For babies w/ reflux - what do you use?

[emilys_mom]

DD has a major reflux issue (she literally chokes if we lay her down). She's taking medication, but needs to be elevated when she's sleeping. Our co-sleeper has a wedge in it, and I had bought a wedge sleep positioner for her crib, as we are trying to move her in there. It works for the reflux, but she squirms around and falls through it, which scares me to death since I don't know if she'll wind up on her slide or with her nose in a position she can't breathe in.

I bought some velcro to make the wedge a tighter fit around her side, but somehow she still sinks down. Has anyone tried anything else that works? I thought of just getting some bricks to lift one side up, but it seems like it would look funny.

[icunurse]

Swing. DD slept in it up until about a week or two ago. Anything else either laid her down too flat (resulting in her gagging/choking) or had her slumped too much (which creates pressure on the belly and causes more reflux). She's finally in her crib and barely ever spits up. Hopefully we will stop her med within the next few months. Good luck :)

[emilys_mom]

Thanks for the tip about slumping- I hadn't heard of that. The swing is a good idea- with the seatbelt she can't go anywhere. Do you mind if I ask how old your DD is? I'm wondering how long this will last. :)

[icunurse]

Sorry....DD is almost 9 months old and it became noticibly better probably around 6 months old (when she was strting to roll over, sit up, started solids). The GI doc said some kids can have it until 12-18 months, but most outgrow it by a year old. The meds don't actually stop the reflux (that just comes with age), they just reduce the acid that will come back up during moments of reflux.

We actually wore out the swing from our DS and bought a new one, which I wasn't crazy about. We would swaddle her, leaving a leg out of the swaddle, and then buckle her in. But she figured out a little while ago how to wiggle out of the swaddle and the belt (and the second swing doesn't have a tray), so into the crib she went and she's actually done quite nicely after a couple days of adjustment - taking 3 hour naps and sleeping the whole night.

[thomma]

i just happened upon your post and couldn't not respond although my babies are almost 5 so take this with a grain of salt :)

Both ds and dd had reflux and would also choke (they were born at 30 weeks and spent 8 weeks in the nicu)if not fed properly and elevated. Dh took a piece of plywood and cut it to fit the crib then put a 2 X 4 at the top of it to create a ramp. We put this under dd and ds' mattresses in their cribs and used them for almost 2 years. For us, the reflux lasted until they were almost a year and a half. Now we use the "ramps" in their beds to elevate them when they have colds.

good luck-
Kim
ds&dd 5/03

[ThreeofUs]

DS always slid down the ramps and wedges we had for him, so he slept on us!

I have always wondered if a thin layer of memory foam would have helped him.

Some people also find the AmbiBed to work well for reflux.

[audreysmom]

my baby had reflux due to what we think is a milk allergy. So my dr. put her on zantac at 9 weeks, and at 5 months, i've started weaning her off it. She's sitting up more now and can go in a jumperoo and sit in the bouncer, so she's doing much better now. Needless to say, it seemed to really help ease her pain.

did your dr. recommend zantac? (although i understand about not wanting to give them medicine at such an early age)

[tazzy]

my baby boy is three months old and he has severe reflux (diagnosed with an upper GI). the doc first had us add rice cereal to his bottle, which didn't help much at all, then he put him on prevacid, which made no difference at all, then we put him on prilosec, which helped a lot but not all the way (still spit up about 1/4 of his food) and so we finally added rice cereal (about 2 teaspoons per ounce of formula) and added that to his formula. wa-la. we have a solution! baby boy is happy now and keeping his food down and he doesn't spit up at night.

[GERDmom]

Try the RES-Q Wedge! Dr. Brown endorses it on the last E-letter. It is reversible and orthopedically designed by a physician, OT, and dietitian. Go to www.azream.us.

Shelley




DD has a major reflux issue (she literally chokes if we lay her down). She's taking medication, but needs to be elevated when she's sleeping. Our co-sleeper has a wedge in it, and I had bought a wedge sleep positioner for her crib, as we are trying to move her in there. It works for the reflux, but she squirms around and falls through it, which scares me to death since I don't know if she'll wind up on her slide or with her nose in a position she can't breathe in.

I bought some velcro to make the wedge a tighter fit around her side, but somehow she still sinks down. Has anyone tried anything else that works? I thought of just getting some bricks to lift one side up, but it seems like it would look funny.

[icunurse]

Hmmm....I don't like how they prominently show the baby on his/her belly. Also, for a child like ours with severe reflux, 30 degress was useless....we had to have her up at a minimum of 45 degrees. Also, wouldn't having an older child strapped in like that prevent him/her from being able to turn to the side if they do start to spit up?

I still say save the $300+ and use a good, sturdy swing or make a wedge for under the bed like a PP suggested (they sell special sheets for kids in wedges which prevent them from sliding down and I imagine they are less costly that $300).

Sorry but it strikes me as another case of trying to get parents to buy into something because it is a scary situation, like monitors that keep track of kids breathing because people are afraid of SIDS.