Infant Acid Reflux Diagnosis

Screening and diagnosis of infant acid reflux is required by the doctor if there is a suspicion of a serious condition. It's based on the severity of the baby's symptoms and physical examination. And for such cases the tests may include;;

Lab test;; Here the baby's urine and blood samples undergo varied tests to determine any other possible cause of recurring vomiting and weight gain. Esophageal Ph monitoring; Here a tiny tube is inserted through the baby's mouth or nose to detect the acid level in the esophagus. The tube is attached to a device that detects the acidity level.

For this procedure a baby may be required to be in the hospital for next 24 hours. This helps to find if disturbances in sleep, irritability etc are caused by the acidity in the baby's esophagus. Upper GI series;; In this case a series of X-rays called upper gastrointestinal [GI] series are performed to rule out the problem or obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract.

The baby is given to drink a white chalky liquid called barium that provides a clear picture of the X-rays of any problem area by creating a coat around the stomach.

Upper endoscopy;; To rule out or detect the problem in the esophagus as inflammation [esophagitis] or narrowing [stricture] a special tube is inserted by the doctors through the baby's mouth to reach the small intestine via esophagus and the stomach. The tube is also attached with a camera and light. Any sample to be tested is also taken with the help of this procedure. Upper endoscopy is done under general anesthesia for the baby.