Infantreflux.org | barium swallow and ultrasound

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August 19, 2006 at 8:55 pm #11652

Anonymous
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Our ped has ordered these for my 8-week-old son. We are doing them Monday morning. Only bad thing is I have to withhold food from him for 3-4 hours. Gonna be really fun driving in rush hour traffic to the disagnostic center with him screaming in his car seat. Anyone else done this and have any ideas to make it easier on him?

Also, I hope this helps get us some answers. He still spits up all the time – even an hour or two after feeds and even when we have propped him for a half hour. He spits up when we change him, he spits up when we hand him from one parent to the other, whenever we swaddle him. Virtually whenever we do anything but lay him on his tummy. And it doesn’t just leak out – it comes up with some force, like someone down in his tummy is blowing it up and out through a straw.

Today he spit up and it seemed semi-projectile. Not across the room or anything but it did go out and with some force. He is peeing and pooping a good bit so I don’t think it’s pyloric stenosis but I guess we’ll find out. Were these tests helpful for anyone else?

Lois Lane

August 19, 2006 at 8:56 pm #11653

Anonymous
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does he maybe have DGE?

August 19, 2006 at 9:13 pm #11654

Anonymous
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We had a an upper GI. It was helpful in that at least we found out that she didn’t have an esophageal fistula. When you say a barium swallow, do you mean an upper GI or a modified barium swallow? I would guess the first after hearing your son’s symptoms. I assume that your doc is looking to rule out pyloric stenosis (as you mentioned) so hopefully you’ll find out that everything looks like it should. Good luck. As for the fasting, it has always been a non-issue for us, since Hailey has a feeding aversion. With my older one, we’d try to get her to fall asleep in the car when she was younger so that she forgot she was hungry, and as she got older, we’d bring lots of distractions for the car, and if possible, another person to keep her busy. Good luck.

August 19, 2006 at 9:39 pm #11656

hellbennt
Keymaster

is he formula fed or breast fed? I’ve heard of moms contacting the TECH person at the hospital (don’t know how you’d do this…but it is do-able) who will be preforming the test and ask her/him directly just exactly how long you have to with hold food from your baby…I ask about breast fed bcse breast milk digests faster & I’ve read that some mamas are told they don’t have to with hold a feeding as long as they were told they have to…worth looking into…

August 19, 2006 at 10:26 pm #11659

Anonymous
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This brings back memories of us driving an 11/2 hours to our appointment for a gastric emptying study. We had to withold food for about that long. We went in rush hour traffic as well. We were so tapped out by the time we got there! We could’ve file for divorce after that ride.

My best tip is to have one of you sit in the back seat with the baby! That’s where we went very wrong! We thought he’d sleep the whole way. Not a chance. We ended up hightailing it off an unknown exit in “gettoville” (sorry about that, but you know) and didn’t know where we were. Couldn’t really find anywhere to stop. The baby was screaming!!! We started screaming at each other. It was aweful. We NEVER scream at each other. Then was the switch from the front to the back and “where’s the pacifier” and “what’s all this stuff you brought with us for?”

We put the calmest driver to driving after that with the other to “entertain” the baby in the back. Take lots of toys and light up thingys and musical dowackys to keep him happy. You’ll need lots of them. This is all just for the car ride. How long of a ride is it?

Laura’s suggestion is wonderful. I’ll have to remember that one.

Make sure you have food for him as soon as the test is over. I’d even say take a couple bottles with you. Incase they need one. who knows. I’m a packrat though.

Good luck and keep us posted.

August 23, 2006 at 9:38 am #12064

Anonymous
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nataliachick7 wrote: does he maybe have DGE?

What is DGE?

August 23, 2006 at 9:44 am #12067

Anonymous
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I’m happy to say the worst part was the car trip there. He was cranky b/c he got waked up to leave and b/c he hadn’t eaten of course. Fed him 4 hrs before his appt. Had to leave at 6:30 a.m. to get through downtown traffic. Fortunately once we got signed in they took him early b/c of his age.

He did fine – fell asleep during the ultrasound and didn’t cry during the barium swallow. It was like his swaddle blanket so he’s used to it. He was busy checking out the lights and machines, too, I think. I had him a pumped breast milk bottle ready to go right afterward. Staff was very nice – even brought me hot water to warm it. If he didn’t take it, I was prepared to just nurse him outright. That’s one good thing about breast feeding – you just take the food with you and it’s already the correct temp.

I should get results today, Ped’s office just called, so will let you know what I find out.

