How Reflux in Children May Lead to Adult Reflux Later in Life

The Impact of Colicky Symptoms that Progress with Age

For parents of an infant suffering from gastrointestinal complications, life can be significantly altered with abnormal feeding patterns, excessive irritability and even sleep disturbances. For many parents, these symptoms represent the onset of a reflux condition which leads to colic symptoms in the newborn infant.

While reflux, in most children, resolves spontaneously and within a few months of birth, there are some children who continue to experience reflux complications well past infancy. With the increased mobility, most children will experience a significant decrease in symptoms while others will continue to suffer, for many years, with reflux complications.

As a parent, it is important to understand that reflux comes in two types; adult and pediatric. While many children experience pediatric reflux, those who continue to suffer from the chronic colic symptoms of burping, irritability and difficulty eating, past the age of two, are most likely developing a lifelong complication that will lead to adult reflux.

As in infant reflux, adult reflux is generally classified by the same colicky symptoms of disturbed sleeping patterns, difficulty eating and even excessive cases of heartburn. For most pediatric gastroenterologists, the official diagnosis of long term reflux is not given until the child is old enough to talk and verbally express the nature of their symptoms directly. When this occurs, most children will admit to the standard colic symptoms and will even suggest they experience abdominal and chest pain.

When experiencing this chronic condition of reflux, beyond the age of two, parents should consider dietary modifications that may help to soothe the gastrointestinal complication and prevent further complications from developing. Avoiding carbonated drinks, eating non-greasy foods, avoiding chocolate and modifying eating times to times outside of three hours before bed, are all important to alleviating colic symptoms in your toddler.