vomiting query

[ziggie]

Hi,
My son is 5 months old, and has had colic and reflux since birth. I have taken him to the paediatrician about it, and he was on Zantac for 2 months, but has been off it now for 3 weeks, and seems to be better, although the paediatician said it may not be totally gone, but manageable without continued medication. He is still vomiting very frequently, 4-5 times between each feed, and quite large amounts. He is on formula, 5 feeds per day, and no solids yet.
My questions are: How long will he be likely to continue vomiting for? Is there some age that the stomach muscles develop by? Does thickening formula really work?

Thanks in advance,
Sarah

[RISA]

Hi Sarah,

Thankyou for contacting our organisation. It is great that you were able to get your son diagnosed at such an early age, and that your paediatrician has been supportive. It is really difficult to answer your questions though as there is no way to predict how long he will continue to vomit, or when the reflux will be under control. It can depend on why your son has reflux; whether it is a loose sphincter, or for some other reason.

Most babies with reflux will start to improve by the time they are able to sit up and are eating solids, but this doesn’t mean all babies. Some can actually have more problems with reflux around the age they are crawling as they are horizontal for a longer time. It is common for people to be given times when reflux should be gone (sitting up and on solids, standing/walking), and it can be really difficult to deal with should your baby fit into the category of those who continue to show signs. All we can really say is that it should happen sometime before 12 months, and if it does continue beyond that, most children will have outgrown it well before the age of 2 years.

That doesn’t mean though, that even if he does continue to have some reflux that he will continue to vomit. Signs can change as they get older.

Thickened formula can be really effective for some refluxers, but unfortunately not the answer for others. It seems to be a good option to try with those who do vomit a lot, so if you haven’t tried it, and you are comfortable with the idea, you may like to consider it. All reflux children are different, and what works for one may not work for another, so there is no guarantee it is the answer you are looking for.
If you do wish to try it, there are a couple of options- using commercially prepared prethickened formula, or using a ‘normal’ formula and adding a thickening agent. With the latter it means you can control the thickness of the formula, which cant be done with prethickened formulas.

I hope that helps, and sorry I couldn’t be more precise for you. Always trust your instincts and if you have concerns about his reflux, or anything else, please contact your doctor.

Glenda