Before I became a parent, the only time I ever heard about Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) was on the news. Usually, the incident occurred in an inner-city area. Drugs and alcohol were almost always involved, as was general family dysfunction. I remember seeing images of distraught mothers or dazed fathers/boyfriends weeping and professing sorrow over the incident, and I remember thinking: how could you do that to your own child? How could you put your child at risk by staying with a violent and abusive partner?!
This perception of SBS, though not directly supported, was nevertheless reinforced in the parenting class my husband and I took at the hospital where our first daughter was born. SBS was addressed primarily from the standpoint of knowing the symptoms and being aware of whether a family member or babysitter were prone to violence and likely to harm our baby.
Recent studies, however, change all that. Although it is still more likely for a baby to be shaken by an adult male rather than an adult female, the stereotype of an angry boyfriend shaking his girlfriend's baby while high on drugs is steadily being replaced by the more likely scenario of a loving but exhausted father shaking his reflux baby during a nervous breakdown without even realizing what he's doing. Current research suggests that over 90% of all SBS cases are the result of a parent losing control due to the incessant crying of a baby with reflux or colic. Truth be told, colic and pediatric GERD significantly increase a baby's risk of Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Before I became a parent, I never would have described anger as a routine weakness in me. Impatience and at times arrogance? Yes. Anger? No. Sure, things upset me at times, but never anything I couldn't talk out or work out or pray out of my system.
But when reflux raised its ugly head in my household and my girls cried incessantly--sometimes at the same time, sometimes one right after the other, sometimes for hours, days, or weeks on end with only a few intermittent periods of quiet--I was shocked and embarrassed and humiliated to discover a Hulk-like maternal rage born in me.
I wasn't really angry with them. I knew deep down inside that they were crying out of pain and couldn't help what they were doing. I was angry with the reflux, angry with the people who told me to just let them cry, angry with my own inability to console them, angry with my utter lack of sleep, angry with my own post-partum depression and fried nerves, and yes, I was angry with God.
There were times when every strategy to calm and soothe them failed, and I felt the rage boiling and rising inside like volcanic lava ready to erupt--times when I realized my grasp on them was becoming tighter and tighter--times when I had to put them safely in their cribs and walk away. I hated walking away--hated the thought of leaving them alone in their room with their pain to cry while I withdrew my presence, if not my comfort, from them. There were times when I sat in the hall outside their room and cried--times when I paced the house yelling at God--and times when I fell down on the floor pleading with God not to abandon my children or me, but to calm them when I couldn't, and to protect them from my anger, and to utterly kill and destroy every bit of anger and rage inside of me.
It has not been an easy road. The transformation of my inner self has been a long and difficult time coming. But we are past the stage of routine excessive crying now, and I have learned--primarily through prayer--to manage myself and subdue my own anger before even trying to deal with the girls. We still struggle periodically at night with reflux triggered by illness or teething, and that can bring on hours of crying and fussing. We still struggle by day with periodic and sometimes completely random meltdowns, which I understand are still par for the course. But where I used to watch the news and judge the parents or guardians of babies who had been shaken, I now listen to those same stories and weep with complete humility and compassion, knowing to the core of my soul, "There but for the grace of God, go I."
For more information about GERD, SBS, and tips to cope, please visit the following sites:
http://www.pollywogbaby.com/refluxandcolic/shakenbabysyndrome.html
http://www.parenting-journals.com/81/colic-and-shaken-baby-syndrome/
http://www.colichelp.com/shakenbabysyndrome.html
http://www.dontshake.org/sbs.php?topNavID=3&subNavID=25&navID=283
Showing posts with label Coping Strategies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coping Strategies. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Night-Time Woes and Sleep Positioners
My girls are finally sleeping through the night. At least, they were prior to this past weekend when they picked up colds. But for the past month, the nights they slept outnumber the nights they didn't, so that is good news indeed.
