Dear Geraldine,
My six week old son is being treated for reflux but as the medication is not working, I am concerned that it may be more to do the with way I position and hold him during feeds? I don’t want him to be in pain from not taking the medicine but similarly, I don’t want to be giving him medicine if it is not needed or working. How can I tell the difference between too much wind and reflux?
Many thanks,
Deepa
Hi Deepa,
This is quite a tricky question to answer without seeing your son breastfeed. There are a few things I think we can pick up from the email and I will start with your sons age.
Six weeks is a time of change in a baby’s life. You will probably have just come through a growth spurt (5 weeks) and this usually leads to an increased milk supply. If your baby was struggling to cope with a fast flow before the growth spurt, he will be struggling even more with it now.
The next is that the medication is not working. Now I am not sure what this is, but I am going to guess something like infant gaviscon which is a first line treatment. It may not be working because he doesn’t have reflux or it may be because you are giving it to him at the end of a feed. Try giving it to him just before a feed and see whether this helps. If not, go back to your GP and see whether he/she would like to try you on something else. If you have already moved onto the next step with regards to medicine, I would suggest that you continue but focus on his winding as well. Maybe introduce Infacol at each feed and see whether this reduces his symptoms.
The next point is that you have not described his symptoms – you said that he was in pain, but is he throwing up? and if he is, does he seem happier or more unsettled once the milk comes up. If he is more settled, it is more likely wind, and if he is more unsettled and in a lot of pain arching backwards, it is more likely reflux.
Remember that infant gaviscon is likely to bring on a bit of constipation which could also be the cause of more gut cramping and pain.
I hope this helps. If not, come and see me.
Kind regards,
Geraldine
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