Treatment for GER depends on the type and severity of the symptoms. In babies, doctors sometimes suggest thickening the formula or breast milk with up to 1 tablespoon of oat cereal to reduce reflux. Making sure the baby is in a vertical position (seated or held upright) during feedings can also help.
Older kids often get relief by avoiding foods and drinks that seem to trigger GER symptoms, including:
citrus fruits
chocolate
food and drinks with caffeine
fatty and fried foods
garlic and onions
spicy foods
tomato-based foods and sauces
peppermint
Doctors may recommend raising the head of a child's bed 6 to 8 inches to minimize reflux that happens at night. They also may try to address other conditions that can contribute to GER symptoms, including obesity and certain medicines - and in teens, smoking and alcohol use.
If these measures don't help relieve the symptoms, the doctor may also prescribe medicine, such as H2 blockers, which can help block the production of stomach acid, or proton pump inhibitors, which reduce the amount of acid the stomach produces.
Medications called prokinetics are sometimes used to reduce the number of reflux episodes by helping the lower esophageal sphincter muscle work better and the stomach empty faster.
In rare cases, when medical treatment alone doesn't help and a child is failing to grow or develops other complications, a surgical procedure called fundoplication might be an option. This involves creating a valve at the top of the stomach by wrapping a portion of the stomach around the esophagus.