Which Formula Is Recommended For Reflux Babies?

[Kerry35]

I just wanted to know what type of formula anyone is using for their reflux babies as well as any that did not work so well.

My CHN recommended S26 AR, but then my Paed recommended using any "normal" formula but use food thickener. But some of the ladies at my mother's group say to use 'only' S26 Gold and use less water than recommended on the tin!! :rolleyes:

I cant find a thread on this subject anywhere else in the forum.

Does have anyone have any suggestions/recommendations? It would be much appreciated.

Mum to DS4 & DD4 months :cool:

[lil monkey]

tayla suffered reflux and was on zoton medication. we used the normal NAN gold formula because when we tried the S26AR formula, it made her severely constipated so we took her off quick smart.

A few people use a normal formula with a thickener - I think karicare has a thickener that you can use.

Reflux gets better with age - she has finally stopped spewing at 6 months!!

[weisje]

hi, i started on the nanha, we used kari care thickened HAAR she had a more senstive tummywe were told the same thing that she should be on a thickened one i think it helps a little, and yes it made her a little constipated at the start but when her system got used to it, about 2 weeks and i also gave her water as well.

[Rell]

Both my kids had reflux with my daughter we tried S26AR it made her constipated so we swiched to KaricareAR. With my son he refused to take the thickened formula so we just stuck to the normal Karicare.
I don't know where the ladies in your mother group got their info from but you should NEVER use any other amounts than whats on the tin. Less water can cause kidney problems.

[logan's mum]

Hi there,

My four month old has reflux and although he is breastfed i thought I should warn you about our experience with thickeners. i started to give him a thickener before a breast feed to try and keep the puke down on advice from the child health nurse. This just made his puke thicker and therefore it stuck in his oesophagus longer and caused the burning to last longer. It may be different for a bottle fed baby, but just thought i should warn you to be on the look out. :(

[channy]

I tried Karicare HA AR and found he was constipated and screamed. Now I give him Karicare HA because I was told S26 can also cause constipation. You should never alter the amount of water you mix with formula.

[lucyp]

Hi - our little one had very bad reflux (only JUST grown out of it at nearly 7 months!!)- we too originally tried Karicare HA/AR but found it too hard going in the poo department. Our pediatrician suggested Karicare SensiKare HA and we have not looked back since.

It is kind on the little tum tum and botty as it also already partially hydrolysed for a sensitive system. Can't get it from woolies - but Coles and Franklins have it. :)

[onabreak]

My daughter had reflux when she was about 3mths old. She spent the first 8 weeks in hospital after being born 10 weeks early. I had to bottle feed her and started her on the step 1 S26 but she started getting bad reflux and throwing up every where every time she had a bottle. I then tried her on S26 AR and have never had any problems. She is now 9.5 months old and hasn't thrown up like that since. I am going to keep her on it until she is ready for cows milk as I am a bit scared to try her back on the normal step 2 S26 incase she starts throwing up again.

[Caitlin's Mum]

I was using S26 Gold but changed to S26 for reflux as my baby was showing all signs of reflux. I then changed back to the Gold because of constipation. He then started throwing up a lot so I again changed back to the thickened formula. He still doesn't seem to like this so am wondering whether I should change brands altogether. I am reluctant as I have heard that you shouldn't keep changing formulas. Has anyone else changed formulas a few times and had no problems?

Katrina
Mum to Caitlin (23/7/02) and Connor (20/7/05)

[Rell]

Karecare have a food thickner which you add to your exsisting formula, you could give this a try

[Ky]

Hi

My son who is now 2 1/2 had reflux until just before his first birthday.

I used sma infant formula and then switched to the Heinz follow on. I added infant gaviscon to his feeds and also gave him a dose of merbentyl 15 minutes before a feed which is an anti-spasmodic drug which stopped him from bringing his feed up so much. I found the anti-reflux formulas to be annoying as they got too thick too fast an I had to modify the teats on his bottles so that he could get any!

Be warned, that reflux doesn't only make them bring up milk feeds, but solids as well! There is really nothing you can do besides thickened food, medication (only for severe cases though) and perservere with mopping up puddles and constantly changing clothes!

