Description

• Silent reflux is a gastric condition in which the contents of the baby's stomach come partially up the esophagus without being expelled as vomit. The baby may burp and his parents might see him swallow repeatedly or the baby may begin crying as if in pain.
  
  

Symptoms

• The baby will be in pain and may be irritable. She may arch her neck and back during or after eating. She may have frequent ear infections, swallowing problems, gagging, respiratory problems, frequent sore throats with redness and poor weight gain. This is only a partial list of symptoms.
  
  

Feeding

• Parents of a baby with silent reflux should feed the baby in an upright position, keeping his feedings small and frequent. The baby should be kept upright after a feeding for approximately 1/2 hour.
  
  

Health Risks

• Babies with silent reflux can develop a condition where the esophagus is burned by the acidity of the reflux going up and down.
  
  

Other Illnesses

• Silent reflux can become worse if the baby becomes ill with a cold, the flu, allergies, or if she is teething. Crawling can also set off an episode of silent reflux.