Can Babies Have Acid Reflux?
Most babies spit up. Spitting up, also known as gastroesophageal reflux (GER), is a normal process that occurs in healthy babies. In fact, approximately 50% of infants under 3 months of age have at least one episode of spitting up per day.3 Baby acid reflux, on the other hand, known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is less common and occurs in less than 2% of babies.1,3 It can be easy to confuse your baby’s acid reflux with spit-up—even when it comes down to the name! GERD is more serious and cam cause complications such as esophagus irritation and poor weight gain.
Baby Acid Reflux vs. Spit-Up: What’s the Difference?
The primary difference between spit-up (GER) and acid reflux (GERD) in your little one is whether the reflux is associated with complications such as esophageal injury or poor weight gain. Signs that your baby isn’t just spitting up but likely has acid reflux include:1
- Arching or contorting their body as though in pain
- Choking while spitting up their breast milk or formula
- Coughing or wheezing
- Frequent crying or seeming unhappy—thanks to heartburn
- Refusal to eat
- Trouble gaining weight
Prevention, Home Remedies and Treatment for Infant Acid Reflux
Things you can do to help ease spitting up may also help manage acid reflux in your baby:2
- Avoid overfeeding at one time, and opt for more frequent small meals.
- Keep baby upright after meals.
- Keep your baby away from smoke. Smoke exposure can make your baby’s reflux worse.
- Check with your baby's doctor if this could be a sign of cow's milk allergy. If it is, they may recommend you to consider a two-week trial of a milk- and soy-free diet, as some babies have problems digesting cow milk protein or soy proteins. For breastfed babies, the mother needs to eliminate all cow’s milk and soy products from her diet for a two-week trial to see if symptoms improve. For formula-fed babies, they can be given a hypoallergenic formula that does not contain intact cow’s milk or soy proteins such as Nutramigen.
- Thickened feeds may also be helpful, but discuss with your health care provider first before thickening feeds or changing formulas.
Most baby reflux will resolve by 12 months of age and does not require treatment. However if your baby is having signs or symptoms of GERD, please see your health care provider. 1