Often you will find that your child will get better once they are sitting by themselves and there is less strain on thier system from lying down constantly.

Reflux is a messy and frustrating condition, but luckily in most cases it will cure itself before your child is very old.

I am asked occasionally (doctors visits etc) if my son had any health problems as a baby and usually I say no, as I forget completely about his reflux! It is traumatic at the time, but as they grow out of it and embark on exciting adventures of discovery it will fade to the back of your memory.

Take heart!

Oh, just a quick note ... no matter what thickener or medication you use, there will always be a certain amount of spilling as there is only so much they can do.

In summer, try thickening diluted fruit juice or even water with gelatine so that they still get plenty of fluids. Lots of jelly deserts will also help to keep fluids up.

[e01]

Hey there,
I don't know whether or not this is helpful, but my little boy was diagnosed with reflux (via barium swallow)just this week. The last two weeks have been absolute hell. Anyway when we first had an incling that he may of had reflux the health care nurse suggested that we use a thickner in his formula or change his formula to AR. I chose the thickner option with the use of gastrogel as well. Unfortunately it didn't work. I've since been and seen the pead and he has been put on zantac. I found that the use of the thickner made my boy spewy (he wasn't before), I took him off the thickner and found that he isn't spewing near as much. The zantac seems to be helping so far. I did a little bit of research on reflux and found that thickners can sometimes make the problem worse. But every bub is different and i say go with what ever helps them poor little darlins....

[aquarius10]

Hi there,
I have spoken to the 24 hr helpline at Karitane, Tresilian's, my doctor & two different Paeditricians and to be honest it's all trial and error, what formula might work for one baby doesn't always work for the next.

I started my son Tysen from 2 weeks old on S26 then was told to try a formula which had AR after the name AR stands for Anti Reflux which is a thickened formula so we tried S26 AR & Karicare AR which both made him constipated.

We now after 10 weeks have him on Novalac AR Reflux he is alot better. You can get Novalac from most chemists.

Our Paeditrican diagnosed our son with heartburn which is very similar to reflux as the acid comes up from their stomachs and burns there little throats.

These are some other things we tried with Tysen:

* Sucking on his dummy helped settle his tummy

* Keeping his cot slightly elevated (we put a pillow at the opposite end of his mattress) as some babies with reflux don't like to sleep horizontal. However be very careful doing this make sure they are as far down the end of the cot as they can go because one night I awoke to find him with the covers above his nose which really freaked me out as he had wriggled his was way underneath his covers.

* They also say to keep your baby upright for at least 1 hour after a feed as this allows for the stomach to empty so that not so much gas comes back up there throat

* We tried 1ml of original Mylanta which didn't work for us

* Lying him on his belly for some tummy time (always supervised) sometimes helped, this also helps them strengthen there necks

* I had a friend that recommended Karicare Goats Milk she had amazing results.

We tried all of the above but the best thing that has work was 1ml of Zantac which was prescribed by our Paeditrician, I feel like i have a new baby, Tysen went from a baby that would scream for hours, arch his back, go red in the face and would sleep 1 to 2 hrs maximum a day to a baby that now will sleep and few hours during the day and sleeps well of a night time.

I hopes this helps, goodluck

[Ky]

* Keeping his cot slightly elevated (we put a pillow at the opposite end of his mattress) as some babies with reflux don't like to sleep horizontal. However be very careful doing this make sure they are as far down the end of the cot as they can go because one night I awoke to find him with the covers above his nose which really freaked me out as he had wriggled his was way underneath his covers.


We elevated Daniel's cot and used a safe-t-sleep wrap to keep him from moving down the bed ... it worked great!

[pam22]

I had no breast milk so bub (19 weeks now) was on formula since he was born.I too fed him S26 gold but with no success he was bringing up every feed.I rang Tressilian & spoke to my local childcare centre.They claim he had reflux & told me to try S26 AR. hat actually didn't work-still vomiting like crazy.My local pharmacy introduced me to Novalac AR.He has been having the formula ever since & we have never looked back.

[ifoundmyglory]

Novalac AR is the best formula i found for reflux. Worked wonders.