My son, Ethan, was diagnosed with acid reflux and prescribed axid. While it appears to be helping some, he is still experiencing some symptoms such as discontent after eating, some sour faces (although this has been greatly reduced in frequency), and some wet burps. We visited the doctor again and were given Prevacid. The doctor said prevacid is less studied in infants than axid and this concerned me. Should I be concerned about side affects, both short and long term? I am especially concerned because he is only 6 weeks old. This is our first child and my experience with prescription medication, even on an adult level, is very limited. Thank you for any input/advice.
Q: My 6 week old son was diagnosed with acid reflux. Questions regarding prevacid.
Answers (1)
10/ 9/08 5:49pm
Hello! I see that you posted a Sharepost too. I have read a bit about Prevacid and my children used Prevacid for years to treat GERD.
Prevacid is approved for use in infants over one year of age. That means that the FDA tested and approved it. In reality, Prevacid and many other prescription medications are used for an age group without FDA approval. It means that the doctor has experience with a medication and has found that it is useful. There may be other studies that show its effectiveness/usefulness. The doctor will carefully calculate the dose for a young baby.
I always try to find out what the goal of treatment is. My daughter needed Prevacid because she was aspirating and she needed to protect her lungs. Often Prevacid is used if there is significant pain, poor eating, weight loss, etc. Signs of GERD.
Let me know what you decide.
Jan Gambino
The Reflux Mom
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