• If the baby is bottle fed, add up to one tablespoon of rice cereal to 2 ounces of infant milk (including expressed breast milk). If the mixture is too thick for your infant to take easily, you can change the nipple size or cross cut the nipple.
• Burp your baby after 1 or 2 ounces of formula are taken. For breastfed infants, burp after feeding on each side.
• Do not overfeed. Talk to your child's doctor or nurse about the amounts of formula or breast milk that your baby is taking.
• When possible, hold your infant upright in your arms for 30 minutes after feeding.
• Infants with GER should usually sleep on their backs, as is suggested for all infants. Rarely, a physician may suggest other sleep positions.

Points to Remember

• GER occurs when stomach contents back up into the esophagus.
• GER is common in infants but most children grow out of it.
• In infants, GER may cause spitting up, vomiting, coughing, poor feeding, or blood in the stools.
• Treatment depends on the infant's symptoms and age, and may include changes in eating and sleeping habits. Medication may also be an option, or surgery in severe cases.

This publication was written by The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).