What is silent reflux?

Silent reflux in infants is exactly the same as infant reflux minus the spitting up. When an infant refluxes silently the stomach contents travel up the throat but the infant is able to swallow it back down again before it actually comes out. This means the stomach acid burns on the trip up the throat and on the trip back down. Silent reflux in infants is not as obvious because there is no actual spitting up, which makes it much harder to detect.

Silent reflux can sometimes be more damaging because it can sit in the oesophagus longer.

Some babies with silent reflux will feed as a means of soothing their pain, so they may not have issues with their weight like other reflux babies do. This can further delay diagnosis and treatment as the problem is sometimes overlooked.

Medical intervention is often necessary and the same complications can arise as in other forms of reflux. The doctor may prescribe Zantac or Losec.

Your baby may suddenly start crying while feeding, or after the feed, without any other obvious cause for the crying, or they may grimace, or make a screwed up face like they are tasting something bad. They may be.

You may notice any of the other signs of reflux apart from the obvious one; vomiting. Sometimes you may hear the baby reflux, or see them swallow repeatedly, and see no evidence of it.

Symptoms of silent reflux in infants

Your baby may exhibit only some of these symptoms:

• poor weight gain, weight loss, failure to thrive
• gulping with a painful look on the face
• sour breath, wet sounding burps
• persistent or chronic cough
• frequent hiccups
• sudden burst of painful crying
• painful wakeups from sleep or poor sleeping habits
• poor feeding habits, possible feeding aversions
• neck or back arching during or after feeding
• excessive fussiness, crying or colic
• demands to be carried constantly
• refusing food or accepting only a few bites despite being hungry or the exact opposite requiring constant small meals or liquid
• food/oral aversions
• anaemia
• excessive drooling
• running nose, sinus infections
• gagging themselves with their fingers or fist (sign of oesophagi tis)
• chronic hoarse voice
• frequent red, sore throat without infection present
• apnoea
• chronic ear infections
• respiratory problems—pneumonia, bronchitis, wheezing, asthma, night-time cough, aspiration
• erosion of dental enamel