New with questions

[Anonymous]

Hi, I’m new to this site and have some questions. My son Jake is
five weeks old and we think he has reflux. His symptoms are
spitting up after every feeding and between most feedings, crying after
he eats and acting like he’s still hungry and occasionally crying
during a bottle, and mild congestion. I don’t think he’s ever
been inconsolable for longer than ten minutes or so and his fussying
and crying spells have never lasted longer than an hour.

My main quetion for those of you with more experience with this than I
have is do his symtoms sound like a milk protien allergy? His
doctor recommended trying Alimentum or Nutramegin for four to five days
and if that didn’t work, he gave us a prescription for a trial of
prevacid. My problem is Jake hates both of those other
formulas. He is a great eater on regular formula and it was
pretty rare for him to cry during a feeding. On either
Nutramegin or Alimentum, he will cry periodically during most feedings
and won’t take a full feeding most of the time. He also spits up
even worse on those than he did on regular formula. I don’t want to
cause a life long milk allergy in him by continuing to give him milk
based formula but he is harder to deal with on these other formulas
than he was on the milk based, even with his bouts of crying on that.

I’ve only read a few of the other threads on here (I just found the
site tonight) but I can say this, I don’t feel completely at my wits
end with my son. I do feel frustrated with my lack of knowledge
and my inablility to know what to do for him but I’m not being driven
crazy by his crying or anything like that. Because of that, I feel like
his reflux isn’t that severe. If it’s not that severe, that leads
me to wonder if his problem is an allergy or if it’s just mild reflux
that the prevacid would help ease for him. If you think that the
prevacid might be the way to go for him, how long should I expect it to
take before seeing results from starting him on that?

I appreciate any help or advice anyone can give me on this. I’m
so glad I found this site. It has given me some great information.

~Grace

[Anonymous]

Grace,

Hello! When you get a chance, go over to the “Introduce yourself” part of

this board and you’ll be sure to get a great big WELCOME! Here is Laura’s

(hellbennt) post to all new people:

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=853&am p;am

p;am p;PN=1&TPN=1

Here is a link from the board about milk and soy protein intolerance

(MSPI):

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2697&a mp;a

mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;a

mp;a mp;PN=1&TPN=1

It seems to me like you might want to try the Prevacid. If it doesn’t work

(and Prevacid often takes TWO weeks to kick in), then I’d look more

closely into an allergy.

I understand your concern about not wanting to assume it’s reflux and

thereby make the allergy (if present) worse. But if Jake won’t drink the

other formulas, then maybe the easiest way to rule one or the other out is

to give the medicine to determine if it’s reflux.

Having said that, it bares mentioning that having an MSPI can make reflux

worse, and can cause reflux be noticelable where it might not have been.

So even if the medicine controls the reflux, he still could have MSPI and

you would want to look for other signs of allergy (like rashes ie: a red ring

around his anus).

As for feeling like his reflux isn’t that bad, I thought the same about my

darling daughter (DD) and it wasn’t until she was about 2 months old

when she started showing that it was causing her PAIN. Hopefully he

won’t be hurting and all will stay as it is for you guys.

Jakes symptoms are much like my dd’s were except that her’s were a

bit…I’m not sure how else to describe it, but they were stronger. She

vommited across the couch when she was 2 days old and we rushed her

to the ER, they did a Barium swallow and found that her LES was pretty

immature, and wouldn’t close. But I too was worried about making things

worse by ignoring the possibility of MSPI. I’m breastfeeding, so I went on

the Elimination diet for a while and it had no real effect on her reflux, so I

concluded that she was allergy free, and just started focusing on the

reflux.

Also, simple physical things like keeping him upright after a meal (visit

http://www.thebabywearer.com), keeping him on an incline of 30 deg. to

sleep (visit http://www.tuckersling.com), will help so much with the

spitting up. Don’t forget to do these things along with medication, not

letting the meds take the place of these things.

Okay, it’s late and I’ve rambled . Hope that helps! And I’m sorry I

can’t get these links to turn on!!! Hope you can cut and paste! HannahLove2006-6-8 0:52:26

[hellbennt]

hi & welcome!

