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Stomach Acid Reflux: Calming the Cry by Soothing the
Burn

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Bitter crying during or just after a feeding may indicate insufficient or
excessive milk flow, a strange taste in your milk, a strong gastro-colic
reflex in your baby (see
Chapter 4
), or that your baby is one of about
three percent of colicky babies who suffers from stomach acid reflux.
If you suspect acid reflux as the cause of your baby’s misery you
should review the telltale signs of reflux mentioned in
Chapter 4
. Of
course, if you think your baby may be suffering from this problem, you
should consult your baby’s doctor.
Through the years, several remedies have been recommended to
alleviate reflux. A few are dead ends, but many are true paths to success.
Dead-End Stomach Acid Treatments
Position—Parents of refluxing babies have long been told to
keep their baby sitting up in a swing or infant seat after
eating so gravity can help keep the milk in the stomach.
However, studies show this position does not lessen the
frequency or severity of reflux (although some parents still
swear by it).
Rice-cereal-thickened feeds—Some doctors recommend
thickening a feeding with rice cereal to “weigh” the milk
down and keep it in the stomach. But studies have also failed
to show that this causes any real improvement in reflux.
True-Path Stomach Acid Treatments
Position—Although sitting up may not help, two positions
have been proved effective for lessening reflux: lying on the
stomach or lying on the left side.
Both positions are great while your baby is awake. The left-
side position is also fine for sleep, as long as your baby is
swaddled and wedged to keep her from rolling onto her
stomach. The back is the preferred position for all babies to
sleep in; however, some doctors recommend the side position
for babies with severe reflux and nighttime vomiting. Ask

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your child’s doctor for her opinion.
Burping—Burp your baby every five to ten minutes during a
feeding. Otherwise a big burp at meal’s end may accidentally
bring up the burning, acidic contents from your baby’s
stomach.
Feeding tips—Make sure your infant isn’t overeating. Try
feeding a little less and see if the spitting stops and the crying
improves. You can continue giving her shorter feeds as long
as she’s gaining four to seven ounces per week and she’s
satisfied for a few hours after a feeding.
Eliminate cow’s milk products—For some babies, reflux
indicates a milk allergy. Discuss this possibility with your
doctor to decide if the elimination of cow’s milk is warranted.
Antacids—Your doctor may suggest over-the-counter antacids
or prescription acid-reducing medicines like famotidine
(Pepcid), ranitidine (Zantac), omeprazole (Prilosec), and
lansoperazole (Prevacid) in the hope of lessening her
“heartburn” pain. (Never give your baby antacids without
consulting a physician.)
Stomach-emptying aids—During the 1990s doctors discovered
that certain medicines caused the stomach to quickly empty
its acidic contents into the intestines as well as “shut the
door” at the top of the stomach so acid couldn’t squirt up
toward the mouth. Medicines such as metoclopramide
(Reglan) and erythromycin are now occasionally used for
babies with stomach acid reflux who continue to scream
despite all the other approaches.