Children with dysphagia or gastroesophageal reflux for example may need their food to be thicker in order to swallow safely or reduce reflux.
Baby cereal for reflux.
Your baby s pediatrician may also offer their thoughts regarding the benefits and drawbacks of oatmeal vs rice cereal for babies with reflux.
If your little one has been experiencing acid reflux you no doubt are ready to do anything to ease her discomfort.
The best cereal for reflux.
Call a doctor if your infant still shows signs of reflux.
Your doctor may recommend another treatment option to try in conjunction with or as a replacement for this rice cereal treatment.
Feed your baby in an upright position.
Added cereal appears to increase the number of children with total resolution of their spitting when compared to unsupplemented babies.
The idea is that doing so will make the milk sit heavier in the belly.
In the past rice cereal was the most frequently recommended option for helping babies to deal with reflux since it has always been viewed as milder and less allergenic.
A doctor may first recommend treating an infant s gerd by changing the way you feed him or her.
Severe acid reflux your doctor may recommend a change in formula if your baby has severe acid reflux.
Giving your baby thicker food reduces the chance of it coming back up.
This lessens the likelihood of reflux.
The doctor may suggest that you.
Gravity can help stomach contents stay where they belong.
Be careful not to jostle or jiggle your baby while the food is settling.
When thickening works it appears to work well.
Don t add cereal to your infant s formula unless your doctor tells you to do so.
Add up to 1 tablespoon of rice cereal for every 2 ounces of formula in the infant s bottles.
In response to concerns over arsenic in rice the american academy of pediatrics aap now recommends parents of children with these conditions use oatmeal instead of rice cereal.
If the mixture is too thick you can change the nipple size or cut a little x in the nipple to make the opening.
The symptoms of a food allergy in infants are similar to that of acid reflux.
Reflux measured using ph probes a tool for measuring reflux show little changes when formula is supplemented with cereal.
Also hold your baby in a sitting position for 30 minutes after feeding if possible.