Mind you, my girls are 2 and 3 years old. If you are a GERD mama, you understand the importance of this milestone. Six months ago I thought there was no end in sight to the nightly drama that occurred in our home. I pored over all the books recommended by pediatrician and librarian alike, and defended myself to well-meaning friends and strangers who insisted my children would sleep if I just ignored them and let them "cry it out" at night. The trouble is, the "cry it out" method doesn't work for children with acid reflux.
Think about it. In a perfect world, the "crying periods" are supposed to gradually decrease from 15-20 minutes at a time to no crying at all, assuming the child is happy, healthy, dry, fed and comfortable. This method is completely at a loss for what to do with children who have a disease, who are hurting and can't breathe, who cry for 8-10 hours at a time because their pain and fear are so significant.
My first daughter's silent GERD was so severe we couldn't lay her down for even short periods of time because she would aspirate her reflux, choke, stop breathing, and turn purple. Several times a day and through the night this would happen for her first few months of life. It got to a point where I was scared to go to the bathroom when I was home alone with her during the day.
Night-times were especially hard. Our pediatrician was sympathetic to our dilemma. Because of the Back-to-Sleep campaign as well as legal reasons, he could not recommend that we put her to sleep on her tummy. But because of her history of choking and her increased risk of SIDS due to her reflux, we couldn't put her on her back, either.
So we held her over our shoulder at night, taking shifts sitting in a recliner so everyone could catch some sleep. It wasn't ideal, but it worked. It was the only thing that worked. Car seats and motion swings scrunched her tummy up tight and contributed to her reflux. Propping her mattress inevitably resulted in her turning around so her legs were elevated instead of her head. And so we took shifts until we felt she was old enough to go to sleep on her tummy.
My second daughter had an easier time finding her position at night. Since she began lifting her head and rolling over when she was less than two weeks old, I had no problem at all putting her on her tummy to sleep. I even let her sleep in bed with me at an early age, and she would snuggle into my arm and prop herself up, as if she knew that were the best position for her to sleep.
Of course, getting GERD babies to an age where they can sleep comfortably and safely on a pillow doesn't automatically guarantee they will sleep through the night. GERD babies often have a higher incidence of enlarged tonsils and adenoids, sleep apnea, asthma, and night terrors, as my household knows all too well through experience as well as reading. Most of the literature I've read regarding these issues pinpoint four years as the target age for children with these issues to sleep through the night. In perspective, then, my girls must be early learners, rather than late bloomers!
I used to tell my husband I was going to "invent" a GERD baby sleep positioner: one that would elevate the baby or enable the baby to be harnessed into an upright tummy position to reduce their pain and their risk of aspiration and SIDS. Of course, someone beat me to it! (In all probability, the Tucker Sling may have already been in production, but I was unaware of it at the time and no one recommended it to me--one of those situations where ignorance is probably not bliss!)
The Tucker Sling
The Tucker Sling comes in a variety of sizes from newborn up to 30 pounds, and it can also be custom-made to fit your child. The sling itself is a safety harness that secures your child if you prop the mattress to the 30 degree angle recommended for acid reflux babies. The sling is apparently versatile enough that you can position your baby on his or her back, tummy, or side. You can also buy a wedge to secure the baby to instead of propping the mattress. The sling-wedge combination fits into pack-and-plays rather than standard crib sizes, so make sure you order the correct size. Many insurance companies also now cover the cost of the Tucker sling.
http://www.tuckersling.com/default.htm
The Nap Nanny
The Nap Nanny was designed by a mom. (Yea, moms!) It is a foam positioner that elevates the baby while nestling the baby into a comfortable position and securing him in place with a 3-point lap belt. Although it is similar in style to a car seat or motion swing, the elevation is not as high, eliminating the pressure on the tummy that is so problematic for reflux babies. Plus, it is easy to transport and can be used in cribs, pack-and-plays, or on a blanket on the floor. In all honesty, this is quite similar to the design I had in my head, so I am happy to see another mother had the same idea that I did! I do not know if insurance companies yet cover it, but it is always a good idea to check just to make sure.
http://napnanny.com/the_napnanny.html
Mind you, my girls are 2 and 3 years old. If you are a GERD mama, you understand the importance of this milestone. Six months ago I thought there was no end in sight to the nightly drama that occurred in our home. I pored over all the books recommended by pediatrician and librarian alike, and defended myself to well-meaning friends and strangers who insisted my children would sleep if I just ignored them and let them "cry it out" at night. The trouble is, the "cry it out" method doesn't work for children with acid reflux.
