How Do You Diagnose GERD In Babies?
“Hi, I’m Dr. David Hill, and today we’re going to talk about how to diagnose gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD in babies. Now, gastroesophageal reflux itself simply describes stomach contents coming up in the esophagus. Sometimes they come all the way out the mouth. That’s called spitting up and that is a very, very common issue, almost universal with newborns and young babies. So, when do we call it a disease? Gastroesophageal reflux disease suggests that this reflux which is normal is causing some sort of a problem for the baby which is not normal. Now, these problems can range from chronic cough or wheeze to chronic congestion to pain so severe with eating or feeding; the baby doesn’t feed very well and doesn’t gain weight very well. When any of these things are happening, we feel the need to treat. But, how do you know when the problem is present? Sometimes it’s really easy. The baby is spitting up tremendously, they cry after every feed; it’s a no-brainer that you know what yo
