Mesothelioma - is it ok my 8 week old son has reflux and dr told me to put 1 table spoon for every 2 oz rice cereal?

is it ok my 8 week old son has reflux and dr told me to put 1 table spoon for every 2 oz rice cereal?

at first he was on similac advance, then soy and now alimentum. he is also on rice cereal and ranitidine 0.5ml twice daily. He still spits up and i am so afraid to lay him down at nite afraid he is going to choke. i brought him a crib wedge but don't work. he sleeps in his bouncer chair and be looks very missable. I hate the fact that he sleeps that way. he gains weight very well and he is not in any pain ( that i know of)he has a primary dr but we only saw him 3 times from the time my son was born. it seems that i always have to see another doc each time . some one please help me i don't know what to do

Public Comments

you should change your doctor
check with another doctor.
I recently read in "Parent" magazie at the Dr's office that reflux is normal in newborns up to 3 months of age and that it doesn't bother them...
your doctor in right. you'll have to make the nipple hole a little bigger to account for the thick formula, but it will help keep it down. this also will make your baby fat, but once the baby turns 11 months, you wean him off bottles to sippy cups before he turns one. then he'll shed the baby fat.
All three of my children had reflux. There is nothing they can do to "cure" it. The Dr.'s may suggest prescription zantac, but that just reduces the burn associated with reflux. All of my kids hated the medicine more so than they did the reflux, so I just quit giving it to them. They make something called a "Johnny Sling". It is available only through medical supply companies, but it helps the child to sleep on an incline and stay in place. It is like a diaper with straps that attach to the mattress of the crib. Also, if baby doesn't wiggle too much, try using a positioning wedge: http://www.target.com/Sassy-Inc-Crib-Wedge-Positioner/dp/B000C4PXTM/sr=1-1/qid=1192859714/ref=sr_1_1/602-2594699-0759053?ie=UTF8&index=target&field-browse=1038590&rh=k%3AWedge&page=1 This will help him to sleep in the upright position. Also, he may look uncomfortable in the bouncy, but if he was, he would let you know. My first child spent much of his immobile months in his bouncy because of his reflux. I would make sure he still gets plenty of "tummy time" otherwise he could end up with a flat spot on the back of his head. My son's head is somewhat square for this very reason! I personally am against the rice cereal at this age, and so is my pediatrician. There is more risk of choking than there is of it doing any good. But that is my personal opinion. I would also suggest finding a different pediatrician. If you live near Minneapolis, I have a great place to recommend! Good luck, reflux is not fun! You are in my thoughts!
Do you have a baby swing? Poor little thing.....if you don't have one, get one, my daughter slept in hers when she was brand new...... up to 3 months or so....on occasion she slept there all night.... I would feel better putting him in a swing than in a bouncy seat...or even cheaper...try the baby 'papasan' seat, it vibrates and he will be sitting in a reclined position which will help too. Hope this helps!!! ps yeah that crib wedge is rather silly my baby girl somehow ends up slithering down it...
Let me say at the beginning that I am a Neonatal RN and deal with this issue everyday. Adding this amount of rice cereal to 2 oz formula is something that we do when a baby has significant reflux. Usually the hole of the nipple has to be enlarged a little for the baby to be able to get the thickened formula out of the bottle. The thicker formula weighs heavier in the baby's stomach and is not as likely to reflux. I have a couple of concerns about your baby. First, he probably is in a certain amount of pain from the reflux itself. Some babies will cry and develop a feeding aversion while others don't react much to it. Second, he could be having what we call "silent aspiration". The only way to diagnose this is with a swallow study. Continuous reflux can damage the esophagus and, if aspirating, can cause pneumonia or death. Ranitidine is a good medication. He could benefit from Reglan, also. It helps to keep the formula moving downward instead of "up". Ask your doctor about it. Your doctor needs to be more involved with your baby's problem. Talk to him about a swallow study to determine if there is aspiration. I hope it resolves soon.
Both of my kids had acid reflux and your doing everything right and its really all you can do .. Its a waiting game , I know that sounds bad but your baby will have to grow out of it .. I think i would change Dr's and possibly try changing the medication he is on .. You can also try holding your son upright for 30 mins to an hr after every feeding , My son slept in his carseat , I hated it .. they look very uncomfortable but if he isnt crying or showing any signs of distress i think i would let him stay in the bouncer .. my son had very forceful vomiting w/ his acid reflux and at times it came out of his nose and he was gasping for air .. I was terrified he was going to choke .. I can imagine what your going through and i wish you and your son all the best .. Good Luck :)
My god son has them thing going on the dr but him on this it mad with rice it http://store.enfamil.com/enfamil_ar_lipil.html
