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So my daughter was having trouble with feedings. The doc gave her some zantac (.5ml twice a day ) because she thought it was reflux. I always feel a bit hesitant about giving babies medicines that we as adults take. I'm sure many of you moms have given your babies zantac as well. So:
-How long did your baby have to take it for?
-Does the acid problem eventually go away or will they be on Zantac for a long time?
-Side effects?
Thanks:)
Acid reflux Nexium Zantac Prevacid Probiotics Constipation Pain Heartburn Prilosec Folic acid Ranitidine
If your baby truly has reflux, you are much better giving her a medication than the alternative....which is esophageal damage from the stomach acid. Violet started off on Zantac and it did not work for very long. It's a front line reflux medication that is weight dependent. When she gains weight, the dose will need to be increased. If you notice your daughter is still in pain, the dose may need to be increased or try a different med. Peds often underdiagnose and underdose children with reflux. A GI specialist would be more knowledgeable on the meds and dosing. They are very safe and don't have harsh side effects so no worries there. Violet has been on meds for 3 months and her reflux is improving. At her next visit in December, the GI is going to try decreasing her Nexium to 1x per day and see how she does. The bigger the child gets, the longer the esophagus is and the reflux should improve. However, there are some toddlers that continue to suffer from reflux so this will vary. Good luck with the med...I hope she feels better.
I agree with violetsmom... "Peds often underdiagnose and underdose children with reflux. A GI specialist would be more knowledgeable on the meds and dosing."
Both my kids (first born was FT) were given Zantac and it didn't work for either of them. Zantac does seem to be the first line of defense, but typically doesn't work and many kids end up needing stronger reflux meds. My oldest ended up on Prilosec until he was about 5 months old. My youngest (preemie) was on Prilosec for about 16 months. He was recently switched to Prevacid. I thought his reflux was under control w/ the Prilosec, but we have seen significant changes in his eating and volume consumption since switching to Prevacid. You may be able to find more info and clinical study data on these meds in children at www.fda.gov.
I understand your hesitation w/ meds... it should help to know that many of these reflux meds are used often w/ children and there are many people on this board whose kids take these meds. I also agree w/ violetsmom that the alternative damage done w/out the use of these meds is a greater risk than using the meds. Damage and pain can also contribute to not eating which can turn into oral aversions, which my son has.
My understanding is that most kids grow out of reflux; however, at what age varies greatly. My oldest son didn't need the meds after 5 months. My preemie is still on meds at 20 months and we are not even considering weaning. My nephew was FT and is 3yrs and still has problems w/ reflux (they are trying to wean but feel he may not be ready).
I concur with violetsmom and Henrysmom .
My son was on Ranitidine (Zantac) for about a month when he came home. It didn't work for him, so we ended up switching to Prevacid. We tried to wean him off it several times with the result of him dropping his milk consumption b/c eating was painful w/o medication.
I applaud your instinct, faddu, of being cautious. A lot of solutions don't come in pill form. The reflux, however, was one situation where my son truly needed the medication until he was 18 months adjusted.
My impression was that the biggest side effect of acid blockers is the wiping out of "good" bacteria from the gut and thus making the extraction of nurtients in the intestines less efficient. In seniors, for example, there is a concern that long-term use of acid blockers hinders calcium absorption in the bones. I haven't seen that discussed for kids though, but it was a concern that I had in the back of my mind b/c my son had been on diuretics in the NICU, which is known to contribute to brittle bones.
Ultimately, we weighed the pros and cons of giving the Prevacid. The pros outweighed the cons. Our son's milk consumption plummeted when not on the acid blockers (to the point at 5 months adjusted where he last 11 ozs in 10 days). Obviously, not eating wasn't going to help his bones either. In addition, acid can eat away at the esophagus. That's a problem.
Around 8 months adjusted, we added probiotics to his diet. Theoretically, probiotics should help replace some of the "good" bacteria in the gut. The empirical "proof" of that is slim b/c it hasn't been throughly tested on infants (so it could be the case but it just hasn't been a prevalent area of research). When I researched the topic, I found two studies on a probiotics company's website. One found it helped. One found it neither helped nor hindered. We discussed it with the doctor, and he said that probiotics wouldn't hurt and could help.
Our son's pediatrician recommends probiotics when our son is on antibiotics. Helps balance things out.
Good Luck!
Thanks everyone. I took her to the speech therapist today and she definitely confirmed that it is reflux, although my daughter doesn't really throw up. She also recommended I add rice cereal to my daughters milk. Supposedly it takes up to 2 weeks for the Zantac to start working, so we are keeping our fingers crossed.
My daughter only weights 8 lb 10 oz now and she is 5 months/2.5 months adjusted. She was small when she was born too, 1 lb 10 oz @ 28 weeks, so they are not that concerned with her weight as long as she is still gaining!
Both of my boys were put on Zantac when they were two months old. One had acid reflux and you could see it on it face when he had regurgitation. My other son was having apnea spells related to acid reflux (per the cardiologist and ped). They were on it until 7 months actual and it worked well. It was amazing when they started on the Zantac. They ate and started to gain weight. They are now in the 25% for their actual age. (born 34 + weeks). Pior to that they weren't on the curve. I was hesitant to start them on any medication myself. You have to weigh the pros and cons and do what is best for them. Good Luck~C
PS. They were placed on 0.4ml of Zantac at 2 months and it was never increased. ~C
You might want to confirm with the GI that it is OK to give the rice cereal in the bottle for your baby. Some doctors don't like that idea b/c if baby aspirates, the cereal will get in the lungs (increases likelihood of infection).
katek,
ohhhhh good call. Tomorrow is her follow up appointment at the NICU so i will ask them. Thanks!!!
Hello, I have 3 sons, all with reflux issues. My first spit up so much that they determined he gave himself heartburn, so they put him on zantac and that worked, he was off by a year old. My second son was intolerant to milk and we ended up putting him on Neocate. Third son is 6 months old. We have him on goats milk. I ultimately took child #2 and #3 to a natural doctor who gave them homeopathic remedies for the reflux and they both responded well and are doing great!
jasmwk123,
We put our son on goat's milk at 8 months adjusted, and he did really well on it. We went to goat's milk as a last resort. He'd had trouble with cow's milk and soy fortifiers, so we knew they weren't an option when he was 5 months adjusted and outpaced my supply. We ended up giving him supplemental bottles of Neocate, which worked well at first. But then at 8 months adjusted, the reflux came back despite his being on medication. He was also constipated, which I believe contributed to the reflux. Long story short, at 8 months adjusted we switched to goat's milk and the constipation was gone within a week. The reflux was still there but its severity decreased and we were able to manage it with Prevacid.
The downside to goat's milk is that it is lower in B12 and folic acid. Plus, it doesn't contain the Omega-3s that are added to formula these days for brain and eye development. We allowed him to eat meat relatively early, which minimized the B12 concerns. And we gave him flaxseed oil for the Omega-3s.
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