Think about it. In a perfect world, the "crying periods" are supposed to gradually decrease from 15-20 minutes at a time to no crying at all, assuming the child is happy, healthy, dry, fed and comfortable. This method is completely at a loss for what to do with children who have a disease, who are hurting and can't breathe, who cry for 8-10 hours at a time because their pain and fear are so significant.
My first daughter's silent GERD was so severe we couldn't lay her down for even short periods of time because she would aspirate her reflux, choke, stop breathing, and turn purple. Several times a day and through the night this would happen for her first few months of life. It got to a point where I was scared to go to the bathroom when I was home alone with her during the day.
Night-times were especially hard. Our pediatrician was sympathetic to our dilemma. Because of the Back-to-Sleep campaign as well as legal reasons, he could not recommend that we put her to sleep on her tummy. But because of her history of choking and her increased risk of SIDS due to her reflux, we couldn't put her on her back, either.
So we held her over our shoulder at night, taking shifts sitting in a recliner so everyone could catch some sleep. It wasn't ideal, but it worked. It was the only thing that worked. Car seats and motion swings scrunched her tummy up tight and contributed to her reflux. Propping her mattress inevitably resulted in her turning around so her legs were elevated instead of her head. And so we took shifts until we felt she was old enough to go to sleep on her tummy.
My second daughter had an easier time finding her position at night. Since she began lifting her head and rolling over when she was less than two weeks old, I had no problem at all putting her on her tummy to sleep. I even let her sleep in bed with me at an early age, and she would snuggle into my arm and prop herself up, as if she knew that were the best position for her to sleep.
Of course, getting GERD babies to an age where they can sleep comfortably and safely on a pillow doesn't automatically guarantee they will sleep through the night. GERD babies often have a higher incidence of enlarged tonsils and adenoids, sleep apnea, asthma, and night terrors, as my household knows all too well through experience as well as reading. Most of the literature I've read regarding these issues pinpoint four years as the target age for children with these issues to sleep through the night. In perspective, then, my girls must be early learners, rather than late bloomers!
I used to tell my husband I was going to "invent" a GERD baby sleep positioner: one that would elevate the baby or enable the baby to be harnessed into an upright tummy position to reduce their pain and their risk of aspiration and SIDS. Of course, someone beat me to it! (In all probability, the Tucker Sling may have already been in production, but I was unaware of it at the time and no one recommended it to me--one of those situations where ignorance is probably not bliss!)
The Tucker Sling
The Tucker Sling comes in a variety of sizes from newborn up to 30 pounds, and it can also be custom-made to fit your child. The sling itself is a safety harness that secures your child if you prop the mattress to the 30 degree angle recommended for acid reflux babies. The sling is apparently versatile enough that you can position your baby on his or her back, tummy, or side. You can also buy a wedge to secure the baby to instead of propping the mattress. The sling-wedge combination fits into pack-and-plays rather than standard crib sizes, so make sure you order the correct size. Many insurance companies also now cover the cost of the Tucker sling.
http://www.tuckersling.com/default.htm
The Nap Nanny
The Nap Nanny was designed by a mom. (Yea, moms!) It is a foam positioner that elevates the baby while nestling the baby into a comfortable position and securing him in place with a 3-point lap belt. Although it is similar in style to a car seat or motion swing, the elevation is not as high, eliminating the pressure on the tummy that is so problematic for reflux babies. Plus, it is easy to transport and can be used in cribs, pack-and-plays, or on a blanket on the floor. In all honesty, this is quite similar to the design I had in my head, so I am happy to see another mother had the same idea that I did! I do not know if insurance companies yet cover it, but it is always a good idea to check just to make sure.
