[Gastroesophageal reflux in nursing children: normal or pathology?]

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infant Health
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Regurgitation is a common infant behavior.
• Understanding its prevalence and long-term effects is crucial for infant health.
• Feeding method (breast vs. bottle) may influence regurgitation frequency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of regurgitation in infants.
• To compare regurgitation frequency between breast-fed and bottle-fed infants.
• To investigate the association between infant regurgitation and later gastro-intestinal health up to age three.

Main Methods:

• Observational study of 146 infants.
• Data collection on regurgitation frequency and feeding methods.
• Longitudinal follow-up of infants until age three.

Main Results:

• 68% of infants regurgitated 2-7 times daily, peaking in the first three months.
• Regurgitation increased around 4.5-5 months with solid food introduction.
• Bottle-fed infants showed higher regurgitation frequency than breast-fed infants.
• 5% of infants who regurgitated as babies developed gastro-intestinal disorders by age 2-3.

Conclusions:

• Regurgitation is highly prevalent in early infancy.
• Feeding method impacts regurgitation frequency.
• Infant regurgitation may be a risk factor for developing gastro-intestinal disorders later in childhood.