What you can do to help your child with gastroesophageal reflux
Most infants and children outgrow the symptoms of GERD, but some require treatment. There are few a steps you can take to help ease the symptoms at home.
Adjust feeding volumes
In infants, avoid overfeeding. The feed timing and volume can be adjusted (smaller feeds more often), but it is important that the total amount fed in a day stays the same.
Raise head
Hold your child in an upright position after feeding. Sitting slumped in a chair or swing can increase the pressure on the stomach and can cause more reflux.
It is uncertain if elevating an infant’s head during sleep improves the symptoms of GERD. Because of the importance of sleeping on the back on a flat surface, for prevention of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), experts do not recommend using positional therapy (head elevation, or lying on the side or tummy) to treat symptoms of GERD in sleeping infants.
Elevating the head or lying on the left side can be considered in older children.
Thicken food
Speak to your child's doctor about thickening your baby's formula with infant cereal. This has been shown to reduce the severity of regurgitation.
Avoid certain foods
Some infants with GERD have a sensitivity to cow’s milk protein. The symptoms for GERD and an allergy to cow’s milk protein are very similar. For formula-fed infants, after trying other interventions, speak to your child’s doctor about a trial of a special formula.
Older children should avoid certain foods that are more likely to worsen reflux. These foods include soda and pop, coffee, tomato-based products, citrus fruits, mint and spicy foods. Antacids can also relieve the indigestion or heartburn in older children.
