Some babies with acid reflux will no longer experience symptoms after 12 to 18 months, so although it's normal to be concerned, there's no need to be alarmed.
However, there are some babies that continue to show symptoms even after a year, and cases like this needs immediate medical attention.
This article will talk about some symptom of acid reflux in baby and how to check for their severity.
Mild Symptoms A baby spitting doesn't necessarily mean he/she has acid reflux.
To check for mild symptoms of acid reflux, take note of what happened before, during, and after your baby displayed certain behaviors: - Before Feeding - Is your baby constantly refusing to feed every time your try to feed him/her? Understandably, a baby may refuse to feed because he/she is simply full.
However, if your baby is constantly refusing to feed, that's a clear sign that he or she may be experiencing mild symptoms of acid reflux.
- During Feeding - Spitting or vomiting while feeding is very normal.
But if you find your baby constantly spitting every single time you feed him/her, he or she may have acid reflux.
However, your baby may spit while crying.
So take note of certain behaviors and figure out when these behaviors occur.
If they happen (spitting, vomiting, or coughing) while your baby is feeding or crying, then he or she may have mild symptoms of acid reflux.
- After Feeding - Take note of what happens after your baby displays peculiar behavior.
If your baby is spitting or coughing during feeding and falling asleep right after feeding, then he or she may have acid reflux.
The reason for this is that when a baby or adult lies down right after eating, the acid tends to travel to the esophagus.
Of course, babies tend to sleep a lot, which is why the condition is so common among them.
Babies that tend to do vigorous activity after feeding also has a higher risk of reflux.
Severe Symptoms Other than spitting, vomiting, and coughing, there are other symptom of acid reflux in baby that may be much worse.
To identify potentially severe symptoms, take note of: - The Persistence of Symptoms - If your baby has been displaying symptoms for more then 18 months, then the condition might never go away unless treatment is applied.
- The Onset of Other Complications - If it has come to a point that your baby is developing slower than a healthy baby should, then this is almost a sure sign that the acid reflux is getting worse.
Because of discomfort or pain, a baby with acid reflux will continue to feed poorly even after several months.
This makes things even worse as the digestive system can be severely affected.
Your baby may have a bloody stool and loss of blood.
Generally, a baby may gain or lose weight suddenly with worse cases of acid reflux.