Managing Heartburn in Children

Heartburn in children is often due to the poor coordination within the child’s digestive system. However, it can also be due to a weakened or relaxed lower esophageal sphincter. Other causes include pressure on the child’s abdomen and the consumption of a heartburn food.

Heartburn Symptoms in Children

Burning and painful sensation on either the throat, neck or chest are the primary symptoms of heartburn. Other symptoms of the condition in children may include the following:

• Chest pain is another symptom of the condition. This occurs when the acid goes through the esophagus and triggers pain right behind the breastbone.
• In babies, heartburn can be noticed while the baby is being fed and starts to arch his back.
• The child may refuse to eat and this could be due to fear of the burning sensation.
• Most children and infants affected by the condition usually vomit after eating or being fed.
• Colic is also very common in children with this condition.

Treatment of Heartburn in Children

There are lots of heartburn remedies that you can administer to your child in order to treat the condition. However, take note that the use of these remedies depend on the child’s age, the cause of the problem and the child’s overall health condition. In some cases, elaborate treatments of the condition might be required, especially if the child failed to overcome the problem. It might be necessary to consult your physician for further diagnosis of the child’s condition.

One heartburn treatment that you can try is to keep your child upright after eating or feeding for at least 30 minutes. For babies, take note that making the baby burp after feeding is necessary to ensure that the contents from the stomach will not go back to the esophagus. For older children, you can try encouraging him to follow a healthy eating habit. You can start by dividing his meals to smaller proportions and spread it through the day.

If natural heartburn remedies can alleviate the symptoms of your child’s condition then there is no need to resort to medications. Take note that medications usually come with various side effects and these may not be good for your child. For severe cases of heartburn, it is necessary to consult your physician for proper diagnosis. This can also help determine the most suitable heartburn home remedies for your child’s condition.