Secretion of acid by the stomach is a normal function of the body. Acid is secreted by parietal cells found in the stomach lining, involving a mechanism known as the proton pump. Acid in the stomach is useful for breaking down foods, making them easier to digest, and also for helping prevent infection by providing an unfavourable environment for growth of infective organisms.
Medication is NOT the first line of defense in helping a child with GORD, but when you’ve tried all the management strategies under the sun and it’s still not working, your doctor may prescribe one or a combination of the medications listed below.
While reflux is a common issue for babies and children of all ages, we need to be careful of reflux being the catchall diagnosis for a crying baby. Even though there are a lot of different symptoms of reflux (see “How Reflux Presents”) and in some cases it can be difficult to diagnose, it is important for us to keep in mind that reflux is not the only possibility and it isn’t always to blame. If your baby or child is distressed or unwell, or reflux treatments don’t seem to be effective, it is important not to jump to conclusions, as hard as that may be. Even if your child does suffer from reflux, it may not always be the culprit.