Any weaning advice for reflux babies pls?

Hi Mmmmmmm I don't know if this will help at all since Im not sure if your child is breast fed or formula, but my son had the worst reflux for first two months. My mil suggested I stop drinking cows milk because I breastfed. And voila! Problem solved! Apparently he was allergic to the protein in cows milk and it went away after 4th month, now he drinks cows milk and he's just fine. Good luck with your baby.

I will try to find it but maybe not till the weekend. My 9 and 11 year are militant re diet drinks. They can spot them within first mouthful. Back in uk I bought a reduced sugar squash by mistake. They knew straight away. By the way the Robinsons squash which is NOT reduced sugar also has nasties in it! My girls lambasted their dad at the weekend becos he was sent to buy butter and came back with Flora lol. In UK the best spreadable was Kerrygold but I can never find it out here. The lurpack spreadable out here annoys me! <em>edited by Feefmick on 17/04/2013</em>

if you remember let me know, I'd love to read it (no being smart ****, I really would!) my gut feeling is that signs of readiness should strongly correlate with gut readiness although I'd have to say I don't think I've ever seen a 3 month old who displayed strong signs of readiness, I've never seen any research that actually investigates this (ie that includeds the babies developmental levels in correlation with introduction of solids and adverse effects) I'm with you on diet drinks, I think they are poison and wouldn't go near them, the butter margerine debate is actually still on btw, because the latest margarines don't have the "bad" fats they used to have ;)but I eat butter :), my instinct is to eat "real" food in preference to anything modified or simulated and these days I am leaning towards paleo, although I love my dairy!. I am so sick of fake foods, I just discovered that the lurpack spreadable is 30% canola oil! (and still lablled butter!) and I bought "whipping cream" the other day, got home and discovered it was a mix of buttermilk, vegetable oils and e numbers, not actually ANY cream in it at all!

It was a couple of weeks ago. May have been on BBC health page but not sure. Not that starting before 4 months is necessarily better but just that if baby is ready will not increase risk. Only reason I remember it was becos a tiny part of me always wonders whether I did the right thing starting my DD on solids before 4 months so it was a bit of validation that I did not need to feel guilty. It is just a minefield. My instinct about nuts was always that they were ok and I based some of this on the Asian ladies who ate diets high in peanut oil. Increasingly this gut feeling I seemed to have is proving correct but it is always hard to go against main stream advice as doctors now saying that in fact exposure may be good. I never bought into the butter myth either but did worry that I was doing the wrong thing. One day soon, I hope they will strongly advise against diet drinks and reduced sugar drinks but currently so many health professionals advise to use them rather than products containing sugar. I may be wrong in this one as well....hope not. Time will tell. <em>edited by Feefmick on 17/04/2013</em>

do yo uhave any links to that feefmick? I have read a lot of allergy research as my husband and I both have alergies so kids are high risk. I have definetly read that delaying past certain points for eggs, and wheat for example has been linked with increased risk but I have never seen anything that suggests starting before 4 months is better. Yes its hard, advice is always changing as more is discovered and books/doctors are frequently out of date anyway. All you can do is base your decision on the best and most current research available,from the most reputable sources and also I agree, use your instincts. <em>edited by kiwispiers on 17/04/2013</em>

I was just referring to fact you stated that if given solids before 4 months then there is n increased risk of allergies and that that was undisputed . I simply wanted to advise that recent research may actually dispute this Very recent research actually seems to dispute the above statement and Indicates that there may not be increased risk if solids given before 4 months. It is a totl minefield and professionals, scientists constantly move the goal posts.Makes life stressful for parents who just want to do their best. I was told by several health professionks to carry my eldestDD in a baby bjorn as having her more upright may help.I followed this advice but a few years ago was horrified to read that baby bjorns are now advised against and can lead to hip and back problems in later life. Damned if one does and damned if one doesn't. <em>edited by Feefmick on 17/04/2013</em>

