One of the challenges of being a new mom is that you don’t know what you don’t know until you’re suddenly an expert.
This couldn’t be truer than when it comes to navigating a diagnosis of infant acid reflux in your infant. With baby’s reflux, the amount of acid creeps up, impacting the esophagus, causing a burning sensation.
The referral code below is provided via Infant Acid Reflux Solutions, which means that I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you book an appointment. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
If you book an appointment with Infant Acid Reflux Solutions and mention the TC max promo code of the name of this blog, The DGAF Mom, you’ll receive $50 off.
Symptoms of reflux aren’t comfortable at all in adults, and because babies are mostly reclining all day, every day, it can often be even worse for them.
If you’re reading this, I imagine you’ve likely tried a little bit of everything from natural remedies such as gripe water, sitting baby upright, introducing rice cereal, or other lifestyle changes.
While it’s a good idea to try to minimize the potential of prescription medications that might help a baby’s reflux, there are some forms of baby reflux that are much more severe and can lead (in some extreme cases) to hospitalizations that require medical interventions of a myriad of types.
While we’re not simply talking about a little spit-up; we’re talking about the kind of thing where the baby is choking on its spit-up, constantly in pain and arching its back from this pain, turning blue, losing weight, the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, and more.
Whether you’ve found this article because you’re dealing with mild symptoms or if you feel your baby is at an increased risk for serious complications, then keep reading as there are options to find relief for your baby’s reflux.
The good news is that there are things you can do to ease your baby’s discomfort.
What We Know About Treating Acid Reflux in Infants Today
I recently virtually sat down with Kira, one of the managers at infant acid reflux solutions, and asked her all the burning questions (that’s a reflux joke) that I could think of to possibly help new moms or first-time moms who are searching for answers to what they can do to help their baby who may be suffering from symptoms of acid reflux.
Ps if you need a support group for parents going through some serious symptoms of acid reflux, you’ll want to check out their Facebook group here.
We’ll get to that in a second. But first, why am I writing about this?
If you book an appointment with Infant Acid Reflux and mention my blog The DGAF Mom, You’ll get $50 off.
My Experience with Infant Reflux
When my first baby was born, all I knew about acid reflux in babies was that there’s little to know.
My pediatrician became very worried after noticing some significant weight loss in the first weeks after his birth.
He also had become horribly jaundiced, and breastfeeding was a bitch for me. He would spit up sitting up in his car seat first thing after he ate. There seemed to be no common issue other than a possible diagnosis of infant acid reflux.
My pediatrician issued a prescription for “baby Zantac” which is approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which he would take twice a day until he was about six months of age and was able to start eating more and more solid foods.
His biggest symptom, of course, was a massive amount of spit-up.
Not your normal few drops or even a small puddle or so on your clothing. I’m talking about half a bottle of liquid coming back up.
In fact, he spit up so much so often that he wore a full bib for nearly the entire first year of his life. Which wasn’t so cute for pictures, but it at least helped me to change his outfit 15 times a day.
He was also placed on a special Infant AR formula that was meant to thicken more in his stomach and help him digest it more slowly to minimize the creation of acid.
My baby’s signs of reflux were somewhat standard and “normal” and could even be confused for how healthy babies spit up. But something was wrong.
Back when my boys were born, science was still limited (and this was only 8 years ago!) about how to help a baby’s reflux symptoms.
But today there are so many different homeopathic remedies, as well as products such as TC max, which has been studied to help symptoms of a more severe type of reflux that can leave babies choking, gagging, and starving
What We Know About Treating Acid Reflux in Infants Today
A lot has changed in the past several years.
Since that tumultuous, sleepless, and exhaustingly overwhelming time, I’ve found some additional resources to help parents navigate this challenge.
Of note is the organization Infant Acid Reflux Solutions; you can find them here.
If you book an appointment with Infant Acid Reflux and mention my blog, The DGAF Mom, You’ll get $50 off.
What are the main symptoms that doctors look for when diagnosing acid reflux in infants?
Doctors will call acid reflux in infants colic from experience with many of the families we work with. Which is very different.
Colic is indigestion.
Reflux is when the contents of the stomach reflux up into the throat and, in some cases, out of the mouth.
Reflux disease is when so much acid occurs that the reflux causes pain and alters the quality of life.