http://napnanny.com/the_napnanny.html
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The 5S Model Revised
When my husband and I were expecting our first baby, we attended an 8-hour hospital class designed for new parents. One of the sessions gave us practice in the 5 S Model of quieting babies. Of course, we were given the typical line that "You have to do them exactly right, or they won't work." We swaddled and swung and vigorously shushed our model plastic babies under the hawk-like eyes of our nurse instructor. We were so naive! We actually thought the 5 S'es would work! Then our daughter was born and the truth hit us: when you've got a crying GERD baby, you're in it for the long haul.
So if your GERD baby is like ours and the typical 5 S'es don't work, give these modifications a try:
1. Sucking
Sucking is often last on the quieting list, but I am placing it first. It is of utmost importance for GERD babies.
First of all, many of them have difficulty sucking and swallowing. Allowing them the opportunity to suck on an orthodontically designed pacifier in between feedings gives them almost round-the-clock practice. And as we all know, practice makes perfect.
Secondly, their failure to thrive means they need more feeding sessions than babies without GERD. With our first baby, we were told to feed her every two hours during the day and every four hours at night. We were told not to deviate from this schedule, or we would be creating an obese child who relied on food for comfort. What a joke! Unfortunately, it was not very funny, and with her rapid dehydration and weight loss, we soon learned we had to feed her a little bit every 30-60 minutes during the day and every 90-120 minutes at night to keep her nourished and comfortable.
Sucking may not calm the GERD babies instantly--but it does have longterm benefits by providing them with the skills and nourishment they need to thrive.
2. Side vs. Stomach Position
Skip the infant side position and place the baby on her stomach, resting on your forearm. It's called the "colic hold" for a reason. We were taught to hold the baby's head in our hand and rest her bottom in the crook of our elbow. Reversing her position so her head was nestled on our forearm and her tummy was in our hand allowed us to apply gentle pressure to her tummy, which helped. We were also able to lower our hand to a natural position so that her head could still be elevated to aid with the reflux. Putting her on her tummy on the floor or bassinet during waking hours helped as well, particularly if a small burp cloth was rolled and placed under her tummy. I used to tell my husband that when our girls were older and didn't require so much round-the-clock care, I would design a stomach-positioner for GERD babies much like the head-positioner for premature babies. Of course, now there are stomach-positioners on the market! (More on those in another post.) How I wish we had some when our girls were infants!
3. "Shh-shh--shh" vs. The Darth Vader "Shhhhhhhhh"
I don't know why our nurse encouraged us to bounce the baby vigorously while breathing a fast-paced "Shh-shh-shh-shh." Not only does this quick-paced pattern not calm a GERD baby, it also makes you so dizzy you feel like you're going to pass out. I don't know anyone who would be calmed by this motion and noise. Newborns have the amazing potential to read our emotions, and since GERD babies are irritable and anxious to begin with, they don't need any extra tension to aggravate them.
Instead, think of Darth Vader. While holding your baby and gently patting her back, take a deep relaxing breath in...then let out a long "Shhhhhhhhhhh." Follow that repetition for as long as it takes. Deep breath. Darth Vader "Shhhhhhhhhh." Deep breath. Darth Vader "Shhhhhhhhhh."
It won't work instantly, but it will prevent you from passing out, and it will help to keep you calm and relaxed, which is essential for soothing a GERD baby.
