Smelly spit?
Reflux is a common problem for any baby especially when they are around 2-3 month.I remember Abby having this problem and as a first time mother,i was actually SO WORRIED!Here are some tips for mums out there facing this problem:
For infants with reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD), treatments can include:
Lifestyle Changes
In addition to talking to your Pediatrician about a formula change, these lifestyle changes might include thickening your infant’s formula by adding one tablespoonful of rice cereal per ounce of formula. Using the Enfamil AR formula is supposed to have the same effect.
Although it helps reduce episodes of reflux if you place your infant on his stomach after he eats, because that raises his risk of SIDS, it is isn’t recommended that you do that unless he is going to be awake and you are watching him. It may also help if you feed him smaller amounts more frequently, instead of larger, less frequent feedings. And maybe burp him more often during each feeding and feed him in an upright position.
Reflux Medications
The most commonly used drugs to treat gastroesophageal reflux in infants and young children are the acid reducers, including Zantac and Prevacid. Keep in mind that infants who are ‘happy spitters’ and have good weight gain, and don’t have excessive crying, or feeding or respiratory problems usually don’t need to be treated with medications for their reflux.
Diagnosis, Testing, and More
The diagnosis of reflux is usually made by the characteristic symptoms. Testing, such as with an Upper GI is sometimes done, but it is often done more to make sure that an infant doesn’t have another reason to be vomiting, like an obstruction, instead of confirming the diagnosis of reflux. Other testing can include a PH Probe, although that is an invasive test.
For infants with persistent symptoms, especially if they aren’t gaining weight well, a Pediatric Gastroenterologist can be helpful. Occasionally, even after optimal medical management, surgical treatment with a Nissen fundoplication ends up being the only treatment option.
In Conclusion
In this specific case, unless your son has other symptoms that you haven’t mentioned, you might ask your Pediatrician about trying an hypoallergenic formula, like Nutramigen, if you haven’t done that yet and you really think that it is a formula problem. You might also discuss with your Pediatrician whether or not your infant may have simple reflux and could be a ‘happy spitter’ and that you may have to just have to protect your clothes and furniture, do a lot of laundry, and learn to live with the spitting up until he outgrows it
