Acid reflux disease or GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) is a condition where the contents of the stomach enter into the esophagus and cause painful symptoms in the upper chest area. These symptoms include heartburn, burning sensations in the throat and a general feeling of discomfort. It is readily diagnosable in adults, but acid reflux in children is a bit harder to recognize.

Newborns routinely spit up but may not actually have acid reflux. Older children may not spit up at all but may have more subtle symptoms of acid reflux. These are termed “silent symptoms” and include:

1. weight loss

2. trouble sleeping

3. irritability

4. arching the back while feeding

5. trouble swallowing

6. pain in the abdomen or chest.

7. hoarseness in the voice

8. frequent sore throat

9. a persistent cough

10. a failure to thrive

11. sleep apnea

12. vomiting of large amounts of bile or gastric acids is a sure sign of pediatric acid reflux.

It appears that acid reflux occurs more frequently in children born prematurely. There is no tie to any specific time of prematurity. Premature infants have not had a chance to develop all their systems completely and thus have a range of different problems, including acid reflux.
My own daughter was born prematurely with a weak lower esophageal sphincter and takes Reglan on a regular basis.

So the most important thing to realize when discussing pediatric acid reflux is that not all children who vomit or spit up have acid reflux and not all children with acid reflux vomit or spit up.
There just is no dead on method of telling without the advice of a trained pediatrician.

Since acid reflux in children may be very subtle, the parents must arm themselves with what to look for and know what to do.
If you are not sure if your child has acid reflux, try keeping a diary of foods eaten and how many times the child spits up or vomits. Also track symptoms the same way and pass this information along to your doctor. He/she can make the proper decision on treatment for your child.

In addition to the “silent symptoms” above, more pronounced symptoms are persistent complaints of heartburn, burning in the chest area or trouble sleeping flat on the back.
Once you know what to look for, you can take your child to a pediatric gastroenterologist for evaluation. Take your diary with you and discuss everything with your doctor.

There are many treatments for acid reflux and your physician will know what to prescribe. I would not suggest using over the counter drugs like Nexium, Zantac 75 or Prilosec in children since these were originally developed for adults with the condition and may be too strong for kids.

When it comes to acid reflux in children, there really are too many variables to consider, so please see your doctor in all cases.