4. The Swing vs. The Shoulder Snuggle
Everyone loves the mechanical swing. Parents can set the baby down, turn it on, and walk away. Instantly, the baby is soothed to sleep and the parents can do what they need to do, right? Not necessarily. The problem with the mechanical swing--and the car seat, for that matter--is that they create one of the worst positions for an acid reflux baby. Ever hear the stories of the colicky babies who were charmed by car rides, and if you could just keep your baby in the car seat all day long he would be happy? Ever wonder why your baby screams and cries in the car, so that even a five-minute drive across town becomes a harrowing nightmare, an accident waiting to happen for you, the driver?
Forcing the GERD baby into the seated position through car seats and mechanical swings creates pressure on the stomach and the lower esophageal sphincter, resulting in reflux. For this reason, one of the best places for a GERD baby to be is snuggled on someone's shoulder, for both physical and emotional reasons. Gently patting the baby's back or swaying from side to side may be all the vibration the baby needs. If white noise helps to calm the baby, turn on a fan or a white noise machine. One of my girls was calmed most effectively when she was snuggled over my shoulder and I was patting her in front of the dryer or the microwave vent. The pats, the position, the contact, and the noise all helped when nothing else would.
It's for this reason that a harness baby-carrier (like a Bjorn) is better for GERD babies than a shoulder sling. In the harness carrier, the baby's abdomen can be kept straight with gentle pressure from your body, whereas in a shoulder sling the baby's abdomen is scrunched up tight.
5. Swaddles vs. Stomach Bands
So if your GERD baby is like ours and the typical 5 S'es don't work, give these modifications a try:
1. Sucking
Sucking is often last on the quieting list, but I am placing it first. It is of utmost importance for GERD babies.
First of all, many of them have difficulty sucking and swallowing. Allowing them the opportunity to suck on an orthodontically designed pacifier in between feedings gives them almost round-the-clock practice. And as we all know, practice makes perfect.
Secondly, their failure to thrive means they need more feeding sessions than babies without GERD. With our first baby, we were told to feed her every two hours during the day and every four hours at night. We were told not to deviate from this schedule, or we would be creating an obese child who relied on food for comfort. What a joke! Unfortunately, it was not very funny, and with her rapid dehydration and weight loss, we soon learned we had to feed her a little bit every 30-60 minutes during the day and every 90-120 minutes at night to keep her nourished and comfortable.
Sucking may not calm the GERD babies instantly--but it does have longterm benefits by providing them with the skills and nourishment they need to thrive.
2. Side vs. Stomach Position
Skip the infant side position and place the baby on her stomach, resting on your forearm. It's called the "colic hold" for a reason. We were taught to hold the baby's head in our hand and rest her bottom in the crook of our elbow. Reversing her position so her head was nestled on our forearm and her tummy was in our hand allowed us to apply gentle pressure to her tummy, which helped. We were also able to lower our hand to a natural position so that her head could still be elevated to aid with the reflux. Putting her on her tummy on the floor or bassinet during waking hours helped as well, particularly if a small burp cloth was rolled and placed under her tummy. I used to tell my husband that when our girls were older and didn't require so much round-the-clock care, I would design a stomach-positioner for GERD babies much like the head-positioner for premature babies. Of course, now there are stomach-positioners on the market! (More on those in another post.) How I wish we had some when our girls were infants!
3. "Shh-shh--shh" vs. The Darth Vader "Shhhhhhhhh"
I don't know why our nurse encouraged us to bounce the baby vigorously while breathing a fast-paced "Shh-shh-shh-shh." Not only does this quick-paced pattern not calm a GERD baby, it also makes you so dizzy you feel like you're going to pass out. I don't know anyone who would be calmed by this motion and noise. Newborns have the amazing potential to read our emotions, and since GERD babies are irritable and anxious to begin with, they don't need any extra tension to aggravate them.
Instead, think of Darth Vader. While holding your baby and gently patting her back, take a deep relaxing breath in...then let out a long "Shhhhhhhhhhh." Follow that repetition for as long as it takes. Deep breath. Darth Vader "Shhhhhhhhhh." Deep breath. Darth Vader "Shhhhhhhhhh."