Feefmick, If you will read what I wrote below, I have actually already said that, I am unaware if any research that suggests that starting solids before 4 months decreases allergies but absolutely, the old thoughts of delaying certain foods have been updated (although a lot of peadiatricians have been slow in catching up). I agree with what you have just written below, signs of readiness and understanding the reasoning behind guidelines is important. I wrote exactly that myself. Allergies are NOT the reason solids are delayed after 4 months, even all the WHO literature says that, I think you misread what I wrote below? FWIW, both of my babies were most likely developmentally ready at around 5 months and by the time I started, could already self feed and chew. edited to add, reflux babies can hve issues with textures, you will want to offer a wide range of textures and be prepared for some gagging. Never feed a reclined baby (ie leaning back in a carseat or against pillows) they need to be able lean forward tp spit food out if they choke) <em>edited by kiwispiers on 17/04/2013</em>

Kiwispiers - there is recent research that disputes that starting solids earlier leads to more allergies. Indeed, some recent research suggests the opposite. It is a bit like the nut allergy where research now indicates that avoiding nuts in pregnancy etc may cause more problems that eating nuts etc. It is interesting that incidence of nut allergies in Asian countries are low and yet peanut oil etc is used extensively. I honestly believe that babies 'know' when they are ready. My eldest was interested from an early age and wolfed food down. Youngest was not interested till way past 6 months and stuck her tongue out and pushed food away. Interestingly my eldest is less faddy with her food than her sister AND my eldest appears to have a better immune system. In 8 years of school she has had one day off sick whilst little one gets sick more often. There is research which also shows that making things too sterile can also compromise immune system. It is a minefield and professionals constantly change the goal posts, advice. Just compare fact they now say that butter is better than margarine yet for years they said the opposite.

I have had two reflux babies; both brought up terrifying amounts of milk but were fairly content most of the time. Starting solids early isn't "standard practice", there is great disagreement between peads and reflux babies are subject to the same risks that any other baby is so it is not a case of "nothing to lose" but more a case of weighing up the pros and cons, and understanding that the jury is still out as to whether it is truly a good idea. If solids are given before 4 months, there is an increased risk of certain food allergies that is undisputed. Research suggests that after 4 months this not an issue although if your baby is prem, is unclear and probably safer to consider that the gut may not be closed until more like 6 months. So if the risk is for below 4 months, why do the major health bodies say wait until 6 months (American Academy of Pediatrics, World Health Organisation etc). Basically there are two main reasons, which despite what some say, do apply even in first world countries. 1) Research has shown that before the age of 6 months, babies given rice cereal and other solids tend to take less milk as a result, most weaning foods (aside from eggs and meat really) are much lower in nutrients than breastmilk or formula, so as a result, your baby is getting lower levels of important nutrients which are important for brain development. 2) With the introduction of solids (at any age) comes the introduction of bacteria to the gut via food (which isn't sterile, even in first world countries, increasing the risk of gut infection. Since most babies don't crawl earlier than 6 months, the World health organisation suggest that this is a good cut off point, basically once they are crawling around picking up things and putting them in their mouth then bacteria is getting introduced anyway. I would add another couple of downsides to early solids; 3) Before a baby has teeth (and even after they have teeth) they are not making enzymes to break down complex carbs (starches) presumably because, in nature a baby couldn't eat these foods (grains and starchy vegetables) before they had teeth. So when a 4 month old eats carrots, corn, rice, potato, pumpkin etc. they struggle to break this down and it ferments in their gut, leading to pain and discomfort. This is especially an issue for formula fed babies, as breast milk does contain the enzyme amylase, so if you breastfeed at the same time as give solids the breastmilk will help digest the starch (this is why you can thicken formula with baby rice but not breastmilk). So you do risk discomfort, which is what you are trying to avoid. 4) This one is just my personal opinion, not research based, but I think if you start solids before your baby is developmentally ready, then it is an unpleasant experience for them, which can lead to longer term issues in terms of food refusal. Some babies are certainly developmentally ready before 6 months, signs to look for are ability to sit unaided, loss of tongue thrust reflex (this reflex automatically pushes food out of their mouth rather than trying to swallow), interest in trying to put food in their own mouths and eat it. If a baby turns their head away, closes their mouth or cries, they are very clearly telling you they do not want to eat. When they want to eat, they will open their mouth when the spoon/food comes close and lean forward towards it to take the food. So those are the risks, as far as benefits, basically the idea is, as with thickening feeds, that heavier food is less likely to rise up and be vomited out. I definitely know people who have felt that solids reduced vomiting, although in some cases this can result in silent reflux, which is actually more painful, but less obvious. One final thought, is that based on my experience and that of family, we did not start solids at 4 months and yet STILL saw tremendous improvement in reflux between 4 and 6 months, which does make me wonder, if a lot of people who notice improvement, would have seen it anyway even if they had waited on solids. So that’s my take on weighing up whether or not to follow your paeds advice, you will need to look at your baby and consider where they are at developmentally, if they are already crawling about and sitting up then its definitely less risky than if they are not yet rolling and unable to sit. If they are big eaters and have high weight gain, then probably solids are less likely to displace nutrients the way that they might in a smaller eater. You might like to be aware that latest guidelines are that once you start solids, to get the best nutrition, you should go straight to nutrient dense foods like meat, eggs, dairy rather than the old school of thought that you would progress through babyrice, then vegies, fruits etc with meat only after a month or two. Anyway, once you do start solids, with a refluxer, you would want to watch closely to see if any foods aggravate reflux as many cases of reflux are in part caused by intolerances. With my son, dairy, wheat and oats were foods to avoid. I have found with both my kids that reflux worsened slightly when introducing solids HTH, please don't consider it a lecture by any means, I just did a lot of research with my own kids and wanted to share, every child is different and every mother needs to do their own research and decide what is best.

