Baby Formulas and Acid Reflux

Often times parents don't always know what's best when it comes to baby formulas and acid reflux are. In feeding a baby who has acid reflux, the goal is to keep the food from refluxing back into the esophagus A common way to do this is by feeding your baby with a more thickened formula.

This type of formula, once it reaches your baby's stomach, will thicken. When this happens the possibility of regurgitation is greatly minimized. Here, In the U.S., a common type of remedy for baby formulas and acid reflux is Enfamil AR Lipil, and in Canada look for Enfamil A+ Thickened with Rice Starch.

Alternatively, your pediatrician may advise you to thicken the formula your baby already eats, if he or she exhibits no other problems with it. Generally, this is done by adding a tablespoon of rice baby cereal for every one to two ounces of formula.

In addition to staying down in the stomach more effectively, thickened formula may cause your baby to drink a little less at each feeding, as the thickened mixture has more calories than standard formula.

Other doctors may recommend that your baby try elemental formula, such as Alimentum or Nutramigen. Sometimes, the reflux is a sign of a milk protein allergy, and these formulas do not contain any such formula. Switching from a milk-based formula may help alleviate the symptoms.

Sometimes the foods you eat can have adverse affects on your breast milk. To learn more about what foods that may cause acid reflux in your nursing baby, click here

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