Issues of Gastroesophageal Reflux in a Breastfeeding Mother and Child
Although I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow, I could not just stop wondering why I have been experiencing some form of indigestion lately, so I decided to do my research about it before seeing a doctor.
Gastroesophageal reflux or heartburn is a common case during pregnancy, this may be due to a decline in lower esophageal sphincter tone that is caused by progesterone, usually, it gets better after childbirth, but for some women, it persists until lactation and of course, almost everyone would experience heartburn at some point.
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According to publications, it is advised that some form of lifestyle modifications will help treat the symptoms. Smoking needs to be stopped, breastfeeding mothers shouldn't lie down for at least 2 hours, and elevating the head should help too. Weight loss is advised as well for overweight patients and some specific foods may need to be avoided for some time.
As I shared in my previous post, not all medications are healthy for lactating mothers, but I have read about some types that may be healthy and helpful.
Antacids: Oral antacids help to provide some form of short-term relief for symptoms of acid reflux. Magnesium and calcium are normal in human milk and the content of aluminum is lower than that of cow's milk and even lower than formula. The most common antacids recommended are hydroxide salts of aluminum, magnesium, calcium, or sometimes a combination of them.
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Although there is no published information on the amount of calcium, magnesium, and aluminum present in milk during maternal antacid therapy, we know that metals are poorly absorbed orally. Even if calcium is absorbed, the absorption rate is limited except in unexpected cases. There was a case of a nursing mother who developed hypercalcemia while taking calcium in food and supplements.
In a case where magnesium is administered intravenously in a large dose, the level of magnesium is slightly increased within the normal range. Oral ingestion would most likely have a negligible effect on milk magnesium levels.
Antacids contain acid-neutralizing components, some of them contain additional ingredients like simethicone and alginic acid. It is good to know that, alginate or alginic acid is a harmless form of polysaccharides that is derived from brown algae.
Histamine H2-Blockers: Histamine H2-receptor antagonists are used constantly to suppress acid secretion in GER.
**Proton Pump Inhibitors(PPIs): It is an effective way to suppress drugs currently, and it is considered to be an effective drug for the treatment of GER.
Babies can experience reflux as well, this is even more common and that is because they are lying down most of the time, they only consume a liquid diet, and as well as a short esophagus. There is however a major difference between simple reflux and reflux disease. simple reflux at a point where the baby brings up milk but is still happy and putting on weight appropriately, it doesn't hurt the baby and usually, as the baby grows, it stops on its own.
On the other hand, a case of gastroesophageal reflux is a disease that requires medical advice and medical diagnosis. With reflux disease, the acid in the stomach burns and then causes damage to the esophagus, which is fairly rare and it is only a small number of babies that are affected, linked with crying and pain.
The presence of reflux disease in babies requires strong medical treatment, usually showing more than one of these symptoms; consistent coughing, blood or bile while vomiting, pain after feeding, or being fussy or unhappy during feeds. In some cases, babies can breathe in what has come from their stomachs, this can be a very serious case especially when the baby is fed anything beyond breastmilk.
Vomiting happens more during the first hour after feeding, vomiting may contain blood from damage done to the esophagus. The blood is either fresh and has a bright red color or old blood which will have a very dark coloration. A baby who has reflux disease may also show symptoms including; crying and irritability, sleep issues, breathing problems, poor weight gain, and feeding difficulty.
However, research shows a strong link between visible symptoms of reflux as well as an allergy towards intolerance to cows, and milk protein. On another hand, your baby may be unsettled due to lactose overload, creating appropriate weight gain but having lots of wind, this may also be mistaken for reflux.
Although my case is not one of traveler's diarrhea, I had to extend my research toward that angle because I always have traveling illness while traveling and I wanted to know what that will feel like now that I am breastfeeding in case I need to travel.
So, I read that a breastfeeding mother should not stop breastfeeding even while they have diarrhea. The organisms that cause traveler's diarrhea cannot pass through breast milk, the mother should however ensure to remain hydrated all through the journey.
I have learned that I need to consume more fruits and have some lifestyle modifications, but I will still pay a visit to the doctor tomorrow, and maybe I will share the results I get from there. About reflux in babies, I will also study more about it and give an extensive review soon as well.
For Further Studies.
https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/resources/breastfeeding-and-reflux
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/bfm.2018.0124
https://lactationnetwork.com/blog/reflux-and-breastfeeding/
Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. If you want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my YouTube channel where you can watch any episode for free, please do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here, Kindly do well to keep them coming.
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