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. They are, of course, their parents and tend to know what's...