I don't know about over-diagnosis- my second baby (now 17) had reflux and it made her first six months the worst of my life. I'd had a perfectly normal time with my first baby, he was unsettled like most and woke at night until over 12 months but I considered that that was normal and looked forward to my second child with pleasure and anticipation.
It was a nightmare- not hte birth, that was fine, but from about 3 weeks of age she screamed constantly, vomitted even while attached to the breast, never slept for more than 10 minutes at a time day or night- no one understood how terrible it was, she was obviously in pain, poor mite; my toddler was seriously shortchanged because how can you leave a child who is shrieking with pain to go and play with the other one. Just things like the carpet (whole house was carpeted, even the kitchen) being simply filthy from her constant vomiting, which was not projectile but which managed to defeat the towels etc I had strategically placed. The crying got me down dreadfully, this was nothing like I'd experienced with my first child. There was just no way to soothe her. I still have a colour chart I filled out at that time, showing her behaviour in ten minute slots over a week to show the baby health sister- red for unsettled, blue for feeding, green for sleeping etc. That sounds excessive but truly, I felt I needed evidence for people to believe me; they said things like, Oh yes it's difficult with two, in a patronising way as if it was just me not coping with an unsettled baby when I knew it was more than that. We tried all the normal things, positioning, Early childhood centre, paediatrician, medication, nothing worked. Although she was fully breastfed she had the most atrocious constipation, stools like pieces of chalk that had to be drawn out when half expelled because she couldn't get it out. Finally I went to a homeopathic dr and whatever he gave her (smelt like pure alcohol but I was desperate enough to try anything!) fixed the pain overnight. She still vomitted and still was very wakeful but without the constant crying and pain behaviour it was so much easier to cope with. I'd been told it would probably get better when she was standing up and it did, over about a week all the vomitting etc stopped and life became about a thousand times easier. So I think that 'reflux' is very different from 'unsettled baby' but after what I went through I'd be inclined to give any mother who said her baby had reflux the benefit of the doubt, and the offer of a little help. Monica ----- Original Message ----- From: Helen and Graham To: ozmidwifery Sent: Saturday, February 03, 2007 9:22 AM Subject: [ozmidwifery] Reflux Just found this article whilst surfing the net. I feel anecdotally that both reflux and colic are overdiagnosed. I am a midwife but not a MCH nurse. If it is so common maybe it IS a normal variation......what do you think about it? It just seems to me that some people aren't happy until they have a label and a medicine to treat it with when they have an "unsettled" baby. Maybe I am being too simplistic about this subject. Interested in the thoughts of some of our online listers. Helen http://www.bubhub.com.au/newsletterdec0601.shtml Reflux is so common it is almost seen as 'normal', or even trivial, and most people just don't understand how difficult life can be for many families, or understand the impact reflux can have on their lives! They may think of it erroneously as 'just a bit of vomiting', or 'just a behavioural issue'. They don't see how it impacts on the child's eating, sleeping, growth, behaviour or quality of life; or on the family's quality of life, relationships between partners, siblings or other children; finances; and even leisure time. The truth is, only families who have experienced it for themselves really understand. Many families: a.. Have difficulty getting people to believe just how bad the vomiting and/or the screaming really are b.. receive conflicting and confusing advice c.. become socially isolated d.. feel like failures as parents e.. have family and friends who just didn't understand Even when a baby is suffering from relatively uncomplicated reflux, families often need reassurance, and enjoy talking to someone who understands. For the families whose infants suffer complications, it is even more important that they can talk to other parents, and have the support, reassurance and understanding they need to get through this stressful experience
