does every infant with acid reflux spit up? my 7 week old son was choking about every night but nothing comes up. i have to suction out his mouth and nose before he can breath again (his saliva ). his doctor thinks its normal and put him on ranitidine (zantac) for acid reflux.it helps. my sister in law is a nurse, she came out today and saw him choking. she said she doesn't know what is wrong with him but its not acid reflux. she said with acid reflux he would be spitting up a lot not choking. my son is breast feed. what else could it be?
Q: my 7 week old son chokes about once a day but nothing comes up. his salava gets thick, does he have
Answers (3)
9/26/08 7:06am
Hello!
While many babies with reflux spit up or vomit, some babies with reflux have a less common pattern called silent reflux. Food and acid come up the food pipe (esophagus) and then goes back down. Choking may occur when the stomach contents attempt to get into the airway. Luckily, the airway is set up to protect from aspiration. So, the choking may be a rather loud and noisy attempt to prevent aspiration.
There are other reasons for choking so I encourage you to work with the doctor so he/she can monitor the treatment. It might make sense to keep a record of the number of choking episodes and take the information to the doctor. Some parents need to go to the doctor more frequently at first. If you are concerned about breathing or if your son has a hard time managing the choking, call 911 or bring him to the ER if your doctor is not available.
Take care,
Jan Gambino
The Reflux Mom
9/27/08 9:44pm
My 4 month old reflux son has been drooling since he was born. Lately he is even having a hard time making sounds because of all the saliva in his mouth. He keeps his mouth shut and hums when he wants to make a sound. It hurts so much to see my little one have to go through this. I can't wait for all of this reflux to be over. I have read somewhere that excess salivation is normal for reflux babies.
9/28/08 10:00pm
Mona, Make sure you discuss the drooling with the doctor when you have your next visit. Babies certainly are good at drooling! Just make sure the drooling and reflux are not interfering with his swallowing or ability to practice cooing and making sounds.
Some babies get a rash on their chin and neck from drooling, especially if there is a lot of acid in the drool. You might need to keep switching bibs and put some protective cream on his neck if his skin is irritated.
Jan Gambino
The Reflux Mom
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By ramseyjoy— Last Modified: 06/16/12, First Published: 09/26/08
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