Reflux Medication

Up to 10% of infants are prescribed reflux medications that reduce stomach acidity, which can ease the pain of reflux but doesn't address its underlying cause, often cow's milk protein intolerance. When all non-human milk is eliminated from the infant's diet and the breastfeeding mother's diet, 90% of infant reflux cases improve within three weeks.

However, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) used for reflux can have significant long-term consequences. Stomach acid is essential for killing ingested pathogens, absorbing key nutrients such as iron, B12, zinc, and calcium, and properly digesting food. As a result, PPIs can increase the risk of gastroenteritis (diarrhoea), imbalanced gut bacteria, nutrient deficiencies, and food allergies, as partially digested proteins may trigger immune responses. Additionally, PPIs are linked to a higher risk of fractures in children, likely due to impaired calcium absorption.

There are simple and effective strategies to treat infant reflux:

• Holding your baby upright for 30 minutes after feeds to let gravity help.
• Avoiding non-human dairy.
• Engaging in skin-to-skin contact to increase endorphin levels and reduce pain and inflammation.
• Giving probiotics to promote gastric emptying and peristalsis, which reduces pressure on the stomach.