Doctors might diagnose a baby’s reflux symptoms with something pretty severe, like failure to thrive. For others, they could be categorized as “happy spitters” and yet still be suffering a pretty big blow to the digestive system, demonstrate poor weight gain, or even be dealing with something known as silent acid reflux, which shows very few real symptoms and can be a very serious condition.
Reflux disease is when it occurs so much that the acid in the reflux causes pain and alters the quality of life. Like failure to thrive, for instance.
What are some unknown symptoms of acid reflux in infants that parents may not miss? (For example, my son had red-tinted skin around his eyes that I thought were from allergies but I later learned was a sign of infant acid reflux).
That is exactly right.
Flushing or blotchy redness can be a symptom in young babies caused by histamine release. This is due to the irritation and inflammation from the acid coming into contact with mucous membranes of the upper airways, sinus, mouth, and throat.
There are many signs that parents may not associate with reflux.
Such as back-arching, also confused with seizures. Back arching is a reaction to the pain and is called Sandifer’s Syndrome.
Constant cold or coughing, recurring ear, nose, and throat infections.
The best thing to do is to go to our infant acid reflux questionnaire.
This questionnaire was created by doctors at the University of Missouri while they did a 12-year study called MarciKids (Midwestern Acid Reflux Children’s Institute Kids) The study was centered around treating babies with reflux.
This questionnaire and the response we give them will help them recognize the symptoms pointing to reflux.
Courtesy Infant Acid Reflux Solutions
What differentiates you and your services from a regular pediatrician?
We specialize in baby acid reflux.
That is all we do. So in many cases, families will go to their doctors, and they are told the reflux is either colic or that it is reflux, but not to worry, the baby will outgrow it in a year or so and wait it out.
We are different because we believe in treating the reflux with very safe medications for the short time the reflux is present.
Usually about a year to 18 months. So the child and the family can have a pain-free, healthy, and happy first year.
How can you evaluate a baby’s acid reflux without meeting with them in person?
Telemedicine is a fantastic option for families that can’t fly to specialty doctors (something that many families did for the MarciKids study) and don’t have knowledgeable doctors near them.
Because telemedicine is face-to-face in a video appointment online, it is considered a doctor’s visit and is a great way to discuss your questions and concerns for the first time.
So a treatment plan and medicines to treat infant acid reflux can be provided.
* Of note this interview was originally conducted prior to the Pandemic when telehealth became more frequent and common. As always, please consult with your baby’s doctor as well to determine the best way to help your baby’s tummy.*
What are your medical qualifications to diagnose and treat a baby’s acid reflux?
I am not a doctor nor am I a medical practitioner.
However, I work with two amazing care providers: Jeffrey Phillips Pharm D, who is the lead researcher in the MarciKids study, invented TummyCare Max, which is a treatment product created for baby’s with reflux during the MarciKids study and is one of the primary features of successful treatment.
He also invented Zegerid, a product to treat adults with acid reflux. He has been working with infants with acid reflux for over 20 years
And Dr. Jennifer Prince has been specializing in infants suffering from acid reflux and failure to thrive for over ten years. You won’t find a more qualified team.
I am more the facilitator to both doctors.
What’s the difference between acid reflux in infants and GERD and how are they treated differently (are they?)
Acid reflux is sporadic.
It only becomes GERD or acid reflux disease when it causes pain and alters the quality of life.
The definition of GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease) is when the symptoms of acid reflux are significant enough and for a long time (such as several weeks) to create effects on the quality of life and/or pain.
(Many babies spit up – that is reflux. GERD is different).
If the pain isn’t present but still affects the quality of the baby’s life, there may be a presence of silent reflux disease.
How much does your consultation to evaluate acid reflux in infants typically cost and do you accept insurance?
Our initial consult is $195 for 20 minutes of one on one with our specialty doctors. Most doctors spend less than 6 mins with their patients.
It is pre-paid but we work with you to get reimbursed from your insurance if your coverage permits. The good news is more insurance policies are jumping on the telemedicine technology and reimbursement is becoming much easier.
Again, families will want to first fill out our questionnaire, and we’ll be in touch relatively soon.
Take me through the consultation process for baby acid reflux after I’ve submitted a questionnaire. How quickly will I receive a response, and from whom? What happens next?
We respond to every questionnaire within 24 hours with a response specific to your child.
If you decide to proceed with an appointment, we can normally get you in front of the doctor within 1-3 days.
No waiting 4 to 6 weeks to get help for your baby.
