Reflux in babies

Reflux is when milk or food from your child’s stomach comes back up into their food pipe (oesophagus) or mouth. The food pipe is a long tube of muscle that runs from the mouth to the stomach.

The medical name for reflux is gastro-oesophageal reflux, or 'GOR'.

Reflux is very common and happens for a lot of pēpi. Reflux doesn’t usually need any tests or medical treatments.

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Milk and food in the stomach is more likely to come back up into a baby's food pipe and mouth because: 

• the muscles (sphincter) between a baby's stomach and food pipe are less well developed
• young pēpi drink milk – it's easier for milk to reflux than solid food
• pēpi spend more time lying down. 

Pēpi often bring up milk during or shortly after feeding. This is sometimes called spilling or reflux and is different to vomiting. Reflux is effortless. Vomiting is forceful.

You might hear your baby burp, belch or swallow hard. Most reflux is swallowed back into the stomach. Sometimes reflux comes all the way back up into your baby's mouth. Reflux doesn't usually harm your baby and is unlikely to cause problems later on in life.

Although it can be very distressing to parents, reflux usually gets better by itself.

Reflux usually begins before pēpi are 8 weeks old and can get worse until they are about 4 months of age. Most pēpi get better before they are 1 year of age. This happens because pēpi are spending more time sitting and standing by this age. They are also eating more solid foods.

A very small number of pēpi continue to have symptoms after the toddler period.

Reflux can be upsetting for parents. It's natural to be worried that something is wrong.

There are a number of simple steps you can take that may help you and your baby:

• Take your time with feeds and try to stay calm and relaxed.
• Burp or ‘wind’ your baby with feeding.
• Don't force them to take more milk than they want – some pēpi feed small amounts often.
• If you're bottle feeding, check that the flow of milk is not too fast – giving milk too quickly can make reflux worse.
• Hold your baby upright for a short time after feeding.

Remember, if your baby brings up a lot of milk, they may be hungry again quite quickly. If that happens, you might need to feed them again sooner than usual.

Is there anything else I should do about reflux?

For most pēpi, you don't have to do anything about reflux. It's a natural process that will get better by itself.

Changing formulas won't help the reflux and neither will changing from breastfeeding to bottle feeding.

Reach out for support

If you are struggling to feed your baby or feel like they're not settling well after feeds, it's important to reach out for support. Talk to a whānau member or trusted friend. You can also contact PlunketLine(external link) and Healthline(external link) for free advice and support.

See your healthcare provider urgently if:

• you are worried
• the reflux becomes forceful
• the reflux is green or dark yellow
• you see blood in the reflux
• there are changes in your baby that you are not sure about
• the reflux carries on after your baby turns 1
• you are getting very distressed about feeding your baby.

Reflux won't normally cause other problems.

In a very small number of pēpi, reflux can lead to medical problems. In this case, your baby might have gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).

A baby with GORD may have:

• long or frequent periods of irritability and crying
• blood visible in the reflux
• back arching after feeds
• poor sleep
• poor weight gain
• a long-lasting cough or wheezy breathing
• repeated chest infections.

If you are worried about any of these signs, see your healthcare provider. They will discuss with you whether your baby needs any tests or treatments.