Reflux is when a baby brings up milk, or is sick, during or shortly after feeding
It's very common and usually gets better on its own
It typically starts before 8 weeks old and improves by around age 1
Some babies show signs of reflux without actually bringing up milk — known as silent reflux
Most babies with reflux don't need to see a doctor if they're happy, healthy and gaining weight
About Reflux
Reflux is when a baby brings up milk, or is sick, during or shortly after a feed. It's very common and usually gets better by itself, typically starting before 8 weeks old and settling down by the time a baby turns 1.
Symptoms of reflux include bringing up milk or being sick during or just after feeding, coughing or hiccupping while feeding, being unsettled during feeds, swallowing or gulping after burping or feeding, crying and struggling to settle, or not gaining weight because they're not keeping enough food down. Some babies show signs of reflux without actually bringing anything back up — this is known as silent reflux.
Page last reviewed: 6 March 2024 · Next review due: 6 March 2027
Reflux · Easing It
Things You Can Try, and When to Get Help
? 5 min readReviewed: March 2024
What Can Help
It's common for a baby under 1 to bring up a little milk during or just after a feed without being distressed, and they don't usually need to see a doctor as long as they're happy, healthy, and gaining weight. If reflux does seem to be bothering your baby, it can help to ask a health visitor for advice, check your breastfeeding position or bottle-feeding technique, hold your baby upright during feeds and for as long as possible afterwards, burp them regularly during feeds, and make sure they sleep flat on their back rather than on their side or front. It's best not to raise the head of their cot or Moses basket.
?? See a GP if your baby:
Isn't improving despite trying things to ease reflux; develops reflux for the first time after 6 months old; is over 1 and still has reflux; or isn't gaining weight, or is losing weight.
?? Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if your baby:
Has vomit that's green or yellow, or contains blood; is projectile vomiting (being sick with unusual force); has blood in their poo; has a swollen or tender tummy; has a very high temperature, or feels hot, cold or shivery; keeps being sick and can't keep fluids down; has diarrhoea lasting over a week, or shows signs of dehydration; won't stop crying and seems very distressed; or is refusing to feed. Also contact a GP or 111 for any other concerns about your baby.
Page last reviewed: 6 March 2024 · Next review due: 6 March 2027
Reflux · Treatment
Treatment and Causes
? 4 min readReviewed: March 2024
Treatment Options
A GP or specialist may want to rule out a cow's milk allergy first, since symptoms can look very similar to reflux. If there's no sign of an allergy, they may suggest treatments for reflux itself. For formula-fed babies, this might include a thickening powder mixed into the formula, or a pre-thickened formula milk. If thickening doesn't help, or your baby is breastfed, a GP or specialist might recommend medicine that eases the distress of reflux and reduces stomach acid production.
Very rarely, surgery may be needed to strengthen the muscle that stops milk travelling back up, though this is usually only considered after other options have been tried, or if reflux is particularly severe.
What Causes Reflux
Reflux usually happens because the ring of muscle at the top of a baby's stomach, where it meets the food pipe, is still weak, allowing milk to come back up easily. This muscle strengthens as a baby gets older, which is why reflux usually stops on its own over time.
Page last reviewed: 6 March 2024 · Next review due: 6 March 2027