(here’s the welcome link: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=853&am p;amp;amp;amp;PN=1&TPN=1)

Everyone here is so amazingly wonderful & supportive; you’ve surfed on in to a great place! I’m the above-mentioned laura (hellbennt) and I put out a plea to everyone to provide the links that I usually give to everyone, and wow! my plea was heard! Thanks!

On to YOU:

about mspi:( https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2697&a mp;a mp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;a mp;amp;PN=1&TPN=1)

the first link given on that page (mspi page) should really help you sort out if it’s mspi: web site that gives the best explanation of food allergies/intolerance and its relation to reflux that I have found to date. http://www.disa.com.au/ go on the left to the menu & click on “Food Intolerant Allergic Baby” High Need baby info sight – reflux AND allergies FOUND BY LIZ

If you think it’s mspi, you can try changing the formula very slowly- using the ‘regular’ formula that he likes and putting an ounce of alimentum and slowly replacing the bottle…also, some babies prefer the RTF Alimentum…so many choices, I know…ALSO (yup, there’s always more) every single change should be given at LEAST two weeks…bummer, huh?

so glad you found us!

~laura

hellbennt2006-6-8 8:35:34

[Anonymous]

When we originally tried the Alimentum with our daughter when she was 2 months old, her reflux was definitely much worse on it. Recently we had to try it again but this time, our ped said to thicken it a bit with rice cereal as the formula is too thin and it makes reflux worse. It has worked great having it thicker. Just something you may want to consider

WELCOME!!

Robin

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the responses. It helps so much to know there are others out there who are in the same boat I am.

A couple of new questions…

How long should it take for the formula to start having an
affect. I know Laura said that all changes should be given two
weeks but should there be any change at all during those two weeks,
especially with the formula? I know medicine sometimes takes
awhile to get into your system but does formula work the same way?

Also, if I mixed the new formula with the milk-based, would I see any
kind of change in how he felt or would that not come until he was
completely on the Alimentum?

Robin, I will look into thickening his Alimentum with cereal. My
husband has ulcerative colitis and I was told by a pediatrician that
starting a baby on solids too soon can make them more susceptible to
colitis as an adult so since my son is already at risk for it since his
daddy has it (it’s hereditary) do you think putting cereal in his
formula would be considered starting him on solids? I hadn’t
planned to give him anything like that until six months if he could
wait that long, but in this case, I would consider it to make him more
comfortable and to help him keep his food down.

Thanks again for all your help!

[Anonymous]

With him being so young, I would definitely check with his doctor before starting with thickening with cereal. I know there are others on the board that use something called “Simply Thick”. I don’t know anything about it but that may be an option too. Hopefully the other “experts” on the board will chime in on their opinions and suggestions

Keep us posted!!

Robin

[hellbennt]

given your son’s history, I’d hold off on the cereal & try all the other changes first…formula, meds, etc.

it might not even be the formula? read up on mspi and see what you think…

[Anonymous]

Congratulations on your new baby! I hope you can start enjoying a “pain free” newborn soon! Here is the scope on mspi since I have the most milk and soy sensitive child. DD started to get eczema on her face. She had horrible gas pains and hard tummy, followed by major blowouts. Her stools were loose like most newborns, but dark and mucousy almost stringylike. Eventually, she had peices of blood in the stools. There is a simple test the ped gi can do in the office to check for blood to let you know if he is suffering from collitis from the mspi isues, just a swap to the hiney. He may beginning to react to the milk now as the proteins build up. In a couple weeks he could be really suffering. Alimentum and nutramigen have milk proteins in them. Some babies react right away and others like my dd have them build up in their systems. It takes a couple weeks to see if they can tolerate them or not. We use simply thick and started with beechnut oatmeal (rice is binding) at around 6 weeks. Just start with a tsp. in a couple bottles a day and gradually work up so baby’s tummy has time to get used to the solids. It seems crazy, but making the formula weigh more, essentially helps keep it in the tummy and stops alot of the irritation.