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/reflux.html#thickenedfeed What about thickened feeds? Baby cereal, added to thicken breastmilk or formula, has been used as a treatment for GER for many years, but its use is controversial. Does it work? Thickened feeds can reduce spitting up, but studies have not shown a decrease in reflux index scores (i.e., the “silent reflux” is still present). Per Donna Secker, MS, RD in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease PDF, "The effect of thickened feedings may be more cosmetic (decreased regurgitation and increased postprandial sleeping) than beneficial." Thickened feeds have been associated with increased coughing after feedings, and may also decrease gastric emptying time and increase reflux episodes and aspiration. Note that rice cereal will not effectively thicken breastmilk due to the amylase (an enzyme that digests carbohydrates) naturally present in the breastmilk. Is it healthy for baby? If you do thicken feeds, monitor baby’s intake since baby may take in less milk overall and thus decrease overall nutrient intake. There are a number of reasons to avoid introducing cereal and other solids early. There is evidence that the introduction of rice or gluten-containing cereals before 3 months of age increases baby's risk for type I diabetes. In addition, babies with GERD are more likely to need all their defenses against allergies, respiratory infections and ear infections – but studies show that early introduction of solids increases baby’s risk for all of these conditions. [...] A few statistics (for all babies, not just breastfed babies): * Spitting up usually occurs right after baby eats, but it may also occur 1-2 hours after a feeding. * Half of all 0-3 month old babies spit up at least once per day. * Spitting up usually peaks at 2-4 months. * Many babies outgrow spitting up by 7-8 months. * Most babies have stopped spitting up by 12 months. If your baby is a ‘Happy Spitter’ --gaining weight well, spitting up without discomfort and content most of the time -- spitting up is a laundry & social problem rather than a medical issue. http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t106004.asp In the early months, around two-thirds of all babies have some degree of GER, which accounts for the frequent spitting up that most babies have. The spitting up does not usually bother these babies, dubbed "happy spitters." It is not painful, does not slow weight gain, and is more of a laundry problem than a medical one. GER becomes a problem (called GERD – gastroesophageal reflux disease) when it causes painful irritation or damage to the esophagus, interferes with growth and development, interferes with feeding and sleeping, and/or contributes to respiratory problems. [...] Work out a reflux-friendly sleeping position. While it is always safest to put infants under six months of age to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS, babies with severe reflux often sleep more comfortably and safely on their tummies, or on their left side. (When sleeping on the left side, the gastric inlet is higher than the outlet, which helps gravity keep the food down.) Discuss with your doctor whether the reflux is severe enough to warrant tummy sleeping. Otherwise put your baby to sleep on her back. Other reflux-lowering helpers are: * Elevate the head of baby's crib thirty degrees. * If baby sleeps in your bed, try placing baby on a reflux wedge (available at infant product stores). Try The Tucker Sling™. This sling fits around the upper part of the mattress like a contour sheet. A diaper-shaped part goes between baby's legs and fastens around the waist with velcro. This sling, designed by a mother who's infant, Tucker, suffered from severe GER, keeps baby from sliding down to the foot of the mattress when the mattress is elevated. (For more information about The Tucker Sling and reflux wedges, click on www.tuckerdesigns.com)
My Granddaughter had this problem and was hospitalized for 3 days because of it.She had it so bad that she stopped breathing on us 3 times. Her milk would block her airways. They put her on tagament and prevacid but she also had to have rice cereal in her bottles.This helped her very much eventually. She didn't stop spitting up right away. It does take time for it to work. With reflux, the formula is too thin and reflux babies don't keep it down. The cereal makes the formula thicker and heavier on the tummy so they are less likely to spit it up. She slept in her infant carrier....(car seat) and bouncy seat which was alot safer than laying her in her bed with a wedge. They look miserable but if he were he would let you know for sure... They may need to change his medicine to something stronger if he is still spitting up. They sometimes have to change their formula several times before they find one that agrees with their sensitive tummies. I can't remember the name of the formula she took but it was the most expensive one they sell .The rice cereal is a must though and is vrey healthy for him.Luckily they do grow out of this also. She was around 7 months when hers stopped. She had a severe case though. Most babies grow out of it at around 4 months....
My baby was premature and he is now 13 months .the worse part of motherhood was his reflux and vomiting and I know how you feel. I try to change his nappy when his stomach is empty because lifting his legs can making it worse. I also avoid shaking him after drinking milk, sometimes when he laughs or cries can cause increas pressure in his abdomen and this makes him vomit. I try to feed him only small amount of milk at a time and feed him more frequently. he also gets worse when he has a cold and his nose is blocked.Try to put him down to sleep when his stomach is not too full.
My daughter has reflux she is now on alimentum, but we only do one teaspoon of rice cereal for 6 ounces of formula. It does help a lot. They also make a seat called a papasan chair for babies, it is more comfortable for her than most bouncers I see. It lets her sit up but also lay back a little. She absolutely loves it. it is around $40.00 When you make appts. ask to make it with the Dr. you feel most comfortable with.
My 8 week old has acid reflux, too. He is on similac soy with iron. He has taken zantac since he was 2 weeks old. I feed him about every 4hours or so about 5 ounces. I was told by my pediatrician to wait 30 minutes before laying him down,but i tried wedging his matress in his bassinett and he just slides down too far. He is like houdini anyways when he sleeps. He gets out of any swaddle even the special swaddle blankets with velcrow. I was told that I shouldn't give him cereal or solids until after the 4 months check up. Maybe this is hurting his acid problem also by you giving him cereal too early? Just a guess. My baby doesn't fuss or cry much, but he has gas bad which is ok aslong as it doesnt hurt him. He also had preoblems pooping, he went 3 or more days without goin and when he did he strained and it was hard. I tried apple juice, it did nothing. Now i give him 1 ounce of prune juive deluted with 1 ounce of water. I only give it to him on days hedoesnt poop though. hope this helps!