Pediatric GERD: Symptom and Causes

Symptoms

Young children may experience spitting up, vomiting and coughing. For older children, symptoms can be similar to those experienced by adults. In these cases, the most common symptom is heart burn. The pain or discomfort caused by heartburn usually starts in the middle of the chest and can move up through the throat.

• Frequent regurgitation (reflex act of ejecting the contents of the stomach through the mouth) or vomiting, especially after meals
• Choking or wheezing, if the contents of the reflux get into the windpipe and lungs
• Wet burps (expel gas from the stomach ) or wet hiccups
• Irritability or inconsolable crying after eating
• Loss of appetite
• Not gaining weight

Causes

Gastro oesophageal reflux disease results when the lower oesophageal sphincter  the muscle that acts as a valve between the oesophagus and stomach  becomes weak or relaxes when it should not, causing stomach contents to rise up into the oesophagus

• Other factors
• Obesity
• Medications
• Health conditions
• Over eating
• Inhaling second hand smoke- Passive smoking