Prevacid, 2 weeks to kick in, you may see some improvement in a week. Had to use zantac and mylanta cherry supreme in between while we were waiting. Spaced 2-4 hours apart from the prevacid. Also, give it on an emtpy stomach and wait 30 mins before activating it with a full meal. Nobody told me that at the 5 week mark, and I couldn’t figure out why nothing seemed to be working! DD slept on my chest for the first 8 weeks of life, screaming all the time during and especially 30 mins after a bottle. We got the sling and wedge and placed her on her belly and she finally slept. Some reflux babies feel better on their tummies for some reason. May give you a break for a minute if it works for him. If you are apprehensive, get an apnea monitor like angel care from toys r us or ebay. Lots of hugs to you and your family as you are going through this crazy time trying to figure it all out!

[Anonymous]

Laura-Thanks for the links and all the information your welcome
provided. I’m still just not sure if it’s mspi or not. I’m going
to keep on with the hypoallergenic formula since I have it on
hand. Don’t want to waste my money. But once all of it is
gone, if I don’t see any difference whatsoever, I might just go back to
Good Start and wait to see if the prevacid will work once he’s been on
it for a couple of weeks. Is it ok to give a baby as young as he
is Mylanta? I’ve read several posts on here with moms saying they
give it to their babies but I didn’t pay attention to how old the
babies were. If I can give that to him in the meantime while we
wait for the prevacid to work, that might ease his discomfort.

Sarah-My son only has reflux. That is his only symtom if he is
mspi. No rashes, eczema, screaming fits, weird bm’s, or trouble
sleeping. He poops without a problem and he will cry a little bit
after most of his feedings, but the longest he’s ever cried and I
haven’t been able to console him was 15 or 20 minutes and he isn’t
really screaming either. Alot of times his crying sounds like he
is just complaining to me about something but it isn’t serious.
He definitely acts uncomfortable but he isn’t in terrible pain.
He will sometimes burp or spit up and give a little squeal of pain
afterward and then cry until I pick him up. But once I pick him
up, he’ll normally calm right down for me. Based on all of that,
do you think it sounds like mspi or just reflux alone? I would
love to rule out mspi so I don’t have to keep forcing this formula down
his throat. I would think if it were making him feel better he
would be a little more willing to eat it.

Thanks again for all of the answers to my endless questions!

[hellbennt]

from the link above ,the http://www.disa.com.au/ site they state that the MSPI can be shown by JUST THE SYMPTOM of REFLUX…you do not necessarily need to show the mucousy stools, excema, etc…

The below is copied straight from the link. The puple emphasis is mine

FOOD INTOLERANCE
Food intolerance is the term used for non-immune reactions to food; however they do involve the immune system. The offending food (generally protein) enters the bloodstream,
and the immature immune system treats it like a foreign object or antigen (i.e. virus), and reacts to it forming a non IgE antibody. This antibody then can cause a host of digestive system symptoms ranging from occasional intestinal spasms and wind, colic like symptoms, through to gastro esophageal reflux or eczema.

The effects of food intolerance can be dose related, and may build up over days from eating a range of foods containing the same problem substance. Therefore the symptoms displayed can vary in severity from hour to hour, day to day even week to week. Due to the large variance between cases with each child differing from the next, we are only just beginning to get an understanding of this condition and how it relates to infant distress.

Research is indicating that food intolerance, more specifically protein intolerance, plays a major role in infant distress. Please note that we at DISA have yet to find a child that exhibits all of the symptoms below. In the infants we at DISA have come into contact with, generally only on or two symptoms where displayed. Generally the infant presents as simply fussy, colicky or symptomatic of reflux.

Symptoms of food intolerance may include:
Aggravation of reflux
Wind
Reflux
Vomiting
Colic
Discomfort
Irritability
Obstructive nasal symptoms / blocked nose
Loose stools, mucus in stools
Constipation, or struggling to pass bowel motions.
Disturbance of sleep due to discomfort
Distress
Rashes

The research we have found states that the onset of symptoms after eating a problem food can vary from almost immediate to delayed (up to 24 – 48 hours). However we at DISA have found that some of these infants show symptoms in relation to having distressed or
fussy episodes within a day or two of birth, others slowly worsen in the weeks following the birth, and others are fine even up to ten to twelve weeks before the food intolerance symptoms or distress presents, thus adding to the confusion surrounding this condition.
Basically if in doubt, rule it out.

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