Silent Reflux?

[april83]

Hi my daughter is nearly 4 months old and is a very happy, petite baby but latley she has been really fussing through her bottles, and pulls off and squirms, cries, gags , gulps, then arches her back etc. She has done this a bit from birth but more so lately. She has also gone off her bottles a bit and just doesnt seem interested half the time. I put a post up in a different section and a few girls wrote back saying it sounds like silent reflux. Could this be her problem? She does vomit quite a bit latley but not projectile, just normal posseting. I am just getting a bit worried as she is quite small for her age (shes about 5.5kgs) and I dont want her to stop drinking as much as she should be. shes happy in between feeds and is a good sleeper at night (Sleeps right through for around 12 hours), but catnaps in the day.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

[RISA]

Hi,
I agree that she has signs that are suggestive of reflux (though not necessarily silent as she is vomiting a bit). It is really important that you have her checked by a doctor though, as it is impossible to tell without it. There are other things that can present similarly, even things like urinary tract infections, so that is why it’s so important. You need to know what you are dealing with so that you can effectively treat it.

If the doctor is satisfied she has reflux, then there are quite a few things you can do- and unfortunately that generally involves a lot of trial and error until you find the right treatment. Medication is just one option, and if used, it can take a bit of experimentation to find the right medication and right dose. Other options may be things like keeping her upright for her feeds and for at least ½ hr afterwards (as well as for as long as possible throughout the day), ensuring there is no additional pressure on her tummy, and perhaps trying feeding slightly less milk slightly more often. Catnapping isn’t unusual either, and the fact that they don’t sleep as much as they need means they get overtired, which can flare reflux- so it can be quite a vicious cycle that gets established.

If you do get a diagnosis of reflux, we would be really happy to offer other suggestions that might help, so please contact us again if you need any further information. It is great that you are following your instincts; you know that something is wrong, so good on you for asking questions, and I hope you do find out what is going on so that you can help her feel more comfortable,

Glenda

[april83]

Hi Glenda and thank you for your reply. I have only just been able to get Alysse into the doctors, they have recommended trying to thicken her feeds, I tried it last night but it was just too thick and she couldnt get it out of the teat properly - I might try adding a bit less and see how that goes. If that doesnt help they are going to try medication.
Thank you again for your fast reply, it was most helpful

April

[RISA]

Hi,
Thanks for letting me know how you were doing, and no worries at all, we're happy to help :)
Well done for getting that organised, and getting the diagnosis! I presume you are using her usual formula and thickening it yourself, as you cannot adjust the thickness of commercially pre-thickened formulas.
You may also need to experiment with different teats as that may affect how she copes with the feed- some are faster flow than others.

I hope you find something that helps, and that she feels better soon,

Glenda