It won't work instantly, but it will prevent you from passing out, and it will help to keep you calm and relaxed, which is essential for soothing a GERD baby.
4. The Swing vs. The Shoulder Snuggle
Everyone loves the mechanical swing. Parents can set the baby down, turn it on, and walk away. Instantly, the baby is soothed to sleep and the parents can do what they need to do, right? Not necessarily. The problem with the mechanical swing--and the car seat, for that matter--is that they create one of the worst positions for an acid reflux baby. Ever hear the stories of the colicky babies who were charmed by car rides, and if you could just keep your baby in the car seat all day long he would be happy? Ever wonder why your baby screams and cries in the car, so that even a five-minute drive across town becomes a harrowing nightmare, an accident waiting to happen for you, the driver?
Forcing the GERD baby into the seated position through car seats and mechanical swings creates pressure on the stomach and the lower esophageal sphincter, resulting in reflux. For this reason, one of the best places for a GERD baby to be is snuggled on someone's shoulder, for both physical and emotional reasons. Gently patting the baby's back or swaying from side to side may be all the vibration the baby needs. If white noise helps to calm the baby, turn on a fan or a white noise machine. One of my girls was calmed most effectively when she was snuggled over my shoulder and I was patting her in front of the dryer or the microwave vent. The pats, the position, the contact, and the noise all helped when nothing else would.
It's for this reason that a harness baby-carrier (like a Bjorn) is better for GERD babies than a shoulder sling. In the harness carrier, the baby's abdomen can be kept straight with gentle pressure from your body, whereas in a shoulder sling the baby's abdomen is scrunched up tight.
5. Swaddles vs. Stomach Bands
Swaddling is great until the reflux starts and your baby starts arching her back. Then her whole body goes rigid and she breaks out of the swaddle like a baby Hulk breaking out of restraining bands. The best advice here is just to clothe or wrap your baby in whatever seems most comfortable to her. Usually, warmth and gentle pressure to the tummy are most effective. I am impressed by the new "stomach bands" that are on the market now designed especially for GERD babies. These stomach bands look very much like the hernia belt or the belly-band for pregnant women. Some include warming devices that can be microwaved. I would be a little hesitant to use the warming device on the baby, though. I will take a closer look at the stomach bands in a future post, but for now, know that they are out there and talk with your pediatrician to see if they might be of benefit to you.
Monday, January 18, 2010
That Special Touch: the Importance of Massage and Exercises
Infant massage and physical exercises are gaining popularity as natural ways to help infants deal with gas, colic, and reflux. While these exercises have been around for centuries, it seems they have recently resurfaced among women and health practitioners who want to do things "naturally." In addition, I have found that pediatric physical therapists are often encouraging activities such as these due to the growing number of GERD babies requiring their services.
Some homeopathic experts and physical therapists also assert that abdominal massage and exercises can stimulate the vagus nerve, an important nerve that runs from the brainstem to the colon. If injured or imbalanced, this nerve can trigger a variety of GERD symptoms, including reflux, damage to the esophagus and the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), dysphonia (difficulty speaking), irritability, and asthma, in addition to a variety of other symptoms not usually associated with GERD. At one time, the primary surgical treatment of GERD was to remove the vagus nerve branches leading into the stomach. This procedure has since been replaced by other surgical options as well as non-invasive therapies such as medication and/or massage.
There is a number of massage techniques and exercises you can do with your infant. I found a few in particular seemed to work best with my girls: the clockwise massage circling the baby's belly button, the "I Love U" massage focusing gentle pressure on the left side of the baby's abdomen, and the "bicycling" exercise in which you gently pump your baby's legs. These exercises can be viewed in the following links.
I understand there are actual classes you can take not only to learn how to do these with your baby but also to become certified to teach them. I did not take an official class, and I am not certified to teach, so the only advice I am offering here is that of a mom who has seen the benefit these techniques have with GERD babies. Of course, they did not alleviate all of my girls' symptoms, but they did serve to lessen some of their discomfort, and if you are like me, you are willing to do anything to help your baby. I have recently re-implemented the massage with my girls at bedtime even though they are older because it seems to help them wind down and sleep through the night--two things with which they have always struggled.
