Do you think doctors overdiagnose reflux?

Smittenkitten05 · June 2009

It seems like every 3rd baby on here has reflux meds. Do you think it's that common?

Lachins26 · June 2009

I dont if its that commom but I do feel like DS might not have had reflux but was diagnosed with it. But he didn't get put on meds, just better formula

monkeysmommy · June 2009

My doctor told me that it isn't common in babies and some dr do over diagnose it. It took us three months and Colton loosing 2 lbs to get him on meds.

Mrs.Beans · June 2009

They may be too quick to prescribe meds, but our pedi told us that just about every baby has reflux to some degree - some it's manageable and doesn't bother them, others have all the throwing up and pain.

Mrs.Beans · June 2009

monkeysmommy:
My doctor told me that it isn't common in babies and some dr do over diagnose it.

Haha, wow - talk about diverging opinions in the medical community!

Crazycrustacean · June 2009

Our pedi told us that every baby has reflux to some extent. Some babies have it worse than others. He said having to need medications is not common.?

M wasn't diagnosed with reflux until 3 months old & when she went on the meds, she was a different baby and it was wonderful. ?

Cytina · June 2009

I've often wondered this myself. I'm not saying the babies don't actually have reflux - but why do so many babies have it? I don't recall it being a big issue even a few years back... Is it just one of those things that the doctors are more aware of now?

Cec07 · June 2009

I don't think it is over diagnosed. Babies are born with immature digestive systems. Ds had/has reflux but it was never bad enough to be on meds.

I do think that reading it all the time on these boards leads some people to think their lo has it when they don't.

monkeysmommy · June 2009

Mrs.Beans:

monkeysmommy:
My doctor told me that it isn't common in babies and some dr do over diagnose it.

Haha, wow - talk about diverging opinions in the medical community!

Yea, he is super old school!! It took forever to get any meds from him.

Jb&Jb · June 2009

Cytina:
I've often wondered this myself. I'm not saying the babies don't actually have reflux - but why do so many babies have it? I don't recall it being a big issue even a few years back... Is it just one of those things that the doctors are more aware of now?

I may be wrong, but I believe it was chalked up to colic commonly in the past.

Smittenkitten05 · June 2009

Cec07:

I do think that reading it all the time on these boards leads some people to think their lo has it when they don't.

I see so many posts on different boards where people say "my normally happy/easy baby is fussing, could this be reflux?" Babies go through fussy phases for a million different reasons; I don't think it is always reflux related.

ljc · June 2009

I think in the past they just thought it was collic. My dr. originally thought it was collic, but was willing to try meds (my sisters kids had reflux so I pushed a bit). My dd was a totally different baby after getting the meds. It made all the difference in her (and me!).

Cytina · June 2009

Jb&Jb:

Cytina:
I've often wondered this myself. I'm not saying the babies don't actually have reflux - but why do so many babies have it? I don't recall it being a big issue even a few years back... Is it just one of those things that the doctors are more aware of now?

I may be wrong, but I believe it was chalked up to colic commonly in the past.

That makes sense. I hadn't thought about that. Thanks!

punkfiction · June 2009

my mom went to the pedi with us once for aidan when she was a few months old. we were giggling about my bad colic and he said "oh man, now a days thats just reflux, we get some meds, and its over". my mom wanted to cry thinking about how many nights i puked from one end of the room to the other. and how many times she changed her clothes at night.

kipper1128 · June 2009

Perhaps, but it's better than "colic" = your baby just screams to scream.

exhausted_bride · June 2009

I don't know. I have a friend who just had a baby and they diagnosed reflux. She's very hesitant to put him on meds and our babies symptoms are completely opposite, so not sure how he has it (although not all symptoms are not the same, I know that.) I do know that DS had it, no doubt about it. He couldn't get through a bottle without arching his back and screaming in pain. Meds did help him and when he outgrew his dosage, his symptoms would come back until we increased the dose. But he has grown out of it since starting solids and is now off meds.

gobigblue · June 2009

i think it's over diagnosed. they diagnosed my DD w/ it and that was not the problem. she was just a fussy newborn. period. i believe the dr was trying to give us an answer and just threw out refluxt. we did the whole zantac thing and that was no help at all. the only thing that helped was time. she was almost a new baby overnight around 6-7 wks.

chrisnj0614 · June 2009

Yes and no. I think parents push it because their baby spits up, so docs prescribe meds to shut them up.

For me, the doctor would not prescribe drugs until I could prove that Colin's VOMITING (not spit up) actually hurt him. Yeah, I proved it, but a little late. By the time he got under control his sleep habits were already destroyed and he didn't gain weight for 2 months.

chrisnj0614 · June 2009

And I did have reflux as a newborn (1979). I was put on meds (back then they weren't reflux meds, but narcotics, LOL). They made me sleep A LOT. I didn't hold down any food whatsoever.

exhausted_bride · June 2009

chrisnj0614:

Yes and no. I think parents push it because their baby spits up, so docs prescribe meds to shut them up.

For me, the doctor would not prescribe drugs until I could prove that Colin's VOMITING (not spit up) actually hurt him. Yeah, I proved it, but a little late. By the time he got under control his sleep habits were already destroyed and he didn't gain weight for 2 months.

Really? What about silent reflux? DS didn't spit up with his reflux until after he was on meds....

skoorbnibor · June 2009

Over dx, no cause all babies have a bit of reflux. But WAY over medicate. Meds are only needed if baby is not gaining or in pain

Luckystar2 · June 2009

I agree with pp that it was probably just attributed to colic in the past. As others have said all babies do have reflux to a degree it just depends on how severe if it causes a problem.

We actually just blamed colic and kept assuming it was that. We didn't get DD on meds until 4 months and I am still mad that we waited that long. I actually kept thinking, oh...fussiness is blamed on reflux too much. But she spit up all the time and was constantly fussy. Once she got on meds it made a big difference. DD is still a fussy kid by nature, but reflux had a big part to do with that.

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