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Can you hear?:  famotidine, ranitidine, cimetidine

Spitting up by Infants (Regurgitation, Reflux or GER)

Description

Regurgitation or reflux is the effortless spitting up of one or two mouthfuls of stomach contents. Formula or breast milk rolls out of the mouth, often with a burp. It usually occurs shortly after feedings. Reflux is most common in children under one year of age and begins in the first weeks of life. More than half of all infants have reflux to some degree.

Cause

A lack of closure of the protective one-way valve at the upper end of the stomach (known as the Lower Esophageal Sphincter) is responsible for regurgitation. This condition is also called gastroesophageal reflux (GER) or chalasia.

Symptoms and Treatment

Regurgitation can cause symptoms such as heartburn, arching, fussiness, coughing & wheezing, or decreased appetite. Sometimes when this regurgitation causes pain or the infant not to eat, we use medications to help decrease the acidity of the stomach contents, increase the tone of the valve, and help the stomach empty. These medications do not ”cure” the problem, but control the symptoms until such time that the infant “outgrows” the condition. Rarely, if the infant does not respond to medications, and the symptoms are severe enough, surgery may be indicated.

Medications

When basic measures fail to control symptoms, medication may be indicated. Usually, two types of medication are used. Acid-blocking medications (famotidine / Pepcid, ranitidine / Zantac, cimetidine / Tagamet, omeprazole / Prilosec and lansoprazole /  Prevacid) suppress stomach acid and prevent it from doing damage to the esophagus and lungs. Pro-motility agents (bethanechol, metoclopramide / Reglan, cisapride / Propulsid) help to strengthen the tone of the lower sphincter and increase gastric emptying. For children these medications are by prescription only.

All of these medications are safe in infants and children and have only minor side effects.

how do you know it's not cimetidine? - nm