GERD Treatment in Infants

Infant GERD-Overview

In some cases,

GERD treatment in infants may not be necessary. Reflux often improves on its own after the child reaches 1 to 2 years of age. In these cases, sleeping and feeding modifications are generally sufficient. Some examples of these modifications include:

Burping the infant several times during feeding
If possible, keeping the infant in an upright position for 30 minutes after feeding
Having the baby sleep on his or her back.

When these measures are not enough, the doctor may recommend treatments such as medication or surgery. Different types of medicine can be used as GERD treatment in infants, too. These most commonly include a medicine from one of two classes: H2 blockers or proton-pump inhibitors. In rare cases, infants can have severe GERD that can cause breathing problems or prevent them from growing properly. For some of these infants, surgery may be the best option.

(Click Treating GERD in Infants for more detailed information about the treatment of your baby's gastroesophageal reflux disease.)