First foods and Reflux...

[EsSjAy]

Hi, my ds is almost 5 months old. He suffers from reflux. sometimes he brings it up but mostly its silent...
He was diagnosed at 6 weeks and has been on Zantac since obviously with the doses changing as he gains weight....
On the advice of the paediatrician (who i have to say is absolutely wonderful) i started solids at 4 months as there was no history of allergies and no other issues to consider.
He has taken to solids beautifully with the amount increased slowly. I have only introduced foods one at a time and allowed time for any intolerances to show.... So far he has had rice cereal mixed with pear or banana. He has also had pumpkin & sweetcorn...
My concern is what first foods should i be avoiding. It only just occurred to me that citrus foods may aggravate the tummy but what else should i be avoiding to ensure my little man doesn't have any unpleasantness.
He tried the apple and loved it but spent the rest of the day
quite unsettled... That's when it hit me...
I feel quite silly now.
Your advice would be greatly appreciated.
Regards
Sam x

[RISA]

Hi Sam,
Please don't feel as though you should feel silly, or anything but proud- you are doing a great job and have obviously done a lot of research already!! Good on you for that.

You weren't to know he was going to have an unsettled day, and honestly, you can't say for sure it was the apple until you have tried it perhaps a few more times as they can have the occasional unsettled day here and there anyway (for all sorts of reasons).

They are all different too, and some reflux bubs can tolerate all the different foods, whereas some have trouble with a lot. Apple is often quite well tolerated, so I don't actually think it was a 'bad' choice. Some of the foods that you may notice problems with are things like citrus as you mentioned,other acidic foods (eg pineapple), vegetables that cause wind (eg onions, cabbage), peppermint and spearmint, fatty or spicy foods- probably most of what you wouldn't be offering yet anyway.

Are you suspicious of food sensitivities, or are you just being really cautious just in case? If you do have some real concerns about the possibility of food sensitivities, then you probably already know that cows milk protein is often an issue, along with things like soy, wheat and eggs. They would be best to be avoided for a lot longer, but that is fairly standard advice too (especially if there is a suspicion of sensitivities). If there are definite suspicions or concerns, then it may be best to talk to a dietitian who specialises in that area, as it can be a really complicated, confusing topic, and it may mean learning to recognise food additives, alternative names for foods on food labels.

Not all refluxers have food intolerances or allergies though- it really does depend on the reason for their reflux- sometimes its an immature development, sometimes its a slow gut, or maybe something else entirely, or even a combination. Would make it a lot easier to know, that's for sure.

But food, like all other reflux issues, is all trial and error. You are doing the right thing by waiting to see if he reacts to anything, and taking it all very slowly, and probably that's the best you can do.

Good luck, i hope it all goes well, and please don't be too hard on yourself as you are doing a great job.

Marie

[EsSjAy]

Thank you so much for your reply...

Keep up the great work at helping 'us' mummies cope with reflux...

x :thumbsup: x