Have you ever heard ”All babies have reflux” from a doctor or someone else?
Babies with GER are typically known as “happy spitter.” These babies do spit up and/or vomit on occasion. Some can spit up often but despite them spit up, these babies aren’t effect by it and need no medication intervention/treatment.
They aren’t: in pain or experiencing breathing problems from the vomiting
They are: content & happy and growing well (although growing well isn’t an indication that your baby doesn’t have GERD)
The lower esophagus sphinter typically tightens up within in the first year. When this happens the spitting up usually with stop.
Unlike “happy spitters”, with babies who are diagnosed with GERD, the spitting up and/or vomiting is causing the infant significant pain and other problems.
It is defined as: the regurgitation, or spitting up, of the stomach’s contents and painful acids due to an immature lower esophageal sphincter (muscle connecting the stomach and the esophagus) or a reaction from something in the diet.
What is silent reflux or silent GERD?
Some babies who are suffering from GERD don’t actually spit up often or at all or ever vomit. In that case the stomach contents only come part way up the esophagus. It can be harder to diagnose because some of the key symptoms aren’t present. Some children actually swallow the refluxed contents back down versus of throwing it up. Others may not have it come up far enough to actually come out their mouth. It can also be more damaging to the baby because it’s burning the esophagus on the way up and a second time on the way back down.
