Question
I don’t know what’s going on, but my child has been very disobedient lately, crying and fussing all the time. We’ve gone to the hospital and had checks done, but nothing seems to help. What should I do about my baby’s coughing due to milk reflux?
Answer
The opening of the esophagus and the opening of the trachea are connected at the throat. The biggest fear during spitting up is that milk may reflux from the esophagus into the throat and accidentally enter the airway during inhalation, which is what we refer to as milk reflux. Persistent dry heaves may be the baby’s way of signaling discomfort to the parents. Dry heaves can occur from a few days after birth to several years of age. While occasional dry heaves are relatively normal, if a baby has more than four dry heaves a day or if it has been going on for one or two weeks, parents should be on high alert and it’s best to take the child to the hospital for treatment.