Coughing and gagging - sometimes with spitting up?

[allisonrose]

A couple times a week, my 7 week old will cough and gag. Sometimes he spits up after coughing and gagging. Last night he spit up what seemed to be the entire contents of his tummy but might have only been a small amount of milk. Online I've seen coughing/gagging as a symptom of reflux. He is gaining well and is a pretty content baby so I would hesitate to put him on medication.

Could it be something I'm eating? (He's EBF.)

Any thoughts/experiences?

ETA: Would be interested in info on diagnosing reflux.

Edited by allisonrose - 3/11/11 at 5:38pm

[annettemarie]

Sounds like you have a spitty baby. You have my sympathy because I have two. If he's gaining well and doesn't seem overly uncomfortable, it may be more of a laundry problem than anything else.

[chattyprincess]

I would bring it up to your doc at an apt. It would be awful if it turned out to be reflux and it took a long time for it to be discovred.

[allisonrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by annettemarie 

Sounds like you have a spitty baby. You have my sympathy because I have two. If he's gaining well and doesn't seem overly uncomfortable, it may be more of a laundry problem than anything else.

My first baby was a spitter-upper as well but DS1 didn't do this coughing/gagging thing though. Both have been great gainers.

Originally Posted by chattyprincess 

I would bring it up to your doc at an apt. It would be awful if it turned out to be reflux and it took a long time for it to be discovred.

I do plan to mention it at his next well baby check but I'm unsure of medicating a content baby who may outgrow this in time. I have read a bit on refluxing babies here at MDC and some mamas choose to handle it without meds.

[jessica_s]

I have a 7 week old who does the same thing. I'm really hesitant to even mention reflux since it seems like every other baby around here is on meds for it. It never really seems to bother him (besides the obvious coughing/gagging) but I don't want it to do any damage.. ah, another thing to research.

[allisonrose]

jessica_s - It does seem like an "in" diagnosis. Would be interested in what you find in your research.

Poor little guy is sleeping as I type and a few minutes ago, he coughed, gagged and spit up a bunch of milk but continued to sleep. I am so glad we cosleep. (And glad that I put a prefold under his head.)

[chattyprincess]

Originally Posted by allisonrose 

Quote:

My first baby was a spitter-upper as well but DS1 didn't do this coughing/gagging thing though. Both have been great gainers.

I do plan to mention it at his next well baby check but I'm unsure of medicating a content baby who may outgrow this in time. I have read a bit on refluxing babies here at MDC and some mamas choose to handle it without meds.

I never said to medicate. Simply to bring it up. Some people do handle it without meds but somebabies do need the meds its not really a choice you can make until you know all the facts about it, if the baby even has it. That being said I have had 2 very very very very VERY spit uppy babies and I have never had one of them gag or choke on thier spit up or who consistently lost the entire contents of thier stomach (this is very subjective, measure a teaspoon of milk and dump it on the table, it alwasy looks like a lot but is really not much.) There tend to be other sypmtoms more telling of reflux (crying/screaming etc...)

My first spit up for ever...and ever...on into when she was eating solids until about 9mths or so. She was very sensitive to dairyand so I avoided it but not perfectly. This time around I avoid it all the time but If I eat lots of dairy (like drink a glass of milk) she will start spitting up (she is 8 months old)....which she hasn't done in ages. So I avoid milk as much as I can.

[jessica_s]

This is reassuring and kinda scary (for all those babies on meds)

"Current information on reflux indicates that testing or treatment for reflux in babies younger than 12 months should be considered only if spitting up is accompanied by poor weight gain or weight loss, severe choking, lung disease or other complications. Per Donna Secker, MS, RD in the article Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease , "The infant with significant reflux who seems to be growing well and has no other significant health problems benefits most from little or no therapy."

From here http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/reflux.html

I'll see what else I can find and I'll ask this week at our upcoming well check just to see what they say. 

[NaturalMama311]

Originally Posted by jessica_s 

This is reassuring and kinda scary (for all those babies on meds)

"Current information on reflux indicates that testing or treatment for reflux in babies younger than 12 months should be considered only if spitting up is accompanied by poor weight gain or weight loss, severe choking, lung disease or other complications. Per Donna Secker, MS, RD in the article Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease , "The infant with significant reflux who seems to be growing well and has no other significant health problems benefits most from little or no therapy."

From here http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/reflux.html

I'll see what else I can find and I'll ask this week at our upcoming well check just to see what they say. 

I totally disagree with this and keep in mind this is one person's opinion stated in this article.  DS is on Zantac for reflux and it has helped him tremendously, he is a completely different baby since we started treating his reflux.  I've tried taking him off of it but he shows too many symptoms with just one missed dose.  He had all the classic symptoms of reflux, choking on spitup to the point that he would stop breathing for a few seconds (scary!), not sleeping well, arching his back and crying while nursing, congestion, and pretty much everything else associated with silent reflux.  He was gaining weight just fine, and I certainly didn't want to put him on meds - but I couldn't bare to watch him suffer knowing that he was constantly uncomfortable from the reflux. 

I do think some docs overprescribe reflux meds but there are certainly many babies out there that need treatment and benefit greatly from it.  I think this persons opinion is way off base saying that reflux shouldn't be treated unless there is poor weight gain.  Especially when that person is not even a doctor but rather a registered dietician.

[jessica_s]

That's good to hear that your baby has been able to benefit from the medication! It seems sort of like getting your tonsils out in the early-mid 90's (all the rage!). A lot of kids didn't need it, some really did and others were borderline. Also like putting a ton of young boys on Ritalin. I was someone who really did need my tonsils out, I've seen a big improvement since I had them out. However, I'm sure neither of my brothers needed Ritalin (in one case it made him worse), so I know what you mean! 

I like getting all sorts of opinions and reading all sides, risks and benefits to medication, then I feel like I can make a educated decision. Not finding too much on silent reflux though in regards to if it can cause damage in EBF infants though. 

Originally Posted by NaturalMama311 

I totally disagree with this and keep in mind this is one person's opinion stated in this article.  DS is on Zantac for reflux and it has helped him tremendously, he is a completely different baby since we started treating his reflux.  I've tried taking him off of it but he shows too many symptoms with just one missed dose.  He had all the classic symptoms of reflux, choking on spitup to the point that he would stop breathing for a few seconds (scary!), not sleeping well, arching his back and crying while nursing, congestion, and pretty much everything else associated with silent reflux.  He was gaining weight just fine, and I certainly didn't want to put him on meds - but I couldn't bare to watch him suffer knowing that he was constantly uncomfortable from the reflux. 

I do think some docs overprescribe reflux meds but there are certainly many babies out there that need treatment and benefit greatly from it.  I think this persons opinion is way off base saying that reflux shouldn't be treated unless there is poor weight gain.  Especially when that person is not even a doctor but rather a registered dietician.

[allisonrose]

My doctor's opinion was that it is post nasal drip. My son has been a bit congested lately because we've had a sinus thing going around the house. So we'll see what happens. I've also started to keep a food journal just in case it is something I've been eating.