Symptoms of silent reflux in infants
What are the symptoms of silent reflux in infants? What are the ways to prevent its occurrence? Here is the answer in this article and more information.
Silent reflux occurs in infants when stomach contents back up into the esophagus. Read this article to learn the symptoms of silent reflux in infants and the most important ways to prevent it:
- Symptoms of silent reflux in infants
- Symptoms of silent reflux in infants include:
- breathing problems
One of the most prominent symptoms that may indicate that an infant has silent reflux is having breathing problems, such as: wheezing, making unpleasant sounds during breathing, and sleep apnea. The occurrence of one of these problems in an infant may indicate that he has silent reflux.
respiratory system diseases
An infant with chronic respiratory problems and diseases, such as bronchitis and otitis media, may indicate silent reflux in the infant.
difficulty breastfeeding
Babies with silent reflux may have difficulty feeding and have an arched back while feeding, so difficulty feeding is one of the symptoms of silent reflux in an infant.
poor growth
Children with silent reflux may suffer from poor growth and failure. If the child is not growing or gaining weight at the expected rate, the cause of this may be because the infant has silent reflux.
- Nasal congestion
- Nasal congestion is a symptom of silent reflux in infants.
- Chronic cough and hoarseness
In addition to the above symptoms, infants with silent reflux may have a chronic cough and hoarseness.
Diagnosis of silent reflux in infants
Most of the time babies with silent reflux may not need any exams or tests as they are diagnosed based on symptoms, but in some rare cases the doctor may resort to endoscopy, pH monitoring test, or barium swallow test.
Prevention of silent reflux in infants
Here are the steps you can take to prevent silent reflux in your child:
Diet modification
If you're breastfeeding, adjusting your diet may help reduce your baby's silent reflux by reducing exposure to a certain number of foods that your baby might be allergic to.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding milk and eggs and removing them from the breastfeeding diet for at least two weeks, monitoring reflux symptoms and improving the infant, as well as removing acidic foods, such as: tomatoes and citrus fruits, from the breastfeeding diet.
Choosing a formula that is suitable for the infant
If the infant is on formula, choosing a hydrolyzed protein or amino acid-based formula may help reduce reflux in the infant.
Baby position while feeding
Positioning the baby in the right position while feeding helps relieve and prevent silent reflux.
Keeping the baby in an upright position for 30 minutes after feeding and burping the baby several times during and after feeding also helps reduce reflux.
Avoid swallowing air while breastfeeding
If the baby is being bottle-fed, hold it in a position that allows the nipple to remain full of milk to prevent the baby from swallowing air. This is because the swallowing of air by the infant leads to increased pressure in the intestines and reflux.
Feed the baby less
Feeding the baby less milk more frequently helps reduce reflux in infants. Feeding the baby every two hours instead of feeding him every four hours may reduce reflux.
