Parent Resources

Why is infant reflux sometimes dismissed? Dr. Jennifer Harris explains the difference between reflux and GERD, and why individualized care matters.

Is your baby's reflux caused by an allergy, immature digestion, or something else? Dr. Jennifer Harris explains the possible causes of infant reflux and why identifying contributing factors matters.

By Dr. Jennifer Harris Your baby has finally been prescribed medication for reflux. You hoped this would be the turning point. But days—or perhaps weeks—later, your baby is still crying, arching, refusing feeds or waking uncomfortable. Maybe the medication seemed to help initially but gradually stopped working. Or perhaps you're seeing absolutely no difference at all. Parents often reach this point feeling incredibly discouraged. “If reflux is the problem, why isn't the reflu

By Dr. Jennifer Harris Your baby is hungry. They eagerly latch onto the breast or bottle and begin to eat. Then, sometimes only seconds or minutes later, everything changes. They pull away. They arch their back. They cry. They turn their head. Maybe they take the nipple again because they're clearly still hungry—only to pull away and become upset all over again. For parents, this pattern can be incredibly confusing. If my baby is hungry, why won't they eat? The answer isn't a

By Dr. Jennifer Harris Feeding aversion doesn't always begin with a baby completely refusing the breast or bottle. Often, the earliest signs are much more subtle. Your baby might suddenly start turning their head away halfway through a feed. Perhaps they take an ounce or two eagerly and then stop. You may find yourself walking around the room, bouncing, singing or turning on the television just to persuade them to keep drinking. Maybe feeding works beautifully when they're sl

By Dr. Jennifer Harris Spit-up is practically synonymous with babies. For many infants, milk coming back up after a feed is messy but harmless. They eat comfortably, grow well and seem completely unfazed by the milk running down their chin. But for some babies, reflux looks very different. Feeding may be painful. They may arch, cry or repeatedly pull away from the breast or bottle. They may begin refusing feeds altogether. Sleep can become difficult, and parents can find them

By Dr. Jennifer Harris If your baby refuses the breast or bottle while awake but suddenly feeds much more easily when sleepy or asleep, you may be feeling confused—and probably exhausted. Parents often describe carefully timing feeds around naps, waiting until their baby is almost asleep before offering a bottle, dream feeding throughout the night, or gently trying to keep their baby asleep long enough to finish a feed. Sometimes this begins gradually. Your baby might initial

By Dr. Jennifer Harris If your baby seems uncomfortable during or after feeds but rarely spits up, you may have wondered whether silent reflux could be the reason. Perhaps your baby arches their back, pulls away from feeds, coughs or clears their throat, seems uncomfortable when laid flat, or wants to eat but repeatedly stops after taking only a small amount. Parents are sometimes told that reflux cannot be the problem because their baby isn't visibly spitting up. But reflux