Of course, these techniques may be used throughout the day as well. Because GERD infants sometimes have difficulty lying flat on their backs, you may want to place the baby in an inclined position for both the massage and exercises.
Herbalists often encourage using the essential oils of lavender and chamomile while doing infant massage. I have found any of the commercial baby lotions or oils with lavender and chamomile work equally well and save you a little pocket change, which may come in handy since having a GERD baby can run your bills up quickly. Recently, I discovered the Vick's Baby Rub with lavender and chamomile. This product is designed for babies 3 months and up. I wish it had been marketed when my girls were in the crucial period of their first 12 months of life, as I believe it may have helped not only with their massage, but also with the chronic congestion they encountered as the result of their reflux.
The four primary ways in which massage and exercises seem to help GERD babies are as follows:
1-They relax rigid muscles, strengthen the abdominal wall, and help expel gas which in turn reduces reflux.
2-The use of herbs such as chamomile and lavender during massage seem to have an "aromatherapy" effect, enabling the baby to calm and relax.
3-The bonding touch of parent-to-child is particularly important with GERD babies because they are so often irritable and fussy.
4-For babies who do better with added rice formulas, constipation can be a problem--and can worsen reflux. The massage and exercises can help to loosen their bowels. In fact, I found a sure-fire way to stimulate a bowel movement in my constipated baby was to do the infant massage while she was in a warm bath. (Inevitably, we would end up with a few floaters!)
Some homeopathic experts and physical therapists also assert that abdominal massage and exercises can stimulate the vagus nerve, an important nerve that runs from the brainstem to the colon. If injured or imbalanced, this nerve can trigger a variety of GERD symptoms, including reflux, damage to the esophagus and the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), dysphonia (difficulty speaking), irritability, and asthma, in addition to a variety of other symptoms not usually associated with GERD. At one time, the primary surgical treatment of GERD was to remove the vagus nerve branches leading into the stomach. This procedure has since been replaced by other surgical options as well as non-invasive therapies such as medication and/or massage.
There is a number of massage techniques and exercises you can do with your infant. I found a few in particular seemed to work best with my girls: the clockwise massage circling the baby's belly button, the "I Love U" massage focusing gentle pressure on the left side of the baby's abdomen, and the "bicycling" exercise in which you gently pump your baby's legs. These exercises can be viewed in the following links.
Infant massage video from "The Pregnancy Show" (Clockwise massage and "I Love U")
Infant exercises for gas/colic/reflux (Bicycling)
I understand there are actual classes you can take not only to learn how to do these with your baby but also to become certified to teach them. I did not take an official class, and I am not certified to teach, so the only advice I am offering here is that of a mom who has seen the benefit these techniques have with GERD babies. Of course, they did not alleviate all of my girls' symptoms, but they did serve to lessen some of their discomfort, and if you are like me, you are willing to do anything to help your baby. I have recently re-implemented the massage with my girls at bedtime even though they are older because it seems to help them wind down and sleep through the night--two things with which they have always struggled.
Of course, these techniques may be used throughout the day as well. Because GERD infants sometimes have difficulty lying flat on their backs, you may want to place the baby in an inclined position for both the massage and exercises.
Herbalists often encourage using the essential oils of lavender and chamomile while doing infant massage. I have found any of the commercial baby lotions or oils with lavender and chamomile work equally well and save you a little pocket change, which may come in handy since having a GERD baby can run your bills up quickly. Recently, I discovered the Vick's Baby Rub with lavender and chamomile. This product is designed for babies 3 months and up. I wish it had been marketed when my girls were in the crucial period of their first 12 months of life, as I believe it may have helped not only with their massage, but also with the chronic congestion they encountered as the result of their reflux.
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