Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Friday, July 18, 2008 GERd child asks

Q: Is a sleep study an accurate way to determine if a child has GERD?

my daughter is 4 1/2- after frequent croup episodes -every month. and constant viral upper respiratory infections- we had a sleep study done on her.  They agreed that she has severe obstructive sleep apnea and gerd according to her study.  Is a sleep study an accurate way to diagnose gerd- i know it is the least invasive way- they prescribed Prevacid and then another sleep study after 2-3 months.  Her tonsils and adenoids are not very large according to her ear nose and throat doctor- and he said to try using the Prevacid first and see if her sleep study results have improved.  When she was a baby she cried uncontrollably for the first 3 months- and as a toddler- whenever she would wake up in the middle of the night she would scream holding her stomach, choking and having trouble catching her breath almost- also having a croup cough.  She also is very constipated at times- can constipation cause GERD? any info would help thank you.  Do you think I should see a gastroenterologist also or use the meds and redo the sleep study first?

Dina

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Answers (1)
7/18/08 10:17pm
Dear Dina, I am glad you and the doctor are figuring out why your daughter has been having croup and respiratory issues for so many years. I am sure she will start feeling better very soon. At this point, your daughter has been diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea and the doctor is trying to determine if she has Gastroesphageal Reflux Disease too. Is that correct? One way to diagnose GERD is to begin treatment and see if the symptoms improve. Since your daughter has a long history of digestive issues, including constipation and breathing issues, it might be a good idea to have a consultation with a Pediatric Gastroenterologist. You can still begin the treatment with Prevaid while you are waiting for an appointment. Let us know what you find out. Best wishes, Jan Gambino The Reflux Mom Reply
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