Health Expert Dr. Bryan Vartabedian shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/6493/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/6493/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/6493/index http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/26245/don-trust-adult Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:58:00 -0400 Dr. Bryan Vartabedian Would you trust your accountant to change the brakes on your mini-van?  Probably not.  And so too shouldn't trust your child to an adult gastroenterologist.  Here's why: They're not trained to treat children.  Children are remarkably different creatures from adults and the effect of digestive disease on growth, nutrition and development requires specific training.   So what if there isn't a pediatric... http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/26245/don-trust-adult http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/22238/nexium-5 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:02:00 -0400 Dr. Bryan Vartabedian The FDA recently approved the use of Nexium in children down to age one year. What does this mean for kids and how will it change the way we look at reflux?   1. Awareness. The education for physicians and direct-to-consumer advertising that we all expect from Astra-Zeneca should raise awareness that reflux is alive and well in childhood. Amen.  2. Comfort. FDA approval is often the stamp of approval that some doctors need... http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/22238/nexium-5 http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/20370/acid-reflux Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:43:00 -0500 Dr. Bryan Vartabedian Our expert, Dr. Bryan Vartabedian, is a pediatric gastroenterologist and assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, TX. He is the author of Colic Solved. Each month, he will answer selected reader questions about GERD and infants, children, teens and their parents. If you want to submit a question, write a SharePost here.   Q: Six months ago, my 8-year-old daughter started... http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/20370/acid-reflux http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/20117/baby-acid-gerd Thu, 07 Feb 2008 10:35:00 -0500 Dr. Bryan Vartabedian While handling babies with acid reflux can be tricky, handling premature babies with acid reflux can be trickier. That may be changing, however.   Two studies published last month in the Journal of Pediatrics have found that post-feed gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in preemies is increased when babies are placed in the right side down or supine positions. Both studies looked at acid reflux in 35-36 week premature babies using... http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/20117/baby-acid-gerd http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/19530/colic-book-dr Wed, 23 Jan 2008 11:54:00 -0500 Dr. Bryan Vartabedian Dr. Bryan Vartabedian, pediatric gastroenterologist at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, is author of the book Colic Solved: The Essential Guide to Infant Reflux and the Care of Your Crying, Difficult-to-Soothe Baby published by Ballantine/Random House in 2007. HealthCentral.com talks to him about his book and what is has for parents of infants and children with acid reflux. HC: Explain your motivation for writing this book. ... http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/19530/colic-book-dr http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/19166/kids-simple Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:20:00 -0500 Dr. Bryan Vartabedian In spite of the fancy technology available to quantitate and qualitate reflux in kids, its identification remains what we call a clinical diagnosis. That means that as physicians we make the diagnosis by talking to patients. As pediatricians we depend on a parent's input to help round out the symptoms described by a child.   But many times when I directly ask parents about symptoms of heartburn they immediately dismiss the idea. ... http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/19166/kids-simple http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/18650/reflux-media Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:29:00 -0500 Dr. Bryan Vartabedian The media has a way of oversimplifying things. Look, for example, at the December 16, 2007 piece from the Baltimore Sun, Reflux Among Babies Often a Misdiagnosis. The article suggests that acid reflux in babies is "widely misdiagnosed and often overtreated with unnecessary doses of heartburn medicine developed for adults."   The piece rests on the results of a small, recently published retrospective study of the practices of... http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/18650/reflux-media http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/17359/reflux-child Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:08:00 -0500 Dr. Bryan Vartabedian Once felt to be a non-issue, childhood acid reflux is getting attention as a real problem. Here's why you shouldn't turn a blind eye to your child's symptoms:   1. Your child can't speak for herself. You as a parent are the front line in identifying the subtle signs of acid reflux in your child. And as your child's only advocate it is up to you to see to it that your child gets the care she deserves.  2.... http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/17359/reflux-child http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/15444/surgery-reflux Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:23:00 -0400 Dr. Bryan Vartabedian "A chance to cut is a chance to cure" - This is an adage that surgeons have lived with for generations. But that may be changing.   Surgeons at Ohio State University have performed a new, incisionless operation to stop gastroesophageal reflux disease. The procedure (Esophyx) involves tightening the valve at the bottom of the swallowing tube to prevent the flow of stomach contents where it doesn't belong. And all... http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/15444/surgery-reflux http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/15257/signs-acid Mon, 22 Oct 2007 10:29:00 -0400 Dr. Bryan Vartabedian The younger your child, the harder it may be to recognize the signs of acid reflux. Here are five common signs that can be an indication of acid reflux: 1. Dental Enamel Loss When reflux reaches the mouth it can eat away at a child's dental enamel and predispose him or her to tooth decay. If you suspect reflux in your child, ask your dentist to look for signs of reflux damage in the teeth. In addition to treatment of the reflux... http://www.healthcentral.com/acid-reflux/c/6493/15257/signs-acid