silent reflux anyone? how is it diagnosed?

[Aufilia]

I've felt for awhile that DS might have some reflux. DS hates to lay flat, has tons of hiccups (at least 2-3 times daily), and gets fairly wheezy/phlegmy after nursing. His burps always sound wet, like something came up and went back down. Sometimes he does the thing where he wails and flails his head about for no reason that I can see (unless 'tired but not asleep' is enough reason, but I don't think so). He sleeps pretty well at night but we have an inclined Snuggle Nest that he sleeps in since it was obvious from day 1 that he hated laying flat.

I mentioned this to our ped at our 2 week and 1 month checkups. She listened to his lungs at the 1 month checkup and said he sounded find and seemed to think that settled the matter, even though he wasn't sounding wheezy at the time like he does sometimes. But I still feel so strongly about the reflux thing... can you even tell just by listening to the lungs?

[Siar]

I'm not sure how it's diagnosed, other than presenting your ped with a list of symptoms - but I wanted to emphasize to you that if you think he has silent reflux, please, please keep persisting until you are listened to. I say this because my DS (now 5.5) had severe silent reflux for the first 3 years of his life and no-one would listen to us or take us seriously (because he had few symptoms during the day, didn't spit up and generally appeared healthy). Things work differently over her (UK) and we were never referred to a paediatrician and only saw our G.P. (doctor). Finally he was referred to a paediatrician for other reasons and the reflux was diagnosed retrospectively (as well as nocturnal asthma). But it still lies heavy on my heart that he went through so much pain and suffering, needlessly. Sorry I'm taking up your post with my story. I found the Dr Sears Fussy Baby Book (and probably also their website) helpful in listing symptoms and also the La Leche breastfeeding answer book. I hope you find some answers. (as an aside, he slept terribly, waking frequently screaming and arching his back and we could hear the liquid coming back up into his mouth and him swallowing again).

[broodymama]

DD2 had silent reflux (and DD1 also had reflux, but not as severe) and it sounded a lot like what both you and Siar described. I had already eliminated both dairy and soy due to sensitivities, but it persisted and it was affecting her weight gain. At 2 months I took her into the ped, described her symptoms and said I wanted to do a trial of Zantac. The doc agreed it sounded like reflux, we tried Zantac and it helped. She gained more in the 1st 2 weeks after starting Zantac than in the first 2 months of life.

[Aufilia]

One thing DS doesn't have is a problem gaining... because he nurses ALL THE TIME. He gained 3lb 10oz in his first month (starting weight 6lb 6oz).

DH told me he thought the lung listen was to rule out something else (like asthma for the wheezing), not to rule out reflux so I called the ped and am waiting for a call back...

[cristeen]

Hmm... if those are the symptoms, then maybe I need to bring this up with the ped when we see her. My DS does all these things.

But yes, listening to the lungs really isn't going to help diagnose reflux, unless he's aspirating his stomach contents.

[justKate]

Our DD had severe reflux from the beginning--her primary symptoms were alternately refusing to eat and eating constantly (something going down soothed the burn), arching the back and stretching her neck up really far like a turtle out of its shell, screaming lying flat at night but sleeping well when held upright, and coughing. A cough unrelated to nasal or chest congestion can be caused by the acid burning the back of the throat. All of these symptoms were present within 24 hours of her birth, except for the coughing which came when we took her off of Prevacid around 7 months. She's back on it.

I believe there are at least two tests that can be done--a "scope" and a barium study that involves an x-ray, but I think a doctor will diagnose without that. You could ask your healthcare provider for a referral to a pediatric gastro....

Aufilia, I think you should get a 2nd opinion. It sounds like your LO is in pain and a trial of Zantac or Prevacid might be a good idea, if just to eliminate reflux as a cause. It's my understanding that the esophagial (sp?) sphincter is often immature when babies are born and doesn't close properly, which leads to reflux. While they'll certainly grow out of it, it is awful to hear a babe scream in pain.