I too have a baby who suffers with reflux. My doctor also recommended starting solids gradually from 4 months of age, however because my baby was also premature I held off until he was a week shy of 6 months, which was just last week! He has taken to solids enthusiastically and I think there might be a slight improvement in his spilling up but it's too early to tell. He suffered more from silent reflux, he does spill up but he is not really a chucker as such, so a slightly different situation to you. I do however have a couple of friends who have had more than one child with reflux and they both advised me that once solids were introduced and well established they felt there was great improvement in the vomiting and pain associated with the reflux. One friend was able to cease losec by 6 months and the other both by 8 months of age. I don't think you have anything to lose by introducing solids and my only advice is to offer small amounts at first. Be careful with rice cereal because the last thing you need is a constipated baby too! My baby is loving parsnip of all things and seems to tolerate it better than carrot for whatever reason. Going to try avocado tomorrow, don't like the idea of that one coming back up :) All the best!

Almost 12 years ago we were living in Mslaysia and my DD had terrible reflux. This was when everyone was saying 6 months for solids. She was 4 kg at birth and paediatrician advised starting her on solids at just under 4 months. Hey presto, problem solved over night. Mainly baby rice and some puréed veg and a bit of banana. When I was born, solids were introduced at 3 months. Advice changes over the years but I can assure you that my eldest is very healthy little girl with no allergies. I was reassured by fact my mum had given solids to all my siblings and myself from a young age and none of us have allergies etc. Only tiny problem we experienced was that my DD suffered from slight constipation but then her sister who would not touch solid food till past 6 months also suffered as well. My paediatrician at the time swore that if they were not ready for solids they would simply not take them. Advice changes over the years cf advice re nuts and not eating nuts in pregnancy etc. latest research is seeming to show that in fact eating nuts may prevent nut allergies. There was also some research recently which indicated that introducing solids later could give more problems. Scientists can prove/disprove just about anything. For years, butter was allegedly bad but now scientists have back tracked and said that margarine is worse and butter is ok.

Im getting prepared to wean my 4.5 month old on the advice of my paed. Can anyone with experience in this area give me tips pls? im afraid when I give her solids she's going to vomit even more than she does now aarrgghhhhh!!!! My son had severe reflux first 6 months of his life, to a point that 3 months after birth he weighed the same still as no food stayed inside his belly. Back in Europe they do advice to start around 4 months with solids and here it is 6 months so I started around 5,5 months and I have to say 1 thing, once I started on solids his reflux disappeared. We tried everything and not to support the breastfeeding maffia, I have to say that after trying all the antireflux formulas, I was under the impression that breast milk triggered less exorcist episodes. Unfortunately by then he got so used to the bottles he didnt like my milk anymore. My doctor was dr Wasseem from NorthWest clinic, and his biggest advice was to space the feeding times out as long as 3,5 hours.

I would advice you to change the doctor .What is the benefit of giving normal food for such a small baby? Introducing solids will not help, it may make it worst. The best for reflux babies is breastfeeding only. You will not do any harm for baby by giving solids later,but if you start too early it might be wrong decision. <em>edited by evelyn2000 on 15/04/2013</em>