IS IT JUST REFLUX OR GER OR GERD?

In this fortnightly column, renowned pediatrician Dr Anupam Sibal helps young parents resolve dilemmas

- DR ANUPAM SIBAL

My four-month-old baby spits up milk often after feeds. Sometimes she seems uncomfortable and cries a lot. Could this be just reflux or something serious like GERD?

Gastrooesophageal reflux (GER) is a common, often harmless condition where stomach contents flow back up into the oesophagus or food pipe. This causes spitting up and regurgitation — when milk or food returns to the throat or mouth. GER happens in babies because the ring-shaped muscle, at the bottom of the oesophagus, the lower oesophageal sphincter (LES) is not fully developed. In some babies, the LES relaxes too often or doesn’t close properly, thus allowing milk, formula, and acid from the stomach to flow back up into the oesophagus. This reflux can cause irritation and discomfort, and sometimes result in vomiting as well.

GER is common in babies in the first two years of life. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic and more severe form of reflux, where stomach contents flow back into the oesophagus, leading to discomfort that can potentially lead to complications. Unlike GER, GERD is more severe and long-lasting, often causing troublesome symptoms such as heartburn, chronic cough, feeding difficulties and poor weight gain.