Name: Hetal

its unlikely that zantac will cure GERD.
Your dr has prescribed this antiacid for a month only because he wants to be sure enough thats its GERD and no other possblity.zantac will eliminate ne other possbilty if something in diet has caused this inflamtn or ne intolerance or ne other cause.
what ST suggested about therapist will work only if your child is having any of the below problem as recommended by AOTA,,
1. bith injuries or defects.
2. sensory processing/integrative disorders.
3.traumatic injuries related to brain or spinal cord.
4. Learning problems, motorskill problems.
5.Austism, pervasive developmental disorders
6. juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
7. Mental health or behavioral problems, developmental delays above warming signs.
8. post surgical conditions, burns, traumatic amputations, cancer, severe injuries which lead to prolong bed rest and multiple sclerosis, celebral palsy and other chronic illnesses....
9. mental retardatn,lower IQ and slow developemnt.

since i dont see ne of above going with your child, or that you have not mentioned about it,,,,it is unlikely that occupational therapist will benefit your child...,,unless your child is doing this on purpose or is gettng in habit of this ! again it is unlikely to happen for 1-2year old age range.
if the baby does not recover from reflux at 1 year as expected by dr and continues having signs of complications like vomitng and continuous reflux,,,,it is likely that he might be having GERD..
if your toddler does not respond to zantac your dr will further do the test for GERD which includes Upper GI series Xrays,Endoscopy,Esophageal PH Probe.,,

there are other factrs responsible as well...lifestlye, food habits and for some its related to psychological factrs or environmental factrs...,,its quite not understood why the spinctr malfunctns,,,its only understood that it does not work properly !

here are some tips to avoid reflux or vomitng and might soothe him :

1. i am not sure of the country you are staying but there is a pillow that helps alleviate the night-time symptoms of Acid Reflux, GERD, Sleep Apnea, Lung Diseases, and Snoring in young children...
you can call 1877-449-1888 from USA and ask them about the details..it has given successful results...i am not sure if it still exists,,but when i was studying,,it used to be no1 for gerd and lung diseases...
alternately, you can make him sleep elevated,,,thru out the night
almost upto 35-45degree angle(prop some blankets below his head rest and some other pillows/blankets below his legs),,so that contents of stomach remains in stomach ! it will serve the purpose without spending big $$$.

2. Mini meals will work for child to avoid reflux..so you are doing it right !

3. avoid offering ne foods atleast 2-3hours before good night sleep ! this will allow him to settle !

4. avoid ne food that has carbonated drinks, chocolate, caffeine, High in fat or contains citrus fruits or has lots of oils and spices.

5. avoid eating out for your toddler,,feed him well or take his food alongwith you.it will help.taking cool water bottle will also help..make sure to keep him well hydrated and avoid outside water//open water,,,instead prefer bottled water or mineral water !

6. offer your child cool water as many times a day, as required,,say 1-2oz every 1-2hours,,it will give him cooling effect to his sore esophageal passage.

now the diet part.

1.. foods that does not cause reflux or may soothe your child or let me say might not aggrevate the current health conditions of
your child reflux are:
Fruits : fresh apples, dried apples, apple juice(offer it cool), and banana(ripe)
vegetables : baked/with skin potato or sweet potato, boiled brocolli, boiled carrots, boiled green beans, boiled peas and cooked cabbage.
meats include ground beef,look for extra lean ones, chicken breast(without skin), egg whites, egg substitutes,and baked fish without ne fats,,
dairy include, cheese - feta or goat cheese only,,cream cheese that is fatfree,fat free sourcream and soy cheese(low fat)..
grains include : multigrain or white bread/flour,oatmeal, brans or cereals(dry for snacks),,corn breads,,graham crackers(in
US) or ne biscuits that does not have too many enrinched flours or butter/ghee.., brown or white rice(indian brand sona masoori), or rice
cakes,,fats or oils,,use as little as possble or look for low fat sunflower oil.

2. food that you can use but in moderation or lemme say its better if you avoid as much as possible are :
all the berries, grapes or citrus/oranges,lemon, tomatoes,,,,,i would say avoid these as much as you can ! garlic,onions, leeks, or ne onion family,,meats to avoid arre lean ground
beef,,chicken fried or whole with skin, eggs with ne fat or yolks,,fried fish or tuna,,beef or pork or ham,,avoid any milk or offer in moderation,,opt for fat free, skimmed milk or 1% milk ! avoid ne additives wat so ever..,,avoid cottage or cheddar or mozzarela cheeses, or yogurts,,avoid tomato based gravies for your child and mashed potatoes recipe(with cheese or ne fat,),,ne version of pastas has to be avoided,,esp the ones with enriched semolina flour..look for multigrain ones.

some other tips that can help :
1. offer her cool cumin water(instead of plain water,,boil water around 3-4cups and put 1/4thtsp of cumin pwder),let it become lukewarm and offer it cool temp(not cold) and see if it gives any effect in longer run. try for a week and see if it helps..it will NOT aggrevate that i can assure you.

2. for ne reflux child,,sore throat, common colds, and ear infections often start becoming routine as and when the reflux gets severe,,keeping the nasals clean, making sure that mucus is out of body,,,lots of liquid in diet will ensure proper flushing of ent passges will avoid these situations..keep your child sleep in upright position to avoid nasal blockages...

whenvver reflux occurs or child vomits,,offer cool plain water, a couple sip to settle the rest, or 1 icechip(icepiece small/.tiny),,so that the soreness is taken care of at once and it settles the inflamatn.

3. after meals for atleast first 30-40mins,,,make sure that your child avoids bending forward, sleeping positions and lifting heavy objects or overstimulation or ne physical activity that might trigger fast breathng,,might give a bad reflux.

so thats all i have for you and is in my reach! hope this helps,,you can accordingly plan his diet from the websites that are listed in neetu's post,,with the ingrediants that are right for your child...i also recommnd you to visit gerd dot com/org (not sure its been a while i visitd that site) for all the rest of the details, forums and such other support groups.

make sure that reflux does not aggrevate or else it might cause permanent damage to esophagus and it might worsen the situation. i would strongly recommend you to consult a Child Nutritionist so that you get proper timely suggestions from her on weekly basis and i am sure it will help !

when nothin works out right, there is only one thing that keeps us going..its Hope and our belief in god,,so believe in it ! thats what has always helped me and i strongly believe that it will help you too.

a very good luck to you !
take care.

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