Swallowing problem?

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Permalink Reply by Rebecca on September 12, 2008 at 8:40

Hi there, it sounds as though it is definitely linked to the reflux. Liam used to do a lot of coughing and gagging and really not eating his solids as he just held them in his mouth. This has all improved enormously as he has been growing out of his reflux. Try and make sure the purees etc are really smooth and I was advised by the Speech and lang therapist not to try and progress to lumpier food as it is bad for reflux - and, as you know, bad for the coughing. Liam is still on pretty smooth purees now at ten months, but can eat toast and pieces of ripe fruit so he really has improved an awful lot - so I think you will get there. It does sound as though it would be useful to get a referral to a Speech and lang therapist and/or a specialist paed. so you can get some more advice. You don't want your daughter to keep coughing and gagging all the time or she might get a negative association with food and not want to eat - which is what happened to us with bottles.

Liam has also been a pretty noisy breather - worse after meals, but he also has had a cleft palate - mended and now re-opened a little bit- so I think this also contributes.

Rebecca

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Permalink Reply by sharon on September 12, 2008 at 18:12

yep that is definately reflux, zoe is now 18mths old and the symptoms you describe the ruckle in the throat is what Zoe had from birth but no one paid attention to it said it was normal, ie gp's and hv's, some babies have this, so you are lucky to be diagnosed and be on omeprazole. What dose is your daughter on? is she on any other meds and on any special diet ie dairy free diet? Zoe wasn't actually diagnosed as having reflux until she was 11mths old because of the lovely health care system fobbing us off, she had a barium meal and just as she was turning 1yr old was put on meds. Good luck. Sharon x

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Permalink Reply by Lesley on September 12, 2008 at 20:12

Hi!

We were prescribed Gaviscon early on reluctantly by a GP initally as the HV picked up that it was reflux. I never thought the Gaviscon did a lot and when the volume of milk she was having increased the symtoms just got worse and worse despite following advice (keeping upright etc). I went to see a different GP and took my husband as my sanity was pushed to the limit as nothing would comfort her. This GP actually listened and contacted a pediatrician straight away and on their advice he prescribed 5mgs Omeprazole. This worked straight away! We were advised not to change her diet!

The problem now is that he was advised to only prescribe it until she was weaned as they think the problem disappears then! I had an idea myself that would not be the case. We have just given her a trial without the meds for 2 weeks and the symptoms still remain on solids. I made the mistake of trying her with a tomato based sauce and she just screamed! So I need to go back and hopefully he will continue it or refer us to a pediatrician.

We are lucky that our hv is supportive!

Lesley x

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