Reducing acid reflux in infants - AmericaNowNews.com

How to reduce acid reflux in infants

We all know how little babies spit-up, and while most don't require treatment for this acid reflux condition, some infants have severe symptoms that require serious medical help.

Born nine weeks early, Olivia weighed just 2 pounds 10 ounces - she needed oxygen and a heart monitor.

According to her mother, Jennifer McCormick, doctors also realized "she would spit a lot of her formula up, so she had trouble gaining weight."

Dr. Janice Sullivan is researching medications used to treat reflux disease. Drugs approved in adults, but not tiny patients - infants up to 12 months - often mistaken as colicky babies.

"Irritability, spitting up, crying with feeding, some of these babies can be very miserable," says Dr. Sullivan.

All because the muscle that's supposed to keep food down isn't strong enough in many newborns.

And while most GERD problems resolve within a year, without intervention, there's also the risk of esophageal ulcers and teeth erosion.

"Right now, we're primarily looking at protein pump inhibitors which inhibit the production of the acid," says Dr. Sullivan.

The study drug worked for Olivia, and now three years later, she's growing big and strong - sending at home drama out the door.

Copyright 2011 America Now. All rights reserved.

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