When our son’s reflux is at its worst, it is easy for my husband and I to worry about the overall effect his illness may have on our family. Like many parents, we built our family with pretty idealistic expectations for daily living. Multiple dosages of medication, special foods, and sleepless nights were left out of the family portrait we once imagined for our family.

Fortunately, children and adolescents are much more realistic about families. These findings are supported in recent research...