August 23, 2006 at 9:51 am #12069

hellbennt
Keymaster

have boob, will travel, lol!!! when i’m out & about i just breastfeed…the act of delivery (now 2x) took away any sense of modesty i might’ve had, LOL (plus, nursing tops)

August 23, 2006 at 1:09 pm #12081

Anonymous
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Good news on the u/s. It was normal so no pyloric stenosis. Still waiting on upper GI X-ray results though. So if u/s was normal, how do you explain the fact that he sometimes hurls two hours after a feed? I would think that milk would have cleared the stomach by then.

As for the nursing, I’m still weirded out doing it in public. I’d have had to have gotten in a room alone. Right now at home we are practicing with a nursing poncho. Baby likes to look around though so not sure how that will work out. He’s also now able to latch and nurse without a pillow as he can control his head better so that helps. I was using the reflux pillow but obviously cannot lug that around absolutely everywhere. am not sure it makes much difference in spit-ups anyway. guess it can’t hurt.

Has anyone ordered that mommy bib from pollywog? I may do that. I’m sick of having to change shirts after every feed, plus I may need it when I go back to work in a month and may have to nurse him right before I go out the door.

August 23, 2006 at 3:20 pm #12087

Anonymous
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I never got good enough to nurse well in public and was mortified when Hailey’s ped asked me to nurse her in front of him so that he could watch her feed, choke, and pull off. I think after you’ve done it for a while and you don’t have to hold your boob in place to get the baby latched, it becomes second nature. What about a sling? You can apparently position them for discrete nursing when you’re out.

Hailey also could hurl many many hours after a feed, but also had a clear UGI. Our doc never could explain it to us except to say that her system might be a bit slow, which is sometimes common for refluxers.

Glad to hear no pyloric stenosis. Good luck with the x-ray series.

August 23, 2006 at 3:27 pm #12088

Anonymous
Inactive

DGE=delayed gastric emptying. i thought this was a possibility since he spits up a lot long after feeds.

if you ever heard of reglan, that is a common med to treat DGE. there are other motility drugs available too.

August 23, 2006 at 5:03 pm #12102

hellbennt
Keymaster

[OT (off topic)

i’m a SO SO SO ring sliing challenged, but I’m hellbennt & determined this time around…so here I am descretely nursing in a ring sling (with my corsierre top- see the post ‘nursing apparel’: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6101)

(the ‘skin’ you see is the top of the baby’s head and the white you see is a receiving blanket I put in there to position us)

http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=7c70sJRl-ZhJLKw5rq1b1cH QiDC6BQRYWcZsv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&size=l ]

August 24, 2006 at 12:38 am #12141

Anonymous
Inactive

Thank you Laura for guiding me to this forum (you replied to my ‘wearing a reflux baby’ post at thebabywearer.com)…its nice to know that were not alone, and that there’s a place to come to for guidance and support when we’re trying to help our little ones!

I don’t mean to hijack this thread, but my 7 wk. daughter is scheduled for an upper GI next week. I’m a little nervous because it seems like an awful lot for such a wee one to go through (although she’s in so much pain right now anyways). Can anyone tell me what the test involves? How will she be made to swallow the barium? Is this test really necessary? Her doctor has her on Zantac, and wants to do the test before he increases her dosage. I just wonder if the test will probably be inconclusive anyways, and she will have to endure the discomfort for nothing. It all just sucks.

Thanks for your input – Bina

August 24, 2006 at 9:26 am #12160

hellbennt
Keymaster

hi & welcome!

well, it’s true that the test might not show reflux. this is because it’s a snapshot in time, if you will, & if your baby happens to not reflux at the time of the test, then well…it will, however, show if there’s any structural abnormalities- & it will show if there’s pyloric stenosis (most babies with this projectile vomit…)

click back to the previous page- i wrote what to do for this test w/ a breast-fed baby (look for the purple posts)

HTH,

~laura

ps: get to a Ped GI, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! what is with your doctor that your baby is in so muc hpain & s/he won’t increase the zantac?? I bet it’s not even a ‘proper’ dose of zantac to begin with… Attention all Zantac Users: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1000– I’d go to the website of the company & print out the info and FAX YOUR PED requesting (not asking) for an increase in zantac to get your poor baby more comfprtable as you wait for the Upper GI and as you wait for a ped Gi appt.I am not mad at you but at your doctor! sorry. you might love her/him but that just gets me mad & this is exactly why I just can’t seem to leave this board..

August 24, 2006 at 11:29 am #12172

Anonymous
Inactive

BIna

try some myanta to soothe her throat in the meantime! then try to get a PPI if you dont think the zantac is doing the trick!
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