And once again…if you mention this blog, The DGAF MOM, you can receive $50 off this initial consultation.
Here’s the link to that questionnaire again.
Do you collaborate with a patient’s pediatrician to verify a diagnosis or are you independently assessing the possibility of the acid reflux diagnosis?
We welcome you to introduce our treatment policies to your doctors, and we will gladly get on the phone with them to show them the medical literature supporting what we do.
We want to help as many babies as possible, and we believe that if we can get your doctors on board, they will also help other babies in their offices.
Is acid reflux in infants something that can be cured? If so, how?
Acid reflux in babies is very treatable, and because most babies outgrow it within the first 18 months of their lives, we control the acid causing the baby pain.
So it is curable as the baby outgrows the reflux.
Are there any common misunderstandings or rumors about acid reflux in infants that you’d like to dispel?
Yes. It isn’t something you, your family, and mostly your baby, must suffer through.
I can’t tell you how often I hear moms coming to me saying their doctors feel they are overreacting mamas and to calm down.
You shouldn’t have to watch your baby suffer in pain for that long. You deserve to have a happy, smiling, and healthy baby.
There is relief with minimal side effects available and without needing to rely on brand-name drugs with potentially adverse effects.
Are there any food triggers in breast milk that can increase the odds of your child having an acid reflux reaction?
There are so many causes of reflux. An underdeveloped esophageal sphincter muscle, food allergies, and premmies are also pretty susceptible.
Diet certainly can be a factor for both mom and baby if they are breastfeeding.
We definitely plan to bring in a nutritionist as we grow to help families navigate diet for reflux babies.
Infant Acid Reflux Solutions has a warning issued by the FDA for Tummy Care Max ( or TC Max) . That seems scary, and as a mom with an infant dealing with acid reflux, I’d be pretty freaked out reading that. What’s that about?
I can completely understand why that might freak someone out. Yes, TC Max (formerly Tummy Care Max) has had some growing pains as a company, especially in the early years. The product was first sold to the public and labeled as a supplement.
The FDA has a policy in place (for a good reason!) that you can’t make a claim that a product labeled as a vitamin or supplement can treat a disease.
Which is, unfortunately, what TC Max did initially.
As a labeled supplement, it claimed it treated infant acid reflux disease.
TC Max received the letter that you can read online and immediately stopped selling the product. We hired an FDA consultant who helped the company apply for a National Drug Code which is issued by the FDA, categorizing it as a drug.
To be clear, no ingredients were of concern, and there were no safety concerns for infants who were given TC Max. TC Max is now recognized by the FDA as a drug and as such we can make claims of treatment.
Our goal as a company is to always be as transparent as possible about anything like this, as we see immense value in the service we provide. Honestly, we just want to help families get relief.
I’m happy to answer any additional questions that anyone has about this particular incident. And parents can email me directly if they have questions.
Is there any way to predict if your baby will have acid reflux? Is it genetic (I.e. if dad has it as an adult could your baby be born with it?)
Genetics can contribute to the likelihood but is not a consistent factor.
Is heartburn during pregnancy any indication of acid reflux in your infant?
Not for the baby.
Mamas get acid reflux because as their bellies grow it puts pressure on their stomach and that can cause reflux.
If one child is diagnosed with AR or GERD, what are the odds that any siblings will also have it when they’re born? I hate to say this but the likelihood of your other babies having reflux if your first had it is pretty good.
What happens if you ignore the symptoms and don’t treat a baby’s acid reflux?
The long-term symptoms of untreated reflux far outweigh any concerns about giving your baby medications, and believe me, we get it!
Nobody wants to give their baby medicine.
But long-term symptoms can be as serious as choking, gagging, breath interruptions, failure to thrive, and Hiatal hernias. The choice is always up to the parents and we support any decision you have as a mom. But we do want you to make educated decisions.
We give you the information, and then you decide how and if to treat your baby.
Click the video to watch Dr. Phillips discussing the Marci Kids Study results.
What happens if a treatment plan doesn’t work? What steps do you take to help give a baby relief from acid reflux?
I can say this: If the family or parent follows the guidelines of MarciKids, uses TummyCare Max, and follows the instructions of our doctors, their baby will get better.
We have 20 years of treatment history behind us, and I’m very confident in that statement.
If you’re interested in getting a consultation with Infant Acid Reflux Solutions, be sure to mention that you read this blog post at The DGAF MOM and receive $50 off your first appointment.
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