The Best Baby Formula For Acid Reflux
Acid reflux in infants is more common than you think. If you have a baby that regularly spits up milk every feeding, this may be a sign that they are experiencing gastroesophageal reflux. Take note, however, that if they thrive, don’t show signs of weight loss, and don’t show any kind of symptoms, it may not be necessary to change the formula. According to experts, 50% of infants spit more than once per day.
As prescribed by your pediatrician, here are some signs that you have to watch out for to help determine whether you should or should not change your baby formula:
- Signs frequent signs of fussiness.
- Has difficulty breathing or may possess wheezing sounds.
- Back arching after feeding.
- Infant has a chronic cough.
- Coarse voice, especially when crying.
If your infant has one or more of these symptoms, make sure that you bring the baby to their pediatrician for further treatment and evaluation. The next question is, what should you do? Most often than not, the formula milk that you’re currently using causes reflux. This may not be the case at all times, but a quick formula milk change may relieve the symptoms in most cases. Whenever you’re changing the formula milk, always note that you have to gradually introduce it to the infant.
Do not immediately change the formula. You may mix a small ratio of the new formula to the old formula. This way, their tiny tummies won’t have difficulties with the drastic change in their diet. Quickly changing from one milk to another may cause an upset tummy, diarrhea, and constipation are more common.
What To Look For When Finding The Best Baby Formula For Acid Reflux
There are numerous factors to take into consideration, but your best bet is to ask your pedia for the best formula that you can switch to. There’s an exception to this one though; if your baby has formula intolerance, regardless if it’s the best baby formula for acid reflux, it won’t make much of a difference and you need to work closely with your pediatrician for this. Otherwise, if they don’t have formula intolerance, here’s the secret.
You need to find one that is hypoallergenic. There are numerous brands in the market, but the most popular is Nutramigen and Alimentum. Numerous case studies on these two brands stated that the condition of infants switching to this brand has generally improved versus when they were on their old formulas. This is because they need to be drinking milk that is less acidic to help reduce the occurrence of GERD.
Aside from changing formulas, you may also try changing positions while feeding the baby, while your pediatrician may also recommend some reflux medications along with the milk brand change. Again, babies that spit up milk but don’t show signs of respiratory problems or weight loss no longer need the medications as well.
If all else fails, your next step would be to find a pediatric gastroenterologist. This way, the doctor may specifically address and pinpoint the cause and provide a more straightforward approach.