Reflux can cause severe or even fatal complications

Reflux is caused by the stomach contents backing up into the esophagus and causing pain and damage. Diet modification and medication are the most common treatment. During their first three months, more than half of infants suffer from reflux and all but 5-8% out grow it by one to two years. In cases where reflux persists, chronic and life-threatening complications may develop. In one severe case, an infant vomited up to 8 times a day and had to have a feeding tube inserted. She still needs the feeding tube at the age of 5 and shows no signs of outgrowing the condition. She needs to be attached to her slow drip feeding tube for 20 hours each day. Her underutilized mouth muscles meant she was unable to speak until the age of 3-1/2. She is also very underweight, has low muscle tone, poor teeth development and a strong aversion to food. Reflux in babies is similar to colic and is hence often misdiagnosed and underdiagnosed. Symptoms include frequent vomiting, frequent coughing or gagging, poor sleep patterns, mealtime irritability, sudden crying, constant crying, difficulty swallowing, colic, back arching while eating, wet burps, frequent hiccups, food refusal, eats small amounts, blood in stool, slow growth, weight loss and breathing interruption episodes.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by Townonline

Related Disease Topics:

• Reflux
• Colic
• Developmental delay (see Developmental problems)
• Low muscle tone (see Muscle weakness)
• Poor teeth development

Related Symptom Topics:

• Frequent vomiting
• Frequent coughing or gagging
• Poor sleep patterns
• Mealtime irritability
• Sudden crying
• Constant crying
• Difficulty swallowing
• Colic
• Back arching while eating
• Wet burps
• Frequent hiccups
• Food refusal
• Eats small amounts
• Blood in stool
• Slow growth
• Weight loss
• Breathing interruption episodes

Article Source Details

About: Reflux can cause severe or even fatal complications

Date: 17 December 2004

Source: Townonline

Author: Tracey Palmer

URL: http://www2.townonline.com/parentsandkids/news/view.bg?articleid=144622

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Medication
• Medication and reflux
• Medication and colic
• Cause of developmental delay
• Cause of low muscle tone
• Cause of poor teeth development
• Misdiagnosis misdiagnosis and frequent vomiting
• Misdiagnosis and frequent coughing or gagging
• Misdiagnosis and poor sleep patterns
• Misdiagnosis and mealtime irritability
• Misdiagnosis and sudden crying
• Misdiagnosis and constant crying
• Misdiagnosis and difficulty swallowing
• Misdiagnosis and colic
• Misdiagnosis and back arching while eating
• Misdiagnosis and wet burps
• Misdiagnosis and frequent hiccups
• Misdiagnosis and food refusal
• Misdiagnosis and eats small amounts
• Misdiagnosis and blood in stool
• Misdiagnosis and slow growth
• Misdiagnosis and weight loss
• Misdiagnosis and breathing interruption episodes
• Misdiagnosis and reflux
• Misdiagnosis and colic
• Misdiagnosis and developmental delay
• Misdiagnosis and low muscle tone
• Misdiagnosis and poor teeth development
• Diagnosis diagnosis and frequent vomiting
• Diagnosis and frequent coughing or gagging
• Diagnosis and poor sleep patterns
• Diagnosis and mealtime irritability
• Diagnosis and sudden crying
• Diagnosis and constant crying
• Diagnosis and difficulty swallowing
• Diagnosis and colic
• Diagnosis and back arching while eating
• Diagnosis and wet burps
• Diagnosis and frequent hiccups
• Diagnosis and food refusal
• Diagnosis and eats small amounts
• Diagnosis and blood in stool
• Diagnosis and slow growth
• Diagnosis and weight loss
• Diagnosis and breathing interruption episodes
• Diagnosis and reflux
• Diagnosis and colic
• Diagnosis and developmental delay
• Diagnosis and low muscle tone
• Diagnosis and poor teeth development
• Underdiagnosed underdiagnosed and frequent vomiting
• Underdiagnosed and frequent coughing or gagging
• Underdiagnosed and poor sleep patterns
• Underdiagnosed and mealtime irritability
• Underdiagnosed and sudden crying
• Underdiagnosed and constant crying
• Underdiagnosed and difficulty swallowing
• Underdiagnosed and colic
• Underdiagnosed and back arching while eating
• Underdiagnosed and wet burps
• Underdiagnosed and frequent hiccups
• Underdiagnosed and food refusal
• Underdiagnosed and eats small amounts
• Underdiagnosed and blood in stool
• Underdiagnosed and slow growth
• Underdiagnosed and weight loss
• Underdiagnosed and breathing interruption episodes
• Underdiagnosed and reflux
• Underdiagnosed and colic
• Underdiagnosed and developmental delay
• Underdiagnosed and low muscle tone
• Underdiagnosed and poor teeth development

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