux In Newborns - How To Tell If Your Baby Has Acid Reflux
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Normal infant spit-up vs. acid reflux disease

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Infantile or infant reflux is one of the most frequent reasons that I am asked to see a child in our Pediatric GI Clinic. It is a very common thing to worry about. This is, basically, a child who, in most cases, seem otherwise healthy, but they spit up. They regurgitate with or after feedings. I'll just say that, everybody on the face of the planet, has uncomplicated gastroesophageal reflux, no matter what test you do. In these infants, who are not high risk infants to have medical problems, and have acid reflux disease, which is the critical thing. The reason you would evaluate an infant or anybody for acid reflux disease, it occurs in a very small percentage of babies. The babies who have acid reflux that's functional, spit up, regurgitate, they are healthy in every other way. If they are not healthy in every other way and they have acid reflux disease, they are going to have some breathing problems. They may choke. They may have difficulty feeding. They are not swallowing their feeding well. They may have unexplained anemia, lung problems, breathing problems at night, get congested at night, don't thrive or gain weight, and they have other unexplained medical problems. These are the children that need to see a pediatric gastroenterologist. Otherwise, if the baby is thriving, spits up and regurgitates, this is called functional reflux. It will get better. They will not have complications due to reflux later in life. They'll be fine.

Pediatrician Dan Thomas, MD Gastroenterology & Nutrition, shares advice for parents on how to tell if your newborn has acid reflux disease or is just spitting-up normally

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Dan Thomas, MD

Pediatrician, Gastroenterology & Nutrition, Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Dr. Dan Thomas is the Head of the Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, and Medical Director of Liver and Small Bowel Transplantation at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Dr. Thomas presently serves on the Editorial Review Board of Pediatrics in Review and is on the Committee on Nutrition of the American Academy of Pediatrics. His primary clinical and academic interests include the care and study of children with congenital or acquired intestinal, pancreatic and hepatobiliary disorders.

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