Most babies spit up. However, when my second child was born, I quickly noticed that he spit up much more frequently and forcefully than his sister. At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal and I was told that he would probably grow out of it. However, then he spit up what the nurse called “coffee grounds” blood. After a visit to the pediatric unit at our local hospital and an endoscopy, it was determined that my son had Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease or GERD. Now, he is on medication and doing much better.
The Disease
According to the mayoclinic.com, GERD is “a chronic digestive disease that occurs when stomach acid flows back into and irritates the esophagus.” Before our son threw up the coffee colored strings of blood, he had several episodes where it seemed like he spit up his entire meal. In addition, sometimes he would arch his back after eating or choke while nursing.
Initially, I learned how certain foods are triggers for reflux. Thus, I cut out diary, tomatoes, onions, citrus and chocolate. Already, I wasn’t consuming caffeine but this is another trigger that I continue to avoid. Spicy foods and carbonated beverages are other things to leave off of the menu. This hasn’t been easy but I know it’s good for my baby.
Upper Endoscopy
In order to make sure our son didn’t have an ulcer or some other underlying problem, we were referred to a GI specialist. The doctor scheduled an upper endoscopy the next day. Essentially, an upper endoscopy uses a small camera to look at the upper digestive system. For this reason, I had to bring my son with an empty stomach. This was hard for me because he nurses frequently and I fed him early in the morning. When we got to the appointment, he was hungry and tearful. Luckily, the endoscopy was short. In addition, since my son was only five months old, they were able to bundle him up tightly rather than having to give him a sedative to keep him still.
Treatment
After the endoscopy, we learned that there was some inflammation in my son’s esophagus. He also has a sliding hiatal hernia. This is when “the stomach and the section of the esophagus that joins the stomach slide up into the chest through the hiatus.” Then, there was the GERD. As a result, he was put on two different antacid medicines. The medicines have improved his reflux greatly. Of course, I still keep my diet in check. In addition, we try to keep him upright after eating. As he gets older, we all hope he grows out of these problems.
Until then, I am glad that we found out a little more about the condition and how to reduce the symptoms. Our son sleeps better and is less fussy. If you think your child has GERD, talk to his or her pediatrician.
Sources:
GERD mayoclinic.com
Hiatal Hernias webmd.com
Upper Endoscopy for Diagnosing Heartburn and Reflux webmd.com
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