Is your child a fussy eater who doesn’t usually have an appetite or can’t keep down the food he or she does eat? These could be the signs of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Here are some tips from the Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper, where we have pediatric gastroenterologists ready to help children who may have this health issue.

Spit Happens

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is common in infants, and most babies outgrow it by the age of one. GER occurs during or after a meal when stomach contents go back into the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. GER occurs often in normal infants. Most infants with GER are happy and healthy even though they spit up or vomit. Spitting up tends to peak at four months and most infants stop spitting up by 12 months of age.

Read the full story

There’s nothing quite like eating a good meal. Unless, of course, that meal also includes a side of heartburn. Antacids can help for many people, but the underlying problem is still there because heartburn is a sure sign that something isn’t quite right with your digestive system.

Gastrointestinal problems affect more than a million people in the U.S. every year. Selecting the physicians and practice that provide the best care for your unique needs is extremely important.

The Cooper Digestive Health Institute, the largest outpatient gastroenterology center in South Jersey, provides patients with the most advanced testing and treatment in a state-of-the-art outpatient facility. Cooper gastroenterologists diagnose and treat many complex disorders and diseases of the digestive tract, but one of the more prevalent health problems being seen in patients is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Read the full story